The Bible is a very old book. Consequently, there is a monumental lack of contemporaneous sources that can be used to give credence to the tales and claims in it. Or to discredit them. Of course, the fallback position to any claim is “prove it.”
Thanks to 20th-century journalists we know that in Waco, Texas, David Koresh didn’t resurrect from the ashes after three days to lead his tribe and convert the masses. There were too many lenses and pens focused on the Branch-Davidian compound for that to happen.
The world is now so small, and events well-documented, there will never be another Moses nor Jesus. Not that there’s a lack of imaginative and charismatic prophet-wannabes (er, delusional?), nor a lack of eager believers. Damn that free press. In a sense, the crucifixion was nothing. Today’s media would have annihilated Jesus.
A few years ago I encountered a religious pamphlet entitled, “Welcome to the Family,” put out by Kenneth Copeland Publications in 1995. It contained this claim:
“If you do choose to make Jesus your Lord, God will receive you as His very own Child . . . . This is not just a theological idea; this is a fact. It actually happens. Jesus actually walked the earth as a man. He actually went to the Cross, died there, was raised from the dead, and is alive today, seated at the right hand of God in Heaven.”
Hmm. It’s not an idea, it is a fact. . . . Seems Kenneth and co. have confused the two. According to my understanding, a fact is something that everyone could agree upon, something that can be verified. For instance: There are 37 states in the United States. That is not a fact. It is untrue; it cannot be verified. But the statement, An Entenmann’s chocolate donut has 230 calories, is a fact. Anyone can check the box, and presumably any lab could put a donut through some tests to measure its calories.
On the other hand, the idea that Everyone must eat Entenmann’s donuts to lead a full and happy life, is not a fact. Not everyone likes donuts. So Entenmann’s donuts being essential to the good life, no matter my belief, is just an opinion.
As to the “fact” that Jesus resurrected from the dead and is seated in heaven at the right hand of his father, I wonder, what box of donuts is this fact printed upon? Has anyone been able to verify it?
Furthermore, that not everyone prefers chocolate Christianity — some go for cinnamon Judaism, other for one of a variety of creme-filled Eastern Mysticism — suggests that fact is far from what religion is all about.
If any person believes that his/her religious claim is a fact, I suggest they prove it. And not just in a manner that is convincing to those of their own mindset. For a Christian fact to truly be a fact, it must be presented to a jury of others: believers in other religions and believers of no religion. Do they concur?
And on that note, I recommend that any atheist considering debating a Christian about the existence of their god, or some such thing, get a Muslim and a Hindu in on it. Then direct comments to set the three believers at odds — which their religions fundamentally are — breaking apart a counterfeit consensus and making it plainly clear that you aren’t just some lone dissenter. All you really are is fully consistent in how you apply critical thinking. Whether or not you want them to be true, ancient tales and current religious claims belong in the realm of opinion, not fact.
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