William Lane Craig's Advice: "Quit reading and watching the infidel material you’ve been absorbing."
As I've mentioned before, William Lane Craig does not consider doubt to be a virtue. Given his utterly unjustified claims of a (holy) Spirit Guide he can't recommend it, not with regard to Christianity anyway. He advocates a double-standard, one for his sect-specific faith and a different one for all other faiths, even though faith is the basis for all of them. So he's offering nothing different than what Mormon missionaries do, or Muslims, or Psychics, ad nauseam.
But given the existence of world-wide religious diversity Peter Boghossian tells the naked truth: "We are forced to conclude that a tremendous number of people are delusional. There is no other conclusion one can draw." He says, "The most charitable thing we can say about faith is that it's likely to be false." [Source]. No wonder Boghossian goes on to make a difference between sitting at the adult table from sitting at the children's table. People like Craig, no matter how highly he's regarded, or how brilliantly he uses empty rhetoric without substance, are not allowed at the adult table for discussion until they disavow faith as a method for attaining truth about the world, it's workings, and origins. By contrast, as I repeatedly stress, Doubt Is The Adult Attitude. If there is a way to know the truth then doubt is the means to achieve it, and science repeatedly delivers the goods.
Rene Descartes speaks for us when he wrote:
In Craig's answer to this seeker he speaks of re-committing one's life to God, reading his recommended books and attending apologetics conferences and classes. But Craig also warned against something else:
John W. Loftus is a philosopher and counter-apologist credited with 12 critically acclaimed books, including The Case against Miracles, God and Horrendous Suffering, and Varieties of Jesus Mythicism. Please support DC by sharing our posts, or by subscribing, donating, or buying our books at Amazon. Thank you so much!
But given the existence of world-wide religious diversity Peter Boghossian tells the naked truth: "We are forced to conclude that a tremendous number of people are delusional. There is no other conclusion one can draw." He says, "The most charitable thing we can say about faith is that it's likely to be false." [Source]. No wonder Boghossian goes on to make a difference between sitting at the adult table from sitting at the children's table. People like Craig, no matter how highly he's regarded, or how brilliantly he uses empty rhetoric without substance, are not allowed at the adult table for discussion until they disavow faith as a method for attaining truth about the world, it's workings, and origins. By contrast, as I repeatedly stress, Doubt Is The Adult Attitude. If there is a way to know the truth then doubt is the means to achieve it, and science repeatedly delivers the goods.
Rene Descartes speaks for us when he wrote:
"If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things."Now consider what Craig wrote on October 21, 2013, in answering a Christian who was in the throes of doubt, due to the writings of David G. McAfee. He or she wrote:
I want to believe in God, but I'm having trouble with my faith. I've always been a Christian, but since I started talking to my atheist friends, I find it hard to believe in God. When I think about it, it doesn't make much sense to me to believe in a creator of the universe. It makes even less sense for me to believe in a God who intervenes in our lives. Please, I want to believe in God, any suggestions?This scenario is happening everywhere, something apologist Josh McDowell has warned about, saying "Atheists and skeptics now have equal access to our children as we have, which is why the number of Christian youth who believe in the fundamentals of Christianity is decreasing and sexual immorality is growing." And the reason for this he says, is "the internet." LINK. See what equal access does? It levels the playing field. If the truth is on the Christian side this shouldn't be a problem. Christian apologists should welcome it. But they don't.
In Craig's answer to this seeker he speaks of re-committing one's life to God, reading his recommended books and attending apologetics conferences and classes. But Craig also warned against something else:
What would prompt you to feed on the garbage you’re reading and watching, thereby polluting your mind?...Certainly, someone does need to read and interact with secular material, but that person is not (yet) you. You first need to prepare yourself...Quit reading and watching the infidel material you’ve been absorbing. Confess your recklessness and irresponsibility to God. Notice: I’m not saying, quit asking questions. I’m saying, quit going to the wrong people for answers. Q# 304: Garbage in Garbage Out.Craig tells an honest seeker that he's a trustworthy expert and that doubters who disagree are polluting minds with garbage. I've written on how to decide between experts RIGHT HERE. One thing is sure. Craig does not like a free flowing discussion of the ideas that separate us. He tells this seeker he or she is "going to the wrong people." He would prefer going back in time to the good ole days when he had it easy, before the internet would connect seekers to McAfee's writings. --------------
John W. Loftus is a philosopher and counter-apologist credited with 12 critically acclaimed books, including The Case against Miracles, God and Horrendous Suffering, and Varieties of Jesus Mythicism. Please support DC by sharing our posts, or by subscribing, donating, or buying our books at Amazon. Thank you so much!
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