tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post6586538365165599587..comments2024-03-25T17:35:02.238-04:00Comments on Debunking Christianity: It Does Not Matter How You Philosophically Dress It Up. A Delusion is a Delusion is a Delusion.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-47040947388384343422012-02-16T08:52:06.231-05:002012-02-16T08:52:06.231-05:00"Allan Miller's followers know he is Jesu...<i>"Allan Miller's followers know he is Jesus reincarnated and that his wife is Mary Magdalene reincarnated."</i><br /><br />The proposition "Allan Miller and his wife are Jesus and Mary Magdalene incarnate." is very different from, "Bill, this is the Holy Spirit confirming in you the message of Jesus Christ."<br /><br />In order for the former to be equivalent it seems that Miller's followers would need to also claim the Holy Spirit has confirmed in them the divinity of the Millers. <br /><br /><i>"Jose de Miranda's followers know he is the second coming of Jesus."</i><br /><br />I am unfamiliar with de Miranda's ministry. Regarding this claim however, it seems very different from the type of message Craig claims to have confirmed by the Holy Spirit. <br /><br /><i>"Followers of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon know he is the second coming of Jesus."</i><br /><br />This one is easy to reject because Moon's followers don't believe He is the second coming by an "internal witness" but rather by Moon's misrepresentation of Scripture. <br /><br /><i>"Catholics know that the virgin Mary heals them at Lourdes, France."</i><br /><br />This one also isn't an example of "internal confirmation" but rather of a belief due to how Catholics choose to interpret their miracle claims. They believe Mary has healed them because they appeal to their prayer to Mary prior to a "healing" as the most reasonable explanation of their healing (which most Christians and skeptics would likely disagree with, possibly arguing that this may be an example of correlation implying causation).<br /><br /><i>"Mormons know the angel Moroni delivered the golden plates to Joseph Smith, who translated them using the Urim and Thumin, and believe the Book of Mormon is the inspired word of God."</i><br /><br />This may be a good example. To my knowledge, I know Mormons certainly recommend praying to God about the message of the Book of Mormon (often citing James 1:5, if memory serves). Their alleged confirmation could still be mistaken however, just as Craig's could.<br /><br /><i>"Muslims know Mohammed was a prophet of Allah and his words in the Koran are Allah's words."</i><br /><br />From my experience with Muslims (which no doubt may admittedly offer little here), theirs seems not to be so much a religious experience of internal confirmation as it is a belief that they come to hold because of arguments and teachings. Islamic apologists are just as adamant about theirs being a reasonable faith as Christian apologists are. No doubt certain Muslims may claim to have a religious experience of Allah, though.<br /><br /><i>"Hindu's know that bathing in the river Ganges brings healing, forgiveness of sins, and helps liberate them from the endless cycle of life and death."</i><br /><br />I feel this may be the worst of the examples you list. This doesn't seem in any way analogous to the Holy Spirit internally confirming a message. This seems more analogous to Catholics mistakenly attributing healing to statues of/prayers to Mary. This seems more like a mistake in explaining subsequent events, not religious confirmation of something divine.<br /><br /><i>"Believers in voodoo know that casting spells on someone can cause sicknesses and that a witch-doctor's rites can heal them." </i><br /><br />See above.adamryannoreply@blogger.com