Correspondence with a critic

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steve
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Correspondence with a critic

Post by steve » Tue Aug 04, 2020 10:52 am

This lady first wrote to me (along lines similar to the present missive) in 2016, and has written to me about once a year ever since. She has received much longer replies to her earlier communiqués than my reply to this one. This is one of her shorter messages, and one of my shorter replies. There may be some who find the correspondence interesting.I am pretty sure that I posted the earlier correspondence here when they were new. By the way, if anyone wonders, from her earlier communications she seems to hold to New Age beliefs.

Steve,
I keep listening to you, but have to say: why in the world do you believe in Satan, demons, God likes blood sacrifice, Jesus coming back to condemn and all these things that just makes you sound stupid. God is not what you describe. This goes way beyond being a good person. Quit telling these lies on air. Just shut up if you aren't interested in the truth.
Joan



Hi Joan,

Thanks for writing. I wonder why you keep listening to my program if you find it to be so unenlightened and frustrating.

I am also surprised that you would say that I think God liked animal sacrifices, when I consistently say the opposite. The Bible teaches that God had no particular liking for them (Psalm 40:6-8; 51:16). God seemingly saw a didactic use for them, but was very happy to bring that system to an end when the need no longer existed. On the other hand, I do affirm most of the beliefs that you mentioned and which you regard as obtuse.

You should realize that, whether it pleases or displeases you, the majority intelligent and well-informed people in western civilization over the past two-thousand years have had no difficulty believing most of the things that you view as "stupid" to believe. To call the majority of scientists, historians and philosophers of the past stupid seems gratuitous and (dare I say it?) stupid, when you have no objective evidential support for the things you yourself believe and assert. Maybe the believers actually knew something you don't know? A humbler person than yourself would certainly consider this possibility.

Nothing has been discovered by modern man that would cast any reasonable doubt on the beliefs I espouse. My belief set is distinctly informed by the Bible and real-world experience, but even intelligent pagans, having no Christian influence, believed in such things as the devil, demons and the need for atonement. No evidence exists that would suggest that belief in these things is is out of touch with reality. So why is it now stupid to believe what most educated people in most societies have always believed? Is it because such beliefs are out of vogue in our highly enlightened modern world? Frankly, I would be very interested in hearing or seeing any reason to believe that our modern anti-Christian world is half as enlightened, or can produce half as civil a society as the world under Christian influence produced.

The loss of Christian faith in our society has not occurred as the result of any new evidence that has come along. All the best evidence today, as always, has supported the belief system that you refer to as stupid. Most informed Christians can make an actual evidential case for their beliefs. So far you have given me no reason to think that you have even attempted to make such a case for your worldview assumptions. So who exhibits the greater "stupidity" in embracing their beliefs?

You are apparently not aware that you see everything, including my beliefs, through the grid of an unsupportable (and probably unexamined) worldview, which you assume that everyone should share with you. I have always felt more secure believing things which are supported by evidence and facts. I do not expect anyone to share my worldview without having good reasons. Why would you expect anyone to embrace yours without reasons?

Frankly, when viewed through my worldview, your positions actually appear to be lacking in rationality; and through yours, my beliefs seem stupid. It is all a question of the worldview through which someone looks at things. Your worldview seems right to you but has no evidential basis behind it. Just because something seems right to you or to me does not mean that either of us is correct. The question of correctness must be decided on the basis of evidence. At least that is the approach I have chosen. You have chosen another, which you are, of course, free to do.

You insist that I stop speaking “lies” over the air, yet you have not identified anything I have said as a demonstrable lie. I have not accused you of being a liar. You indicate that your name is Joan. I don't know if this is really your name or not, but I would not refer to it as a lie unless I was able to bring some evidence that your name actually is not Joan and that you are seeking to deceive me about this.

Everything I say is at least evidence-based and has every reason to be regarded as the truth. Of course, finding better evidence contrary to my views would be truly intriguing. The ability to find any such data has proved frustratingly evasive to the critics. However, further discoveries that qualify as such evidence could potentially change some of my opinions. I may have paid more attention to the discoveries relevant to these questions than you have. If I am mistaken, and you actually know of some rational reason for me to abandon my views, you have given no hint of this.

Instead of telling me to stop saying things over the air which are defensibly true (but which you dislike), perhaps you would get more satisfaction by exercising your right to listen to things that don't irritate you on a different radio station. It seems to me rather bizarre (I had almost said "stupid") for you to imagine that I would stop saying over the air the things I have found to be true, simply because you have found them personally disagreeable! The world does not revolve around you (I suspect that this statement disagrees with your New Age worldview). Believe it or not, there are other people on the planet who are not obligated to agree with you. If you would like to join and engage the world of rational debate, you will give yourself a better chance of avoiding embarrassment if you bring some objective facts with you.

Sincerely,

Steve


Joan responded:
Thanks for responding, but your words are wasted because they are untrue. I keep listening to you and others so I'm aware of what some people believe and if they are allowed to say their crap every day on air, I should be able to say what I think is the truth also, but I don't get any airwaves. Since when have scientists, historians , and philosophers shown that Satan and demons are real. You believe what you were taught, but you are incorrect, wrong, misguided and too blind to see it. Somebody needs to remind you.

steve7150
Posts: 2597
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2008 7:44 am

Re: Correspondence with a critic

Post by steve7150 » Tue Aug 11, 2020 6:55 pm

Thanks for responding, but your words are wasted because they are untrue. I keep listening to you and others so I'm aware of what some people believe and if they are allowed to say their crap every day on air, I should be able to say what I think is the truth also, but I don't get any airwaves. Since when have scientists, historians , and philosophers shown that Satan and demons are real. You believe what you were taught, but you are incorrect, wrong, misguided and too blind to see it. Somebody needs to remind you.




I don't really understand what she is trying to accomplish. Obviously she is strictly a materialist and can't relate to anything supernatural , anything that a scientist can't quantify or identify and she seems offended that you believe differently. Why would she be offended that you believe Satan and demons are real? She must be aware that evil exists since she referenced history but it is more comforting to her that evil is strictly a human creation not needing any help from Satan. This she finds more comforting or more believable? God only knows why.

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