Let's say that there was a great historian and explorer who was on the evening news one night claiming something amazing.
He says excitedly that, in his travels around the world, he found a lost underground city that is a place of wonders. It will change the face of history as we know it, alter our lives, and is the most magnificent thing he has ever seen. The thought of this place he found brings him to tears.
Unfortunately, he has no photographs, video, eye witness testimony from his colleagues (he found it by himself), artifacts, or anything else from this city. Some of the people in the audience think that sounds silly and don't believe him.
The real kicker is this: Instead of working to prove that this amazing claim is the truth, he challenges everyone in the audience and everyone watching on television to prove to HIM that his city doesn't exist. If they can't, then of course that means that he is telling the truth.
What would you think of that?
2007-11-15 06:26:54 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
And before anyone says anything, of course this is a loaded question. I want people to think about the type of claims they make in a context that isn't religious.
2007-11-15 06:27:53 · update #1
primoa, I don't think anyone has said that Christianity doesn't exist. It exists just like Buddhism and Scientology does. I'm talking about the existence of God (or whatever you believe) himself.
2007-11-15 06:31:29 · update #2
JC... that's just it. You believe that God exists and that attempting to prove that he exists is "proving a negative" and that's fine. All you have is your faith. Some people require hard evidence before believing something that sounds so wild.
2007-11-15 06:33:27 · update #3
Um... I know I'm about to offend, but that sounds an awful lot like the Book of Mormon origins.
2007-11-15 06:31:05 · answer #1 · answered by ZombieTrix 2012 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, there is groups of ppl who deny that mankind has walked on the moon ... despite the films, rocks, and other "Scientific" proof. These nay-sayers (Christan's call 'em Doughting Thomas') have indicated that the walk on the moon is a conspiracy which they say was filmed in Hollywood. Further, they've had a grand old time scientifically proving this theory with shadow measurements, and other scientific counter points. I'd bet these ppl were so into denial that if they were taken to the moon, they would come up with theories about how it was orchastrated in Disneyland. That they never left earth and were fooled by modern technology. Still, despite their evidence, I believe that Neil Armstrong walked on the moon because I have faith in those who reported this to me.
Now as for u'r hypothetical story ... it would come down to how much faith I had toward the man who was telling the story and how my soul felt.
2007-11-15 06:35:56 · answer #2 · answered by Giggly Giraffe 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Dear friend lots of weirdos do that very same thing every day, those who say they come from the future, those who say they had been abducted by aliens, those who say they had found the lost continent of Lemuria etc.
There's never a bit of evidence and they dare us to prove that all their lies are not truth, well I just can feel sorry for those poor individuals cause they are either crasy or frauds.
2007-11-15 06:37:23 · answer #3 · answered by Paul Preston 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd say it's possible that exists, however if such a thing is so beautiful and awe inspiring why would he not want to share it with the world. If he can't prove it exists then until it can be it's just a fun idea to play around with. nothing to take seriously.
2007-11-15 06:31:36 · answer #4 · answered by shanobi187 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I realized before answering this question; that I may be 'fighting' some 'Christian' beliefs. Atheists and agnostics may refer to the following as 'common sense', but things like a woman's pain at child birth (Gen. 3), the rainbow (Gen.9), multiple languages (Gen. 11), are not God's 'old testament' even though the addition to God's word says they are. God's 'old testament' was fulfilled and done away when Christ died on the cross (Hebrews; ch 8?). God's old testament is the law of Moses; not Genesis-Malachi. Are the 'pain of child birth, the rainbow, multiple languages, creation, enough evidence to 'get ones attention'?
2007-11-15 07:07:15 · answer #5 · answered by jefferyspringer57@sbcglobal.net 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
All creation knows that there is a creator, even you, some just chose to reject him. That is the choice you will spend eternity with. You have been told, you know in your heart that this is not all that there is, you know in you mind that naturalistic answers to 'where we came from' are so riddled with holes that they are now more of a joke that a ideal, and you know in your soul, that you will indeed live forever. You make the choice to believe or not, no one but you can accept the blame for that .
2007-11-15 06:35:06 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I would say you can't prove a negative. I fully understand that the "burden of proof" is on us theists. So i didn't need the dumbed down version, but you did it very well indeed.
2007-11-15 06:30:33 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
who has the burden of proof and why? everyone has a mother, just because you dont see a person's mother doesnt mean they dont exist....we exist because were created those who seek proof need to look inside themselves
2007-11-15 06:44:14 · answer #8 · answered by jjmoose2001 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unlike Christianity.......he has no witnesses or documentation.
So I would think he was a fluke.
Our proof is in creation, the Bible and in Jesus Christ.......
And in His eyewitnesses
2007-11-15 06:29:53 · answer #9 · answered by primoa1970 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋