The Problem of Religious Diversity
This problem is about probabilities based upon contradictory historical testimonies on matters of crucial importance to the truth of separate religions.
Here's my argument:
1) There are 45,000 different historical witnesses to mutually exclusive religious truth claims.
2) There is no other evidence apart from these historical witnesses that can tip the probability in favor of any single one of them.
.: Therefore even if one of these historical witnesses is correct I have no way to know which one.
Now Christians could show me the evidence that defeats 2 or accept conclusion 3. It’s that simple. The evidence Christians use to support their case is historical evidence, but as I’ve argued history is a poor medium to reveal anything of importance. There is no scientific evidence that leads specifically to their conclusion over the others. And present day religious experience is trumped by the other religious witnesses.
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Elsewhere I have defended the notion that history is a poor medium for God to reveal himself to humanity, here, here, here, and here.
Here's my argument:
1) There are 45,000 different historical witnesses to mutually exclusive religious truth claims.
2) There is no other evidence apart from these historical witnesses that can tip the probability in favor of any single one of them.
.: Therefore even if one of these historical witnesses is correct I have no way to know which one.
Now Christians could show me the evidence that defeats 2 or accept conclusion 3. It’s that simple. The evidence Christians use to support their case is historical evidence, but as I’ve argued history is a poor medium to reveal anything of importance. There is no scientific evidence that leads specifically to their conclusion over the others. And present day religious experience is trumped by the other religious witnesses.
-------------------
Elsewhere I have defended the notion that history is a poor medium for God to reveal himself to humanity, here, here, here, and here.