Contra Dr. Rauser on the Outsider Test for Faith (OTF)
Rauser commented on the OTF thusly: "As for the principle that 'you have to assume x is false and then establish its truth before you can believe it,' I'd like John to be consistent and apply the principle to itself.'"
Randal, there is some really solid overwhelming evidence that when it comes to your religion you should presume it has the burden of proof, which is to assume it is false. It's hypocritical to do otherwise, since that's how you REASONABLY approach all other religions that you reject. If your faith passed the OTF then you would be crowing about it. The fact that you intuitively recognize it doesn't is the only reason you rail against the OTF. There are a great many things you accept that you would change your mind about if someone presented sufficient evidence against them. Evidence has a way of breaking through to us all. Why doesn't your faith have that kind of sufficient evidence for it?
Let's put it this way: If God created us with minds that need sufficient evidence to believe and did not provide the needed evidence to believe, then he took away with one hand what he demands on the other hand. It also means that reasonable people who demand sufficient evidence to believe, reasonable people who were not born in a Christian privileged culture, will be condemned to hell by that same God simply because they were born as outsiders. Even the great Catholic apologist G.K. Chesterton argued for an outsider test for faith.
Randal, there is some really solid overwhelming evidence that when it comes to your religion you should presume it has the burden of proof, which is to assume it is false. It's hypocritical to do otherwise, since that's how you REASONABLY approach all other religions that you reject. If your faith passed the OTF then you would be crowing about it. The fact that you intuitively recognize it doesn't is the only reason you rail against the OTF. There are a great many things you accept that you would change your mind about if someone presented sufficient evidence against them. Evidence has a way of breaking through to us all. Why doesn't your faith have that kind of sufficient evidence for it?
Let's put it this way: If God created us with minds that need sufficient evidence to believe and did not provide the needed evidence to believe, then he took away with one hand what he demands on the other hand. It also means that reasonable people who demand sufficient evidence to believe, reasonable people who were not born in a Christian privileged culture, will be condemned to hell by that same God simply because they were born as outsiders. Even the great Catholic apologist G.K. Chesterton argued for an outsider test for faith.
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