ANALYSIS OF “GOD RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD”

(GRJ) God raised Jesus from the dead.

(GPM) God has performed at least one miracle (besides creation of the universe and of living things).

(JRD) Jesus rose from the dead.

(DOC)  Jesus died on the cross on the same day he was crucified.

(JAW) Jesus was alive and walking around in Jerusalem about 48 hours after he was crucified.

1. (GRJ)  É  [(GPM) & (JRD)]                   analytic truth
2. [(DOC) & (JAW)]  É  (JRD)                  analytic truth
3. (JRD)  É  [(DOC) & (JAW)]                   approximate truth (argued for in Part 3)
4. (JRD)   ≡   (DOC) & (JAW)                    from (2) and (3)
5. ~ [(GPM) & (JRD)  É  (GRJ)]               analytic truth, see counterexamples below
6.  P(GRJ)  <  P(GPM & JRD)                   from (1) and (5)
7.  P(GPM & JRD)  =  P(GPM|JRD) x P(JRD)   analytic truth, conjunction probability rule
8.  P(GRJ)  <  P(GPM|JRD) x P(JRD)    from (6) and (7), substitution of equivalents
9.  P(JRD)  =  P(DOC & JAW)                   from (4) and logical equivalence probability rule
10. P(GRJ)  <  P(GPM|JRD) x P(DOC & JAW)   from (8) and (9), substitution of equivalents
11. P(DOC & JAW)  =  P(DOC|JAW) x P(JAW)   analytic truth, conjunction probability rule
12. P(GRJ)  <  P(GPM|JRD) x P(DOC|JAW) x P(JAW)   from (10) and (11), substitution of equals

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Counterexamples to [(GPM) & (JRD)]   É   (GRJ)

• An angel, not God, raised Jesus from the dead.
• A demon, not God, raised Jesus from the dead.
• A witch or wizard, not God, used magic to raise Jesus from the dead.
• An alien from another galaxy used advanced technology to raise Jesus from the dead.
• A human with supernatural powers, not God, raised Jesus from the dead.
• A finite and imperfect god, not God, raised Jesus from the dead.

NOTE:

I take it that the probability of one or the other of these counterexamples being the case is GREATER THAN 0, and thus that:

P(GRJ) is NOT EQUAL to P[(GPM) & (JRD)].

To Be Continued…