logic

Swinburne’s Argument from Religious Experience – Part 3

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Previously, I have only considered the very simple case where one person has a memory of having previously had a theistic religious experience (hereafter: TRE) of a generic sort–an experience in which it seemed (epistemically) to him/her that God was present.  There were a couple of basic points made about probable inferences in contrast to … Swinburne’s Argument from Religious Experience – Part 3

Swinburne’s Argument from Religious Experience – Part 2

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Richard Swinburne’s argument from religious experience (AFR) as given in The Existence of God (2nd ed.- hereafter: EOG) is based on three key epistemological  principles: EXPERIENCE …(in the absence of special considerations), if it seems (epistemically) to a subject that x is present (and has some characteristic), then probably x is present (and has that characteristic)… (EOG, p. 303) … Swinburne’s Argument from Religious Experience – Part 2

Lessing’s Broad Ditch and Brad’s Lesser Ditch

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LESSING’S BROAD DITCH Quotations are from Lessing’s essay “On the Proof of the Spirit and of Power” from Lessing’s Theological Writings (hereafter: LTW), edited by Henry Chadwick. Reports of Miracles are not the same as Direct Observation of Miracles “The problem is that reports of fulfilled prophecies are not fulfilled prophecies; that reports of miracles are not … Lessing’s Broad Ditch and Brad’s Lesser Ditch

Jesus on Faith – Part 6

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Here is the “Doubting Thomas” story from Chapter 20 of the Gospel of John: 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands … Jesus on Faith – Part 6

Jesus on Faith – Part 4

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Stig Martinsen made a plausible objection to my argument for the idea that Jesus viewed giving EVIDENCE and ARGUMENTS as compatible with promoting FAITH: ============ I have seen the story of doubting Thomas in John 20 interpreted as an example of Jesus endorsing faith as opposed to belief grounded in evidence. I.e. 20:29: Jesus saith unto him, … Jesus on Faith – Part 4

Jesus on Faith – Part 3

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Jesus talks about “faith” in Matthew Chapter 6 and also in Matthew Chapter 16 (Mat. 6:25-33 and  16:5-12).  In both of these passages, Jesus tells his followers that they have “little faith”, and then Jesus puts forward an ARGUMENT or REASONS in order to INCREASE the FAITH of his followers.   But this makes no sense if … Jesus on Faith – Part 3

Jesus on Faith – Part 2

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In my previous post on this subject, I argued that the comments of Jesus in Matthew 6:25-33 concerning faith  show that Jesus did NOT think that faith means firmly believing something for which one  has no evidence (Bertrand Russell’s def. of “faith”) nor that faith means believing in the face of contrary evidence (A.C. Grayling’s def. of … Jesus on Faith – Part 2