Say There was a Study...

[Quath]

I have been away for a bit. Mostly work has been busy. Plus I have been playing more games, which leaves me less time for religious chat. But over the time, questions still pop into my head about Christianity and Christians. So I figured I would head over to my favorite group of Christians and ask some of these questions. So my first one is a hypothetical questions:

Imagine that a study was done. This study gathered a thousand Christians who say they talk to God when they pray and God answers them when they pray. They are given a survey to ask God. The questions are many different types of questions like

Is Baptism required for salvation?
Do you approve of how the United States acted in the Iraq War?
Should gays be accepted into church?
What is your favorite color?
Was there a woman before Eve?
Is Jesus your son and the Messiah?
etc.

Say there are 100 questions that range all over the field like this. Assume safeguards have been implemented to make this a fair test. I could see several different outcomes.

1. Everyone gets agreement on their poll but in a simple way - For example, they write down that God refused to answer any question.

2. Every agrees in a non-trivial manner - Real answers to the questions and everyone matches.

3. People don't match at all. Some people may match up on some answers, but overall they tend to disagree.

So if result 1 happens, I don't think anyone would be convinced one way or another. The believers will probably be happy with that result, but the nonbelievers will just think that people took the easy way out. However, it would be supicious and could open it up to more testing.

Result 2 would be a big sign that God is real. It could also reduce the number of denominations down. (Unless God refused to answer the theological questions, but answered other questions.)

Result 3 is what I expect would really happen. Not just because I am an atheist, but from what I have seen TV preachers say. One prays to God and says God wants one thing and another prays to God and says he wants the opposite.

So the question is: "Would this test influence your beliefs? If result 3 happened, would you wonder if prayer worked or would you wonder if people trick themselves into thinking they hear from God?"

 

[lovely]

Hi Quath,

Okay, I pondered this a bit, and it seems like a familiar conversation...though the format is different.

I suppose for an atheist, and maybe even agnostics, it is about proof...evidence. I can see why.

I think if atheists did this experiment, and it was truly 1000 authentic believers, and God participated by answering them all, that you would still not have enough evidence to convince yourself, or other atheists. So, if 2 truly happened, it would not be enough...some other excuse would be found.

Creation is evidence, but it is not enough. Love is evidence, but it is not enough. Absolute Truth is evidence, but it is not enough. God coming in the flesh is evidence, but it is not enough. The miracles of Christ were evidence, but it is not enough. The history of the Bible and the way it flashes a big arrow to the Gospel is not enough. We have the evidence, but it is always subject to interpretation. Is the interpretation given by the Holy Spirit, or not?

Your view of the evidence is not the same as mine. We both see it, but we draw different conclusions. I can't say anything to convince you, and the poll would not convince you either. As far as it influencing my beliefs, it wouldn't do that either, because my reason would be the same as yours...All the other evidence (or lack of it in your case) would outweigh the results of a poll that hinges greatly on man's fallibility.

The Lord bless you.