Modern examples of gullibility as evidence against Christian claims

[Minimalist]

A common argument I hear from apologists basically says that if Jesus wasn't really the son of God, didn't perform all those miracles, didn't really rise from the dead, and his apostles and followers didn't perform miracles and have revelations, then Christianity wouldn't lasted and become the major religion it is today. I.e., no substantial number of people would have believed it if its claims weren't true.

Ancient Egyptians followed Horus, Isis, and Osiris for over 3,000 years. Yet I submit you will not find a single xtian who asserts that the alleged deeds of these gods were real. Xtians love special pleading for their godboy. Makes them all wet in the pants.

It's a horseshit argument.

[Mister Agenda]

Is there a name for this 'has stood the test of time' fallacy? Appeal to longevity, maybe?

[Tea Earl Grey Hot]

Is there a name for this 'has stood the test of time' fallacy? Appeal to longevity, maybe?

I don't think so. In the fashion of naming diseases, I propose this be forever known as "Godschild's Fallacy."

[Anomalocaris]

A common argument I hear from apologists basically says that if Jesus wasn't really the son of God, didn't perform all those miracles, didn't really rise from the dead, and his apostles and followers didn't perform miracles and have revelations, then Christianity wouldn't lasted and become the major religion it is today. I.e., no substantial number of people would have believed it if its claims weren't true.

This boils down to "If a lie is believed, then it is not a lie", as if lies were not purposely manufacturered to generate belief.

The reason why so many dim wits believe in the bullshit is precisely because it is such an utterly disgustingly unscrupulous fraud.

[Faith No More]

Like Min. said, special pleading. You would never hear a Christian pull out the longevity argument against a Buddhist or a Hindu, and they would definitely deny the idea that those religions having been around for over twice as long has anything to do with their validity.

[Minimalist]

It is called the Appeal to Belief.

http://nizkor.org/features/fallacies/app...elief.html

God must exist. After all, I just saw a poll that says 85% of all Americans believe in God.

I supposed we could call it the Godschild Lunacy Fallacy. Who would care?

[Annik]

http://logicallyfallacious.com/index.php...t-from-age

It's called "Argument from Age".

[Mister Agenda]

Thanks for the help. Those all seem to touch on what Godschild is saying, but I think it is a little harder to classify than that. Up against Hinduism it would be special pleading, but if Godschild actually belonged to the world's oldest still existent relgion, it might not be. The appeal to belief seems to revolve around how many people believe rather than how long it has been believed. And it's not really an argument from age, since the argument isn't that it's true because the ancients knew better, the argument is that it is true because it has lasted so long.

It's a non sequitur, which all formal fallacies are, so we can leave it at that. I doubt someone claiming an idea must be true because it has lasted a long time comes up often enough to make it worth naming.

[Reforged]

Very true but I have a more pressing issue that must be brought up, I think all will agree it is of the utmost importance. As you know we live in a free society but freedom is limited by the necessities and the needs that must take priority. It is not so much a matter of morality but a matter of survival and peace of mind. I am of course talking about your picture and how you should change it back to Patrick Stewart immediately. His shiny and perfectly round head is a pleasing sight to all and it has taken a severely negative toll on the psyches of many on this forum that you have decided to replace him with an inferior image. I therefore demand that he be put back in his rightful place so that this forum might once again prosper from his soothing presence.

Just for that, I switched to a Picard picture WITH HAIR. No shiny head for you! bwahahahahahaha

I am extremely displeased at the fact his perfectly round head has been defiled with the mowed down corpse of a ferret.

[Godscreated]

...

There is a problem with your reasoning, these things you mention are Johnny come lately's. They are not time tested and when they are IMO they will be long forgotten. Christianity has stood the test of time, many religions have come and gone but Christianity is still here and doing rather well. Oh and the things you mentioned and how much worse they would be in ancient times, well they were there in some form and are now gone. When something comes along has nothing to do with it lasting, it will last as long as truth is found in it.

Are you serious?

Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, and native american religions have stood the test of time too.

It does not follow that if a belief is old and has "stood the test of time" (whatever that 'test' actually involves), that therefore that belief is true.

Hinduism and Buddhism are about people even though they have many gods, they are mostly sustained in poor and illiterate places, the native American religions are sustained only by a few and within their own culture, Islam is relatively new, Judaism is the prophecy of Christianity, so yes I'm serious. Christianity crosses more barriers and people than any other religion has.