I think Craig is a legit believer. I say this as someone who was indoctrinated from birth and whose father has been a pastor for almost 30 years. I think the main difference in my father and Craig is that my father is very ignorant of science and how the world works, so he doesn't need to jump through as many hoops as Craig to hold on to faith. When I have gone to Craig's website and read the amount of time and detail he puts into his e-mails to Christians, I can't really believe that he's a charlatan like some television evangelist. In my eyes, Craig has just outsmarted himself.
What I've found from Christians I've talked to since my deconversion is that the ones who have invested the most in faith seem to be the least capable of even considering that they could be wrong. Their faith is their entire identity, and without it they are a hollow shell. It's a terrifying notion to them, which is why I don't press my new beliefs on those who seem legitimately terrified by them. I believe that Craig is locked into a life of apologetics because actively defending the faith is the only way to maintain it, and after what he has invested, he's not about to consider that he could be wrong.
What I've found from Christians I've talked to since my deconversion is that the ones who have invested the most in faith seem to be the least capable of even considering that they could be wrong. Their faith is their entire identity, and without it they are a hollow shell. It's a terrifying notion to them, which is why I don't press my new beliefs on those who seem legitimately terrified by them. I believe that Craig is locked into a life of apologetics because actively defending the faith is the only way to maintain it, and after what he has invested, he's not about to consider that he could be wrong.
