Reverse Engineering Doesn't work

[a_priori]

I’ve had many philosophical discussions where people reject theism in general, and Christianity in particular, because they simply don’t like theists/Christians. Disliking Christians or what one perceives Christianity to represent is not a good starting point to work backwards and draw conclusions about a First Cause, the nature of reality or the existence of God.

Reverse engineering is fine when you want to reproduce someone’s fighter jet. But applied to philosophy, not so good…

 

[SeaShoreGirl]

Ummm…I can see their reasoning though. If christians act horrible, then there IS something innately flawed in their religion, and thus, with their “God”.

For instance, we can see the deep flaws in the FLDS (Mormon) thinking and that they don’t follow a rational religion in how they treat their women, and actually, how they treat their sons. (they are often abandoned).

We can see the deep flaws in many Evangelicals thinking when they tythe so they can worship in the coolest mega church. Much the same for Puritians who didn’t even allow girls to have dolls with faces or have pictures.

We can see how Christianity dosn’t seem real to others when ultra traddies don’t let people in their churches becuase women wear jeans or men wear any type shorts.

It, quite frankly, makes no sense.

God’s existance is not based on the believers, however, enlighting someone without faith must be done through the religious princibles we live by. And the fact is, that people DO draw beliefs based on these horrible actions.

 

[Deacon2006]

The problem isn’t reverse engineering in general it is the exemplar they start with. Nobody reverse engineers a broken jet fighter they reverse engineer the best. So if someone says they don’t like Christians because they behave too much like everyone else then I suggest you challenge them with exemplars of the lives of the Saints. The best that humanity has to offer in faith.

Pax