The Easiest Argument to Make

I have a six hour DVD course on "Argumentation". The professor points out that the easiest argument to make is one where the audience knows little about the subject, and the speaker has lots of time. If the speaker also happens to be a dynamic orator (think Billy Graham) then its a slam dunk.

Nothing fits this description better than a Catholic or Protestant church. Nonsense is hammered into the bibically illiterate congregation two or three times a week during their entire lifetimes.

After retiring I had time to turn to the examination of religion. I was literally astounded at what I discovered. I found that those who have been carrying the Bible to church three or four times a week for 40 or 50 years are abysmally ignorant of what is actually in it. For example one devout church member who attended church three times per week (and had been for years) had no idea the Old Testament treatment for a recalcitrant teenage son was to tie him to the front gate and invite the neighbors over to help stone him to death. Fifty years of Bible toting and she didn't have a clue. In fact she didn't believe me when I pointed out that joyful verse. I had to produce a bible and show it to her before she would believe it. She had faithfully attended church for nearly 60 years. Her response: "Well, I'll have to ask my preacher about that." Sounds to me like her preacher had left a few gaps in her religious education.

Stephen Prothero dramatically points out the ignorance of bible toting Christians in his book "Religious Literacy" with the subtitle, "What Every American Needs to Know and Doesn't". Two examples:

Only 10 percent of American teenagers can name all five major world religions and 15 percent cannot name any.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe that the Bible holds the answer to all or most of life's basic questions, yet only half of American adults can name even one of the four gospels and most Americans cannot name the first book of the Bible or more than two of the prophets.

Daniel Florien recently cited a study that reinforces the point made in the DVD about the easiest argument. The example he gave was that of students who were given a test requiring mathematical skills. Then they were given a similar test, but with the instructor posing as an "accountant" who was an "expert" in the subject. Turns out, test scores were lower when the students thought they were in the presence of someone who they thought were "smarter" than them on the subject. In other words their minds went into the "idle" mode in the presence of an "expert".

I think this is exactly what happens when people go to church. They let their minds go into idle. They turn their brain switch to the "off" position. After all, the preacher is the "expert". And if you want to get thrown out on your ear, just keep pestering the preacher with hard questions. He will convince the congregation that Satan has you in his grip. If you persist they will wash their hands of you.

Funny, I thought the Bible taught that if one lamb strays the Sheppard will leave the 99 and go after the one. Which by the way is one of the stupidest things the Sheppard could do. No Sheppard will leave the whole herd at the mercy of predators just to save one animal. Looks like we have a real conundrum here.