“I want to be absolutely clear that I mean no insult to any atheist when I say:
It is impossible for an atheist to argue with me about God”
Okay. You say you’re immune to facts you don’t already possess. That’s fine.
“The reason for this is simple, compelling, and inarguable.
They don’t know Him.”
Inarguable? I think he’s a figment of your imagination. Can you prove otherwise?
“I want you to imagine a scenario with me.
Imagine a man who comes to me with an argument. He is eloquent, intelligent, and well-spoken. In fact, he is far more so than I am. He has done his research, read all the relevant literature, and carefully planned his presentation.
He stands confidently, clears his throat and says,
“I am convinced that you do not have a younger brother.”
Plausible, I suppose, but already a sucky analogy. Brothers are real.
“Then he begins to tell me how he couldn’t find a copy of my brother’s birth certificate, how my family’s stories about my brother sound contradictory, and how Google search didn’t find any pictures of him.
Tell me, do you think I will be swayed by this man’s eloquence or intelligence?”
Depends. Is you brother a figment of your imagination?
“This is the problem with Atheists who try to talk about my God.”
Ah. But you’re telling ME what my argument is against your god. That’s kinda cheating, isn’t it?
“The intelligence or preparedness of the Atheist is irrelevant when he’s waving the equivalent of a plastic cafeteria knife around in a gunfight.”
See, MY belief is based on the fact that while you may be convinced, you’re not convincing. I have yet to see a compelling reason to believe in any of the gods worshiped by men. I don’t have a knife, I have a bullseye. And all your shooting fails to hit the target.
“Do you really think there is even a single word that you could say which has anywhere near the weight of 23 years of personal interaction with my little brother?”
Two words. Prove it.
“Do you think any amount of “inconsistencies” are going to suddenly make me say “oh gee, I guess I’ve just been imagining him this whole time?””
Maybe a drug that drops your dopamine levels?
“ I literally mean that my relationship with God is like my relationship with my brother.”
You could produce your brother. Can you produce your god OR a reasonable argument for why you perceive him and we do not?
“There is a difference. You can tell me what God’s reported to have said. I can tell you what His voice sounded like when He said it.”
Which i must interpret as a psychosis, you know.
“You’ll tell me that you don’t believe I can have that sort of relationship with a nonexistent entity.”
No, i really think you can. My kid talks to his teddy bear all the time.
“You are arguing in a field where I am the expert and you are the layman.”
No, you’re just convinced. If you were an expert, you’d have a better argument than ‘nanny-nanny poo-poo. I know God and you don’t.’
“Your evidence is not only insufficient, it’s inadmissible. Every single thing you can say about Him is hearsay!”
Yes, yes, you have TESTIMONY. Of someone no one else can see. Even other believers will see god at least a little differently than you do.
“Even the most fervent Atheist has only the theoretical supposition that his lack of experience with God can be extrapolated to the reality beyond his experience.”
Nope. You’re still arguing against an idea in your head of what my argument is.
“Whereas even the youngest and least mature true Christian has the bedrock certainty of “Of course he’s real. I actually know the guy.””
And Muslims are just as certain of THEIR faith.
As are Shinto.
And Buddhist.
And Jewish.
And Wiccan.
And on and on and on…
So why is YOUR belief superior to theirs?