Reply #55: All good points

[mudesi]

But since this entire exercise is a thought experiment, I reserve the right to modify it.

A dozen of my best friends were with me. His mother and his father also. Several people wrote down that they saw him walk through the door, but nobody had a video camera. We all told a whole bunch of people, and they all believed us and now they're, in turn, telling more people the good news about my abducted friend.

The question still remains: Do you believe my story, and if not, why not?

Why is it so easy for you to question my story? Is it the fact that you didn't see it happen with your own eyes, that we don't have video proof, that you question our credibility? If I could convince, say, 900 people of my story, people willing to die for my friend, would that be enough? Is there a certain quota, a certain lower limit of followers required before you decide to open your mind and heart to the possibility that my story is factual?

All that said, I feel I must add this disclaimer: Please don't take my posts here to be a personal attack on you or the religious in general. I'm not trying to goad or anger the religious people in this forum, but I feel that my posts are logically consistent and as respectful as possible; as respectful as one can be when one questions another's deeply personal beliefs. In my opinion, it would intellectually dishonest to hold back my thoughts because of fear that I may offend.