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| Jorgfe Registered user Username: Jorgfe Post Number: 1385 Registered: 11-2005 |
Adventist Apologetics - Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy [Formatted version] Adventists have a whole plethora of techniques for rationalizing their cultic doctrines. I call these, "SDA Techniques For Rationalizing Anything." Today we will take a quick look at one that Adventists frequently use when they are caught by surprise. It is called the "Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy". The Texas sharpshooter fallacy is a logical fallacy in which information that has no relationship is interpreted or manipulated until it appears to have meaning. The name comes from a story about a Texan who fires several shots at the side of a barn, then paints a target centered on the hits and claims to be a sharpshooter. Another description I found explains the technique this way: A Texas redneck decides one morning that he really wants to impress his friends and convince him that he is a truly wonderful shooter. To do this, he grabs his gun, goes out to his barn, and shoots a couple of random holes in the side. He then grabs some paint and draws big bullseye targets around all of the holes that he shot previously. When his friends see the holes in the center of the bullseye targets they assume (erroneously) that their friend really is a great shot. How does this apply to Adventist apologetics? We see two variations of the Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy in use to defend Adventism. The first variation starts out by declaring that something significant occurred when really nothing happened. A classic example in Adventism is trying to make something theologically significant out of the date 1844. The second variation is a last ditch effort to move the target when the Adventist apologist sees that he has an indefensible position. When they see that they have no position left to stand on they move the goal posts and declare victory. It would be almost comical if it wasn’t so sad. Let’s look at an example of this second variation that I observed this past summer. For those who want to follow the dialog, the relevant portions of the transcript are available at my DefendingTheGospel.com website. It started out like this. I posed the question to a prominent SDA pastor: Question: When was the first recorded event in Scripture where it says that early Christians worshipped God on Sunday? The good pastor responded back with: It’s good shoulder exercise. There is no first recorded event in Scripture where it says that early Christians worshipped God on Sunday. There is no first recorded event in Scripture where it says that early Christians worshipped God on the first day of the week. Show me one verse in which the author points out that early Christians worshipped God on either Sunday or on the first day of the week. This is the red herring–trying to divert the discussion that you started from the point that Acts 15 tells us everything we need to do and believe as Gentile Christians. Why not just shrug your shoulders and acknowledge what several in this thread have already acknowledged–that Acts 15 isn’t about listing all Christians are to do or believe? Now that is quite an emphatic position to take! The answer that God’s Word gives is found in Matthew 28. Matthew 28 (King James Version) 1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. 8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. 9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. There is certainly not much to question here. For most people the first day of the week would be considered to be Sunday. This text is very clear that these followers of Christ "worshipped" Him. What is the poor SDA apologist to do? The only thing he can do! Move the target. His focus now becomes a Herculean effort to prove that it really makes no difference what the text says. In other words the message doesn’t count. We now have a new target — to see if the complete answer can be encapsulated in a single verse. Our good SDA pastor responds with: Excuse me. You did not. I asked for "a" verse that described the early Christians worshipping on Sunday or on the first day of the week. You gave me the day that women came to embalm Jesus (listed in one verse) and their grateful worship of Him when He appeared (in another). If these were early Christians and this is your support for Sunday worship, then you failed to notice that Luke expressly states that these "early Christians" rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. If this is your support for Christians to worship on Sunday every week, then open your eyes–you just proved that Christians should rest on the Sabbath every week according to the commandment. Talk about moving the goal posts! What was the original question? Question: When was the first recorded event in Scripture where it says that early Christians worshipped God on Sunday? In this case moving the goal posts to the new requirement that the answer be contained in a single verse didn’t accomplish much. The Wikipedia points out: The original manuscripts did not contain the chapter and verse divisions in the numbered form familiar to modern readers. In other words the orginal manuscripts didn’t have any such thing as verses to begin with! What was the original question? Question: When was the first recorded event in Scripture where it says that early Christians worshipped God on Sunday? Where is there anything in the question about "verses"? Perhaps the requirement that the answer should be found in a single verse should be termed a "red herring". We’ll save that "SDA Technique for Rationalizing Anything" for another one of these articles. Welcome to the world of Adventist apologetics — where the end justifies the means. Is it any wonder that it is so difficult for Christians to dialog with Adventists? Gilbert Jorgensen (Message edited by jorgfe on November 22, 2008) | ||
| Larry Registered user Username: Larry Post Number: 745 Registered: 5-2007 |
They love to get bogged down in administrative etiquette as a means of diversion too. Anything to avoid truth. KM:I said I wanted one verse! GJ:Here Kevin, it is in several verses. KM:That cannot be true if it is not in one verse! | ||
| Larry Registered user Username: Larry Post Number: 748 Registered: 5-2007 |
I don't think that adventists agree with Christians on, oh, maybe 3000 things. But they sure want to be considered mainstream Christian, don't they? They co-opt the term Christian, tacking it onto their sda name. They even claim to be descendants of Martin Luthers movement. All the while keep this in mind:
And sda's necessarily must claim this for Christians that are not sda:
They say "can't we just be friends" and then slip a knife in their back. | ||
| Jorgfe Registered user Username: Jorgfe Post Number: 1386 Registered: 11-2005 |
Larry, they want to be "accepted by those they deem unacceptable." An interesting question is to ask them, "What do you teach about other churches and their people?" http://year-of-evangelism.com/ Gilbert Jorgensen | ||
| Larry Registered user Username: Larry Post Number: 754 Registered: 5-2007 |
Very nice webpage you pointed to Gilbert. Maybe somebody will pay attention, seeing if these things are true, in Berean fashion. |
