Gimme some truth

What do you say to someone who says to you, "But I've never had him speak to me.

I believe that there is something in the trite answer of "yes you have heard him speak to you ....". I think that most people in the western world have been touched in some way by Christ. Most people use the word "Jesus" for instance - just why is that?

What other acts of reason can one employ to be assured of Christ's existence if one has not received the benefit of a direct and irrefutable sign?

This is so dependent on who you are and what you think you know isn't it? I have seen and read of very intelligent people who reason for the existence of our Christ, and to a one, (unfortunately) I have not yet heard any reason that I find consistent, compelling, or even believable. This is due to my background in science, especially astronomy. I really wish I could offer something for reason here, the root of the problem I have with reason is to do with the vast timescales we are considering. If everything happened in the space of a few thousand years (Creation, the days of the Earth, Revelation) then The Bible becomes a lot more reasonable. If the Universe has been around for nigh on 15 billion US years we are more than arrogant to think that the creator of it visited us a mere 2000 of them ago don't you think? That appears to be a selection effect run riot. The only reason that I can offer is not for Christ, but for an intelligent creator. The constants of the Universe are too finely tuned for any other explanation (to my mind). You see I never signed up for the anthropic principle.

May I ask you a question? Have you had some particularly bad experiences with people who wear the label "Christian?"

Some. I have had Christians say that non-Christians (non-believers, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs etc) are in some way less than Christian folk. I find this arrogant and the most anti-Christian way of living.

I am quite struck by the force of your disdain for people who seek to hold that the Bible may be itself a "Truth."

My apologies, I've made the papal error of attacking your basic beliefs with impunity. This is certainly not my intent. I hold relative truth to be self-evident, I see inconsistencies between verses of The Bible, I see wars caused by peoples use of it, I see minorities vilified, for these reasons I hold The Bible to be in error. I do not wish anyone who holds The Bible to be inerrant to share my view. No sir, no way. Forgive me?

Current Song: Gimme Some Truth -- John Lennon

I’m sick and tired of hearing things
From uptight, short-sighted, narrow-minded hypocrits
All I want is the truth now
Just gimme some truth now

I’ve had enough of watching scenes
Of schizophrenic, ego-centric, paranoiac, prima-donnas
All I want is the truth now
Just gimme some truth now
All I want is the truth now
Just gimme some truth now

:-)