A Response to the Video 'The Best Illusion in the World'
Some time back, I watched the YouTube video "The Best Illusion in the World" (at the urging of a skeptic who though it made a powerful case against Christianity). Below is a link to that video, along with my thoughts which follow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk6ILZAaAMI
Since this video is about prayer, let me start by setting the record straight on a few myths that are assumed to be true in this video.
Myth #1: There is no evidence for God's existence beyond answered prayer
- In truth, the Bible never uses answered prayer as a proof for God's existence. Prayer is not a proof, but a communication with God.
- Christians point to other proofs for God's existence, including:
a. The evidence from the beginning of the universe
b. The evidence from design in the universe
c. The evidence from the existence of an innate sense of right and wrong within each of us
d. The evidence from consciousness and self-awareness
e. The evidence from historical confirmation of the resurrection of Jesus Christ
f. The evidence from fulfilled innate need
- Given that we don't seek prayer to prove God's existence, and we don't ask people to pray in order for them to establish whether God exists, the notion that prayer would serve as a proof or disproof of God is a myth.
Myth #2: The purpose of prayer is for God to give us what we want (healing, jobs, money, family harmony, etc).
- The fact is that the Bible is very clear that this is not the case. A couple of quick verses to illustrate this (I am using the Bible here not as proof of God's existence, or even the veracity of scripture, but only as an illustration of the Biblical teaching on prayer)
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Jesus teaches us to pray:
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Matthew 6:9-13
9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'
You'll notice in this model of prayer, the only things we are told to pray for is:
a. For God's will to be done (this becomes crucial in a minute)
b. For our daily needs to be met (our needs are not our wants...Jesus tells us not to be anxious, but he never said we'd be guaranteed healing or even comfort in this life...just that God would give us what we need...what he provides is sufficient for us...Paul learned this, as shown below)
c. For us to be forgiven as long as we're willing to forgive others (interesting how concern for others is a constant theme in Christ's teaching)
d. For God not to lead us into temptation, but to deliver us from Satan
Note that there's nothing in this prayer about healing. What is the prayer about? About finding our full purpose and sufficiency in God, depending on him exclusively for our needs, not seeking our own well-being, but seeking to love and care for others. This is the form of prayer to which we're called.
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Why did Jesus heal people?
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Matthew 9:1-8 - 1Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." 3At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!" 4Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 6But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." 7And the man got up and went home. 8When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.
Note what happens in this verse. Here was a man who clearly needed physical healing, but what did Jesus emphasize? Forgiveness of sins! This shows what Jesus believed to be the most important thing. And when he finally did heal the man, why did he do it? TO SHOW THAT HE HAD THE POWER TO FORGIVE SINS! Thus, what is the purpose of healing? It's not simply to heal...it's to provide evidence that Jesus was the Son of God, as he claimed to be!
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What did Jesus teach about the purpose of healing?
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John 14:10-11 - 10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.
Jesus directly offers a teaching on miracles in this passage. He directly tells his disciples that they should believe his words, and if the words weren't enough they should at least believe on the basis of the miracles he did. Thus, another place where we see the purpose of healing...the validate that Jesus was and is the Son of God!
Interestingly, it was after one of these miracles was clearly displayed to Thomas (in John 20:28) that he was finally able to exclaim "My Lord and my God!" when addressing Jesus...once again, the miracles (this time, the resurrection) proclaimed that Jesus was and is God!
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James teaches us why certain prayers are not answered:
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James 4:1-3 - 1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
James tells us that it's possible to ask God with wrong motives. What are these motives? Throughout the NT (I could quote virtually the entire NT for this point), the lesson was for us to stop seeking what we want and to start pursuing what God desires. The "wrong motives" in this verse are those people who are praying for things for their own selfish purposes. Once people turn away from seeking pleasure and happiness from the things of this life, and begin to follow God's will for their lives, their prayers will begin to conform to God's will. And these are the prayers that God answers.
Recall the prayer in Matthew 6...where we are told to pray for God's will to be done. This is the ultimate object of prayer...we are so conforming our lives to God's will that we begin to desire the things that God desires. Our prayer is nothing more than "your will be done, Lord". This is what James is addressing in this passage...people whose lives were not conformed to God, and were thinking of God as a supernatural ATM machine whose purpose it is to give them what they want so they'll be happy. Instead, God calls us to sacrifice ourselves for His purposes (it's 180 degrees opposite to the "God, give me a car!" type of philosophy).
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James instructs us on the right attitude:
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James 4:7-9 - 7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
This verse has been much misunderstood. But it ties in with the first 3 verses of James 4. The people James was addressing were praying with selfish motives. They were seeking their happiness from the things of the world, and they were trying to use God as a way to get the things of this world that they believed would make them happy. James says that this is backward...they should be seeking their happiness in service to God instead.
In this context, when we hear James say "change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom", this is, in essence, saying "give up trying to get your happiness from the things of this life and recognize that the things of this life can't bring happiness...do a 180 degree turn-around and seek your purpose in God". In doing this, the things that previously were thought to bring us joy would now be seen as bringing gloom (because they compete with God for our love and loyalty). They once provided us with laughter, but once we realize that they are merely idols and we can't expect them to give us purpose and happiness, we recognize that they provide us with mourning rather than laughter.
What is the impact of changing our worldview in such a radical way? We will begin to confirm our will to that of God...we will begin to say "your will be done, Lord". And when we do that, our prayers will be answered.
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Paul prays for healing:
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2 Corinthians 12:7-10 - 7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
It's important to say here that it is NOT wrong to pray for healing, or for peace, etc. The essential element is, as Paul describes, whether we are seeking for God's will to be done. In this verse we see that Paul asked God for healing. But God told him "my power is made perfect in weakness". What did Paul do? Did he say "I don't care, I don't want to be sick!" No, he was glad that his sickness could demonstrate God's power! This is what we mean when we say that our lives need to be conformed to God's will.
Could God have healed Paul? Absolutely. Was it better to let Paul retain the "thorn"? No question...God's power was manifest in Paul through this weakness. And that, ultimately, is the purpose of the Christian...not to pray for "things" or "happiness". But to pray for God to be glorified...to pray that God's will would be done. This is the ultimate purpose of prayer.
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Paul learned to be content:
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Philippians 4:10-13 - 10I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
I think that one thing many people overlook in this verse is the sense in which Paul LEARNED to be content. I have no doubt that he didn't start off that way. I say this just for those who read Paul's writings and say "I could never be like that". But Paul almost certainly didn't start out that way himself. He learned to conform his life to God, and to submit his will to God's will.
In this,the purpose of prayer is seen once again...it is to seek God's will in all things. And in so doing, we learn to be content because we realize that God's will is being done with our lives. We have given our lives and our selves to God and He is free to do with us whatever is needed so that his Kingdom will come "on earth as it is in heaven".
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What is Jesus' attitude toward demands for a sign?
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Matthew 12:38-40 - 38Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."
39He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Just one final point...we see in this verse Jesus' opinion of people who demand a sign. Those who were demanding a sign were those who had seen much evidence that Jesus was the Son of God. They were not interested in turning to God. They were just continuing in their skepticism and demanding more and more proof. Jesus called them a "wicked and adulterous generation". He said he'd give them one more sign, which was his own resurrection. However, even after he did that, these men likely still didn't believe.
The point is this...the evidence for God's existence (and in the case of Christ, for his divinity) is all around us. If we are open and seeking a relationship with God, he'll provide it for us. If not, then all the evidence in the world couldn't convince us.
RESPONSES TO THE VIDEO:
Now that the record is straight on the myths that are assumed throughout this video, below are specific responses to the video itself:
1. Christians have been "looking at this illusion ever since you became a Christian"
- This is simply the logical fallacy of question-begging. The author is making the assumption that what he is discussing is an illusion. He's not building a valid argument. He's using fallacious reasoning.
2. Regarding the Christianity.com quote
- It's interesting that this quote says nothing about prayer. It talks about placing our trust in God. But if we properly understand the relationship that the Christian has with God, placing our trust in God involves surrendering our will so that we only desire that God's will be done. This is what we mean when we talk of trusting in God.
- Further, this quote doesn't guarantee that any of the things in the list will be granted. It says a miracle "could" be right around the corner. In fact, if our will is conformed to the will of God, miracles happen to us constantly because God is working every day to achieve his purposes in the hearts of mankind. If, as part of that process, God gives us a particular job or blesses us with a child, then we rejoice. If we don't get those things then we still rejoice because we understand that the will of God is at work in the world, and our only goal is for God's will to be done.
3. At 1:27, the speaker says: "This is a very important promise for Christians. God cares about you. God can perform miracles. All that you have to do is pray, and God will help you."
- He says this in response to the Christianity.com quote...but this is a non-sequitur because it is not what the quote in Christianity.com has said. Thus, he's already going off the tracks here.
- Does God care about us? Yes, as evidenced by his son's death on the cross and his free offer of salvation
- Can God perform miracles? Without a doubt.
- Will God help us if we pray? It depends on the factors above under Myth #2. If our will is surrendered to God, then the answer is undoubtedly "yes" (it's always "yes", but we may not see it as help, because God will take the steps necessary to advance his kingdom...if we're praying for something that is not in keeping with his kingdom, then we may not be able to see that God is helping us. But if our minds and hearts have been surrendered, we can praise God no matter what happens...we know He is doing what is good and right).
NOTE: GOD WILL NOT VIOLATE FREE WILL...HE GAVE ALL MEN LIBERTARIAN FREE WILL AND TERRIBLE THINGS DO HAPPEN. GOD IS ABLE TO WORK THROUGH THOSE AWFUL THINGS, BUT HE DOESN'T SEND US THOSE AWFUL THINGS. I SAY THIS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO THINK THAT I BELIEVE GOD SENDS THINGS LIKE CHILD MOLESTERS TO HARM OUR CHILDREN...GOD DOES NOT DO THAT, BUT HE ALLOWS IT BECAUSE EVIL IS NECESSARY AS A POSSIBILITY IF THERE IS TO BE FREE WILL
4. God answers prayers in three possible ways "yes", "no", and "wait"
- While this seems to include all possible outcomes, it is a trivialization and misunderstanding of prayer. When we properly understand prayer, we understand that it is a communion with God. We enter into a time of union with God in which we do ask for things. But, as Jesus pointed out in Matthew 6, our goal should be to ask that God do whatever He thinks is best to provide for our needs today and to mold us to his will so that we want his will to be done.
- In short, prayer is about being totally dependent on God. Not about asking for earthly things so that the earthly things can make us happy.
5. The "jug of milk" scenario
- First, this scenario is again begging the question, which is a logical fallacy. Here are the reasons:
a. It assumes that answered prayer is an illusion (which has not been proven, but is assumed both as a premise and the conclusion)
b. It assumes that if something happens following a prayer, it is simply a coincidence (also not proven, assumed as both premise and conclusion)
c. It assumes that praying to God is no different than praying to an inanimate object (again, not proven for the same reason as in a and b)
- Since these unproven assumptions are merely introduced as implicit facts, it invalidates the entire video. On the surface, it may look daunting but when you realize the entire video is one long logical fallacy, it collapses upon itself instead.
- Additionally, this scenario assumes something about prayer (namely, that it's an avenue by which God becomes a heavenly vending machine) that is not true. Thus, the comparison breaks down again.
- The implied assumption is that there is no proof for God's existence apart from answered prayer. But as I've shown, answered prayer was never intended as a way to prove God's existence.
- Finally, this scenario is a straw man because it assumes that our position is:
a. We pray to God to get things that we want (we don't)
b. We know God exists because He answers prayers (we don't)
c. God is obligated to meet our needs if He exists (he isn't)
- So not only do we see the logical fallacy of begging the question, we also see that a straw man has been erected. But since this isn't the Christian position, it makes the case made by this video even weaker.
6. At 4:02 the speaker asks "Will you get down on your knees and worship this jug of milk? Probably not. But Why not?"
- The point is made that the fortunate occurence was just a coincidence (which I agree with when it comes to the milk jug). But the logical fallacy is introduced when the assumption is made "thus, the same is true for God". But this fails for several reasons:
a. First, answered prayer is not an evidence for God's existence.
b. Second, we have considerable evidence for God's existence, and our prayer life is the result of our belief in God, not the basis for it
c. Third, it is a category mistake to compare God to an inanimate object (and it's also question-begging to assume that God is no more alive than a jug of milk). God does not belong to the category of "inanimate object", thus the comparison already fails. This is just a weak attempt to mock God and confuse the poorly educated so that their faith is weakened.
7. At 4:44 the speaker says "if you're a smart person you may be starting to see the illusion of prayer"
- This is simply a veiled ad hominem attack, which is another logical fallacy. The speaker is saying "if you don't agree with my point, it proves you're not a smart person". As such, this can also be discarded as logical nonsense.
8. At 5:19 the speakers says "When Christians say "God answers prayers in the form of 'yes', 'no' and 'wait', it is impossible to lose"
- The principle of non-falsifiability comes into play here. On what basis can the speaker's example of the milk jug be falsified? As he's built it up, he is making an argument that our faith is non-falsifiable, which is not true (thus, it's another straw man...saying that we believe in something that can't be refuted).
- We fully accept that God can be falsified. Here are two ways:
a. show that the existence of an all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving God is logically inconsistent with the presence of evil
b. Show that there is no supernatural realm (that naturalism/physicalism is true)
9. At 5:47 the speaker says "As a Christian, you have believed that God is answering your prayers. But all that you are seeing is an illusion."
- This is simply a claim made without any supporting evidence. The comparison made to the jug of milk is completely fallacious as I've already shown, so it is, in truth, no evidence at all. The speaker should have, instead, made a 10 second film saying "God doesn't answer prayer". He would be accomplishing the same thing, and he would be providing the same amount of legitimate evidence (and he would be avoiding so many logical fallacies).
- Further, this statement itself is a logical fallacy because it is again begging the question. It is not a conclusion reached as the result of an argument. The notion that God doesn't exist is part of the premise, and it's also part of the conclusion. Thus, the speaker is saying no more than "God is an illusion, thus God is an illusion". And that's not really saying much beyond what could be said in that 10-second version I recommended.
10. At 5:53, the speaker says "since you're a smart person, you should be able to see this now"
- Once again, a simple ad hominem against people who don't accept his unfounded and unsupported premise. This is no less fallacious than it was the first time he used it, and it's just as easily dismissed.
11. At 6:08, the speaker says "God is no different than a milk jug"
- This is, once again, a category mistake and is simply another of the long list of logical fallacies in this clip.
12. At 6:21, the speaker says "How do we know that every answered prayer truly is a coincidence? The way to know is to look at every valid scientific study that has been done to test the effectiveness of prayer. Scientists have proven it over and over again: Prayer has absolutely no effect."
- Even though this is closer to an actual argument, it still doesn't measure up, for several reasons:
a. First, even if all the studies conducted so far have not proven anything, this does not mean future studies will not be able to show this.
b. Second, it's possible that the format of the study was not sufficient to detect the effect (not enough time, not a big enough sample, etc)
c. Third, perhaps God has a desire to remain hidden and as such he is unwilling to be "outed" in such a way by a scientific study.
d. I'm not saying any of these are true...just that the answer given in the video is not exhaustive...other possible answers can be imagined which would not rule out God's existence or the efficacy of prayer
- Further, the speaker is simply wrong that there have been not studies in which prayer was shown to be effective. I am aware of 3 papers that show prayer to be effective:
a. Positive Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer in a Coronary Care Unit Population
13. At 7:31 the speaker says "we all know it. prayer does not have any effect on events."
- The only way to say this is to examine all events, which cannot be done. At best, one can say "this specific event did not appear to have been impacted by prayer". To know that no event has been impacted by prayer would require omniscience about all events...but since that's impossible, this is not a statement that can be legitimately made.
- Further, the following apply:
a. Given that the mortality rate is 100%, it seems that the idea that people who pray die at the same rate as those who don't is a trivially true point. But it doesn't prove anything about prayer.
b. The divorce rate is subject to free will...God will not force people to stay together, though I do agree that Christians should have lives more conformed to God, and thus less subject to problems like divorce. But this is not a commentary on prayer. It is a comment on the state of the human heart
c. Regarding the lottery, as seen above God is not a cosmic "wish fulfiller". Thus, this comparison merely represents a misunderstanding of the purpose of prayer.
14. At 7:53 the speaker says "But these are rationalizations, nothing more. The fact is, the scientific studies are correct. Every answered prayer is a coincidence."
- First, the idea that these are rationalizations are merely claims without support. The speaker has not disproven the idea of God's hiddenness. He's just mocked it (and, thus, committed another ad hominem fallacy). He's proved nothing, and thus we can just as easily dismiss his statement on the basis that he's done nothing other than make an unsupported claim.
- Second, if the scientific studies are correct, he should look at the 3 scientific studies I referenced above which would seem to argue against his point.
- Third, he is once again merely begging the question by saying "every answered prayer is a coincidence". This, as it was earlier, is a logical fallacy and as such his statement carries no legitimate weight.
15. At 8:19, the speaker says "You are a smart person. You cannot deny reality"
- And yet the speaker has done nothing to undermine any of the actual evidences for God's existence. He has merely offered a fallacious argument that undermines itself such that it is easily and immediately dismissed by anyone with even a slight understanding of logical reasoning.
16. At 8:32, the speaker says "God is imaginary"
- This is a non-sequitur. At best, the speaker has shown that God doesn't answer prayer (he's not shown that, but even if his argument was 100% successful, that's the very most he has proven).
- Jumping from his argument to "God is imaginary" is completely unwarranted, both on the basis that his argument is fundamentally flawed and also due to the fact that he has offered no evidence to undermine God's existence.
SUMMARY
In summary, let me say that this video was merely a collection of logical fallacies. If someone wants to learn more about what these look like, he will be enlightened. If he is looking for an argument that carries any weight against God's existence, it will be necessary for him to keep looking, I'm afraid.
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