A Debate Proposal for Matt Sherman

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At 09:27 AM 3/4/99 -0500, Sherman, Matt wrote:

<snip>
 

>> TILL

>> Okay, but now we need to settle the matter of the proposition you intend

>> to

>> affirm.

>> Which, if any, of the above do you prefer? If you don't like any of them,

>> then please indicate which biblical miracle you intend to prove by

>> extrabiblical corroboration.  In reply to your prophecy posting, I made

>> some

>> suggestions that would adapt your proposition to the matter of prophecy

>> fulfillment.  Would you care to affirm that extrabiblical evidence

>> corroborates any of the prophecies you listed?  If not, is there another

>> prophecy fulfillment claim you would be comfortable with?  Let's settle

>> this

>> first and then go on to the next item of disagreement in the format that I

>> proposed.

>> 

>SHERMAN

>Item #1 as I reworded it allows me to choose the topic. I have no intention

>of allowing you to modify the debate rules post hoc to suit your counter

>arguments. You began the challenge with "no one has ever taken me up on any

>Biblical miracle..."

>


TILL
I wouldn't have it any other way.  As the affirmant, you have the right to
choose the specific biblical miracle whose historicity you will prove by
extrabiblical corroboration, so why don't you tell us what your choice is?
I have made several specific proposals, but you keep dragging your feet.
Just tell me which particular miracle you will defend, and we can get under way.

I'm not trying to "modify the debate rules post hoc."  In the first place,
the rules haven't even been agreed upon.  I have made only a set of
proposals, and we are trying to reach an agreement on the first item in my
proposal, which is a precisely worded proposition.

You asserted that you know of extrabiblical corroboration of biblical
miracles (plural), so if you know of extrabiblical corroboration of biblical
miracles (plural), then you surely know of extrabiblical corroboration of at
least one specific biblical miracle. Please select the one for which your
extrabiblical corroboration is the strongest, and send me a proposition that
commits you to defend that this miracle is corroborated by extrabibical
evidence.  All you will have to do is adapt the wording below to whatever
miracle you select.

RESOLVED: Extrabiblical evidence corroborates the biblical claim that....

Now just fill in the blank with a dependent clause that would complete the
sentence.  Some examples would be...

1.  Moses parted the Red Sea.

2.  Elisha resurrected the Shunammite woman's son.

3.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego survived being thrown into a fiery furnace.

4.  Jesus of Nazareth was born of a virgin.

5.  Jesus of Nazareth was resurrected from the dead.

There are numerous possibilities here, so if you are really serious about
your original claim, you should have no problem at all making a selection
here.  If you evade the issue again, I can only assume that you were
bluffing and have no intention of putting your head on the chopping block.

Farrell Till
Skepticism, Inc.
jftill@midwest.net

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