[MD] Demanding Evidence From Theists

[Arlo Bensinger]

[Steve]
"So the demand for evidence and the corresponding obligation to 
justify our beliefs only needs to come up when we are engaged in a 
common project..."

[Arlo]
And the "common projects" are education, politics and law. I don't 
think (and you can call me naive) that if this was just about someone 
standing on the street corner espousing the divinity of the Great 
Pumpkin I don't think many people would stop and demand evidence. And 
if Focus on the Pumpkinpatch published a book extolling the that the 
Great Pumpkin carved the earth in late October only a few hundred 
years ago, I doubt many would be up in arms demanding evidence.

But, if it is demanded that we teach The Great Carving creation as an 
"equally valid" theory as archeology in our schools, or that 
businesses are not allowed to operate on Thursdays because it is the 
day The Great Pumpkin ate candy corn after creating the world, or 
that redheads are not allowed to marry other redheads because such a 
union displeases the Great Pumpkin, or that violence against the Wee 
Folk is to be tolerated because they worship the a false God, the 
Leprechaun, or demanded books be removed from the library that 
violate the moral teachings of the Great Pumpkin, or demand that all 
government business begin with a prayer to the Great Pumpkin or the 
swearing of loyalty on a copy of Peanuts, ... or any number of such 
things... then I think "evidence" should be required.