How to sell snake oil (or religion)
The value of a straight face
Occasionally updated and edited.
Copyright © 2011
190 The Leibnizian Cosmological Argument
1. Frame absurdities in a serious tone
The secret of successful snake oil salesmen is their ability to keep a straight face. Likewise, Christian apologists frame silliness as serious, academic and even scholarly.
A web site touting geocentrism, the belief that the earth is the center of the universe, advertised a 2010 conference. The site offered a credible, scientific tone. Half of the listed speakers claimed to hold doctorate degrees. Viewers were offered a book that declared "The Scientific Case for Geocentrism." An article spoke of "Cosmological Ostriches". See Galileowaswrong.com
Like snake oil salesmen that scoff at bizarre homeopathic remedies, most Christian apologists would write off the silliness of geocentrism. And like the snake oil salesmen the apologists would offer their own silliness.
Some organizations secure credibility by conducting their conferences and debates at universities. The Natural Philosophy Alliance conducted its 2011 conference at the University of Maryland even though other venues, such as hotels, were available. I once attended a debate feature Dr. William Lane Craig at Indiana University.
The difference between hawkers of snake oil and religious nonsense is that apologists often believe their own pitch. I did. Nonetheless, that pitch remains nothing more than empty promises.
2. Ignore contrary distractions
Every cult leader knows the value of isolation and exclusion; get your followers away from the distractions of everyday life. It is for this reason that cultists find themselves living in communes segregated from the "world system" and it's "ungodly" influences. With distractions minimized, cult members' minds become pliable.
While Christian apologists may not isolate their followers in a literal religious compound, they frequently seek to quarantine the thought process by applying singular focusing. For example, they often focus on orgins while ignoring other factors that persuasively argue against theism.
The use of the Leibnizian cosmological argument is an example of singular focussing. The apologist will focus the listener's mind on the logic of his argument while ignoring weightier counter arguments. Cosmological arguments can make sense if the listener fails to consider other components of theism that argue strongly against Christian theism. Once such argument is that people simply don't raise from the dead. Another is the the massive number of discrepancies in extant manuscripts. Still another is the absence of observable supernatural phenomena. The list seems endless.
By way of analogy, the snake oil salesman wants his listeners to focus on the miraculous health benefits of his potion. He doesn't want them to consider that the elixir doesn't have the endorsement of the academic or medical community, testimonies are unverified, etc.
Snake oil salesmen and Christian apologists generally shy away from academic peer review. That's not to say apologists shy away from debate. Dr. Craig is notorious for engaging opponents in formal discussion. It is to say that in an academic community both snake oil and Christian apologetics can't withstand skeptical scrutiny.
Occasionally one will hear an apologist declare that he will argue from a secular perspective. The listener is expected to be impressed with the apologist's suggestion that naturalistic arguments are easily refuted. The truth is the apologist does not want to argue from a biblical perspective because the Bible is not a credible source.
When listening to Dr. Craig or other apologists as they present apparent scholarly arguments, keep in mind that their source also informs us that donkeys talk, prophets call down fire from heaven and a horde of dead people rose from the grave the night of the crucifixion. Or, if listening to a snake oil salesman, keep in mind that eicosapentaenoic acid found in snake fat is also abundant in fish.
2010
