Last week two philosophers in the Philosophy Department at California State University in Sacramento debated the resurrection of Jesus. Atheist Matt McCormick argued that the evidence for genuine witchcraft occuring in Salem, MA in the late 1600's is much stronger than the evidence that Jesus arose from the dead in the 1st century, yet virtually no one accepts the idea that there were real witches in Salem. Christian Russell DiSilvestro argued that the best explanation for the data about Jesus from the 1st century is that Jesus really rose from the dead. He acknowledged that real witchcraft could have happened in Salem because he believes in demons and the Bible teaches that witches are real (e.g., Saul's encounter with the Witch of Endor in1 Sam. 28). Thus, he has no issue believing that real supernatural acts took place in Salem.
Debate #1 from Philosophy Department, CSUS on Vimeo.
Wow, so someone is arguing that real witchcraft took place in Salem? My son's great, great, great, great, etc grandmother Sarah Pease would like to smack him upside the head.
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