From: Brian Holtz [brian@holtz.org]
Sent: Sunday, February 16, 2003 7:53 PM
To: asaj@ex-atheist.com
Cc: jphold@earthlink.net; jordan@mail.theism.net; india[at]rationalchristianity.net; tuffq03@Christian-thinktank.com
Subject: RE: Cage Match Challenge
 

> I see. So, we are to present our arguments to you, wrapped up in
> your choice of shiny paper and colorful ribbon.

In this challenge, you can present and wrap your arguments any way you want, so long as you assert that "an educated and reasonable non-specialist who reads just these opposing documents should recognize the superiority of my thesis".  And as I said, "if any extant text of yours smaller than 50Kb makes a better argument than my document does, then you're already done." Your essay "Why I believe God is Real" is almost the same length as my argument against Christianity, but I'm not sure you'd want them read as opposing briefs.

> My argument is
> already presented on my website. Feel free to agree or disagree
> with it.

Already do, and already have -- as you saw here and here.  I will also feel free to draw certain reasonable inferences from your unwillingness to see our best arguments compared side by side.

> Thank you for your opinion (keyword, 'opinion'). You
> will be billed two cents for your opinion, which is the going
> rate for any and all opinions, including those opinions belonging
> to Brian Holtz.

I agree that the validity of any (non-indexical) judgment is ultimately independent of whoever may have asserted it, but I don't agree that all judgments are therefore equal. Indeed, the best way to reveal that inequality is to compare the best available arguments for a particular judgment and its negation.

> After our brief e-mail exchanges, you still may be willing to
> waste your time with one whom you consider to be an inferior
> thinker, however, I am not.

I'm interested in the superiority of thoughts, not of thinkers. If you truly were confident that my thoughts on Christianity areinferior to yours, then you would welcome a direct and symmetrical comparison of our best expressions of those thoughts.