timeimmortal

Speaking of atheists telling me that my faith has no basis in reality (Robert, why haven’t you written? I miss you…):

Britons are losing their grip on reality, according to a poll out Monday which showed that nearly a quarter think Winston Churchill was a myth while the majority reckon Sherlock Holmes was real.

The survey found that 47 percent thought the 12th century English king Richard the Lionheart was a myth.

And 23 percent thought World War II prime minister Churchill was made up. The same percentage thought Crimean War nurse Florence Nightingale did not actually exist.

Three percent thought Charles Dickens, one of Britain’s most famous writers, is a work of fiction himself.

Indian political leader Mahatma Gandhi and Battle of Waterloo victor the Duke of Wellington also appeared in the top 10 of people thought to be myths.

Meanwhile, 58 percent thought Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective Holmes actually existed; 33 percent thought the same of W. E. Johns‘ fictional pilot and adventurer Biggles.

What does this demonstrate?

Well, for starters, it goes to show a couple things. Yes, it does go to show that people can believe that people who never did exist were, in fact, real people, as in the case of Sherlock Holmes. But it can also go to show that, in spite of any weight of evidence to the contrary, people can mistakenly think that people who did actually exist were nothing more than cultural myths.

47% of Britons think King Richard is just a thing of fantasy, and almost a quarter of Britons think of Winston Churchill in the same way. Maybe Jesus was just a myth — even I can admit that is a possibility. But then, what if Jesus wasn’t a myth, but was in fact everything the Gospels say He was? Atheists who assert that Jesus never existed couldn’t possibly be…what’s the word?…wrong, eh? They might not be making the same mistake a quarter of Britons are?

(In Soviet Russia, hat tips you: Vox Day)

~ by Kenneth on February 4, 2008.