The rise of influencers shows why we should be wary of using the Criterion of Embarrassment
I would like to propose that the criterion of embarrassment (**CoE**) should not be used by the religious. Not that the argument has changed, but because we are now more aware than ever what the problems are with it.
—
**The criterion of embarrassment is a historical analysis method used to assess the authenticity of accounts, particularly in biblical studies. It suggests that if a story includes details that would be embarrassing or damaging to the author or their cause, it is more likely to be true, as they would have no reason to invent such an account.**
—
It has become depressingly clear that content creators will just about say and do anything for fame and fortune. They will debase themselves, or act in ways that will leave us cringing. They will be rude, they will "perform in the nude", they will leave no stone of dignity unturned to get that Like. What does this signal? Is this a new phenomenon that didn't exist in, say, Jesus' time? Or does it show us what lengths a person will go for validation?
So you see, it's less of a question of whether the argument is good, but more about the tactical sense it makes to use the CoE in front of people that's gone online in the last few years. And that is my stance: don't use it if you care about your credibility.
---
William Lane Craig has given a few examples of how CoE can be used:
* Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, which suggests that Jesus was the lesser figure who needed forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:9).
* Jesus didn’t know when he would return. He said that only God knew (Matthew 24:36).
* His own family thought he was crazy (Mark 3:21).
* He couldn’t do miracles in his hometown (Mark 6:5).
* He needed two tries to make a blind man see (Mark 8:22–5).
* A man called Jesus good. Jesus replied, “Why do you call me good? No one is good—except God alone.” (Mark 8:10)
* How important can the Trinity be when it’s not clearly explained in the Bible?
* Jesus was betrayed by one of his own followers.
* He was crucified as a common criminal.
Source: crossexaminedblog.com