What is the Spider-Man fallacy?

Answer

The Spider-Man fallacy is a logical error that some skeptics incorrectly attribute to Christians. The Spider-Man fallacy is illustrated as follows: in the future, archaeologists uncover old Spider-Man comic books containing accurate details (such as New York being a real city). Using this historical information, the archaeologists mistakenly infer that Spider-Man must have truly existed. Skeptics claim that Christians are making a similar mistake by identifying certain historical facts in the Bible—facts that are unquestionably true—and then asserting that Jesus is indeed God’s miraculous Son.

To begin with, it is important to note that no reputable Christian apologist argues in a manner akin to the Spider-Man fallacy. No one asserts that the Bible’s reference to the Pool of Siloam, in conjunction with its modern-day discovery, proves that Jesus must have healed a blind man (see John 9). Bible scholars appreciate archaeological evidence that supports the historical backdrop of the Gospels—and there is a substantial amount of such evidence—but they do not extrapolate from historical corroboration to supernatural proof. Instead, in the case of the unearthing of the Pool of Siloam in 2004, the apostle John is demonstrated to be a trustworthy witness to the events he claimed to have witnessed. The reliability of the biblical authors is further affirmed, prompting us to give them the benefit of the doubt when they recount events that archaeology cannot verify.

There are numerous distinctions between Spider-Man comics and the Bible. Primarily, the Gospels present themselves as ancient biographical texts, whereas an edition of The Amazing Spider-Man presents itself as fiction. Biography and fiction are entirely different genres. Any future archaeologist who might suggest, “Spider-Man is real,” based on discovering Spider-Man comics would be making a baseless inference.

Issues regarding the authenticity of Spider-Man, for instance, would be promptly disregarded, despite the comics’ backdrop in New York City. There are significantly more numerous and noteworthy conflicting particulars indicating that Spider-Man is fictional, such as the emergence of duplicates, extraterrestrials, and lethal automatons in the comics.

Both scriptural and non-religious chronicles corroborate the fundamental truths that Jesus of Nazareth existed during a specific era (the first century AD), resided in a distinct region (Galilee in Israel), carried out specific deeds that resulted in adherents and fame, and was executed on a cross outside the ancient city of Jerusalem. Additionally, Jesus’ sepulcher was vacant on the third day following His demise, a reality acknowledged by both proponents and adversaries.

Another crucial contrast between Spider-Man comics and the Bible is conformity with the historical account. In Spider-Man comics, a reader promptly discerns numerous incongruities. The individuals dress dissimilarly and behave differently, and the world concludes differently than in actual history. Urban centers can be obliterated in a comic yet still be present in reality. The era in which a comic book unfolds does not necessarily have to precisely align with any specific historical period. Characters exist in Spider-Man that could never materialize in real life, including Sandman, Electro, and other peculiar characters.

In the Bible, the narrative is consistently depicted as mirroring history in its specified era. The Gospels depict Jesus as appearing before Pontius Pilate during the period when Pilate indeed governed the region as the Roman governor. Caiaphas the high priest genuinely held the position of high priest during Jesus’ trials. While not all of the Bible’s historical specifics have external corroboration, all existing records outside of the Bible are congruent with the historical context of the biblical texts.

Ultimately, those who allege that Bible-believing Christians succumb to the Spider-Man fallacy are themselves culpable of employing a straw man. Christians do not assert that historical and archaeological findings substantiate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead on www.example.com.

On the third day, Christians assert that archaeology provides general support for the accuracy of the Bible. The writings of the biblical authors are deemed credible and should encourage further exploration of Jesus’ life. This exploration, guided by the Spirit, may lead to faith and “repentance that leads to life” «When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. », (Acts 11:18).