News to put the atheists in despair—or to redouble their fury

A friend called me on the phone and asked, “What percentage of Americans believe that Jesus rose from the dead?” Normally when people ask me a question of this nature, I mull it over for a few moments to arrive at what feels like the correct answer. But this time I didn’t pause to think. I just said: “75 percent.” I realized that sounded very high for this secularized age, but it felt right. My friend began laughing. “Well, that’s pretty good. The answer is 77 percent.”

It was a Rasmussen poll, reported in the New York Post.

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Kristor writes:

I wonder: were 77 percent of Americans in church this morning to celebrate the Resurrection they believe in? Somehow I doubt it. I have to think that many of those who told the pollsters that they believe in the Resurrection said so, not because they really believe it, but because it seemed impolite (not to say blasphemous) to say otherwise.

Christopher B. writes from England:

Lawrence,

I am surprised that you let this one slip through, although it is clear that Kristor means, “It might even be blasphemous,” rather than, “I would not go so far as to say it is blasphemous.” (And I did U.S. style closing of quotes so that your macro does not have to do it.)

Kristor wrote:

I wonder: were 77 percent of Americans in church this morning to celebrate the Resurrection they believe in? Somehow I doubt it. I have to think that many of those who told the pollsters that they believe in the Resurrection said so, not because they really believe it, but because it seemed impolite (not to say blasphemous) to say otherwise.

LA replies:

Christopher,

I think your comment contains a humorous dig at me over some past point of usage, though I’m not sure which one it is. Perhaps my remarks about the unacceptable ambiguity of the “if not” expression?

In any case, I do not agree with your implication that Kristor’s phrasing might be ambiguous and therefore that it should have been changed by me. “Not to say blasphemous” clearly has the meaning that you attribute to it.

And I humbly appreciate your willing conformity to the American standard for quotations and punctuation. As I’ve said before, I do not expect VFR’s British, Canadian, and Australian readers to use the American style, but it’s nice when they do.

LA

Christopher B. replies:

Not really a dig. Yes, it was about the ambiguity of “if not” expressions.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at April 08, 2012 05:46 PM | Send