David Wood: Former Mental Patient & Christian Apologist

I first found David Wood's videos by searching for criticism of Islam. He has many videos on that subject which are well worth watching. His criticism of it is sharp and clever. I wondered why he never applied the same kind of thinking to his own religion.

Last week, he posted a video explaining how he became a Christian. It is nuts.

In it he recounts:

-how he was a violent juvenile delinquent
-how he used to think he could control the weather
-how he tried to murder his sleeping dad with a hammer
-how he ended up in a mental hospital where he became a Christian

I've heard many stories like this "I used to be a drunken, wife-beating, terrorist jaywalker until I found Jesus/Allah/L Ron Hubbard." Everybody likes a redemption story.

He admits to to fervently believing nonsense and now he fervently believes Christianity. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Nonetheless, he received hundreds of positive comments from Christians about his testimony.

The saddest thing I saw was in the comments where he explained that if god doesn't exist, anything goes:

Acts17Apologetics

1 day ago

 

"Phases"??? Apart from getting the foundations wrong, I don't see where I made a mistake. Given my previous worldview, I can't help but think as follows:

(1) What seem to most people to be objective moral values can be explained in terms of societal indoctrination and evolutionary development.
(2) I see no reason for taking societal indoctrination and evolutionary development as sources of objective moral values.
(3) Hence, what seem to most people to be objective moral values aren't really objective.
(4) I am under no obligation to obey moral values that only seem to be objective (but actually aren't).
(5) Hence, I might as well do whatever I feel like doing.
(6) Hence, if I happen to feel like bashing someone's head in, the only reason not to do it would be fear of getting punished.
(7) I have no fear of punishment.
(8) Hence, if I happen to feel like bashing someone's head in, I might as well do it.

If you're glad to hear I'm not hitting people with a hammer, you should be glad I changed my worldview. But I have a sneaking suspicion that certain people would rather I be a murderous atheist than a peaceful Christian.

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If you don't understand why it's better to not hurt people, you have no empathy and are in no position to discuss morality.

Nonetheless, it is good he found a reason to not hit people on the head with a hammer. Faith is cheaper than lithium.