CHRISTIAN URBAN LEGENDS

Christians are accustomed to believing things without evidence, so it's not surprising that some promulgate incredible fictions in support the literal truth of the Bible. Two are especially popular: (1) Men have been swallowed by whales and survived. (2) NASA Computer calculations verify that there was a "missing day" (or "long day") in the time of Joshua. [An "urban legend" is an unfounded fictional story, presented as if it were fact, and widely believed because it has the trappings of plausibility and appeals to people's preconceptions, beliefs or prejudices.]

Web sites with miscellaneous Christian urban legends:

Christian Urban Legends.

The Lost Day

The Lost Day. The NASA version promulgated by Harold Hill, and an examination of how he plagiarized this fictional story from much earlier sources.
Christian Evidences, Long Day. by Richard M. Riss. A believer's account. Riss also has a long document, Christian Evidences Part I, supporting such apologetics.
Copy of Missing Day in Joshua by James Kiefer. A skeptical note, from a Christian. {Copy posted here until a bug is fixed at its home page.)

Jonah and the Whale

A Whale of a Tale: Fundamentalist Fish Stories. Prof. Davis takes the trouble to track down the facts. Here's a list of some other publications by Edward B. Davis, Messiah College.

She Said "Yes" (Or Did She?)

The book "She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall" recounts Cassie's life, and her death in the Columbine High School massacre. According to the book Cassie was asked by Eric Harris "Do you believe in God?" When whe replied "Yes," Eric shot her.

Evidence now surfaces that this verbal exchange didn't happen. Another Christian urban legend has arisen, and will probably continue with a life of its own in spite of contrary evidence. But the really revealing fact about this is that the media knew the story of this verbal exchange was false from the start, and said nothing for five months. Apparently a lot of people didn't want to let facts get in the way of a vast propaganda weapon for Christianity. This comes under the category best described as "Lying for God."

Michael Shermer's comments, and the Salon News article by David Cullen.

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