Demonic deception

jay-dog asks an intriguing question in this post:

I have noticed that when presented with miracle claims from other religions, Christian apologists will suggest the possibility that they could just be attempts by demons to deceive us. However, couldn't people from other religions say the exact same thing about the evidence for the Ressurection? Here are some blog posts where I heard this idea and I wanted to get your response. Thank you.

Sorry I didn't read through the posts you linked to, but I think there's enough material in your question to address. Here are my thoughts on the question:

1. I should first note that there are good reasons to disbelieve other religions apart from their miracle claims. A Christian apologist could leave aside the question of miracles in other religions (e.g. Muhammad's night journey to heaven on a flying horse, Buddha's psychic abilities) and still argue against other religions based on other grounds (e.g. internal logical consistency, external logical consistency, explanatory power, historical evidences for various claims).

2. However, with regard to miracle claims from other religions, I'm not sure Christian apologists typically suggest that these miracle claims from other religions are "attempts by demons to deceive us". At least I've never heard it used as an argument in an apologetic encounter or context.

   I mean, I think you'd be right if you're saying the Bible warns against false prophets who can perform real miracles. That's true. For example, see the opening verses of Deut 13:

   If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, "Let us go after other gods," which you have not known, "and let us serve them," you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams.

   Likewise, the Bible teaches that Pharaoh's magicians Jannes and Jambres performed wonders, that Balaam was a sorcerer, that Simon Magus performed miracles, and so on.

   So Christianity does accept the possibility that there are false religious people who can perform real miracles. And the Bible does warn against such people.

   In short, the Bible warns against the possibility that believers can be deceived by miracles performed by people who seek to lead believers astray. Also, it's possible some of these miracles have a demonic origin. However, this isn't strictly an argument in defense of Christianity or an argument contra other religions. Rather this is a biblical warning or exhortation to believers, I think.

3. As far as the use of this kind of argument in an apologetic encounter, though, I think the Christian apologist could put it like this: Christianity can incorporate the fact or truth of the existence of other religious miracles into its own worldview. I think that's closer to what a Christian apologist qua Christian apologist would want to argue.

4. Regarding people from other religions saying the evidence for Jesus' resurrection is an attempt by demons to deceive Christians, it's not clear (a) if you are suggesting people from other religions don't think Jesus' resurrection really happened but do think demons deceived Christians into believing it really happened, or (b) if you think people from other religions think Jesus' resurrection really happened but Jesus' resurrection was the result of a demonic source rather than a divine source (cf. Mt 12:22-32 regarding Satan's divided house and the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit)?

   I suppose it depends on the specific religion in question, for different religions may believe different things about Christianity, but this too is vague because you don't say which religion(s) you have in mind.

   I realize you're dealing with a hypothetical scenario, but this is also a problem, because hypotheticals don't necessarily reflect reality. Maybe all this is just a mental exercise and nothing more.

5. In any case, the question seems to presume demons exist. If demons exist, then what are demons exactly? Are demons ultimately natural entities or supernatural entities?

   To put it another way, do we ultimately live in a closed universe or in an open universe? By which I mean do we live in a universe in which the physical universe (nature) is all there ever was, is, and shall be; or do we live in a universe in which the physical universe (nature) is not all there ever was, is, or shall be?

   This is the more fundamental question, I think. It goes beyond the question of demons to address the question of ultimate reality which would include "demons" (whatever they are) and "miracles" (real or not).

6. If naturalism is our fundamental reality, then demons are ultimately natural entities. As such, "demons" would have to be entities within the natural world or universe. What kind of natural entities would these "demons" be?

   Perhaps "demons" are some kind of extraterrestrial entities. Aliens that have the scientific knowledge and technological capability to raise the dead, or at least make it look like the dead are raised, which from our perspective looks like something supernatural but in reality isn't. Like Arthur C. Clarke's famous quotation: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

   Yet, a problem is that this cuts both ways inasmuch as magic is indistinguishable from any sufficiently advanced technology! Hence, from our perspective, how would one know "demons" aren't, in fact, supernatural entities rather than natural entities?

7. If demons are non-naturalistic or supernatural entities, then that would rule out popular atheism. That would rule out materialism or physicalism. That would rule out naturalism. At least prima facie.

8. Now, if demons are supernatural entities of some kind, then that implies we don't live in a naturalistic universe. Rather we live in an open universe. A universe in which "there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy". A universe in which there's something beyond natural causes and the action of human agents. A universe in which divine agency and divine action are possible. One could deploy a full-blown argument from miracles at this point.

9. At the same time, demons are consistent with various religions. Certainly the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Some Eastern religions such as certain forms of Hinduism and Buddhism. One could look at the overall arguments and evidences for each religion. Look at the historical evidence, look at the philosophical argumentation, look at the scientific evidence (e.g. David Wood has multiple videos showing how Islam is at significant odds with science), etc.

   If other religions allege Christians are deceived by demons about Jesus' resurrection, what if the other religions are shown to be false or at least less reasonable than Christianity and/or Christianity is shown to be true or at least more reasonable than other religions? Wouldn't that have ramifications for their allegations against Christians being deceived by demons about Jesus' resurrection?

10. Jason Engwer pointed out other arguments for Christianity including the argument from biblical prophecy as well as the argument from (for lack of a better term) superior or greater miracles (e.g. how God through Moses worked greater miracles than Pharaoh's magicians Jannes and Jambres). Anyway, there's much to say in favor of Christianity. If you're interested, I think a good place to start is the short book Why Should I Believe Christianity? by James Anderson. Likewise this post might be useful.

11. Getting back to demons, what reason would demons have to raise Jesus from the dead? If I understand you correctly, you alluded to a reason, that is, that the goal would be to deceive people into believing Christianity is true. Why would demons want to do this? Presumably they'd only want to do this if Christianity is a false religion. Yet that begs the very question. Is Christianity true or false?

    Moreover, the fact that you bring up demons may put you in a quandary. If you presume the biblical passages about demons are factual, then that's putative evidence in support of Christianity.

12. If you're referring to non-biblical demons, then what entities do you have in mind? Ancient Greek or Latin daemons, Norse draugr, Chinese yaogui, etc.? Are "demons" some sort of malicious spiritual beings called by different names across different cultures? What's the specific argument here?

    "Demons" could be malicious spiritual beings, but they could also be deceased human beings (e.g. ghosts). They could be the manifestations of human beings with preternatural abilities. They could be manfiestations of other supernatural entities. And so forth. See the Triablogue post "Bell, book, & candle" for a start.

    So, without the Bible, how would you even know what demons are capable of or not capable of? How would you know demons are even capable of deceiving anyone in the first place? You could judge based on empirical evidence (e.g. poltergeist activity), but does the empirical evidence get you to the conclusion that demons can deceive people about a miracle like Jesus' resurrection?

13. Coram Deo pointed out that Triablogue has dealt with the Cartesian demon argument. Triablogue has dealt with other similar scenarios like the brain-in-a-vat scenario and the Matrix scenario. At the same time, this argument about demonic deception is somewhat reminiscent of Stephen Law's evil god argument. One could tweak the evil god argument to say that Christians are deceived by an evil god. Other Christian apologists and philosophers have addressed this class of arguments. Arguments involving global skepticism.

14. If Christians are deceived by some evil entity like a demon, or an evil god, then what can we do? It's not like a demon or evil god deceiving the Christian is going to reward the Christian for seeing through its deception. What can be done? It's not like we can fight against such a power on our own. All it seems we can do is continue to believe and live based on what we think we know. It's like saying what would we do if we lived in the Matrix, but we couldn't tell we lived in the Matrix. We'd have to call on a higher power to deliver us.

15. If it's possible for demons to deceive Christians, then why wouldn't it be possible for demons to deceive others too? Such as the adherents of the other religion (whichever one you have in mind) making the claim that Christians are deceived by demons? From a Christian perspective, God is a good and loving God who is able and willing to protect his people. But that can't necessarily be said of other gods.

16. Presumably the demon deceiving the Christian knows it's being deceptive. Presumably the demon itself isn't deceived. Presumably the demon can tell the difference between truth and falsehood. If so, then there's such a thing as truth and falsehood, reality and fantasy, true knowledge and deception or delusion or illusion. If so, then that presumes a certain criterion or standard by which one can distinguish between truth and falsehood and the like. Otherwise it's turtles demonic deception all the way down including for the demon! So what's the source or basis for this criterion or standard? Where does this criterion or standard itself come from? Perhaps this could be parlayed into an argument for the God of classical theism or even the God of the Bible.