Originally Posted by Tigers

Imagine you are the boss of an archaelogical dig in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. One day is found in a tomb a carving that gives an Egyption account of the Israeli exodus from Egypt. While the carving does not mention the peoples' name it notes their leader spoke Egyptian well and was obviously familar with Egyption life & culture. He insisted that these people must be released or great disasters would fall upon the land of Egypt. It also mentions terrible calamites that befell Egypt which line up with what the OT describes including the death of all 1st born of Egypt. Pharoah says go but changes his mind and sends out an army. The army never returns, except for a few stragglers who describe a large wave that washed away the army but missed those people.

You have on your team agnostics, atheists, a Jew but no Christians. Do you publish? Yes or No? The discussion was vigorous.

I ask this because I have used this scenario for > 20 years now as a straw poll for people's willingness to publish information that might upset their cherished beliefs. My sample size has been rather small so I am opening it to all of you.

My results have been as follows:

Agnostics - For: 20%
Against: 80%
Atheists - For: 50%
Against: 50%
Jews - For: 50%
Against: 50%
Christians - For: 99%
Against: 1%

I have no figures for pagans or muslims as yet.
Some explantions. The 1% Christian against was from a fellow who thought that the fuss was not worth the effort. I have great admiration for the atheists would are prepared to publish. When I asked some agnostics why they would not publish they replied that that would force them to take sides and they prefered not to do that.

I am wondering if the results from you all will follow the trends I have noticed or will vary.

So what say you? Publish or not? Please give reasons for your answer if you wish.

Originally Posted by Tigers

I ask this because I have used this scenario for > 20 years now as a straw poll for people's willingness to publish information that might upset their cherished beliefs.