Another interpretation: Try to figure out which side has more intelligent defenders and control for that when evaluating arguments.
Isn’t the real problem here that the author of the quote was asking the wrong question, namely “Mormonism or non-Mormon Christianity?” when he should have been asking “Theism or atheism?” I don’t see how controlling for which side had the more intelligent defenders in the former debate would have helped him better get to the truth. (I mean that may well be the right thing to do in general, but this doesn’t seem to be a very good example for illustrating it.)
That may be too much to ask for. Besides, if the horse evidence had worked, you’d be forced to turn around and apply it to Jesus...it may not have worked for her, but it has worked on some theists.
Isn’t the real problem here that the author of the quote was asking the wrong question, namely “Mormonism or non-Mormon Christianity?” when he should have been asking “Theism or atheism?” I don’t see how controlling for which side had the more intelligent defenders in the former debate would have helped him better get to the truth. (I mean that may well be the right thing to do in general, but this doesn’t seem to be a very good example for illustrating it.)
That may be too much to ask for. Besides, if the horse evidence had worked, you’d be forced to turn around and apply it to Jesus...it may not have worked for her, but it has worked on some theists.