Why Is This News?

Yesterday I saw this story in at least 5 places around the web.

Moses was high on drugs: Israeli researcher

Then I heard it again on the news and again on the Kimmel show.

[Edit] Then I heard it yet again on the Tony Kornheiser show on Thursday [/edit]

Here's a quote from the important passage of the story

"As far Moses on Mount Sinai is concerned, it was either a supernatural cosmic event, which I don't believe, or a legend, which I don't believe either, or finally, and this is very probable, an event that joined Moses and the people of Israel under the effect of narcotics," Shanon told Israeli public radio on Tuesday. Moses was probably also on drugs when he saw the "burning bush," suggested Shanon, who said he himself has dabbled with such substances.

In case you just skimmed over that paragraph, allow me to summarize:

Moses on Mt. Sinai cannot be true, because I don't believe in a God who can do anything so I decided to just make something up completely out of whole cloth. I have taken drugs that gave me a similar experience, so that must be what caused it.

I'm not shocked that someone would make up something like this. People have doubted the miracles of the Bible since they happened. What I want to know is - Why is this news? A guy made something up. If I publish an article that says "I don't believe the moon exists so it must be a very large, very stale twinkie fooling us all." two things would happen.

1. Nobody at all would pay any attention, because clearly I have an overactive imagination. (Or I've been burning the bush) 2. The people who know me would tell me to shut up.

My second question is this; does the Time and Mind Journal of Philosophy have any standards whatsoever? How can a guy make something up just because he is unwilling to believe what has been believed by most for the last 6000 years, and get it published? Does anyone have an answer?