"There is, in fact, not a Christian on this Earth who can be certain that Jesus even wore a beard, much less that he was born of a virgin or rose from the dead. These are just not the sort of claims that spiritual experience can authenticate."
These are precisely the kinds of things that spiritual experience can authenticate, if that is the proper term. I would say 'reveal'. Jesus said "The Kingdom of God is within you." On what basis does a materialist pronounce judgment on the 'authenticity' of inner visions? (which are actually quite common occurances). Even some religious people have trouble with visions, prophetic dreams, and other Divine revelations.
My brother left the church, partly because he was visited by Jesus one night in his bedroom. When he asked the junior minister about it, he was told to get out of his office and not talk about such things. Sadly, he remains an atheist to this day.
“My brother left the church, partly because he was visited by Jesus one night in his bedroom. When he asked the junior minister about it, he was told to get out of his office and not talk about such things. Sadly, he remains an atheist to this day.”
I don’t uinderstand why those two events would push him into atheism.