As Christians, do we need to give evidence for what we believe to those who do not believe?
Is it wise for us to present the available facts or information that indicate whether a belief or proposition we hold is true or valid?
I believe the scripturally tenable answer to this question is an overwhelming yes!
Look at the following seven examples:
- Jesus presented Himself alive after his suffering by many convincing proofs. Acts 1:3
- Paul according to his custom, reasoned from scripture, explaining and giving evidence that Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead. Acts 17:2-4
- Saul (Paul) kept confounding the Jews by proving that this Jesus is the Christ Acts 9:22
- God demonstrates His love for us …. Rom. 5:8
- Jesus himself was attested by God with miracles and wonders and signs.. Acts 2:22
- Even knowledge of God is evident within them because God made it evident to them.. Rom. 1:19
- Paul speaks about his defense and confirmation of the Gospel…Phil. 1:7
The New Testament shows a pattern of convincing proofs, explanation, evidence, attestation, and demonstration with regard to the message of the Gospel.
It would seem to me that based on the above scriptures and others, that the New Testament clearly shows at the very least, Christians are to give evidence when called upon. 1 Peter 3:15
Scriptures references:
Acts 1:3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.
Acts 17:2–4 ( And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women.
Acts 9:22 But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—
Romans 1:19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
Philippians 1:7 For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.
1 Peter 3:15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
As Christians expect scientists to prove the big bang theory, so Christians should prove gods existence. The fact is there is no evidence to prove the existence of God. The Bible is not proof. It is made up of oral traditions handed down. This is not a good way to record things thru history. The Bible was put together by a council of Christian priests and chose the content. It was accepted by the masses because it was printed in Latin and anyway most people couldn’t read anyway. They just believed priests who were just men like them. In the past two hundred years the Bible stories have been proven to lack evidence, have historical mistakes, over 14,000 contradictions and can be debunked by modern science. As we know more now we have the intelligence to prove the Bible false. Genesis has God putting trees and vegetation on earth BEFORE light….we know now that trees and vegetation need sunlight to live. The Earth was not created before the sun or stars, day and night could not have been created before the movements of the sun and Earth combined to facilitate it. God didn’t make the sun until the fourth day. Life did not suddenly appear in its various forms at any stage, it evolved over billions of years. And we have proof the earth is billions of years old, not 6000 years like the Bible would have us think. We have technology, physics, quantum mechanics, mathematics to help scientists, physcists, astronomers, geologists, radiographers, archeologists, etc study space, time to determine the age of Earth. And we have proof of man and animals evolving. The Bible doesn’t mention dinosaurs but we know they existed by the thousands of fossils and bones dug up all over the world. We know about ancient civilizations living thousands of years before Christianity even emerged, we know how land has changed to make the continents we know now. We have immense proof which was tested and looked at since the 1940s that there was a massive heating then cooling of the universe and over a billion or so years from this earth was created. There is actual seeable, recorded proof of this event.
And yet Christians proof that God exists is a book written by men eager to have this new religion accepted. Not only accepted but have christianity made the only faith, their God the only God. And they did it by putting together stories in a book, instilling fear in the masses with a God who created everything (except sin….That’s not gods fault apparently. He couldn’t stop it or get rid of it but God is omnipotent) and who kept killing his humans when they sinned too much. I mean, why he couldn’t have just scolded his humans or explained they can’t sin is a mystery. No, just kill them which he does a couple of times. He murders men, women and children all through the old testament. Has David fight wars which kills 70,000 people at once (where did all these people come from? One minute it’s adam and Eve then there’s tens of thousands of people everywhere? Timelines don’t work out)
Wipes out the earth with a global flood (which civilizations in Egypt, Babylon, indes valley didn’t record as it didn’t affect them…Life went on as usual).
Why don’t Christians think they need to prove God exists? Of course they do. The Bible can’t be accepted as proof. Would evolution or the big bang be proven if the proof just came from a book written by unknown people from old second third hand stories? No. Then why should the Bible be acceptable proof? Faith is also not proof. Faith is an emotion. Faith replaces reality. Faith is felt and is not proof. I had faith in Santa Claus when I was a child. I had faith he would leave me presents and he did. That was proof he existed. But then I grew up and knew Santa doesn’t exist. Faith is not proof God exists. There’s nothing else to prove God exists.