I have just finished reading J. Warner Wallace’s book, Cold-Case Christianity. He puts his skills as a homicide detective working on unsolved criminal cases to use in determining if Christianity is true. [1] It is among the best books I have read on Christian apologetics. In a chapter discussing how much proof is necessary to know if a particular proposition is true, Wallace describes the standards or degrees of proof that are used in the legal field:
- Some credible evidence – There is sufficient evidence to begin an investigation.
- Preponderance of the evidence – The proposition is more likely true than untrue.
- Clear and convincing evidence – The proposition is significantly and substantially more likely to be true than untrue.
- Beyond a reasonable doubt – There is no plausible reason to believe that a proposition is untrue. [2]
What standard or degree of proof would you use when evaluating the evidence for Christianity?
I can see why some would use the highest standard—beyond a reasonable doubt—when considering the evidence for the validity of Christianity. Why? First, believing in most matters of history does not impact us one way or the other. It does not matter to us if tomorrow it is discovered that Alexandria the Great was a mythical figure. The same cannot be said about Jesus and his death for our sins. Therefore, before we make major changes in our lives, a very high degree of proof would be prudent. Second, according to Christian doctrine, God expects us to believe in an event that has never occurred in the history of the human race—the resurrection of someone from the dead. Most of us would definitely want substantial proof for such an extraordinary event.
Do we have proof that is beyond a reasonable doubt for the death and resurrection of Jesus for our sins? Some would say “no” and it would be difficult to argue with them. If we truly understand what it means that God made us finite—that God limited our ability to know what is true of events that occurred over 2000 years ago and in a different culture—then it is not unreasonable to have doubts about these events. As William Lane Craig states: “Christianity can only be shown to be probably true”. [3]
So why would God require that we believe these events are true to be saved? Christianity has never answered this question. My book, The Renovation of Our Soul, is a start in developing an answer. We in the Christian community need to have a discussion.
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[1] J. Warner Wallace, Cold-Case Christianity, Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2013.
[2] Wallace, p. 131.
[3] William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith, Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008, p. 55.
