What Evidence Would Make You Abandon the Faith?

I came across a fair share of skeptics online who ask what evidence it would take for a Christian to admit that their faith is vain. Generally I come across that question asked on a static website which doesn’t illicit comments, so I’m throwing my answer out here just for fun. There are two things which I would accept; the first is very specific and definitely makes Christianity vain while the other is more general and may simply represent an insufficient knowledge of Christianity itself.

  1. Concrete evidence that Christ remains in the grave. Simply stating that “the dead do not rise” is not a valid argument; Christ’s resurrection in defeat of death was by definition an exception of the norm. As Paul said, if Christ is not risen, then we believe in vain and ought to be pitied.
  2. Something which contradicts the Orthodox Christian worldview. This one’s tricky because it seems like everyone would have something which seems to contradict the Christian faith. The problem of evil is perhaps the most famous example, yet evil (specifically Satan & sin) fit the Christian worldview perfectly and are necessary within it. Evolution and the big bang are other answers which may be offered. Fair enough, but that unbelievers would come to contradictory understandings of the universe is foreseen and accepted in biblical theology; such things are by no means contradictory.

So yes, there is evidence which I would accept that would make me rethink my faith; however, I can stand very steadfastly in my faith knowing that the object of my faith is He who was dead and is alive forevermore.

11 thoughts on “What Evidence Would Make You Abandon the Faith?”

  1. Personally, I have come to believe in the Living Christ to the point where there is no evidence that I would accept otherwise. After I die, this belief will be either confirmed correct or proven incorrect. If I am correct, then Praise the Lord, because Heaven is a wonderful place! If I am incorrect, then I have lost nothing.

    Interesting question, Rick! :)

    Latest from Jeff Starr: Blacklist Candidate Number 2008-04-27

  2. I agree with you pretty much wholeheartedly; while I did name the two categories of evidence above, I did so with the mindset Paul had when he was answering those who disbelieved in a risen Christ — He has risen, so logically there can be no evidence that He hasn’t.

    “If I am incorrect, then I have lost nothing.” — But being correct, you have gained infinity!

  3. What can I say? My identity changes every day, because every new experience makes me an entirely different person. I’m just praying that God would put experiences in my life that would make me more like Jesus.

    Thanks for the welcome! It’s good to be back.

  4. Erm. How would they discover the body of Jesus after this long. I could go to Palestine, dig up a body somewhere outside Jerusalem and claim it to be Christ. Since the resurrection will never be disproven scientifically, it would be a bad qualifier for discarding the Christian faith. Though I know what you are saying in theory, and is a good point. But the resurrection of Christ is a point of faith in God’s Word. Romans 10:9 qualifies it as a point of “[belief] that God has raised Him from the dead.” I have never been able to reconcile Christ’s death with a traditional scientific view-point, because it is supernatural.

    I can accept it as fact based on principles of scripture and by faith.

  5. Brandon: Quite right that it would be inconceivably difficult to actually debunk the Resurrection on scientific grounds. By its very nature, the evidence (were there any) would be lost to time by now.

    Still, the Resurrection is perhaps the most important, most central tenet of Christianity, and as Paul explained, our faith absolutely relies on it. To debunk Christianity requires being able to debunk that which has freed us from Death’s reign.

  6. ““If I am incorrect, then I have lost nothing.”

    Of course Paul said otherwise…”if Christ be not raised, we of all men are to be most pitied.”

    I agree, absolute proof that Jesus is still dead must seal the deal, otherwise our faith is no more than Mormon “faith”.

    Jeff said “Personally, I have come to believe in the Living Christ to the point where there is no evidence that I would accept otherwise.”

    Yes, but why do you/we believe? It is because trustworthy men have reported the truth of the resurrection. Our faith is based on fact, otherwise it’s just wishful thinking.

  7. Our faith is also a living thing imbued to us and worked within us by our Father in Heaven; faith is the evidence of things unseen because it is the work of He who is unseen. The existence of our steadfast faith in a resurrected Christ is evidence.

    It’s a stretch, but it’s similar to if someone tells me a joke and I laugh, then my laughter — which was caused by the other person — is evidence that the joke they told was funny.

    By the way, welcome to Kingdom Front. I appreciate your comments, and I hope to get more of ’em. :) Stop by anytime, Daryl!

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