|

Can You Prove It?

Some people want proof that the Christian view corresponds to reality… What type of proof would be valid?

If you mean evidence from laboratory experiments, what science consistently shows is that:
  • We have no experimental evidence that something comes from nothing.
  • We have no experimental evidence that life arises from non-life (abiogenesis remains unproven).
  • We have no experimental evidence that highly complex systems arise spontaneously from simplicity without guidance.
  • We have no experimental evidence that sustained order naturally emerges from total chaos without external input.

All known experimental evidence points in the opposite direction.

If you want proof from logic, we can reason that:
  • If the human mind is purely the product of blind chance and undirected evolution, then we have no ultimate reason to trust our conclusions as reliable indicators of truth (a point made by thinkers like Alvin Plantinga).
  • If there is no meaning or purpose to anything, then debate, opinions, or moral judgments ultimately have no binding significance.
  • If we operate only from what the human mind can perceive or reason, then there is no ultimate guarantee that our thoughts correspond to reality (thus the need for divine revelation paired with human investigation).
If you mean proof from history, scholars widely agree that:
  • The Bible provides an accurate historical record of events, geography, cultures, languages and archeological data, aligning with other authoritative records. The evidence shows it is deeply rooted in real history, contrary to the claim that it is merely myth.
  • Jesus of Nazareth was a real historical person.
  • He was crucified under the Roman governor Pontius Pilate in the first century.
  • His earliest followers were utterly convinced he rose from the dead, providing strong evidence of his claims, and many endured persecution and death because of this belief.
  • The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and the Bible (his story) have had an unparalleled influence on global history, shaping law, justice, science, philosophy, art, literature, education, healthcare, and more.

Taken seriously, these historical points provide a foundation for the Christian claim that Jesus is God, arguing also for the Bible’s trustworthiness and thus its thesis statement: “In the beginning, God created…”

When applied to questions of ultimate origins, evolutionary theory functions more as a belief system than as observable science. Microevolution (small changes within species) is well-documented, but questions remain about how entirely new kinds of life (macroevolution) arise and how life itself began. Similarly, beliefs such as “matter is eternal” or “the multiverse exists” cannot be proven; they are philosophical extrapolations from a belief system. Many leading atheists admit their position begins with a prior commitment against God. Believing in eternal matter is no less a leap of faith than believing in creation ex nihilo.

On the other hand, design is evident everywhere in the universe. Intelligence gives order, meaning, and purpose—matter alone cannot. At every level, even down to the cell, life is built on information. The genetic code, for instance, is not just biological—it is linguistic. Richard Dawkins, though an atheist, acknowledges that DNA functions like a code: “What lies at the heart of every living thing is not a fire, not warm breath, nor a ‘spark of life’. It is information, words, instructions…” At the heart of biblical creation is not merely matter, but the spoken word. “And God said…” introduces a universe built through divine speech—through information, intention, and order.

Similar Posts

  • Coversation – part 1

    How can we build understanding with those who profoundly disagree with us? This post begins a series of posts in order to review an online conversation with Derek that began in January of 2020. As I have reflected on this discussion over many months, my intent was always to invite him to work through this…

  • |

    Connecting Faith and Life

    I few posts back I wrote about “Real Value in Christian education” and mentioned several aspects of a Christ-centered education that provide unique and powerful connections between life and learning. We can now look more closely at the first of these connections: First, it would be helpful to have a clear understanding of what is…

  • | | |

    A Civilizational Matrix

    Throughout history, every civilization has wrestled with two fundamental questions: What is ultimate reality? and What is the place of the individual within the community? The way a people answers these questions shapes its laws, art, economics, education, and destiny. When we place civilizations along two axes: biblical vs. non-biblical (rooted in transcendent moral order…

  • | |

    Creativity

    This is my 14th year teaching Humanities at ECA and, unfortunately, it will be my last for a while… It has been one of my favorite subjects to teach and I will definitely miss this interaction with my students as we observe and respond to art in its various forms and also create art together….

  • Conversation – part 5

    How can we build understanding with those who profoundly disagree with us? Be sure to read the previous posts on this topic from January 2022 to get the full story… It seems that Derek wrote this in a hurry and maybe did not even intend to post. I received a notification about the post and…

  • |

    Come and Drink

    I meant to post this back in May during the season of graduations… It is a joy to celebrate these accomplishments, especially when we look back at how each one has grown in many ways. But it also makes us wonder what God has next for them and where they will invest their life and…