Myth #4 Christianity must be scientifically proven, if true.
Myth # 4: CHRISTIANITY MUST BE SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN, IF TRUE
This is a myth that has grown in recent years because of our cultures increasing belief in naturalism. It is based on the idea that says all truth must be empirically verified through the five senses. If you can’t see it, taste it, touch it, smell it or feel it and repeat it, then it is not real. That is a false assumption of scientism not good science.
To put it very simply, science is observing the universe that God has made and drawing conclusion about what is observed. Scientism is the idea that science or empirical verification gives us the only reason to believe something is true or real. Most thinking Christians don’t have a problem with science or its discoveries. Science is observing the universe God has made. While Christians may have issues with how some scientists interpret what is found, good science and the Christian faith are not at odds.
We should never concede to the idea that the scientific method is the only way to prove something. If it were, you would not be able to prove that Abraham Lincoln had ever been president of the United States, because you cannot repeat that event, it only exists in the past. The scientific method is limited. It cannot prove that Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo because it cannot be repeated in a controlled environment where observation can be made, data recorded and a conclusion drawn.
Greg Koukl put it this way, “There are things we know to be true that we don't know through empirical testing--the five senses-- but we do know through other ways. Science seems to give us true, or approximately true, information about the world, and it uses a technique that seems to be reliable, by and large. (Even this, though, is debated among philosophers of science.) However, science is not the only means of giving us true information about the world; its methodology limits it significantly.”
The real problem lies at the heart of scientism/naturalism because if truth is only verified through empirical evidence then there is obviously no room for the supernatural. For instance, miracles cannot be empirically verified or repeated so they just simply cannot be true. The Christian faith is obviously at odds with naturalism because we believe in a God who is outside and above the natural world yet He miraculously invaded our world in the person of Jesus Christ.
As Christians, we believe that Jesus is God who arrived in flesh, He lived a sinless life and perfectly fulfilled the requirements of the law, He was crucified on a Roman cross for the sins of the world and He was buried and rose from the dead. We believe that salvation is found in repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone. (I Cor. 15: 3-8, Philippians 2: 5-11, Acts 4: 12, Romans 8: 1-4, II Corinthians 5: 21, John 1: 1-14, Hebrews 4: 14-16) Therefore, to be a Christian means that you believe in the supernatural. You believe in a God who is above nature but acted in our world on our behalf.
While it is true you cannot verify all the tenants of the Christian faith using the scientific method, you can verify it beyond a reasonable doubt using the evidential/historical method. A historical event can be proven by producing oral, written and physical testimony that establishes the truth of this event beyond a reasonable doubt. This is how we validate the fact that Abraham Lincoln was president of the United States and Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo.
When it comes to the Gospel there is an abundance of oral, written and physical testimony that establishes the truth of the life, death, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For instance, according to Gary Hybermas in his book “The Case for the Resurrection” he states that there are over 15 non-Christian historical sources that validate Jesus lived, was crucified and his followers claimed he rose from the dead. We know that there are well over 5000 ancient manuscripts of the New Testament and we have the recorded eyewitness testimony of the apostles and others who saw the resurrected Christ. Many of these eyewitnesses literally gave their lives for their belief in Christ as the resurrected Messiah. There is not enough time and space to go into these details but I will reference in the works cited some good resources to read.
My point is this. To say that for Christianity to be true it has to be scientifically verified is just simply illogical and not true. It is illogical because the scientific method is not the only measure of truth and we believe many things about life and history that cannot even begin to be addressed by the scientific method. Some will say Christianity has to be scientifically proven to be true as if they have said something profound. In reality, all they have given is an unjustified opinion.
Sources:
“What Science Can’t Prove” Greg Koukl – Website - Stand To Reason, February 4, 2013
“The Case For The Resurrection” by Gary Hybermas
“Can We Still Believe The Bible?” by Graig L. Blomberg
“I Don’t Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist” by Frank Turek and Norman Geisler