It’s an age-old challenge to Christianity. We’re all just irrational people who believe in imaginary beings we can’t see, touch, hear, or scientifically test. Where is the evidence? It’s an oldie, but how can you believe in something you can’t see?
An Easy Question by Itself
If taken at face value, this question is easy to answer. Everyone believes in countless things they can’t see. To reject something just because you have not or cannot physically see it would be irrational. I’ve never seen my great-grandparents outside of pictures. I still believe they existed because, logically, I could not exist without them. I believe in natural phenomena like wind, humidity, and plate tectonics because I experience their invisible manifestations.
What About the Other Senses?
Usually, this question is more general. How can you believe in something that can’t be observed with any of the senses or studied by science? It’s essentially another version of saying there is no evidence for God. However, the answer is still the same. We all believe in lots of things that cannot be tested by science or our senses.
Ethical claims like “freedom is better than slavery” or “saving life is better than taking life” are outside the scientific realm. The existence of logic and reason, free will and human consciousness, or love and hate, are all abstract concepts. Many artists would argue those are more real than any physical thing. We believe in history, which we will never be able to experience. Unless you are willing to throw all of these out, you believe in what you cannot see.
By the Way, Christianity is True
Should you believe it, though? Is it true? Just because you believe in some things you can’t see doesn’t mean this should be one of them. To answer that question, we need to follow the evidence where it leads. Does God exist? How did life begin? Why is the universe so finely tuned for life? Are miracles possible? Did a man really rise from the dead? Did he offer us the gift of salvation through his sacrifice? I am persuaded that the answer to all of those questions points to Christianity as true. You can believe in something you can’t see because of the evidence, not despite the evidence.
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