About Me

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I am a born-again Christian, who is Reformed, but also charismatic, spiritually speaking. (I do not speak in tongues, but I believe glossalalia is a bona fide gift not given to all, and not as great as prophecy, for example.) I have several years of college education but only completed a two-year degree. I was raised Lutheran and confirmed, but I didn't "find Christ" until I was in the Army and responded to a Billy Graham crusade in 1973. I was mentored or discipled by the Navigators in the army and upon discharge joined several evangelical, Bible-teaching churches. I was baptized as an infant, but believe in believer baptism, of which I was a partaker after my conversion experience. I believe in the "5 Onlys" of the reformation: sola fide (faith alone); sola Scriptura (Scripture alone); soli Christo (Christ alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and soli Deo gloria (to God alone be the glory). I affirm TULIP as defended in the Reformation.. I affirm most of The Westminster Confession of Faith, especially pertaining to Providence.

Saturday, September 19, 2020

Absence Of Evidence

 

Is it true that an absence of evidence is not evidence of absence when regarding the existence of God?

It is true in general, much more regarding the existence of God. Just because you cannot prove God, doesn’t preclude His existence. But the principle applies much more in metaphysical matters than the physical. You cannot prove some premise is untrue just by stating there is no evidence, but you can refuse to believe it. Note that evidence isn’t always certain or conclusive but one goes in the direction of the evidence no matter where it leads with an open mind.

You cannot prove a universal negative according to logicians. You cannot deny the existence of love because you have never experienced it. Physically, there is no evidence of aliens—we have no tangible proof (though there may be legal evidence of testimony or witness), but that doesn’t prove they don’t exist. To prove a universal negative, you have to know everything and be everywhere at once. Only God knows that.

But in law, one must prove beyond a reasonable doubt for something to be considered true (absence of evidence holds water and sometimes the jury is still out), in historic matters, truth depends upon documents and corroboration, and in scientific matters, something must be repeatable, demonstrable, measurable, or observable in the real physical and natural world.

But if we are to make a claim and want to have credence, we must present evidence and plead the facts, if they are on our side. To some skeptics, there is never enough evidence for God’s existence, even though there is some (scientific, philosophic, historic), but no proof. God expects us to take a leap of faith. Proof and evidence differ. God will not force us to believe against our wills. God desires us to come to Him by faith not head first. But He respects our brains and doesn’t expect us to kiss them goodbye: “Come now let us reason together, says the LORD,” (cf. Isaiah 1:18).

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