CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW TRUTH TEST/REALITY CHECK
*If you aren't familiar with the preliminary axioms for testing truth, please click here before continuing.*
1. LOGICAL CONSISTENCY--
A. First law of Thermodynamics:
Christianity claims energy and mass could not possibly have originated from nothing, or by natural processes. Christianity claims the origin of energy and mass was not natural but supernatural. This is harmonious with the First law of Thermodynamics.
Conclusion: Therefore, Christianity passes the TRUTH test of LOGICAL CONSISTENCY regarding the First Law of Thermodynamics.
B. Second Law of Thermodynamics:
If the universe (this includes all possible universes) were beginningless we would have already reached a point of equilibrium. An infinite past would have used up all of the energy in the universe long ago.
Christianity claims, “All things came into being through [God], and apart from [God] nothing came into being that has come into being. (John 1:3)” Christianity claims the universe never became more ordered over time, and its available energy never increased by natural processes. The universe was created with order by a supernatural plan... but has since been winding down; thus, Christianity is harmonious with the Second law of Thermodynamics.
Conclusion: Christianity passes the TRUTH test of LOGICAL CONSISTENCY regarding the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
C. Law of Cause and Effect: (WHERE DID WE COME FROM?)
The Origin of the Universe--The universe had a start - what caused it? We only have 3 options (universe caused itself, nothing caused it, or SOMETHING that is uncaused, timeless, spaceless, immaterial, personal, and very powerful caused it).
P1: Everything that exists has an explanation of its existence, either in the necessity of its own nature or in an external cause.
P2: If the universe has an explanation of its existence, that explanation is God* (*please see note below that explains the definition of "God")
P3: The universe exists.
P4: Therefore, the universe has an explanation of its existence (from 1, 3).
C: Therefore, the explanation of the universe’s existence is God (from 2, 4).
*It is tempting for atheist and children to ask, “What caused God (i.e., isn’t God bound by the same law of causality)?” To answer this question, consider the following:
If there is a God who created the universe, He is not the sort of thing that comes into existence. He would be outside of time (whatever caused the origin of time had to be timeless) and exist by a necessity of His own nature.
Think of what the universe is: all of space-time reality, including all matter and energy. It follows that if the universe has a cause of its existence, that cause must be a non-physical, immaterial being beyond space and time. Now there are only two sorts of things that could fit that description: either an abstract object like a number or else an unembodied mind. But abstract objects can’t cause anything. That’s part of what it means to be abstract. The number seven, for example, can’t cause any effects. So if there is a cause of the universe, it must be a transcendent, unembodied Mind, which is what Christians understand God to be.
Furthermore, whatever caused the beginning of the universe had to have the power of spontaneous choice. If we look for the cause of the universe among things that can only affect other things when something else has affected it, we find ourselves in what Aristotle called an infinite regress of cause and effect. The only thing that can produce a change without something happening to it first is a free moral agent.
Whatever caused the first event, therefore, had to have the power of free action (spontaneous action). The only kind of thing that can spontaneously act is something with the power of volitional choice. Therefore, the most reasonable explanation for how the universe began is that some being that was timeless without the universe had the power of free choice and chose to start space and time (the universe) without anything causing Him to do so. Again, this is what Christians understand God to be.
Conclusion: Christianity passes the TRUTH test of Logical Consistency regarding the question, “WHERE DID WE COME FROM” and stays consistent with the laws of cause and effect.
D. Laws of Logic:
Christianity claims God is the grounding for the laws of logic because they are a reflection of His nature. In other words Christianity claims God is absolute; therefore, the laws of logic are absolute.
P1: If the laws of logic are absolute, then they logically infer an absolute logical being that grounds them.
P2: The laws of logic must be absolute because if logic is not absolute, then logic cannot be used to prove or disprove anything (the absolute denial of this premise is an affirmation of its truth).
C: Therefore, an absolute (logical) God exists.
The bottom line: the Christian worldview can account for the laws of logic because we believe they are a reflection of God’s nature (i.e. God is a logical being).
The naturalist worldview cannot account for the laws of logic/absolutes, and must borrow from the Christian worldview in order to rationally argue.
Conclusion: Christianity passes the TRUTH test of LOGICAL CONSISTENCY regarding the laws of logic.
E. DNA--Scientists agree that DNA is similar to a computer code/program or a language. Programs have PROGRAMMERS.
P1: All specified information (to perform a function) comes from programmers.
P2: DNA has specified information (to perform a function).
C: Therefore, DNA came from a programmer* (See note below).
Who or what is the best explanation for the programmed DNA? You could push the problem back one step and say “aliens from another planet” but then the same question applies to them and their “DNA”. You end up in an infinite regress until you can come to a “programmer” whose reason for existence is NOT found outside himself; this entity’s reason for existence is in HIMSELF. This is what Christians mean by “God is the GROUNDING for intelligibility, our laws of logic, and physical laws.
While the empirical evidence of programmed language in DNA does not support the notion that Jesus was God, it does provide evidence of a Programmer/Designer/Creator of the Universe. If we have good reason to believe in a Creator, then we have less reason to form some outlandish conspiracy theories as to why the disciples would make up a lie about a risen Messiah that would get them killed. If God exists, then there is no good reason to be intellectually intolerant toward the miraculous (e.g. the resurrection). As the agnostic philosopher Peter Slezak put it in his debate on God’s existence with William Lane Craig, “FOR A GOD WHO IS ABLE TO CREATE THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE [and program our DNA] THE ODD RESURRECTION WOULD BE CHILD’S PLAY!”
Conclusion: Christianity passes the TRUTH test of LOGICAL CONSISTENCY regarding the information in DNA.
Note: The information in DNA is logically consistent with Christianity, but it is not empirically adequate by itself so I won’t include it in the empirical adequacy section lest I be accused of overreaching.
2. EMPIRICAL ADEQUACY--
By “empirical adequacy” we do not expect to experiment, measure, and observe (via the scientific method) God's absolute truth, beauty, personality, omniscience, omnipotence, sovereignty, holiness, righteousness, justice, love, mercy, faithfulness, patience, and perfection. In short, if you expect to observe and measure via natural/physical means an entity who by definition is Supernatural (i.e. unobservable and unmeasurable) then you are demanding a logical contradiction (i.e. the impossible).
However, the Christian worldview can be tested through a serious examination of the evidence of the birth, life, prophecies, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It can be falsified if it is found lacking the necessary proof, or it can be verified through different categories of evidence, whether it be historical, archaeological, scientific, or philosophical. The same cannot be said for many of the world’s 25 major religions. Buddhism, in many ways, is simply a philosophy that doesn’t rise or fall upon any historical verification. Islam discourages, and in many cases, won’t allow an open minded skepticism into the evidence related to Mohammed and his writings. Pantheism as well, is a metaphysical philosophy that has little or nothing to do with historical facts or archaeological verification.
A. Admissible evidence in a court of law:
Consider the founder of Harvard Law School and his evidential test of the resurrection. Dr. Greenleaf, the Royal Professor of Law at Harvard University, was one of the greatest legal minds that ever lived. He wrote the famous legal volume entitled, ‘A Treatise on the Law of Evidence’, considered by many the greatest legal volume ever written. Dr. Greenleaf took his 3 volumes on the Laws of Legal Evidence and applied those principles to the resurrection of Christ. After thoroughly examining the evidence for the resurrection, Dr. Greenleaf wrote a book entitled, ‘An Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evangelists by the Rules of Evidence Administered in the Courts of Justice’. In that book Dr. Greenleaf emphatically stated:
"it was IMPOSSIBLE that the apostles could have persisted in affirming the truths they had narrated, had not JESUS CHRIST ACTUALLY RISEN FROM THE DEAD, . . ." (Simon Greenleaf, An Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evangelists by the Rules of Evidence Administered in the Courts of Justice, p.29).
Greenleaf concluded that according to the jurisdiction of legal evidence the resurrection of Jesus Christ was the best supported event in all of history! And not only that, Dr. Greenleaf was so convinced by the overwhelming evidence, he committed his life to Jesus Christ!
The fact that the Christian worldview is verifiable sets it apart from all other ‘man made religions’. This is why the co-founder of Harvard Law school could take his 3 volumes on the Laws of Legal Evidence and apply those principles to the basis, and grounding of Christianity—the resurrection of Christ. Could Dr. Greenleaf take his volumes on the Laws of Legal Evidence and apply them to Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, or any other religion? I don’t think so!
Conclusion: Four undisputable facts regarding the burial of Jesus, His empty tomb, and post-mortem appearances pass the Truth test of EMPIRICAL ADEQUACY.
B. Prophecies of Jesus Christ as Messiah:
Source 1 (GodandScience.org)
Source 2
Probability of Christ fulfilling just eight of the over 300 prophecies that pertain to Him in the Bible: 1 x 10 to the 28th power.
Conclusion: Christianity passes the TRUTH test of EMPIRICAL ADEQUACY
By “empirical adequacy” we do not expect to experiment, measure, and observe (via the scientific method) God's absolute truth, beauty, personality, omniscience, omnipotence, sovereignty, holiness, righteousness, justice, love, mercy, faithfulness, patience, and perfection. In short, if you expect to observe and measure via natural/physical means an entity who by definition is Supernatural (i.e. unobservable and unmeasurable) then you are demanding a logical contradiction (i.e. the impossible).
However, the Christian worldview can be tested through a serious examination of the evidence of the birth, life, prophecies, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It can be falsified if it is found lacking the necessary proof, or it can be verified through different categories of evidence, whether it be historical, archaeological, scientific, or philosophical. The same cannot be said for many of the world’s 25 major religions. Buddhism, in many ways, is simply a philosophy that doesn’t rise or fall upon any historical verification. Islam discourages, and in many cases, won’t allow an open minded skepticism into the evidence related to Mohammed and his writings. Pantheism as well, is a metaphysical philosophy that has little or nothing to do with historical facts or archaeological verification.
A. Admissible evidence in a court of law:
Consider the founder of Harvard Law School and his evidential test of the resurrection. Dr. Greenleaf, the Royal Professor of Law at Harvard University, was one of the greatest legal minds that ever lived. He wrote the famous legal volume entitled, ‘A Treatise on the Law of Evidence’, considered by many the greatest legal volume ever written. Dr. Greenleaf took his 3 volumes on the Laws of Legal Evidence and applied those principles to the resurrection of Christ. After thoroughly examining the evidence for the resurrection, Dr. Greenleaf wrote a book entitled, ‘An Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evangelists by the Rules of Evidence Administered in the Courts of Justice’. In that book Dr. Greenleaf emphatically stated:
"it was IMPOSSIBLE that the apostles could have persisted in affirming the truths they had narrated, had not JESUS CHRIST ACTUALLY RISEN FROM THE DEAD, . . ." (Simon Greenleaf, An Examination of the Testimony of the Four Evangelists by the Rules of Evidence Administered in the Courts of Justice, p.29).
Greenleaf concluded that according to the jurisdiction of legal evidence the resurrection of Jesus Christ was the best supported event in all of history! And not only that, Dr. Greenleaf was so convinced by the overwhelming evidence, he committed his life to Jesus Christ!
The fact that the Christian worldview is verifiable sets it apart from all other ‘man made religions’. This is why the co-founder of Harvard Law school could take his 3 volumes on the Laws of Legal Evidence and apply those principles to the basis, and grounding of Christianity—the resurrection of Christ. Could Dr. Greenleaf take his volumes on the Laws of Legal Evidence and apply them to Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, or any other religion? I don’t think so!
Conclusion: Four undisputable facts regarding the burial of Jesus, His empty tomb, and post-mortem appearances pass the Truth test of EMPIRICAL ADEQUACY.
B. Prophecies of Jesus Christ as Messiah:
Source 1 (GodandScience.org)
Source 2
Probability of Christ fulfilling just eight of the over 300 prophecies that pertain to Him in the Bible: 1 x 10 to the 28th power.
Conclusion: Christianity passes the TRUTH test of EMPIRICAL ADEQUACY
3. EXPERIENTIAL RELEVANCE
A. Good and Evil:
Christianity makes a distinction between good and evil. The fact that some things are objectively evil reflects our experience with the world (torturing babies for fun is OBJECTIVELY EVIL in any state, any time, and any possible place in this universe!). The Christian worldview, takes evil and good seriously, fully acknowledging both the true nobility and true cruelty of man (Francis Schaeffer’s terms). Man’s nobility is real, explained by the fact that we’re made in the image of God. Man has transcendent value. That’s why we fumigate termites, but not people, because human beings are innately more valuable than animals.
Man’s cruelty (his sin and true moral guilt) is real, explained by the fall. The Christian worldview can explain coherently the solution to the problem of man’s cruelty (fall): The solution to guilt is not denial; it’s forgiveness. Christianity’s answer resonates with the deepest intuitions we have about ourselves and our world. "The Christian faith is the only faith that gives you a satisfactory strength and explanation for suffering... I have debated many Hindu scholars; they have never been able to give an answer to the origin of evil."--Ravi Zacharias (Christian philosopher, born and raised in India, whose ancestors belonged to the highest caste of Hindu priests).
“A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line.” –C.S. Lewis
Conclusion: Christianity passes the TRUTH test of EXPERIENTIAL RELEVANCE regarding:
GOOD (e.g., love , justice, courage, selflessness, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control). In short, God is the ‘straight line’.
And
EVIL (e.g., murder, rape, hate, corruption, selfishness, greed, envy, jealousy). In short, evil is the absence of God.
B. The Soul:
The Christian worldview describes what we experience in our mind, conscience, personality, imagination, reason, humor, and emotions as our “soul”. In short, our soul is what makes us unique and distinct from others. Notice the attributes of the soul cannot be calculated or measured, they are not physical and cannot be proven by science; however, we all acknowledge the truth of their existence because it is part of our experience.
Our soul influences our choices and our own justice system acknowledges the soul (not explicitly, but implicitly). When we prosecute someone for a murder that was committed over 10 years ago, we are not prosecuting the same "physical" body that committed the murder because 98 percent of all the atoms in a human body are replaced every year. This means that when we prosecute someone for murder (that was committed many years ago) we are prosecuting a physically different body, but we all know we are prosecuting the same "person". How can this be?
The part of every human that makes us responsible and liable for actions that were performed by different atoms (physical body) is our soul. The soul is the unique “person" who committed murder and is therefore responsible. We all want murderers and rapists prosecuted for crimes committed by (technically) another body because we all intuitively know (experience) the existence of the soul.
Conclusion: Christianity passes the TRUTH test of EXPERIENTIAL RELEVANCE regarding the soul.
C. Emotions:
Emotions are types of sensations that require a mode of consciousness. Consciousness is inextricably linked to a mind. The Christian worldview describes God as an eternal MIND. This eternal MIND hard-wired humans with faculties to experience emotions like love, jealousy, pride, envy, sadness, guilt, compassion, empathy, and more. The ability to experience these emotions enriches our experience/existence and develops our character. Emotions are a very real part of every human experience and the Christian worldview coheres with that experience.
Conclusion: Christianity passes the TRUTH test of EXPERIENTIAL RELEVANCE regarding emotions.
D. The self-evident truth of human rights:
Consider the statement found in the Declaration of Independence that is the basis for our civil rights: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” No other worldview other than the Judeo-Christian worldview could have uttered this phrase. It is simply incoherent and inconsistent with all other worldviews.
The self-evident truth makes sense within the Christian worldview because these basic human rights are grounded in the fact that all humans bear the image of God; the image humans bear (their spirit) has a certain worth and dignity that sets us apart from the animal kingdom. This is why animals do not have civil rights--they are not spiritual creatures (i.e. they are not made in the image of God) and therefore are not endowed by their Creator with the same unalienable Rights as humans. Once again we all recognize (EXPERIENCE) this self-evident truth; however, the Judeo-Christian worldview is the only worldview that coheres with that experience.
Conclusion: Christianity passes the TRUTH test of EXPERIENTIAL RELEVANCE regarding the “self-evident” truth of human rights.
A. Good and Evil:
Christianity makes a distinction between good and evil. The fact that some things are objectively evil reflects our experience with the world (torturing babies for fun is OBJECTIVELY EVIL in any state, any time, and any possible place in this universe!). The Christian worldview, takes evil and good seriously, fully acknowledging both the true nobility and true cruelty of man (Francis Schaeffer’s terms). Man’s nobility is real, explained by the fact that we’re made in the image of God. Man has transcendent value. That’s why we fumigate termites, but not people, because human beings are innately more valuable than animals.
Man’s cruelty (his sin and true moral guilt) is real, explained by the fall. The Christian worldview can explain coherently the solution to the problem of man’s cruelty (fall): The solution to guilt is not denial; it’s forgiveness. Christianity’s answer resonates with the deepest intuitions we have about ourselves and our world. "The Christian faith is the only faith that gives you a satisfactory strength and explanation for suffering... I have debated many Hindu scholars; they have never been able to give an answer to the origin of evil."--Ravi Zacharias (Christian philosopher, born and raised in India, whose ancestors belonged to the highest caste of Hindu priests).
“A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line.” –C.S. Lewis
Conclusion: Christianity passes the TRUTH test of EXPERIENTIAL RELEVANCE regarding:
GOOD (e.g., love , justice, courage, selflessness, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control). In short, God is the ‘straight line’.
And
EVIL (e.g., murder, rape, hate, corruption, selfishness, greed, envy, jealousy). In short, evil is the absence of God.
B. The Soul:
The Christian worldview describes what we experience in our mind, conscience, personality, imagination, reason, humor, and emotions as our “soul”. In short, our soul is what makes us unique and distinct from others. Notice the attributes of the soul cannot be calculated or measured, they are not physical and cannot be proven by science; however, we all acknowledge the truth of their existence because it is part of our experience.
Our soul influences our choices and our own justice system acknowledges the soul (not explicitly, but implicitly). When we prosecute someone for a murder that was committed over 10 years ago, we are not prosecuting the same "physical" body that committed the murder because 98 percent of all the atoms in a human body are replaced every year. This means that when we prosecute someone for murder (that was committed many years ago) we are prosecuting a physically different body, but we all know we are prosecuting the same "person". How can this be?
The part of every human that makes us responsible and liable for actions that were performed by different atoms (physical body) is our soul. The soul is the unique “person" who committed murder and is therefore responsible. We all want murderers and rapists prosecuted for crimes committed by (technically) another body because we all intuitively know (experience) the existence of the soul.
Conclusion: Christianity passes the TRUTH test of EXPERIENTIAL RELEVANCE regarding the soul.
C. Emotions:
Emotions are types of sensations that require a mode of consciousness. Consciousness is inextricably linked to a mind. The Christian worldview describes God as an eternal MIND. This eternal MIND hard-wired humans with faculties to experience emotions like love, jealousy, pride, envy, sadness, guilt, compassion, empathy, and more. The ability to experience these emotions enriches our experience/existence and develops our character. Emotions are a very real part of every human experience and the Christian worldview coheres with that experience.
Conclusion: Christianity passes the TRUTH test of EXPERIENTIAL RELEVANCE regarding emotions.
D. The self-evident truth of human rights:
Consider the statement found in the Declaration of Independence that is the basis for our civil rights: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” No other worldview other than the Judeo-Christian worldview could have uttered this phrase. It is simply incoherent and inconsistent with all other worldviews.
The self-evident truth makes sense within the Christian worldview because these basic human rights are grounded in the fact that all humans bear the image of God; the image humans bear (their spirit) has a certain worth and dignity that sets us apart from the animal kingdom. This is why animals do not have civil rights--they are not spiritual creatures (i.e. they are not made in the image of God) and therefore are not endowed by their Creator with the same unalienable Rights as humans. Once again we all recognize (EXPERIENCE) this self-evident truth; however, the Judeo-Christian worldview is the only worldview that coheres with that experience.
Conclusion: Christianity passes the TRUTH test of EXPERIENTIAL RELEVANCE regarding the “self-evident” truth of human rights.
SUMMARY
Here are the results of how the Christian worldview corresponds with reality and coheres with our experience:
1. LOGICAL CONSISTENCY>>> PASS
2. EMPIRICAL ADEQUACY>>> PASS
3. EXPERIENTIAL RELEVANCE>>>PASS