08 – The double standard

Christians allowed themselves to be deceived into believing that religion and morals are merely matters of opinion, but they also fell for a second, equally crucial deception.

Christians have accepted a double standard in the way skeptics use the words ‘fact,’ ‘know,’ and ‘prove.’

What is a fact? When can we say we know something is true? When is a fact proven?

A fact is something that actually happened or is really true, a reality. To know a fact is to be confident it has been proven true. A fact is proven when it is shown by experience to be dependable.

When it comes to religion and morals, however, skeptics use those three words in a very different way. They demand a higher standard of proof. Instead of experience proving a fact is dependably true, skeptics demand that religious and moral facts be proven beyond all doubt.

The skeptic hides behind a naturalistic worldview that claims the only meaningful facts are those that can be proven by the five senses. While it creates the impression of being scientific, the claim is anything but that.

Like the Russian cosmonaut who declared God does not exist because he didn’t see him in space, the skeptic rejects religious and moral truth because it cannot be proven “scientifically” by the five senses.

The skeptic demands proof beyond all doubt for religious and moral truth, as if proof beyond all doubt is what science provides. Proof beyond all doubt, however, is an impossible standard – and it is a higher standard than the skeptic expects in any other area of life.

In everyday life, people routinely accept facts that can’t be proven beyond all doubt. We know the sun will rise tomorrow, because our experience tells us we can depend on that fact. But who can say he knows beyond all doubt that it will rise?

We also accept facts of which we have no personal experience. You took your history teacher’s word for it that George Washington was inaugurated in New York City on April 30, 1789, but even she wasn’t old enough to have witnessed it personally.

We also routinely accept facts that cannot be proven scientifically. Most people would advise you not to demand “scientific” proof when your fiancée says, “I love you.”

Demanding proof beyond all doubt for religious and moral truth is a double standard because no one demands such a level of proof in any other area of real life. Pretending science demands or provides absolute proof is a fraud.

Scientific knowledge is never considered proven beyond all doubt. Good science involves carefully collecting evidence until we have enough to convince reasonable people that we have a really good explanation for what is happening. A good scientist never says anything is absolutely proven. A good scientist is always open to any new evidence that might be found, even when it challenges his pet theory. A good scientist trusts the opinion of experienced observers.

Nothing is ever proven beyond all doubt. Real-life proof is common-sense proof and – like in a courtroom – proof beyond reasonable doubt. Nothing can ever be proven to someone who demands proof beyond all doubt.

The hypocrisy of the skeptic’s insistence on proof beyond all doubt is seen in the fact that the naturalist bias toward “five senses” proof can’t even pass its own test. Which of the five senses proves that the only meaningful facts are those that can be proven by the five senses?

The skeptic’s demand for absolute proof in religion and morals is deeply ingrained in our way of thinking in the Western world. Because most Christians are deeply in bondage to the deception of skepticism, they find it hard to imagine why they would want to prove the truth of Christianity, much less be able to do so. Skeptical society has trained us to believe it is arrogant for a person to claim he knows religious or moral truth that is true for everyone everywhere.

A revolution of the mind must occur if Christians are to understand why it is desirable to prove religious and moral truths beyond reasonable doubt. Exposing the skeptic’s double standard is the first step toward that revolution.

Such proof of religious and moral truth is not only desirable, it is necessary if just, civilized society is to exist at all, much less survive the challenge of growing chaos and approaching anarchy.

If the world is to have any future but tyranny, Christians must come to terms with the liberating truth that the Christian worldview is based on facts that prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it is true.

We will look at two facts. The first is the scientific foundation for what Christian theologians call “general revelation.” The second is historical, an event that proves what is true about God and shows us how we can know what is right and just.

Think about it!
What reasons might a Christian have for resisting the idea that Christian faith can be proven to be true?

Get involved!
Ask a science teacher to explain how the scientific method works in proving the truth of a theory. Ask a lawyer to explain proof beyond reasonable doubt.

Next installment
09 – The first fact: God is real

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