10/16/16
Nick
about 25
There
are certain arguments against Christianity that atheists repeatedly use
to make their case for atheism. One of these is a Carl Sagan quote
that “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”. This
statement was used yet again by an atheist named Nick in a sidewalk
conversation we had with him yesterday. He said that he can’t believe
Jesus is the Son of God because it is such a huge claim that it requires
overwhelming, extraordinary evidence to be believed, just as he said he
would need to see overwhelming evidence if someone were to claim belief
in, say, 1000 purple dragons in their garage.
But is it such an extraordinary claim that God would choose to relate to humans in this way? The promised Messiah had been prophesied for centuries so it sure isn’t just a random, whimsical thought like the 1000 dragons example Nick gave. Jesus appeared in the context of Jewish history at just the right time and lived just the perfect sort of life to accomplish his prophesied mission. To say that just a mere man had appeared and accomplished such a teaching and healing mission, then died and resurrected at just the right time and in the right location to fulfill those prophesies, and had such a profound impact on the people around him and became the most influential person in history, would indeed be an extraordinary claim. Contrary to Nick’s presupposition, the claim that Jesus was NOT who He claimed to be - not the Son of God - is instead the extraordinary claim requiring extraordinary evidence!
Unfortunately, people like Nick aren’t willing to examine the evidence without confirmation bias. Christians believe God created our minds and the natural laws that make rational and scientific thinking possible, but secular scientists and atheists aren’t free to consider the same possibilities about God’s existence. The reason Nick was so familiar with the well-worn atheistic arguments against God and Christianity is because he has only allowed himself to be open to certain arguments and sources that deny God’s existence and reinforce his atheistic presuppositions. He can claim that Jesus’ resurrection and divinity is preposterous simply because he rules out God’s existence in the first place. How can Jesus be the Son of God if God doesn’t exist? How could any of the miracles of the Bible have occurred for that matter?
But if Nick would take the time to seriously consider the words and teachings of Christ without his presuppositions, he would find it hard to deny that Jesus is who He claimed to be because of the incredible life that shines from the pages of scripture. But Nick isn’t willing. We talked there on the street corner for well over half any hour, but when I began to make sense about Jesus’ identity in ways he couldn’t refute with his litany of atheistic arguments, it got ‘too hot in the kitchen’, as they say. Nick suddenly said he was late for an appointment and had to cut off the conversation very abruptly. I suspect he has done the same every time he has gotten a little too close to the life and light of Jesus.
But is it such an extraordinary claim that God would choose to relate to humans in this way? The promised Messiah had been prophesied for centuries so it sure isn’t just a random, whimsical thought like the 1000 dragons example Nick gave. Jesus appeared in the context of Jewish history at just the right time and lived just the perfect sort of life to accomplish his prophesied mission. To say that just a mere man had appeared and accomplished such a teaching and healing mission, then died and resurrected at just the right time and in the right location to fulfill those prophesies, and had such a profound impact on the people around him and became the most influential person in history, would indeed be an extraordinary claim. Contrary to Nick’s presupposition, the claim that Jesus was NOT who He claimed to be - not the Son of God - is instead the extraordinary claim requiring extraordinary evidence!
Unfortunately, people like Nick aren’t willing to examine the evidence without confirmation bias. Christians believe God created our minds and the natural laws that make rational and scientific thinking possible, but secular scientists and atheists aren’t free to consider the same possibilities about God’s existence. The reason Nick was so familiar with the well-worn atheistic arguments against God and Christianity is because he has only allowed himself to be open to certain arguments and sources that deny God’s existence and reinforce his atheistic presuppositions. He can claim that Jesus’ resurrection and divinity is preposterous simply because he rules out God’s existence in the first place. How can Jesus be the Son of God if God doesn’t exist? How could any of the miracles of the Bible have occurred for that matter?
But if Nick would take the time to seriously consider the words and teachings of Christ without his presuppositions, he would find it hard to deny that Jesus is who He claimed to be because of the incredible life that shines from the pages of scripture. But Nick isn’t willing. We talked there on the street corner for well over half any hour, but when I began to make sense about Jesus’ identity in ways he couldn’t refute with his litany of atheistic arguments, it got ‘too hot in the kitchen’, as they say. Nick suddenly said he was late for an appointment and had to cut off the conversation very abruptly. I suspect he has done the same every time he has gotten a little too close to the life and light of Jesus.
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