I have spent a lot of time in evidential apologetics studying the many wonderful evidences of our Creator such as the historical reliability of the bible, the creation of the universe and everything in it, etc. Here's the problem with the evidential approach as noted by apologist Sye Ten Bruggencate.
This is my paraphrase. "Where do we see evidence most used in the world? A courtroom. If we are presenting evidence to a unbeliever on the existence of God, who is on trial? God is. Who is the judge and jury? The unbeliever. This is not honoring to God and is unscriptural since He tells us in scripture, Thou shall not put your Lord God to the test." (Matthew 4:7, Deuteronomy 6:16)
And I must agree with Sye in that evidences are great.....for the Christian. They support and strengthen our faith as believers, but no amount of evidence is going to convince an unbeliever because they already presuppose God does not exist. If you don't believe me go and ask an atheist what evidence would they accept as definitive proof for the Christian God? They may say something like if they saw a big hand come down from the sky and crush a car or perform some miracle. But if they are intellectually honest they will admit that they would even write that off as some Hollywood illusion or trick. Again, because of their presupposition and their worldview they will not accept any evidence to the existence of God.
Here's a great question, where in the Old or New Testament do you see any of the prophets, apostles, or even Jesus trying to offer evidence for God? Nowhere that I am aware of. Why? Well scripture tells us that we do not have to prove God exists because they already know He exists, they just suppress the truth in their unrighteousness.
Romans 1:18–32
So when an unbeliever scoffs at me in an witnessing encounter and says something to the effect of "prove to me God exists!" My response is "number one I can't and number two I don't have to." They will turn their head like an inquisitive puppy. Number one I cant because their worldview and presupposition will not allow it and number two I don't have to because they already know God exists, but are suppressing the truth in their unrighteousness. So what the Presuppositionalist does is simply expose the fact that he/she already knows that God exists.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
The basis is this: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 9:10, Psalm 111:10) and all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ (Col. 2:3). So if you do not START with God then you cant know anything. See, we don't say look at creation, look at the complexity of the eye, or how the rock layers prove the global flood...therefore God. God is not the conclusion. We start with God. Why? Again, because if you do not then you cant know anything and your worldview is reduced to absurdity.
Only the Christian God of the Bible provides the necessary preconditions for intelligibility such as the laws of logic, laws of science, laws of mathematics, absolute morality, and the uniformity of nature. The proof of God is the impossibility of the contrary. An unbeliever will say "I believe in the laws of logic, I use the laws of logic and I don't believe in God!" And its true they do know things, but its because they borrow from the Christian worldview when they use the laws of logic. As a silly example lets take the existence of air. The critic of air must use air in order to make a case against air. Likewise, the critic of the Bible must use biblical presuppositions in order to argue against the Bible. Take absolute morality for instance. We as Christians know its wrong to lie, not because God says so, but because God is not a liar. Lying is not in His nature, it goes against His character. According to a secularist, man makes his own rules, but if evolution is true and we are just rearranged pond scum why not do whatever we please? How do we decide right from wrong? Apart from the Biblical God morality can only be relative, yet people do not live this way. For example a secularist/humanist may say "Morality is what brings the most happiness to the most people." However if we are just molecules in motion why even care what makes others happy? If happiness is just a chemical reaction in our brain, why does it matter? Again they deny the God of scripture, but they must borrow from our worldview to live.
Back to the laws of logic, most atheist believe the material world is all there is, but the laws of logic are immaterial, unchanging and universal, so how does an atheist account for these laws in a world that is only material? They can not account for them. God is also immaterial, unchanging, and universal and as Christian's we know the laws of logic are a reflection of the way God thinks, and the way He expects us to think.
So how do we apply this apologetic out on the streets? It is really simpler that you think.
First, some recommended resources. Head over to Sye Ten Brugencates website www.proofthatgodexists.org and navigate your way to the multimedia page and watch/listen to his debates and encounters. I also recommend Dr Jason Lisles book The Ultimate Proof for Creation, as well as his DVD set Ultimate Apologetics. Read any book by Greg Bahnsen and Cornilieus Van Til. Michael Butler has 27 lectures on presuppositional apologetics that you can listen to for free at sermonaudio.com which I am just now making my way through.
My disclaimer is this apologetic is powerful because you are basically destroying worldviews, so this must be done with gentleness and respect. In a nutshell, don't be a jerk. Remember we stand on the authority of scripture that is self attesting and self authenticating. There is no higher authority than God Almighty. We do not serve a probable God, but a certain God. If you only use evidences to show proof of our God then you are only presenting a probable God. Check out a few videos below and leave any questions or comments and I will answer to the best of my ability.
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