If Christianity could be completely disproved...

At one of his conferences, Christian apologist Frank Turek was asked, by someone from the audience, the following question: "if Christianity could be completely disproved, would you still believe it?"

This was his response:


How would you answer that question? If Christianity was proven to be falsified, would you still be a Christian? If your answer is "yes", tell us why. If it is "no", how would you live the rest of your life?

The question is immaterial because Christianity is true and can't be disproved.

Wierd as the idea is, if it were possible and someone did it and the evidence was smack in my face...the answer would be no I would not continue and how I would continue my life would be to end a great many other lives before my time was done. Can't stand folks that try and boss others and it would be my sole purpose to end each and every one like that I came across.

Lucian Hodoboc said:

At one of his conferences, Christian apologist Frank Turek was asked, by someone from the audience, the following question: "if Christianity could be completely disproved, would you still believe it?"

This was his response:

How would you answer that question? If Christianity was proven to be falsified, would you still be a Christian? If your answer is "yes", tell us why. If it is "no", how would you live the rest of your life?

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Good answer by Frank.

It's just one of those absurd questions to even ask a Spiritually born again child of God who has already tasted and know His mercy and grace.

Sorry I thought this was the lounge or something. Wierd question for the theology forum. Use the Bible to disprove the existence of God...now I understand post #2.

Lucian Hodoboc said:

At one of his conferences, Christian apologist Frank Turek was asked, by someone from the audience, the following question: "if Christianity could be completely disproved, would you still believe it?"

This was his response:

How would you answer that question? If Christianity was proven to be falsified, would you still be a Christian? If your answer is "yes", tell us why. If it is "no", how would you live the rest of your life?

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It's one of those questions intended to trap a Christian into admitting to a falsehood. If the Christian looks within his own feelings for a positive answer ("yes, I would") then the atheist has trapped the Christian into a hypothetical falsehood.

But of course the question is absurd. If someone who believed in the superstition of vampires was convinced that vampires are nothing but an urban legend, why would that person choose to believe in vampires? It's an oxymoron to believe in a known falsehood. If I am convinced of the truth of something, then that truth is what I believe. It's the nature of being convinced.

But the atheist doesn't say "if you were convinced..." Rather, they say "was proven to be false" - so it begs the question, proven to whom? This is the trick of the question. The atheist means that it is proven to himself, not to the Christian.

An equally valid answer would be "Many have tried to disprove it for 2000 years and have not been able. Why would anyone think they could disprove it now?"
TD

For me, it would take quite a bit of evidence to prove Christianity is wrong, because it would not only need evidence to show Christianity to be in error, but would also need explanation to counter other evidence in life's experience that point to God being real as well as Him holding to the bible.

If such evidence came to be to either prove that God is not real, or that He does not endorse the bible, then a high majority of my hopes that rested on them will be crashing down. The world will not be getting better, nor is there hope after we die. I don't know what I would do.

Right now I think it would be ok, but knowing God will eventually fix the world and He will have a heaven for those that are His, has helped when I've been down, and spared me from being down on other times.

It would need to be some really good proof to walk away from faith. A sure thing with little or no question to it.

Honestly I don't think there is any proof that God is not there, nor that His words in Christianity are not His. It's too far fetched a hypothetical.

WIP said:

The question is immaterial because Christianity is true and can't be disproved.

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I'm guessing the idea behind the question is something along the lines of... if a great deal of new archaeological evidence (e.g. manuscripts, scrolls, tombs, buildings etc. dating from the time of Jesus) that disproved tenants of Christianity were to be found, how would we reconcile them with our current knowledge and beliefs?

Lucian Hodoboc said:

I'm guessing the idea behind the question is something along the lines of... if a great deal of new archaeological evidence (e.g. manuscripts, scrolls, tombs, buildings etc. dating from the time of Jesus) that disproved tenants of Christianity were to be found, how would we reconcile them with our current knowledge and beliefs?

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I have to reply the same way. That cannot happen because Christianity is not a lie or a myth. It is as real as the ground we walk on.

Lucian Hodoboc said:

At one of his conferences, Christian apologist Frank Turek was asked, by someone from the audience, the following question: "if Christianity could be completely disproved, would you still believe it?"

This was his response:

How would you answer that question? If Christianity was proven to be falsified, would you still be a Christian? If your answer is "yes", tell us why. If it is "no", how would you live the rest of your life?

Click to expand...

When I was a kid a joke that went around was that one kid would ask another kid, "Do your parents know that your gay?". It's a trick question just as the one you have brought up.

Impossible, you can't disprove something that is true.

If they came up with archaeological evidence you would know it's fake. That s not evidence. There is none.

Count Duckula said:

When I was a kid a joke that went around was that one kid would ask another kid, "Do your parents know that your gay?". It's a trick question just as the one you have brought up.

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How is it a trick question? According to Einstein's theory of relativity, everything is relative, so anything could be possible. We constantly discover things that we did not know, even about ourselves. Just last year, scientists discovered a new organ in the human body that we had no idea about after centuries of medical research.

Northman said:

Sorry I thought this was the lounge or something. Wierd question for the theology forum. Use the Bible to disprove the existence of God...now I understand post #2.

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I have no clue what you're trying to say. Who is trying to disprove the existence of God? This is a question about the truth value of Christianity, not about whether or not God exists.

I'm going to post this and maybe it will be understood?

John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

Lucian Hodoboc said:

I have no clue what you're trying to say. Who is trying to disprove the existence of God? This is a question about the truth value of Christianity, not about whether or not God exists.

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I don't really know how to clarify it further. I thought the thread was in a place where the question would be considered a fantasy or joke. I did not realize it was in the theology thread. In Christendom, if Christianity is false then God does not exist, not there is another possible God. In Christian theology, the only source that is really valid for use is the Bible itself. So that is why I said what I said. The only way you are going to disprove Christianity is by using the Bible itself, as there is no other source accepted as authority by Christians. And since the Bible constantly and consistently points to none other than Christ, it is not going to be easy.

Lucian Hodoboc said:

I'm guessing the idea behind the question is something along the lines of... if a great deal of new archaeological evidence (e.g. manuscripts, scrolls, tombs, buildings etc. dating from the time of Jesus) that disproved tenants of Christianity were to be found, how would we reconcile them with our current knowledge and beliefs?

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We already do have this sitution, but it's not with the tenets of Christianity or with Jesus, but with scientific findings and scientific conclusions regarding the beginning stages of earth. One very large problem that occures is determining what (or who) is the authority in such matters. A second issue is that reconciling the scienctific figurings (which do change and are adjusted after being shown to be in error), does not excuse other evidance that confirms Christianity and confirms both God and His teachings. With this in mind there are conflicting claims for Christianity and against it. Some times you can't reconcile them but have to choose which (if any) might be true and which ones must be mistaken.

For this reason I've found a rationelle that I use for determining a hirachary of determining what is true based on the source you get your information through.

The lowest level of authority to determin the truth is our own reasoning. Because our ability to think and reason shows and uncovers many truths and falsehoods this is a good first authority of determining the truth. Every level of authority above this one is only above it because it has the ability to correct incorrect reasoning. After being corrected we still usually go to tring to understand the correction outside of just acknowledging that we were wrong. Our ability to reason and our talent with wisdom are the limitations of this level of determine the truth. Both have their limits.

A step above our skills of reasoning is the truth of experience. Observations, scientific experimentation, and just everyday life shows us throughout our lives where we are wrong even if we don't know an explaination of why we were wrong. On this level there is evidance for God, (and in my opinion evidance that He witnesses both Old and New Testiments of the bible to be true and from Him). If you have conflicting physical evidance with no conclusions to reconcile them then one posibility Is that you just won't be able to reconcile the evidance until there is more evidance to consider or other explainations to to explain it all. Another posibility is that some of the evidance is not real rue but is instead lies or misunderstandings. A detective like approach is required for this level of authority, to seek out what is true and what is not based on evidance and experience we find.

A third level of knowing the truth is through trusting a trusted source, in spite of our own understanding or our experiences. For children their parents are like this, that can direct them in the right direction even when it seems to not make sense. The same is true for experts in a field of study like a doctor or an to determine your health issues. We might even count books from a trusted source to be trusted at the same level of trust.

In my opinion God and the bible serve as this third and final level of authority on truth.

Northman said:

I don't really know how to clarify it further. I thought the thread was in a place where the question would be considered a fantasy or joke. I did not realize it was in the theology thread. In Christendom, if Christianity is false then God does not exist, not there is another possible God. In Christian theology, the only source that is really valid for use is the Bible itself. So that is why I said what I said. The only way you are going to disprove Christianity is by using the Bible itself, as there is no other source accepted as authority by Christians. And since the Bible constantly and consistently points to none other than Christ, it is not going to be easy.

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It would not even be possible, not for a Christian anyway.

WIP said:

It would not even be possible, not for a Christian anyway.

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One would think so. Unfortunately some have left the faith due to what they perceive as contradictions within the Bible itself. I actually have extended family in this position. The funny thing is, not one scientific argument ever really moved them, no evidence from the world ever really mattered, but when the enemy started playing games with them concerning the Word, they discarded the faith. So yeah, my uncle and his entire house no longer believe over something that shouldn't be possible(though I do have hope for his second born).

It's so sad when this happens. My family don't seem to want to follow Jesus. But I will keep on praying.

To the question, if Christianity were completely disproved would I still follow Christianity?
No.
We would follow a falsehood to no avail.