I spent last weekend with Frank Turek and Mike Adams speaking at another Fearless Faith conference. We trained and talked about the evidence for Godâs existence and the reliability of the Gospels because we’re dedicated to helping people overcome their skeptical objections to the Christian worldview. All of us, however, recognize that some people will simply not be convinced by our arguments and presentation of evidence. In fact, I know that most people will not be convinced. Why? Because (as Iâve written in Cold Case Christianity) there are three reasons why someone will âshunâ (reject) a truth claim:
Some Reject Raâshunâally
Sometimes folks simply have rational doubts based on the evidence. Youâll recognize this form of resistance when you hear someone say something akin to, âI need more evidence. Iâm not convinced.â For those of us who have taken the time to prepare ourselves as good Case Makers, this is the kind of skeptic we are hoping for; someone whoâs resistance is grounded in a lack of information. Unfortunately this seldom the kind of person we encounter.
Some Reject Emoâshunâally
Many people have doubts that are purely emotional. Youâll recognize this form of resistance when you hear someone say something like, âI know a lot of hypocritical Christians. If thatâs what Christianity is about, I want no part of it.â Some skeptics have been injured or offended by Christians and now struggle to overcome negative feelings that prevent them from evaluating the case fairly.
Some Reject Voliâshunâally
When I was an atheist, I denied the truth for volitional reasons. I was willfully resistant and refused to accept any argument offered by Christians I knew. In fact, I actually hated the idea of God and all it represented. I was happy running my own life; I was stubbornly independent. People like me typically say things like, âI donât care if it is true, Iâm not changing my life.â
If youâre a Christian trying to make the case for what you believe, recognize that your jury is filled with all three kinds of people, and only the first group will probably be willing to listen to your presentation. Iâve discovered most people actually fall into the third category; their willful resistance to the truth actually prevents them from fairly examining the case for Christianity. Frank Turek offers an excellent example of this in his âI Donât Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheistâ presentation. As part of his four step argument, he engages the issue of miracles, and offers a brief example of how a volitional presupposition can actually prevent you from recognizing a miracle, even if one occurred in your own life.
David Hume famously argued against miracles, on the basis that we humans have no âuniform experienceâ of such events. But if we start with a volitional presupposition against the miraculous, this willful foundation will prohibit us from any fair, rational inference from our observations. In other words, we know the experience against miracles to be âuniformâ only if we accept all reports of miracles as false. And we know all reports to be false only if we begin from the position miracles have never occurred. In essence, our volitional resistance leads us to reason in a circle.
While you and I can do our best to present the evidence to our unbelieving friends, there is clearly a foundational, presuppositional problem in the heart of man. Our own desires and love of autonomy (our rebellion from God) typically stand in the way of our investigation. I am an evidentialist; I believe in the power of the evidence when presenting the case for Godâs existence. But I know that God had to do something with my heart before I could see the evidence fairly, and no friend of mine could accomplish this with his or her evidential presentation. So as I share the case with my skeptical friends, I begin by praying God will remove their enmity so they can hear my words with clarity and interest. I know volitional and emotional resistance is often the reason some people will not be convinced.
While you and I can do our best to present the evidence to our unbelieving friends, there is clearly a foundational, presuppositional problem in the heart of man. Share on XFor more information about the nature of Biblical faith and a strategy for communicating the truth of Christianity, please read Forensic Faith: A Homicide Detective Makes the Case for a More Reasonable, Evidential Christian Faith. This book teaches readers four reasonable, evidential characteristics of Christianity and provides a strategy for sharing Christianity with others. The book is accompanied by an eight-session Forensic Faith DVD Set (and Participantâs Guide) to help individuals or small groups examine the evidence and make the case.
J. Warner Wallace is a Dateline featured Cold-Case Detective, Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, Adj. Professor of Christian Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, author of Cold-Case Christianity, Godâs Crime Scene, and Forensic Faith, and creator of the Case Makers Academy for kids.
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Maren
February 29, 2024 at 4:32 pm
Hi! I’m working on organizing my case in a notebook (per your suggestion!), and closer examining this idea of different reasons not to believe the truth. I’ve been rereading some other resources I have on my shelf as well, and I’m realizing that you might have missed another common reason, which is apathy. Perhaps part of that apathy would even be assuming that you already know what Christianity is about but haven’t thoroughly researched it. Any thoughts on that? Sorry there isn’t a “shun” in apathy. đ