The Case for Christianity, as told by a lawyer

June 25, 2021

'Lawyers are meant to be interested in proof. What’s the proof for Christianity?'. A question often presented to Simon Edwards, the subject of ‘proof’ brings with it much debate. Christianity cannot be demonstrated as true in the same way that a mathematical equation can be, so how can it be proven?

There are many people out there who would only believe in God’s existence if it could be proven scientifically (e.g., in a science laboratory). What about historical figures? How can we prove the existence of Julius Caesar? We cannot demonstrate that he existed through use of a science laboratory, so should that mean we throw away all our history books for lack of proof? In this extract from The Sanity of Belief, Simon Edwards discusses the subject of proof in relation to the Christian faith.

Sanity of Belief As a lawyer, I have sometimes been asked whether the case for Christianity is solid enough to withstand the sort of scrutiny that a lawyer would bring to bear in assessing the strength of a case brought before him or her. When I tell people that I think that it is, that actually there is a very compelling case for Christianity, the reply is almost always: ‘Ok then. Show me the proof! Lawyers are meant to be interested in proof. What’s the proof for Christianity?’ And this is the answer I tend to give: ‘Well, it depends on what you mean by proof!’

For example, it can be ‘proven’, deductively, that 1 + 1 = 2; however, this type of proof doesn’t exist outside of the realm of pure mathematics. But you and I live in the real world, as do lawyers or judges, who must often make important decisions regarding cases brought before them in the real world. In contrast to mathematical proof, proof from a legal perspective simply means establishing a fact by means of evidence.

While we should not expect that Christianity can be demonstrated to be true in the same way that one would prove a mathematical equation – for real life is not like that – it is nonetheless reasonable to expect that, if Christianity were true, one could point to a substantial amount of evidence in support of it, much like a lawyer in a court of law would do in presenting his or her case. The remaining chapters of this book are meant to serve as an introduction to that evidence. With respect to evidence, I sometimes find myself in conversation with people who say that they will only believe in God if God’s existence can be demonstrated scientifically, by which they usually mean, when pressed, in a laboratory. But then, how many of our beliefs would pass this test? For example, we learn at school that Julius Caesar invaded England about 2,000 years ago, even though nobody can demonstrate this fact in a science laboratory. Does that mean we should throw away all our history books for lack of proof?

Of course not. Like our legal system, history is a discipline that weighs and considers evidence. In this case, historical evidence. And based on the historical evidence, belief in the invasion of Britain by Julius Caesar is a most reasonable and sensible belief.

Though Christianity cannot be demonstrated to be true in a science lab, it is nevertheless a most reasonable and sensible faith in light of the evidence that supports it. And, by the way, some of that evidence includes historical evidence because Christianity makes claims about things that God has done in history.

In this thoughtful, engaging book, Simon Edwards challenges the assumptions that may lead us to reject a faith and doubt something that we’ve never really had the chance to understand in the first place. From our need for meaning and significance, to our desires for truth, goodness, love and hope, he explores the things that matter to us as human beings and shows us why the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ might just make sense of them all.

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