What Counts As Evidence?

You’ve probably heard at least one atheist say, “There’s no
evidence for Christianity.” It may not be that they’ve never looked into the
question and listened to our arguments. The problem may simply be that they’re
illegitimately disqualifying circumstantial evidence from consideration. Jim
explains in Cold-Case Christianity,
from his experience as a detective, why this is a mistake:

It’s not a coincidence that I was a
nonbeliever before I learned anything about the nature of evidence. In those
days, as I was evaluating the claims of Christianity, I demanded a form of
evidence (direct evidence) that simply isn’t available to anyone who is
studying historical events. I failed to see that rejecting (or devaluing)
circumstantial evidence would prevent me from understanding anything about
history (when eyewitnesses of a particular event are unavailable for an
interview). If I continued to reject (or devalue) circumstantial evidence, I
would never have been able to successfully prosecute a single cold-case killer.
All of us need to respect the power and nature of circumstantial evidence in
determining truth so that we can be open to the role that circumstantial
evidence plays in making the case for Christianity….

When discussing evidence with
skeptics, we don’t need to concede that a particular fact related to the
Christian worldview is not a piece of evidence simply because it is not a piece
of direct evidence. Even though a
particular fact may not have the individual power to prove our case in its
entirety, it is no less valid as we assemble the evidence….

When defending our belief in the
existence of God, the resurrection of Jesus, or the validity of the Christian
worldview, we may need to take some time to explain the nature, role, and power
of circumstantial evidence.

The instructions for jurors in California read, “Both direct
and circumstantial evidence are acceptable types of evidence to prove or
disprove the elements of a charge, including intent and mental state and acts
necessary to a conviction, and neither is necessarily more reliable than the
other. Neither is entitled to any greater weight than the other.” That might
come as a surprise to our atheist friends!