Evidence

Don’t take their word for it. Evidence is dicey.

I’m finishing up final assignments for my Christianity and Evidence course. We’ve spent a lot of time talking about what constitutes evidence. One thing that’s certain is that it’s rarely clear.

Episode #1366 of the Joe Rogan Experience was an interview with Richard Dawkins. During the interview, Dawkins, a staunch atheist, suggested that scholars claim Jesus was a real person, but that “the evidence is not great, of course.” The conversation then went into whether or not Jesus was who he said he was.

I’m wondering what constitutes great evidence for Dawkins. No individual in the first century is better documented–both by people who knew him and those who didn’t. It can be argued that no individual had a greater impact on the world, but that’s not good enough?

Unfortunately, evidence is rather subjective. There are data pieces, and those data pieces must be interpreted. Who does the interpreting matters.

You should do the interpreting. You should learn how to read publications in philosophy and chemistry and economics. Learn the basics of each industry and learn how the professionals operate. Then do your own interpreting.

But you don’t have time for that. That’s why we have experts. But an expert in evolutionary biology isn’t an expert in the philosophy of religion. Or religion. Or the historical assessment of literature.

So if Richard Dawkins suggests the evidence isn’t great, do your own digging. You’ll never be the most expert, but if it matters to you, make sure you don’t just take somebody’s word for it.