Is Christianity testable? | John Lennox at Texas A&M

[JasonSchmidt-]

Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.
He made YOU!

[BraniusBalki]

Faith implies believing a thing without evidence, otherwise it would be knowledge. If it was knowledge it would be teachable, it would be adaptable, it would be applied. Faith struggles with being rigid, a thing that seems set in stone. Time will weather that away. You know this, that is why the faith eventually changes. It just lags by several decades.

[neizha]

He in no way proved that Christianity is testable. He said that some people claim to have improved lives due to joining a religion. That doesn't prove the claims of the religion are true. Every religion, and even atheism, has similar personal stories.

A testable example would be to show that prayer to the Christian God works better than random chance, or that a prediction with specific criteria and time comes true. That would be examples of testing Christianity. Just saying it makes some people feel good isn't proof of anything.

This man wouldn't take a similar explanation for proof of any mathematical or scientific claim, and I'm sure he wouldn't accept it as proof of a competing religion. This is special pleading for his particular flavor of religion.

[richardwilliams]

How can you test something that is outside the physical realm? Bible believers just believe by faith and never think critically.

[AnnoyingMoose]

0:07 Yes, Christianity is testable...and don't call me Shirley! ;)

[anthonyben-yah]

Glory Be To G-d Alone; Blessed Be He Forever And Ever; Hallelu Yah! Christians Repent Today Of The Delusion And Lies And Be Truly Saved; Amen And Amen!

[Wordsworth]

What a strange little monologue. It's main message seems to be, if you believe in Christianity and live by it your life will get better and thus you can see by this test that it is true. But of course if you replace the word "Christianity" with any other religion, or, indeed, just about any self-help movement, you could get the same answer.

I guess that's one definition of "testable, " but it's an odd one for Christianity to use--particularly since Christians often claim that salvation is only attainable through their religion and no other path. Moreover, if someone falls away from Christianity, as many do, does that mean that it has failed the test?

[jockedredd]

At the same time OTHER christians are equally convinced that jesus will NOT improve your life here on earth, but rather make it worse to test you. And then reward you in heaven if you pass the test. Please tell me what scientific method I should use to tell who is right!

[sciencesaves]

sure, it's testable . . . subjectively