Atheists often demand that Christians produce evidence for God’s existence. But, different things require different types of evidence and methods used to verify their existence. Furthermore, there is the problem of subjectivity in that different p
eople will need different types of evidence to be convinced of something. So, there is a level of subjectivity to this endeavor.
Below is a table that illustrates how different things require different methods of determining their existence. The table is not meant to be exhaustive, but illustrative. Of course, some people may disagree with some of the categorizations I’ve made, but the point should stand that different objects require different types of evidence and various means by which evidence is accumulated, and something’s existence is validated.
| TABLE 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Objects | Methods/Evidence of Discovering Objects | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| OBJECT | HUMAN BASED DETECTION BY Accident, Balance, Cognition, Experience, Hearing, Intuition, Logic, Revelation, Sight, Smell, Taste, Touch, Writing | INSTRUMENT BASED DETECTION OF Charge, Density, Dimension, Frequency, Luminocity, Mass, Pressure, Radiation, Temperature, Time, Velocity, Volume | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Acc | Bal | Cog | Exp | Hrg | Int | Lg | Rv | Sgt | Sm | Tst | Tch | Wri | Chr | Dens | Dim | Frq | Lum | Mss | Pre | Rad | Tmp | Tm | Ve | Vo | |
| Apples | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||
| Beauty | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dinosaurs | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrons | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Fossils | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||
| Emotions | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| GOD | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Heat | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Hist. Persons | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Information | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Intention | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Logic† | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Love | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mathematics | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Memory | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Morals | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Planets | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||
| Poetry | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Science* | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Value§ | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||||
As you can see from Table 1, some things exist which cannot be evidentially determined using any instrument. Such things are beauty, information, logic, mathematics, memory, poetry, values, etc. The scientific method which consists of observation, hypothesizing, experimentation, and theorizing to obtain information and predictability is primarily applicable to physical objects (apples, electrons, planets, etc.) and the properties of those physical objects (heat, radiation, etc.).
Below is another table adding aspects such as material, immaterial, conceptual as well as properties.
| TABLE 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Objects | Methods/Evidence of Discovering Objects | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| OBJECT | TYPES OF OBJECT Material, Immaterial Concept | PROPERTIES OF OBJECTS Color, Density, Mass, State, Volume, Radiation | SENSES Balance, Cognitive, Hearing, Sight, Smell, Taste, Touch | L O G I C | INSTRUMENTS Charge, Density, Photographic, Radiation, Scale, Size, Velocity, etc. Writing/myth | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Matrl | Immtrl | Cncpt | Cl | Ds | Ms | St | Vl | Rd | Bl | Cog | Hr | Si | Sm | Ta | To | Chg | Dns | Pht | Rd | Sc | Sz | Vl | Wr | ||
| Apple | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||
| Beauty | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Dinosaurs | X | X | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrons | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||
| Emotions | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fossils | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||
| GOD | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Heat | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Hist. Persons | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| Information | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Intention | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Logic† | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Love | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mathematics | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Memory | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Morals | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Planets | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||
| Poetry | X | X | X | X | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Science* | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Value§ | X | X | X | X | X | ||||||||||||||||||||
- † Logic is an abstraction and in this case, categorized as an object as a topic to be discovered. But, it is also a method of discovery.
- * By Science I mean the approach, philosophy, and/or procedure of discovery, hypothesizing, testing, modifying, and theorizing. Science is a conceptual procedure that is applied to the material world in order to learn.
- § Different objects have different values per culture, monetary conditions, and peoples’ preferences: gold has a monetary value. Art has an aesthetic value. Also, there are values related to compassion, honesty, loyalty, motivation, etc.
Conclusion
Evidence for something’s existence is dependent on the object being considered. Physical objects such as apples, fossils, and planets would require different detection methods than would conceptual objects such as beauty, love, and value. So, when atheists ask for evidence of God’s existence, they must consider that since God is immaterial, a different method of detection must be proposed other than those that are material based. To ask for material based evidence for an immaterial object has its philosophical challenges. After all, different objects (i.e., apples, love, morals) require different types of evidential support and detection to ascertain their existence.
