scott stonehouse

I understand that there are plenty of things that are not binary, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some things that are binary. In fact, I think there are some very important things, ultimate things, that are binary.

There either is a god or there isn’t. Me believing that God exists doesn’t mean that God exists. Someone else believing that God doesn’t exist doesn’t mean that God doesn’t exist. Our belief or non-belief is irrelevant to the actual existence of God. God’s existence or non-existence is an independent, objective fact. It’s binary.

In a similar way, Jesus either rose from the dead or he didn’t. Billions of people expressing faith that he did doesn’t mean that he actually, historically, rose from the dead. Billions of people doubting or denying he rose from the dead doesn’t change whether he did or not. The resurrection or non-resurrection of Jesus is an independent, objective fact. It’s binary.

This seems like a very straight-forward and obvious point to me. I don’t offer it as any kind of evidence or proof that God exists or that Jesus rose from the dead. Rather, I offer it to emphasize the point that these claims are either true or false and that our opinions about the claims are either right or wrong. There is no option for it being true for some and not true for others.

The importance of this point cannot be overstated. There are, potentially, eternal consequences at stake. This underscores the need to look for reasons to believe what is true and what is not. It seems incredibly unwise to say, “I don’t know,” or worse, “I don’t care,” and not look for answers.

This doesn’t make finding answers easy, just important.

Some Christians might ask, “But what about faith?” Faith is critical. In fact, it is essential. Yet, ultimately, faith is only as good as what it is placed in. If Jesus did not, truly, historically, bodily, rise from the dead, then our faith as Christians is worthless and we should be pitied for believing what we do. The Apostle Paul makes this same point in 1 Corinthians 15.

Thankfully, Christian faith is not blind faith. There are good reasons and strong evidence to believe that God really exists and that Jesus truly rose from the dead. But that is another post.