How safe is “proof by contradiction” when trying to understand biblical principles? For example, someone may read the following statement in the Bible about Christ’s return to earth and may wish to prove or disprove its claim or even that it was made in the first place. In order to remain “logical” they could come up with all kings of arguments to defend their stance.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
1 Thessalonians 4:14, NKJV
Whether a proof by contradiction technique would be suitable framework for an argument in this case depends on the individual. However, let’s remind ourselves about this tool or technique of offering proof of a concept, idea, or statement.
Proof by contradiction is a mathematical or logical tool. In order to prove something by contradiction, we assume that the thing we wish to prove is not true, then show that the consequences or results of our assumption are not possible.
This is how it works. If someone denies their involvement in a crime – that they were not at the scene – and forensic evidence shows they were, then their claim is contradicted by the evidence. A common example in Mathematics is the proof that the square root of 2 is irrational (i.e. cannot be expressed as the simple ratio of two whole numbers). There is no need to go down the rabbit hole of criminal investigations nor mathematics.
When I was in graduate school, I invited one my physics professors to attend a Creation-Science Seminar being presented by the late Dr. Duane Gish and others. He said his schedule wouldn’t allow him, but he had a question that he’d like me pose to the presenters report the answer to him. I agreed and this was his question:
If God could have created Himself, couldn’t the universe have created itself also; why do we have to believe the creationist story?
Dr. A.W.
