The following is taken from http://standtherefore.com/blog/how-to-refute-christianity-a-handy-guide
The Bible makes many claims that can be scientifically and
philosophically tested – and if these claims are falsified,
Christianity will crumble. So here is a handy guide I’ve developed
for those who would like to refute Christianity.
This guide highlights the major testable Christian beliefs and
provides suggestions on how the skeptic should go about the
refutation process.
Christians hold to the doctrine of
creation ex nihilo which says that
God created the
universe out of nothing (Genesis 1). The First Law of
Thermodynamics (or the Conservation of Matter & Energy) seems
to verify this doctrine when it says, “energy (and matter) cannot
be created by natural processes”. Dr. Walter Brown characterizes the Christian
position from a physicists prospective:
A
corollary of the first law [of Thermodynamics] is that natural
processes cannot create energy. Therefore, energy must have been
created in the past by some agency or power outside and independent
of the natural universe.”1
However if energy can be shown to originate through purely
natural causes, then the need for a transcendent cause
would be effectively eliminated. This would severely
jeopardize the creation account found in Genesis 1.
Suggestion: As you know, the standard model of
the Big Bang theory strongly supports creation ex nihilo -
that is exactly what the Big Bang proposes.
Therefore you should focus your efforts on creating
new models for the beginning of the universe. Specifically
ones that exhibit the ability of natural processes to produce
energy. Note however, that theories such as inflation and
multi-verse are not detrimental to Christianity because they
presuppose the existence of energy (see A Quantum
Merry-Go-Round).
Christians believe that God is the giver of life (Genesis 2:7). This doctrine is supported by the
Law of Biogenesis which says that natural processes could
not have created life. Nobel Prize winning Atheist, George
Wald explained the Atheistic dilemma:
“There
are only two possibilities as to how life arose. One is spontaneous
generation arising to evolution; the other is a supernatural
creative act of God. There is no third possibility. Spontaneous
generation, that life arose from non-living matter was
scientifically disproved 120 years ago by Louis Pasteur and others.
That leaves us with the only possible conclusion that life arose as a
supernatural creative act of God. I will not accept that
philosophically because I do not want to believe in God. Therefore,
I choose to believe in that which I know is
scientifically impossible; spontaneous generation arising to
evolution.”2
However the Christian position can
be falsified if life can be shown to arise from non-life by
unguided natural processes.
Suggestion: Focus your efforts
on developing a sound model for chemical
evolution. This model must explain the unguided,
natural organization of chemicals to amino acids, amino acids
to proteins and proteins to a living
cell. Atheist, Paul Davies admits:
“Nobody knows how a mixture of lifeless chemicals
spontaneously organized themselves into the first living
cell.”3
Genetic information (DNA) is a biological blueprint that codes
for the development and functionality of all known organisms.
However no known natural process has ever been observed to give
rise to biological information. Dr. Stephen Meyer explains:
“…no
purely undirected physical or chemical process – whether those
based upon chance, law-like necessity, or the combination of the
two – has provided an adequate causal explanation for the ultimate
origin of the functionality specified biological
information..”4
In the absence of any evidence for the natural generation of
genetic information, the Christian position stands supported.
However if genetic information can be shown to arise from purely
natural processes then the need for a mind would be eliminated.
Suggestion: Provide evidence of inorganic
matter creating genetic information via unguided physical
processes……
Christians believe that Jesus was the very Messiah prophesied of
in the Old Testament. Consequently Jesus is believed to be God –
the second Person of the Trinity (Titus 2:13). If it can be shown however, that Jesus of
Nazareth never actually existed, then Christianity would collapse
in despair.
Of course this task would require an explanation as to why
Jesus is mentioned as a real person by a number
of ancient authors including: Pliny the Younger, Tacitus,
Suetonius, Mara bar Serapion, Thallus, Lucian, Celsus, Clement of
Rome and Polycarp. Also explanation must be given as to why Jesus
is mentioned in the extra-biblical Gospels including, The
Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Peter and The Gospel of Judas – the
same follows for the canonical Gospels and Epistles.
Suggestion: Do
not attempt to disprove the existence of Jesus –
it’s a waste of time. There are too many ancient
documents that speak of Him as a real person in history.
Game over.
Natural
Theology is the philosophical and scientific practice of
developing arguments for the existence of God based upon things
that are empirically verifiable. These arguments have become
extremely sophisticated in every area they touch.
Suggestion: Focus on refuting the arguments in
The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology. If
you succeed, you will have eliminated arguments from Christianity’s
foremost defenders.
