Evidentiary argument

An evidentiary argument is an argument based on evidence. Evidentiary arguments can be used to argue for and against the existence of God.

Argument

In apologetics and counter-apologetics the argument usually goes as follows:

• We should not believe in a proposition for which there is no evidence (i.e. evidentialism).
• There is no evidence for the existence of God.
• We should not believe in the existence of God.

Alternative version:

• We should not believe in a proposition for which there are good reasons for not believing it.
• There are good reasons for not believing in the existence of God.
• We should not believe in the existence of God.

Counter-Arguments

Belief without evidence

Apologists sometimes argue that some beliefs may be held without evidence. The evidential argument itself implicitly assumes some beliefs are held without evidence, so evidentiary arguments is sometimes considered to be unsatisfactory by themselves.

Belief without evidence is sometimes justified on faith or as part of a presuppositional belief system. Typical arguments include:

• Faith is a good within itself.
• God wants us to have faith.
• Faith is a virtue.
• We have faith in other things: wind, love, trust, quantum mechanics, Gödel's incompleteness theorem

Examples

For the existence of God

• Complexity of biological life.
• The universe is perfectly suited for humans.
• Efficacy of prayer.
• The Bible supports God.
• Personal revelations.
• Jesus fulfilled prophecy

Against the existence of God

• Problem of evil
• Argument from nonbelief
• Argument from inconsistent revelations
• Argument from locality
• Argument from apologetics
• Omnipotence paradox
• Ultimate 747 gambit