How much evidence do you need to prove a fact? Put the emphasis on the word, ‘you’, and read the question again and you will be surprised at the answer.
Most people seem to believe that black holes exist in the universe. These holes are said to be so dense that nothing escapes from them, not even light, so that anything drawn in can never come back out of them. Presumably their density crushes whatever goes in.
They are referred to as reality although they have never been proven to exist.
In ‘Putting Einstein to the Test’, Australian Sky and Telescope, July 2005, Amanda Geeter said, ‘While most astronomers accept the reality of black holes, observations have yet to prove definitely that they exist’.
So what would be acceptable as hard evidence that they exist?
A further quote from the same article adds, ‘”Just seeing the shadow would be phenomenal,” says University of Arizona theorist Fulvio Melia. “It would be by far the most direct and compelling evidence that we have for black holes. Seeing a shadow would confirm a closed pocket of space-time.”’
Apparently they would accept a shadow as confirmation of their faith in a proposed fact but if black holes exist and even light cannot escape, a shadow could certainly not escape. So there is not even a shadow at this stage.
Our faith is more than hope of a shadow. James uses tangible evidence to confirm our faith in God every day. Think of things like oranges and potatoes, water and sunlight. We cannot manufacture these things ourselves, for while we can plant, water and nurture, they depend on an outside source to produce fruit.
Neither can we manufacture one drop of water or one moment of sunshine without input from an outside source. Almost as though James pre-empts the argument, he seems to refer to astronomers in particular. He said, ‘every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.’ Then tongue in cheek, he adds, God ‘does not change like shifting shadows.’ James 1:17.
The evidence is much more than shadows but, as though to corroborate our faith, God provided His Son and Hebrews 13:8 confirms that, ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.’ He is not a ‘shifting shadow.’
Faith in God is based on hard, unchanging evidence. How much evidence do you need to prove the fact? Read the question again and put the emphasis on the word, ‘you’.
Elizabeth Price