Falsifiability of God

"All dogs have fleas." That's a statement that's "falsifiable." Scientists say that for a theory to be scientific, it must be falsifiable. That is, it must be the kind of assertion that we can check out by experimentation or observation.

The "problem" with faith in God is that it's not "falsifiable." That is, there is nothing that can happen that can prove it untrue. Is there suffering in my life? It's part of the program. Is there evil in the world? It doesn't disprove God; it's part of the program. Does God sometimes answer my prayers and petitions with silence? His will is sovereign.

Or perhaps He is going to answer your prayer --- but in a decade from now, like He did Monica's prayer for son Augustine's salvation. Or maybe He will answer it in a way I cannot recognize. Or, because He sees a hundred chess moves ahead, He is quashing a particular prayer request of mine because he knows where it would lead to it I received a yes.

Theoretically, I suppose, they could find the body. There's falsifiability! But it's been over 2,000 years. And history is littered with presumptive falsifiers of Scripture, but nothing sticks. Besides which all their theories have the clay feet of questionable assumptions.

Habakkuk speaks to falsifiability: "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail, [and other disasters], yet I will rejoice in the Lord" (3:17,18). If forces the issue, doesn't it. One has to make up one's mind at some point to keep trusting God or not, with no conditions.

But if there is no falsifiability, there is verifiability. It is a secret verifiability available to those who believe and obey, who "taste and see that the Lord is good." As Bonhoeffer said, "Only those who obey can believe." Mystery, that. And slips the net of scientific theory.