Levels Of Certainty And Christianity

Different types of knowledge have differing levels of certainty, and there is a hierarchy of such. From the highest to lowest (link):

• Mathematics and Philosophical Logic
• Experimental Science
• Observational Science
• Historical Knowledge
• Philosophical and Theological Argument (Inference to the Best Explanation)

Christian apologists are functioning at the lowest level of certainty, but, one would never know it when exposed to them. Ironically, they are generally more certain than science-based thinkers, who are uncertain but do know that they have the best tools to understand objective reality. 

Inference to the Best Explanation is a kind of abductive reasoning in which one chooses the best hypothesis or theory that best explains the available data. We use this form of reasoning in our everyday activities and in legal trials. The problem for Christian apologists is that scientific and historical investigation, the higher levels of certainty, lead to rejection of all claims for a God. Another factor to consider is that claims for a God are extraordinary, which require extraordinary evidence (link).