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In my junior year in high school, as I was in my first year after deciding to be a Christian, I had an assignment to write a persuasion paper. This sounded like an opportunity to integrate my new faith and my class assignment. I chose to write on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I quoted a number of verses in the Bible and the book Evidence that Demands a Verdict (by Josh McDowell). I presented all of the "facts" and "showed" how what the Bible said had to be factual. I don't recall whether we were required to turn in a first draft or if it was only an option, but I did turn in a first draft. I then received my teacher's feedback, and then revised the final draft.
My teacher, Connie Crane, provided good, constructive feedback for many parts of the paper. However, on the final page, where I thought I had made a slam-dunk in verifying the resurrection, she wrote something I have not forgotten since that semester in the spring of 1975. She suggested revising the tone to just present the facts and not try to force them on the reader. Thus, instead of ending with an insinuation that anyone should be able to see the conclusion of the resurrection, I offered the following quote (suggested by Mrs. Crane).
To him who believes, no proof is necessary; to him who does not believe, no proof is possible.
I don't think my teacher ever told me the source, but I have recently googled it. Google AI Overview said:
This quote, often phrased as "For those with faith, no evidence is necessary; for those without it, no evidence will suffice," is commonly attributed to St. Thomas Aquinas. While frequently linked to Aquinas, it is often considered a loose paraphrase or summary of his views on faith rather than a direct quote, with variations also attributed to Stuart Chase and Franz Werfel.
Published 2025-08-24. Revised (last portion) 2026-04-03.
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All the Light We Cannot Seelisting of my thoughts How I you Walk?