Why
Christianity?
These
are the reasons that I present as argument for my belief in Christianity,
as
opposed to other religions.
BIBLICAL ACCURACY:
- Geographical:
The locations and geographical details of the stories which are presented
in the Bible are still seen today and/or can be traced back historically
through various documentation.
- Archeological:
Archeological proof has been and continues to be unearthed in support
of the cities and stories of the Bible.
- Historical:
Many other ancient documents have been found to support the stories
that are described in the Bible.
- Concurrence of Multiple Witnesses:
The stories and prophecies of Jesus were recorded by multiple people,
at different times, confirming the same events.
UNIQUENESS of JESUS:
- Fulfilling of Prophecy:
Jesus fulfilled all sixty-one prophecies in the Old Testament that refer to Him, written by numerous prophets over the span of
500 to 4000 years before His birth.
The odds against this occurring, either by His own attempts or by accident,
are astronomical. For a complete list of these prophecies and the
verses they occurred in from the Old Testament, and then fulfilled in the
New Testament, click
here.
- No Known Sins:
With all of the enemies and skeptics of Jesus' day, there is no documentation
of any wrongdoing, fault, or fraud about Him. Because it is written
and because there is no evidence anywhere that it is not true, we can safely
say that He was without sin.
- Miracles:
In front of many, sometimes thousands of people, Jesus performed many
miraculous acts. In doing so he conquered demons (driving them out
of people), the elements (causing the rain and winds to cease and walking
on water), provision (multiplying the bread and fish for the 5000), sickness
(healing disease and other ailments), death of others (raising Lazarus
from the dead).
- Claimed to be God:
Not only did He claim it, but he acted accordingly. He knew all
(about His future, about God, about other people), He controlled the elements,
He healed the sick and the dead, He forgave people's sins, He was not controlled
by even death.
- Resurrection:
Jesus conquered death. He appeared to many witnesses after being
killed by method of crucifixion. Let me repeat that: Jesus conquered
death. There is no other religion that I know of which can confidently
claim such a victory.
RULES vs. RELATIONSHIP:
Christianity is unique in that the spiritual emphasis isn't (or shouldn't
be) on rules that must be obeyed, but on the ability to have and nurture
a personal relationship with our creator, giving thanks to His son for
making it possible. We choose to follow the rules to avoid God's wrath on
us while we're here on Earth and out of respect and appreciation for the grace
that God has given us, not to obtain salvation after death.
GRACE and FAITH vs. WORKS:
At first glance, this may seem similar to the above statement (rules
vs. relationship). However, here I'm talking about the path to the
ultimate goal, life after death, whereas the above paragraph is
referring to our life and relationship to God while here on earth.
Many other religions emphasize and necessitate the following of rules
or works in order to reap the rewards of the afterlife. Christianity
though states that you will get to heaven by repenting of your sins, and
by having faith in Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for those sins.
The works are performed only as a result of your salvation, not
to achieve salvation.
TRINITY:
The belief that God exists in three distinct forms is also unique to
Christianity. Yes, I know the word "trinity" is never mentioned in
the Bible. It's simply a word that is used to define the three persons
in the Bible that God presents himself as. No, this is not polytheism
(the belief in more than one God). I'm talking about just one God,
in three forms. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The analogy I've
heard the most is that God is like water which is able to have the form
of steam, water, or ice. Another way that perhaps can help understand
it (yet is not a very good analogy) is that I, as a man, can be a brother,
a son, and a father all at the same time. I am still myself, but
I present myself differently at different times, or even to different people
at the same time.
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Skeptical?"
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