In fact, almost all of your arguments – on the foundations of morality, the origin of the universe, etc. -- are applicable to theism in general, and not just Christianity in particular. If another religion offers explanations of existence and a code to live by, would you accept it as equally valid?
There is a difference between Christianity and all other religions. Take Islam for example. Islam preaches that your sons should go out and die for the glory of Allah and receive everlasting life and rewards in heaven. Christianity teaches that God sent his only son to die for us so that we will have everlasting life.
As we begin our examination of the claims of the Christian faith we must first look at the need to make such an inquiry. Why should anyone investigate the evidence to see whether or not Christianity is true? The answer to this question can be simply stated: There are a variety of choices that we, as human beings, have with respect to the existence or non-existence of God or gods. Christianity is only one of these many options. In addition, the Christian faith makes some unique claims about itself. For these reasons, it must be carefully examined along with the other belief options of humanity.
Though humans have many different belief options do these choices really matter? Is it possible that all these different belief systems (Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, etc.) are ultimately saying the same thing? If this is the case, then why make such a big deal out of Christianity?
Often we hear it asked in this manner, "Why make such a big issue about Jesus Christ and Christianity? All religions ultimately teach the same thing. Was not Jesus basically saying the same thing as Buddha, Confucius, Mohammed, and the other founders of great religions? They all teach that God is love, we are to love our fellow man, and that we should give of ourselves for others, do they not? If this is the case, then why single out Christianity for special attention?"
The answer is simple: the Muslims, Buddhists, Christians and other religious groups cannot all be experiencing the same God because the way they define God is contradictory. For example, Buddhism believes in an impersonal God - they do not separate God from creation, they are one-in-the same. However Christianity believes and teaches that God is personal - He is not the same essence as His creation but has a separate and independent existence from it. There are many such examples of major differences between the various religions.
Since the various religions teach different and contradictory things about the nature of God, and how a person can get to know Him, they cannot all be true at the same time. They can all be wrong, but they cannot all be true. It is impossible for God to be personal and impersonal at the same time and in the same way. Hence, to say that all religions are ultimately the same shows a lack of understanding of these religions and what they are teaching.
Humanity has the following choices when it comes to believing in the existence or non-existence of God or gods:
Agnosticism says, "I do not know if God or gods exist." Some agnostics believe that it is not possible to know if a divine "being" or "beings" exist. Their view is that one cannot know anything about these matters. On the other hand, there are those agnostics who think that knowledge about God is possible, yet they are not convinced that there is enough evidence to prove the case. Whatever the exact position may be, an agnostic claims no knowledge, one way or the other, about the existence of God.
Contrary to agnosticism, which says it does not know, are theism and atheism. Both of these groups claim to have knowledge about the existence of a supernatural being or beings. The atheist claims to know that God or gods do not exist. The theist claims to know that God or gods do exist.
Those who believe in the existence of God must decide whether they believe in polytheism or in monotheism. Polytheism believes in the existence of many gods, though a polytheist may choose to worship only one of these gods (this is known as henotheism). A monotheist believes only one God exists - no other so-called gods have any real substance.
If only one God exists, then it must be determined whether that one God is a personal or impersonal being. Pantheism (God is creation) believes that the one God who exists is impersonal - he has no personal existence apart from creation. Creation and God are one-in-the same. Those who believe in a personal God make a distinction between God and His creation - God exists separately and independently from that which He created.
If only one God exists, and that one God is a personal God, then our next question considers His involvement in our world. Is the one God intimately involved in the affairs of humanity? Deism says that God is not involved with humanity. God started everything in the beginning and then backed off from His creation. He is no more than an onlooker. This is opposed to a God who is personally involved in the lives of the beings He created (such as the God revealed in the Bible).
We now come to our final option. If there is one personal God who exists, and He is intimately involved in the affairs of humanity, is this God a unity or a Trinity? Is there only one person, or is there a plurality of persons within the nature of the one God?
These are the various belief options that humans have. Each human being will fit into one of these categories with respect to his or her belief about the existence or non-existence of God or gods.
With so many belief options that are possible, certain questions naturally arise for the Christian: Why believe in Jesus? What makes Christianity different than these other possibilities? It is, therefore, the responsibility of the Christian to respond to these types of questions.
Remember: The main question that needs to be addressed concerning the various religions is not, "Do they contain some truth?" The real issue is, "Can they save?"
Next, we must consider the unique claims of Jesus. He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). He claimed to be the exclusive way in which a person can know the only God who exists. Therefore, according to the Christian faith, any religion which teaches another way to know God is, at that point, incorrect. This claim of Jesus does not make it true in-and-of itself, however it does rule out the possibility of Christianity being compatible with any other religion.
Throughout history many religious leaders have come on the scene and attracted large followings--the Buddha, with his teachings on how to cope with life's suffering, gained millions of adherents, Confucius, with his precepts on how members of society should get along with each other, likewise numbers his followers in the millions. The same can be said for Mohammed and the religion of Islam. Yet, Jesus has demonstrated that He is in a different class from these, as well as all the other founders of world religions.
Several things make Jesus different. First, He made Himself the issue while other leaders made their teachings the prime concern. Central to religions such as Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism, Confucianism, etc. are the teachings. What is stressed are the things these founders taught, not so much who they were. The teachers, therefore, are secondary to the teachings.
However, in Christianity, the opposite is true. The all-important issue is not so much what Jesus taught, but who He claimed to be. The religious leaders of His day became infuriated when He claimed authority over everything. When Jesus healed on the Sabbath, contrary to their tradition, they became incensed:
Therefore some of the Pharisees said, 'This Man is not from God because He does not keep the Sabbath.' Others said, 'How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?' And there was division among them (John 9:16).
Jesus answered this charge by declaring, "For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath" (Matthew 12:8).
This is one of the major differences between Jesus and the founders of other religions--He made Himself the issue. We find Jesus asking His disciples the following question:
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15).
He asked this question to secure a commitment, either for Him or against Him. We do not find the founders of the other world religions doing such a thing.
When the Jewish religious leaders brought Jesus to Pontius Pilate their accusation against Him was as follows:
We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God (John 19:7).
Therefore, contrary to the founders of all the other major religions, it is the identity of Jesus Christ, not His teachings, that is the major issue.
Another aspect that separates Jesus from other religious leaders is that He demonstrated He had authority to make such monumental claims. While other religious leaders have made great claims, they have given no legitimate evidence to substantiate them. Jesus, on the other hand, backed up His claims with objective proof.
The account of Jesus healing the paralyzed man illustrates this point. When this man was brought before Him, Jesus said:
Son, your sins are forgiven you (Mark 2:5).
This claim to forgive sins upset the religious rulers:
But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 'Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?' (Mark 2:6,7).
They were absolutely right in their assertion that only God could forgive sins. The prophet Isaiah records God as saying:
"I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins (Isaiah 43:25).
But making the claim to forgive sins is something that cannot be publicly verified. How could anyone have known that Jesus had this authority? Knowing this to be the case, Jesus responded:
Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk?' But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"-- He said to the paralytic, "I say to you arise, take up your bed and, and go your way to your house." And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all (Mark 2:8-12).
We note how Jesus dealt with the situation. He asked, "Which is easier to say, "Your sins are forgiven or rise up and walk?" It is much easier to say, your sins are forgiven because no one can tell, at that moment, whether or not they have been forgiven. The forgiveness of sin is not accompanied by some observable sign.
But, if someone says to a paralyzed man, "Rise up and walk," immediately it will become apparent to everyone whether or not the person has the ability to supernaturally heal. When Jesus instantly healed the paralytic, He showed the religious rulers He had God's authority - since this miracle occurred where everyone could see it with their own eyes. Jesus, therefore, demonstrated His authority in the realm we can see. It illustrated the fact that He also had supernatural authority to forgive sins in the realm we cannot see.
Therefore, Jesus did not merely make claims about Himself, He backed up those claims with observable miracles which testified to His power and authority.
Another thing that separates Jesus from other founders of religions is that He fulfilled predictions about Himself that were written hundreds of years before He came. No one else can claim anything like this. Since the evidence is so vast, we will devote an entire chapter in our text (as well as an entire book in our series) to showing the remarkable fulfillment of prophecy in the life of Jesus.
A final fact which separates Jesus from all others is that He conquered the ultimate enemy that everyone faces - death. By coming back from the dead, He provided a solid answer to the question, "What will happen to us when we die?" No other religious figure has returned from the dead to verify his claims except Jesus of Nazareth. As we shall later see, the evidence that Jesus came back from the dead is sufficient to convince even the most skeptical.
In addition, the bodily resurrection of Jesus can be tested by the most rigorous historical methods. While many other religious traditions have an idea of spirit resurrections (an untestable hypothesis), only the New Testament proclaims a bodily resurrection that passes all tests of historical reliability. This provides the believer with a genuine hope of life beyond the grave.
Thus the resurrection of Jesus Christ separates Him from all other religious figures, past or present, for He conquered one of the greatest enemies we all face - death.
Therefore, Jesus is different from the founders of other religions in at least four ways:
He made Himself the issue instead of His teachings.
He backed up His claims with observable miracles.
He fulfilled predictions made about His life and ministry. These predictions were made hundreds of years before He was born.
He conquered death to verify that He was the unique Son of God.
We now move on to our next question, "So what if Jesus is unique? Does it really make a difference?" A popular response to this question is, "I'm glad Jesus has helped you, you need help! But don't tell me I have to believe in Him. What is true for you may not be true for me. It's enough that a person believes in something but ultimately it does not matter what you believe."
The Bible refutes this kind of thinking. It is important what we believe. In the New Testament, it is always the object of faith - Jesus Christ - and not faith itself, that is stressed. As far as the Bible is concerned, correct belief is crucial. The New Testament teaches that right belief consists of several things.
First, faith must be in God, but not just any god. Faith must be placed only in the God of the Bible.
Second, faith must be placed in God's Son, Jesus Christ. It is impossible to have a relationship with the true God apart from the person of Jesus. The Bible says:
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name (John 1:12).
In another place it states:
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also (1 John 2:23).
According to the Bible, anyone who claims to know God, and yet does not believe in Jesus, does not know God. You have to have both the Father and the Son.
Furthermore, faith in Jesus is more than merely acknowledging intellectually that He existed or that He is the Lord. James wrote about this type of ineffective faith. He compared it to the belief of demons.
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe - and tremble (James 2:19).
The demons know who Jesus is - God the Son, the Savior of the world. But merely knowing these and other facts about Jesus does not do them any good - they have no relationship with Him. Biblical faith consists of trusting Jesus as Savior - not simply acknowledging Him with the intellect.
Therefore it does matter what a person believes. Faith must be placed in God's Son - Jesus Christ - or else there is no forgiveness.
Though the Bible encourages people to put their faith in Jesus, it is neither blind nor irrational faith. No one is asked to sacrifice his intellect when they put their faith in the God of the Bible.
This is because the Christian faith is based upon the firm foundation of what God has done in the past. He has revealed Himself to humanity and that revelation is recorded in the Holy Scriptures. The Bible tells us what God requires of us and that we are to respond to Him by faith. In doing so, we are never expected to stop thinking or to act irrationally. Isaiah the prophet records God as saying:
Come let us reason together (Isaiah 1:18).
Jesus emphasized that coming to God involves the mind as well as the heart and soul:
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37).
When Jesus had a conversation with one of the scribes, He equated intelligence with knowing God:
So when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God' (Mark 12:34).
An intelligent response from the scribe caused Jesus to remark that this man was close to the kingdom of God. This is another indication that the Bible encourages people to use their minds when examining the evidence for the Christian faith.
The writers of the New Testament knew the events they preached and wrote about actually occurred - because they were eyewitnesses to them. Simon Peter showed that the New Testament authors were aware of the difference between mythology and fact:
For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty (2 Peter 1:16-17).
They knew what myths were, and they knew what they had experienced. They testified that the things they had experienced were not myths but reality. Consequently they welcomed an honest investigation of the facts. Blind faith was never encouraged.
Therefore, the Christian position can be summed up as follows: If the God of the Bible is the true God, then every subject explored will only confirm, not contradict, His written revelation. The Christian is not afraid of any issue that may come up.
Finally, as we examine the case for Christianity we will discover the evidence is more than sufficient to believe. When all the evidence is in, it will be clear that the Christian faith is true--Jesus is the one whom He claimed to be. Therefore each individual must ultimately make a decision concerning Him.
I hope this will help you to further your understanding about the importance of the Christian faith.
Agnosticism - I do not know if God or gods exist.
Atheism - I do know, God or gods do not exist.
Theism - I do know, God or gods do exist.
Polytheism - Many gods exist.
Henotheism - The henotheist worships only one of the many gods who exist.
Monotheism - Only one God exists.
Pantheism - All things that exist are part of God. Therefore God is impersonal.
Deism - The one God who exists is personal, yet He is not involved with humanity.
Personal Theism - The one personal God is intimately involved with humanity.
Unitarianism - God is only one person.
Trinitarianism - The one God who exists, is, by nature, a Trinity - three distinct persons within the nature of the one God.
We also discovered that: