So why Christianity?

[1Prophetess]

hishandmaiden: Your story blessed me. Thanks!

 

[Jamesja]

Chany,
I could have gone the long route. Told you of my life, my observations of other peoples lives, my trials, failures and victories. I could have quoted Bible verses and given you arguments that would have gone on for pages. In the end it would have came back to what I wrote. Christianity is the only religion that works for me. I am not saying what works for others. Love is the bottom line of Christianity. It is the beginning line also. It is the sum total of life. What is life without love?
Christianity encourages love. It fosters love. It is a reception of love.
I love being a Christian. I love being loved by Christians. I love God because he first loved me.

 

[Chany]

Chany,
I could have gone the long route. Told you of my life, my observations of other peoples lives, my trials, failures and victories. I could have quoted Bible verses and given you arguments that would have gone on for pages. In the end it would have came back to what I wrote. Christianity is the only religion that works for me. I am not saying what works for others. Love is the bottom line of Christianity. It is the beginning line also. It is the sum total of life. What is life without love?
Christianity encourages love. It fosters love. It is a reception of love.
I love being a Christian. I love being loved by Christians. I love God because he first loved me.

But what is love? Quoting a poem by Susan Griff, "Love should grow like a wild iris
but does not." Love is more than a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. I can get love and warm, fuzzy feelings from other peoples and religions. How is Christianity separate from the rest i.e. the logical choice and the one truth?

 

[bling]

Explain.

This all goes back to the objectives.

We should come to an understanding that God is the ultimate Love and true Love (Godly type Love) is unselfish, so God is the epitome of unselfishness.

Given this kind of “Love” it would compel God to make beings that could be like He is (Loving) for the sake of those beings that would become like He is (God is being totally unselfish in His creation).

The problem is there are things God cannot do. As it relates to man; God cannot create in man (make it instinctive to man [robotic]) with this Godly type Love, since that instinctive love would be like a robotic love. Also, God cannot force this Love on humans (like a shotgun wedding with God holding the shotgun) since that is not Loving on God’s part nor would the love be a Godly type Love.

So again for the sake of those that will, God allows humans to make a very simple easy free will choice that remains a true choice (with at least a likely perceived alternative), to humbly accept God’s Charity or refuse God’s Charity.

God makes huge sacrifices in order to help those that are just willing make the right choice. Part of that sacrifice God makes are: Allowing Christ to go to the cross, satan to roam the earth, tragedies of all kinds, people to go to hell and even sin itself.

All this other wonderful stuff that goes along with the gift of Love does help encourage us to accept God’s total gift.

 

[1Prophetess]

How is Christianity separate from the rest i.e. the logical choice and the one truth?

I enjoy worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is kind. He is funny. He is patient with me. He is not mean to me. He lets me help Him in what He wants for the world. He gives me things all the time. He shows me ways where I can be happier than I already am. He just does so much for me--and I in turn do for Him. I love the mutuality of it.

I love where I am going. I love having peace. I love being able to survive life (which I find very difficult). I love the way He is always there for me and I don't have to do things alone. (I don't like being alone, and apparently neither does He.)

I love the fact that I can get information from Him about how to do things. I love the fact that He leads and guides me.

I know that other religions (such as Confucionism) give recipes for life. I don't want a recipe and then have to go it alone. And I don't want my religion always preaching at me which seems to be the case with Confucionism. And I do not believe that people are perfectable. I don't like religions that put people into solving their own problems. I consider my problems too hard to solve by myself alone.

Ethnic religions seem to me to be too much involved in spirits, spirit worship and spirit fear. I don't want to spend my time waving off evil spirits, spending time cleansing myself, and the many other things that they do to protect themselves. I like the constant protection that Jesus affords. That way, I don't have to worry that I missed something for which I will suffer.

From what I've seen, the Wiccan religion is just about having fun and seeking a nature way. That doesn't really appeal to me, and I don't know that sex is the answer to religious fulfillment with God. I don't like Satanism because it is painful and morally defunct. That doesn't appeal to me.

Islam is too hard on women, and I would not imagine a God I could worship to be unkind to half the population that worshipped Him. I don't think that I deserve being treated as an object so their woman ideas kill this religion for me.

I'm not convinced that I was born before, and I surely don't want to come back to earth again. I don't consider myself a bad person, but I don't think I want to come back as a lesser being--too humbling I suppose. But also it's too dangerous and life shortening. I don't know that animals can really worship, so if I came back as another living being, I am not sure I'd learn much. I am not an aesthetic so that I want to make my body (or anything else) suffer. I see their premise as suffering (though I realize they don't claim "suffering" is a part of their beliefs.) So that one just isn't a choice for me. And I see all of the Buddhist religions as really a large part about suffering, and I would like something better. It also seems to be a way I have to go alone, and I don't like that.

I'm not good at following rules and regulations, so I don't know that I could follow Jewish beliefs and be successful. Mind you, I believe that Christianity completes the law, and we are under no obligation to fulfill the law any longer (not that it does not have merit, but I'm just not under that obligation of sacrifices and all). So the tight and strict rules I personally don't see me ever being successful at (but I think they all pointed to Jesus anyway, and He was the only one that could have been successful at them.)

Many newer Christian religions, which I consider Mormonism to be one, seem fake to me. It seems to give lots of rules and regulations. I just am not good at following those, and I would have to suffer if I did. Mormonism, for example, makes you do all kinds of things so that, in the end, you can go to your own kingdom and have a lot of children. I love my children, but I don't really think heaven is in having babies. And I frankly would find it hard to believe that the right underware makes me holy or set apart. And I question things about it such as their ceremonies that they can't tell about and how the men really think about women. If I thought my husband needed to take the veil off of my face so that I could be resurrected, I just don't trust people that much. How do I know he'd do it? I'd rather depend on my Lord Jesus.

But there are a lot of Christian religions that are impotent. They don't worship God but they worship a semblance of God. To me, that is so full of nothingness that I would starve spiritually if I were to choose them. However, if you discard most of the religious beliefs and just seek the Lord where He may be found (in the Bible), you will find yourself in a place of incredible, amazing, powerful living.

In Biblical Christianity (where I seek my answers from the Bible and not from a specific pulpit or group), I am guided and shown the reasons why I need to follow the rules, and it is all for my benefit. I just don't see how, when everything I am shown to do benefits me in Biblical Christianity, why I would want to go any where else?

Besides, since I know God personally in Biblical Christianity, why would I want to go to a God that's too busy to talk to me, too busy to bother with me, and does nothing for me? When it all comes down to it, I suppose you could say I tend to be rather self-centered. I want my God to have a relationship with me, and He does. I want Him to answer me, and He does. I want to see something that He does for me and those around me, and He constantly shows me. I love being involved with an active God. He is more than enough, wonderful, and so much fun. I love the fact that He keeps me thinking all the time--I love to think and understand and learn, so being a Christ child is just a lot of fun and excitement.

The filling of the Holy Spirit is wonderful. The work I get to do is fun. Miracles are fun to watch. And the rules are meant entirely for my benefit.

How could I seek any other religion?

 

[Hishandmaiden]

hishandmaiden: Your story blessed me. Thanks!

Thanks, sister.

 

[andreha]

Christianity, to me, is the real deal - a genuine, living God, that cares for those who believe in Him. Not some dead, meaning less name that only exists in a book somewhere, and not a bunch of dead rituals that get you nowhere.

See, at age 5, I was suffering a lot from intense nightly attacks, which paralysed me every night, from head to toe. It made no sense to try and tell my parents, since they would think "Yeah right, just a nightmare." I started to lose the will to live - and that at age 5. I became depressed, stopped laughing, and could only think of what was waiting for me every night. Then, one day, at school, my teacher told me about Jesus. As a young child, I believed her beyond a shadow of a doubt. I started feeling better already, since the idea came to ask Him for help that night, since nobody else would take me seriously.

Anyway, that night the attack came, as usual, with the paralysis and the fear of death hanging around me, as well as a pungent smell of something burning. As the fear and helplessness started gripping my heart, the though came to ask Jesus for help. Since opening my mouth was impossible, I just directed my thoughts to Him, trusting He'd hear my plea for help. After explaining why He's my only help, and asking very nicely to help me, I felt powerful waves of energy flowing through me, and the fear was replaced with intense joy. The next moment, I saw a brilliant white light in front of me, and felt the most wonderful love surround me. After some time, the light faded away, and I dropped into a deep sleep. It has now been 34 years, and those attacks never came again. That was enough to make me a true believer.

Since then, several times came where things happened to me that science cannot explain - many times my life ended up being saved in ways that make no sense from a scientific perspective. I'd love to have any scientist explain to me how my imagination, without any help from my senses, can warn me of impending danger, and be spot on, every time. I'd love to hear that same scientist explain how my old car could at least once handle better that the most expensive sports car on earth, to enable me to go around an obstacle, at high speed, and at near right angles. I'd also love to hear him explain how my body is able to perceive things that my senses don't and act upon those perceptions by itself, saving my life. It should also be quite interesting to hear him explain how my body is sometimes able to "feel" that another car is busy moving into my lane on the free-way, enabling me to avoid an accident.

Anyway, for me, it is wonderful to be able to serve a living God, who cares for me, in ways that demonstrate His love clear as daylight.

 

[food4thought]

Out of all the religions of the world, what makes Christianity the obvious choice over all the others?

Well, I will take a more apologetics approach since so many have discussed their experiences with God. I'll start with some problems I see with a couple other major world religions that Christianity has the answer to:

Islam: Allah is merciful, righteous, and just. Problem, a just and righteous God must punish sin, and a merciful God must forgive sin. There is no basis within Islam for the forgiveness of sin.

Christian answer: Yehovah is just (Romans 3:26), righteous (1John 2:29), and merciful (Hebrews 8:12). God has satisfied all 3 by sending Jesus Christ to the cross to pay for all mans sins (Psalm 85:10, Romans 3:23-26, Colossians 1:19-20).

Hinduism: The ultimate goal in Hinduism is to achieve Moksha, which is liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth to become one with their god (Brahman), by realizing that they are really just an extension of god. Kharma states that the consequences of ones actions are carried over from one life to the next rebirth, hindering their ability to achieve Mohsha. One can shake bad Kharma through suffering, among other things. If one does a kindness by easing the suffering of another, you upset his kharma and may negatively influence his position in the next life. There is no basis for caring for anothers well being in Hinduism because easing a person's sufferings in this life hurts them in the next. We see this played out in the plight of the lowest rungs of society in Hindu dominated nations (particularly India).

Christian answer: God is love (1John 4:8). Christians are called to show special compassion on those who are oppressed and weak (James 1:27, Isaiah 1:17, etc,etc,etc).


These are but two of the world's religions, but are among the most prominent. I recognize that just because another religion is flawed does not mean that my faith is right; I am simply pointing out that Christianity answers questions that others do not.

Other questions that Christianity answers:

Where did I come from? Genesis 1:1; 27; Ephesians 2:10

What is my purpose/meaning in this life? Matthew 22:36-40; Matthew 25:34-46; Romans 8:29

Where do I go when I die? 1Corinthians 15:35-58; Revelation 21:1-7, etc


There are many more, but I want to at least pretend to attempt brevity.


You might ask; "So why should I trust what the Bible says on these matters?"

Prophecy fulfilled.

I won't even go into the way Jesus Christ fulfilled OT prophecy, I'll just look at a few others that could not have been known at the time of the early NT manuscripts (just in case you believe the prophecies were written after the events they predicted).

Rebirth of Israel as a nation: partial fulfillment of Ezekiel 36-37 (Israel's national faith in God is yet to be revived), required for fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39

Stop and think about this one for just a moment. Nothing like the return of Israel to their homeland has ever occured in history. They were outcasts among the nations for almost 2000 years, yet still retained their cultural identity. The fact that they even exist as a recognizable people is itself a miracle. Then think of how preposterous it would have been to suggest giving Israel back it's land even 100 years ago. Don't dismiss this lightly.

The ability to have a war that will result in 1/4 of the population of earth dieing through war, disease, and famine: necessary for fulfillment of Revelation 6:1-8

Before this past century, no war, disease, or famine could possible effect the whole world, let alone to this level.

A world economic system that could be totally controled by a single world power: necessary for fulfillment of Revelation 13:16-17

False teachers would forbid marriage and teach to abstain from certain foods: 1Timothy 4:1-3

fulfilled by doctrines of Catholic Church (marriage of priests) and 7th day adventists (forbidding to eat certain foods)]

Possible prediction of effects of nuetron bomb: Zechariah 14:12

Sick, but definitely interesting foreknowledge



Now how about facts of reality that could not have been known at the time of early manuscripts:

Universe had a beginning: Genesis 1:1

Universe shows evidence of expansion: Isaiah 45:12; Jeremiah 10:12; 51:15

Earth is round (much to the chagrin of middle ages church): Isaiah 40:22... word translated as circle is same word used to describe a ball (anything round)

Nations surrounding modern Israel could all unite against them (all Islamic): Ezekiel 38-39


I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

 

[LuxMundi]

Out of all the religions of the world, what makes Christianity the obvious choice over all the others?

Have a gander at Tom Wright's Simply Christian and Surprised by Hope.