Why should I believe Jesus, rather than say, Buddha or Bahá'u'lláh?
I've been through a similar dilemma in my life. If you'd like to read my blog post about it here, then you're welcome to do so.
http://www.christianforums.com/xfa-...to-orthodox-christianity.5055/#comment-201095
That said, there are a lot of religions to choose from out there. I'm not going to attempt to persuade you, because I think that's beyond my ability (it should be obvious that on a Christian website any and every Christian is going to be biased in favor of Christianity). I'm much more a fan of encouraging people to search for themselves. I believe that God draws us to Himself. The Christian faith is something you can read about on-line, but it must be lived. The faith has a very physical aspect to it. It is more than intellectual assent to a belief. Actions are involved. One must life out their faith in Christ's Church. This is something that many people ignore these days. I can say I believe something and truly think I do all day long- but it isn't until I start putting actions behind the declaration- that it means anything. Say, I sit at home every time there is a Divine Liturgy. As a consequence, I never partake of the Eucharist. Say, I sit at home and never pray. Say, I never feed and clothe the poor.
Simple intellectual assent to the existence of God isn't going to do you or anyone any good. That doesn't cut it. You have to get up, come and see, and then 'do'. Sitting at home and getting on the internet isn't going to do it for you, me, or anyone either. Go to church, get out there, get baptized, catechized, take communion, get a prayer rule and follow it, and then live a life in Christ. (And I don't mean to make that sound easy because it isn't. I also don't mean that you are going to be able to just jump in there- in Orthodoxy we believe in catechesis- so even if you wanted to become a Christian it is heavily encouraged for you to attend church, study, et cetera before you make the commitment because it is a serious one. Chrismation and Baptism is something you have to be prepared for. We don't do altar call theology.)
"If you wish to save your soul and win eternal life, arise from your lethargy, make the sign of the Cross and say: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Faith comes not through pondering but through action. Not words and speculation but experience teaches us what God is. To let in fresh air we have to open a window; to get tanned we must go out into the sunshine. Achieving faith is no different; we never reach a goal by just sitting in comfort and waiting, say the Holy Fathers. Let the Prodigal Son be our example. He "arose and came."" (
Luke 15:20).
~Tito Colliander The Way of the Ascetics.
"Faith, like active prayer, is a grace. For prayer, when activated by love through the power of the Spirit, renders true faith manifest - the faith that reveals the life of Jesus. If, then, you are aware that such faith is not at work within you, that means your faith is dead and lifeless. In fact you should not even speak of yourself as one of the 'faithful' if your faith is merely theoretical and not actualized by the practice of the commandments or by the Spirit. Thus faith must be evidenced by progress in keeping the commandments, or it must be actualized and translucent in what we do. This is confirmed by St. James when he says, 'Show me your faith through your works and I will show you the works that I do through my faith.'" (cf. Jas. 2:18.)
~St. Gregory of Sinai, The Philokalia, Vol. 4.