Why Any Serious Religious Quest Should Begin with Christianity

“…I think that the Christian religion is the one religion that most clearly deserves to be honored and respected… Antony Flew

…There is nothing like the combination of a charismatic figure like Jesus and a first- class intellectual like St. Paul… Antony Flew

…If you’re wanting Omnipotence to set up a religion, this is the one to beat.” Antony Flew

1. Christianity is Testable

“If Jesus is not risen, then our faith is worthless…”

Jesus gave historical evidence that he was the Son of God, and these claims are testable.

“Therefore, many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book…

…but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”

2. Salvation is Free

“For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves…

…but from God, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Salvation is a free gift and is available to anyone

“Neither Greek nor Jew, slave nor free, male nor female, we are all one in Christ Jesus.”

“For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” James Faust The Atonement: Our Greatest Hope

Religion is about man trying to get to God; Christianity is about God coming to us

3. You get an amazing worldview fit

A mental map of reality

Can we live like our worldview is true?

A human is a “no-soul” (anatta) Buddhism

Darwinism is a “universal acid” Daniel Dennett

“…If, as the evolutionary scientists say, what our brains tell us about morality, love, and beauty is not real… Timothy Keller The Reason for God

…If it is merely a set of chemical reactions designed to pass on our genetic code… Timothy Keller The Reason for God

…then so is what their brains tell them about the world. Then why should we trust them?” Timothy Keller The Reason for God

“The horrid doubt always arises whether the conviction of man’s mind, which has developed from the mind of the lower animals… Charles Darwin Autobiography of Charles Darwin

…are of any value or at all trustworthy. Would anyone trust the conviction of a monkey’s mind, if there are any convictions in such a mind?” Charles Darwin Autobiography of Charles Darwin

“If the value of reasoning is in doubt, you cannot try to establish it by reasoning.” C.S. Lewis Author

Christians don’t have to compartmentalize their worldview

“Come, let us reason together

“In the beginning was the Word [logos]”

4. Christianity has Jesus at the center