kevman4christ
New Member
There sure are a lot of religions out there today. You’ve got Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, etc. So obviously Christianity is just another “ism,” right?
The truth is Christianity happens to be unique among the world’s religions for several important reasons. Not the least of which happens to be that Christianity, unlike other religions, is historic and evidential. The fact is, Jesus Himself is a figure of history. He was, of course, born in Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of Caesar Augustus, and was put to death by Pontius Pilate, a first century Roman Governor. And, more importantly, the testimony of his life, death, and resurrection happened to come to us by way of eyewitness accounts (2 Pet. 1:16; 1 John 1:1-4). Christianity therefore is a historical faith, and its truth claims can be evaluated by examining the facts and testimony of history. None of the other religions of the world can claim this kind of historical support.
Another unique feature of Christianity is that its founder claimed to be God. Of the great religious leaders of the world (Buddha, Moses, Zoroaster, Lao Tzu, Mohammed) only Jesus claimed to be God in human flesh (John 8:58). And this is not an empty claim because it is supported by Christ’s historically verifiable resurrection from the dead (1 Cor. 15:3-8). Other religions like Buddhism and Islam claim miracles in support of their faith, but unlike Christianity, these miracles lack historical verification.
An additional feature which sets Christianity apart from the other religions is that its beliefs system happens to be coherent. Some Christian doctrines may transcend logical categories — and even appear paradoxical — but unlike the religions of the east, they are not irrational or absurd. Oh, and before I forget, the Christian faith is unique in that it can account for the vast array of phenomena which we encounter in life — things like the laws of science, the universal laws of logic, ethical norms, love, meaning in life, and, of course, the problem of evil. So to state it philosophically, the Christian faith corresponds to the present state of affairs.
The truth is Christianity happens to be unique among the world’s religions for several important reasons. Not the least of which happens to be that Christianity, unlike other religions, is historic and evidential. The fact is, Jesus Himself is a figure of history. He was, of course, born in Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of Caesar Augustus, and was put to death by Pontius Pilate, a first century Roman Governor. And, more importantly, the testimony of his life, death, and resurrection happened to come to us by way of eyewitness accounts (2 Pet. 1:16; 1 John 1:1-4). Christianity therefore is a historical faith, and its truth claims can be evaluated by examining the facts and testimony of history. None of the other religions of the world can claim this kind of historical support.
Another unique feature of Christianity is that its founder claimed to be God. Of the great religious leaders of the world (Buddha, Moses, Zoroaster, Lao Tzu, Mohammed) only Jesus claimed to be God in human flesh (John 8:58). And this is not an empty claim because it is supported by Christ’s historically verifiable resurrection from the dead (1 Cor. 15:3-8). Other religions like Buddhism and Islam claim miracles in support of their faith, but unlike Christianity, these miracles lack historical verification.
An additional feature which sets Christianity apart from the other religions is that its beliefs system happens to be coherent. Some Christian doctrines may transcend logical categories — and even appear paradoxical — but unlike the religions of the east, they are not irrational or absurd. Oh, and before I forget, the Christian faith is unique in that it can account for the vast array of phenomena which we encounter in life — things like the laws of science, the universal laws of logic, ethical norms, love, meaning in life, and, of course, the problem of evil. So to state it philosophically, the Christian faith corresponds to the present state of affairs.
) I just want to have a clear understanding of it.