CHRISTIANS: why should i believe in jesus instead of vishnu or zeus? (PLEASE READ THE REST OF MY QUESTION)?

Question

ok,, before you answer, please read everything that i've written. i have a very specific question and i don't want to waste your time or mine by having you answer a question that i didn't ask.

assuming that a person can even choose their beliefs, why should i go with jesus?

please don't answer with, because he's lord. whether or not he's lord is precisely what's in question here, so you can't really base your conclusion on it. you follow? i need you to demonstrate WHY he's lord.

you're probably gonna say, "well, i can't show you. you just have to have faith." --- ok,,, but here's the thing,,, why should i have faith... IN JESUS? --- i can have faith in vishnu or zeus. in fact, you can blindly believe in ANYTHING. so why jesus?

a common response to this is, "well,,, if atheism is true, then it doesn't hurt to be a christian. but if christianity is true, then it DOES hurt to be an theist". but what if islam is true?

i'm running out of room here. please read the additional details.

if islam is true, then we'll BOTH go to hell. so, when you look at it from that angle, christianity's not such a safe bet as people make it out to be. EVERY RELIGION IS A RISK. (not to mention,,, does god know that you're believing in him just because he's a "safe bet"?) so if you're christian, then it must be because something about christianity makes more sense TO YOU than other religions do.

so,, we're back to the original question. why does christianity seem more likely TO YOU to be true than other religion? why does it make more sense TO YOU than the other religions? (notice how i keep putting "to you" in caps? it's because i wanna hear about how YOU came to that conclusion.)

please don't paste bible quotes. those prove nothing. i mean,,,, i can quote "back to the future", but that doesn't make it truth. i need you to tell me WHY those bible quotes seem true to you.

here are examples of what i'm looking for:

1. "christianity teaches that god was sent down as a man to pay for our sons. no other religion does that."

2. "christianity never contradicts itself where as other religions do."

ok,, you understand what i'm looking for??? it needs to be something that directly compares christianity to another religion and then shows how they differ. only,,, just so you know,,,, the two examples i gave are both invalid. the first one is invalid because it's irrelevant. the fact that christianity teaches this might make christianity MORE APPEALING, but it does not make christianity more likely to be true. and the second example is invalid because it is both false AND irrelevant. it's false because the bible DOES contradict its self. and it's irrelevant because even consistent things can be false. "lord of the rings" never wants contradicts itself either, but that doesn't make it true.

so,, please give me a good reason as to why christian makes sense and is therefore likely to be true,,, as long as the reason is not false or irrelevant. and don't try to entice me with an afterlife, or threaten me with hell. i'll only believe in your promises and threats IF i first believe that christianity is true. wanting something to be true doesn't make it so, so you're gonna have to leave out all of your answers that say "well,, you'll be happier if you believe" and "think of how sad it would be if there isn't a god". i'm trying to figure out truth here. personal happiness should never once enter into it.

you won't be wasting your time on me. IF christianity is true, then i want to believe in it. i want to believe in whatever is true. so if you can give me an answer, then please do. and if you CAN'T, then maybe you should question whether christianity is actually true. i promise that i will respond to every one who answers this question seriously, so don't forget to check back a couple hours after you answer. thank you for reading all this.

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ok,, thanks everybody, i'm gonna answer you guys in no particular order. we'll start with........

CURIOUS GIRL:

when you pray, you get results. that's a good reason to believe in something. that's not believing based on faith though. it's believing based on evidence. i believe based on evidence too. but i haven't yet seen any evidence of god. (you can't say that the existence of the universe is evidence of god, because that's precisely the thing in question.)

you say you pray and get results. what are they though? are you sure they are not just coincidences or common occurrences? certain things aren't miracle. they're just common. (i'm not saying a sunset isn't pretty. just that it's not uncommon, and therefore not a miracle.) so like,, if you pray for your car keys and find them...........

............. then you can't really call that a miracle. it was just likely to happen. sometimes though, UNLIKELY things happen. this still doesn't mean god exists though, because it's always possible that it was just a coincidence. (i plan to address probability and ockham's razor a little further down, so keep reading.)

so,, it's very important to know what you were praying for, and how often your prayers get answered. if you prayed for a missing limb to grow back and it did, then let me know. after enough reported cases like this, i WILL start to believe in god. but like,,,, only if praying to jesus specifically has a higher success rate. if praying to ra works just as well, then i'm not gonna believe in christianity but i might believe in "some sort of power". currently though, according to studies i've seen and the times i've prayed on my own, praying just doesn't work.

also,, i'm not telling people what to tell me. i AM telling them what NOT to tell me, but ...............

.......... i AM telling people what NOT to tell me, but i've also given reasons as to why those answers are invalid. don't think my mind can't be changed though. it can. it just requires a REALLY good argument.

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GROOVY GRANNY:

no one's disputing whether or not jesus was a real person, just like how know one disputes whether or not buddha was a real person. the question is whether jesus was the son of god.

you gave two reasons as to why you think he was.

1. ''It IS by faith, that we believe Jesus is the Messiah"

and 2. "the miracles performed by Jesus are fact and written as such"

ok,, let's start with # 2 first. --- are they fact? you can't prove them. only one source is going to say it's fact, and that's the bible. but why should i believe the bible is a credible source?? it's actually one of the LAST books that i would consider a credible source. (i'll explain all the reasons why further down.) so i'm sorry, but i have to dismiss #2.

.......... it would be sloppy of me to dismiss this. there are a lot of other books out there making a lot of radical claims. (hinduism for example has a TON.) the bible shouldn't receive special treatment at all, especially when it gives so many indications of how flawed it actually is (lots and lots of discrepancies).

and now to answer your first point: i understand that you believe in christianity based on faith, but what i'm trying to ask is why should i have any more faith in christianity than in something like greek mythology? faith can be applied to anything. so why christianity specifically? that's actually what my question is. i appreciate your responding to me though. thank you.

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PALADIN:

i'm answering you third because you posted you response up after the others. (hehehe,, don't think i didn't see the little dot you posted just to get a spot in the front.)

here's the thing about what you said though ..........................

sorry i'm taking so long.

ok, so,, here's the thing, paladin. even if you're the most amazing human ever and you're this way because of the teachings of jesus, that still doesn't mean that jesus is the son of god or that he rose from the dead or that there's a heaven and a hell. all that it means is that he's a good teacher and teaches really good things.

so, i think it's great that you're so ok with different religions and that you have a "to each, their own" sorta mentality. but it's important to remember that religions are not just rules on to live life. they're also explanations as to how the world was created and what happens when you die. so essentially, any given aspect of a religion is either TRUE,,, or it's FALSE. you can't say that "jesus is lord" is true to some people and false to others. that's just not how truth works. the very nature of truth is that is not be subjective. this is something that a lot of people disagree with, but i think it's important to understand.

(man, it's so annoying that the only give you 1,000 characters each time.)

anyhow, the reason why it's important to understand is because there's a big difference between whether a religion is true and whether it's a good code for running one's life.

a lot of people claim to believe in christianity. but then when you ask them why, they say, "because i like how it makes me feel" or "i have a better relationship with my wife because of it". but do you see how these aren't really acceptabl answers for "why is christianity true?"?

like,, i don't know if you believe in evolution or not. but if you don't, and i told you i did. and then you asked WHY i believe in it, and i said "because it helps me to live my life better", you'd be like "what???? what does that have o do with whether or not it's a valid science?"

now, i'm aware that christianity and the belief in evolution are not the same thing, but they are both assertions about actuality. either of them has the potential to be wrong.

perhaps you don't believe that jesus was the son of god. i don't know. you didn't specify in what you wrote. standardly when someone calls their self "christian", it implies spiritual and super-natural beliefs. but,,,, i guess the word could be used like how the word "buddhist" is used. a buddhist (usually) doesn't not believe that buddha was god, but rather just follows his teachings.

so if you're only christian in the sense that you follow the teachings of jesus, then i understand how you could become a christian.

BUT,,, if you do believe that jesus is the son of god, then i'm afraid i still can't understand why. what lead you to the conclusion that that is the truth??


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sorry everybody that i've been taking so long to write. i'll get to the rest of you before too long.

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ok,,, i'm back. sorry that i took a whole day. i've just had lots of little tasks.

ok,, PALADIN,,,

i noticed last night that you wrote a response to my response to your response. cool. i got some stuff to say about it. it's just,, i think i should address some other people first. (i'm trying to be fair) but i WILL get back to you. in the mean time, i will let you know though that i wasn't implying that religion and evolution can't coexist. i just used evolution as an analogy. i was trying to show that when someone believes in any sort of ASSERTION OF WHAT IS ACTUAL AND TRUE that they can't use "it helps me to run my life" as an explanation as to why. that's the only reason i brought it up. also, i wasn't implying that you were implying that you ARE the best human being. i recognize that you recognize your flaws. i was just saying that,,,,, it's irrelevant to why christianity is TRUE. (it's not irrelevant though to why it is GOOD.)

so,, that's the only reason why i mentioned the hypothetical of your being the best person ever; to show that it still doesn't prove christianity to be true. i'll get back to you later though, paladin,, after i do 4 or 5 more people.

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KENNY P,

yours was short, so i'm gonna do it fast. to call zeus a myth and not jesus answers nothing. as a matter of fact,, that was the question. i was essentially asking, "what indications are there that zeus was a myth but jesus wasn't?". -- and you essentially answered with, "well the best indication is that zeus was a myth and jesus wasn't." without providing further evidence of WHY you believe that zeus is a myth. -- but that doesn't answer anything. that's like saying, "i believe that there is life on neptune but not pluto, because pluto doesn't have any life on it but neptune does."

then you mentioned how christianity has the ONLY risen saviour, which i expressly asked everyone NOT to say.

that answer is invalid. the reason it is invalid is because the fact that christianity is unique in this one area just doesn't make it true. that would be like if i said "well, clearly ganesha is the one true lord since he's the only one who has four arms." it just doesn't mean anything. uniqueness doesn't equal proof.

the claim that 500 people saw christ rise from the dead is admissible. witness testimonies are worth very little, especially if they were only recorded in one clearly slanted and biased source. other religions offer witness testimonies too. just listen to anybody who's in a cult. they'll tell you the same thing. so why should i believe your stories over theirs?

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PJAY,

ok, jesus was a real person. i have no desire to argue that. it still might not be true, but we're gonna treat it as an axiom here.

now,, let's look at his having fulfilled all 108 of the old testament prophecies. supposedly there are 300.......................

supposedly there are 300, but nearly 200 of them were redundant. so people decide to leave them out. hmm,, whatever, i want make a big deal out of it. (go here http://www.wop.com/resources.html to see all 108)

the thing is, there's so much redundancy that they DIDN'T leave out. why not? for example, here are FOUR SEPARATE prophesies out of the 108.

1)From the Shemite branch of humanity
2)Through Abraham
3)Through Abraham's son, Isaac
and 4)Through Isaac's son, Jacob

ok,, now, obviously all sons of jacob are going to be descendants of isaac and abraham as well, not to mention semitic (shemite branch). so it's really unfair to count these as four separate prophecies, when one of them automatically denotes the rest.

here's a good example of a bunch of things that really shouldn't be counted separately:

Crucified;Spat upon; Stricken; Scourged;Face beaten to a pulp;Beard plucked; Humiliated; Physical exhaustion; Identified with sinners; Object of scorn and ridicule; ..............

............ Experienced thirst; Stared at; Experience profound grief and agony

ok,, that's 14 right there, and if you go look at the list, i'm sure you'll find others that could go along pretty easily like:

Friends stand far away; Forsaken by His disciples; and Accused by false witnesses.

now,, doesn't it stand to reason that a person who has been crucified is probably going to experience all these other things too?? it's very unfair to count these as separate prophecies.

so already we've gone through 21 of the supposed 108, and have been able to deduce them to 2. he's one of jacob's descendants and he got crucified. ok,, i don't think those prophecies are anything to gloat about. lots of people fit that discription.

there's more though, so don't worry, i'm getting there.

some of the prophecies are straight up admissible because they're what's in question. the follow DO NOT COUNT as fulfilled prophecies:

Divine name; Receive a special anointing by the Holy Spirit; ...........

Do battle with Satan; Receive the ministry of angels; Eternal; Divine; Son of God; Christ, the Anointed One; Lord; Embodiment of God's Redemptive Covenant; Exaltation at the right hand of God

these 11 cannot be counted as fulfilled because we have no proof that they actually happened. these 108 and prophecies can either be the proof of something else or they can be the thing that someone is trying to prove. they can't be both.

then we have some that are just SO obvious, that people should be embarrassed to include them.

Born in the flesh; Human; Son of Man; A sin-bearer

like,,,, ???????????? ,,,, are you kidding me? someone actually prophesized this??

the following are all based on hear say and very difficult to believe unless you already believe that jesus is supernatural:

Born of a virgin; Miracle-worker; Heal the sick; Heal those with special afflictions; Darkness at noon; Voluntary release of spirit; No bones broken; Resurrection; Ascension

i'm sorry, but i am not ........

........... going to believe that these things happened based on a single book that contradicts itself regularly, makes grandiose claims, has been edited countlessly from one language to the next, and offers very little verifiable truth, most of which isn't even related to the topics at hand, but rather is restricted to geography.

then,,, there are even MORE prophecies which are based only and hearsay,, and they're not even that impressive., not to mention, largely based on opinion and extremely redundant. here they are:

Presented with gifts at birth; Unpretentious ministry; Power of ministry not based on personal appearance; Preacher; Teacher in parables; Prophet; Judge; Man of prayer; A Man whose reliance and trust is in God; A Man of obedience; A Man of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding; A Man of counsel; Humble in spirit; Patient; Loving and merciful; Zeal for God's house in Jerusalem; Preach the gospel to the poor; Comfort the brokenhearted; ..................

..................... Proclaim liberty to captives; Minister to broken lives; Hated without cause; Despised and rejected by His own people, the Jews; Rejected by the Jews due to exaltation of tradition; Praised by babes and infants; Offered to the Gentiles; Accepted by the Gentiles; Divine; God-centered; Holy; Righteous; Faithful and true witness; Servant of God; A loving shepherd ; A sacrificial lamb; Death by a broken heart; Buried in a rich man's grave; Serve as a High Priest; Continue to be despised by the nations

have many of you can't be described in the same way?? i guess words like "holy" are bit too extreme to be applied to humans, but "servants of god" isn't. is it? and lots of people are teachers and preachers and are patient, right? none of these prophecies are special. that's all there is to it.

ok, so by my count, i've listed 83 so far. and there were a few i missed, like "Pierced in the side" and "Divine name" which can easily be place in some of the .............

Answer 1

I think people should choose to believe in whatever they feel best reflects the core of their own being after a period of deep reflection and soul-searching, so if Zeus or Vishnu does that for you (although I'm not sure where you will find accurate worship information about Zeus beyond some old Hercules cartoons) then good for you!!! I'm not going to tell you anything different but I do my own work through my actions so if you were to see something you like in how I treat others (which obviously isn't able to be translated through the internet), I would expect someone who is searching for that special something that reflects their own inner core to ask me what I believe and perhaps follow to learn more.

As such, it is Jesus' example of doing good works that attracted those to follow along to find out more that best represents my own beliefs in how to spread goodness and justice to the world around me. Yes, Jesus was a preacher but you will see in the Bible that he always attracted the crowd with an act of charity or kindness that caused people to ask more because it was something they were drawn to as well. Those Christians who mindlessly beat Bible passages on others and spew hatred for those who don't agree reall have missed the point.

I've examined pretty much every other faith out there in my own personal dark ages years ago and ultimately came back to the beliefs of my upbringing. Maybe part of it is merely a product of my upbringing imprinting those beliefs into me but upon intense and continuing introspection I have found that I have co-opted small things from the many other religions that have touched me, as well as gained the strength to fight those I found to be malignant.

That's how I came to the point I am at today in a nutshell. If it helps you at all, I would describe myself as largely Roman Catholic but with minor upgrades. ;)

Edit: And btw, I did take the time to read the whole question so maybe I'm an act of God. ;P

Edit 2: To the morons replying that Zeus is a myth, the truth (which is clearly beyond you people) is that Zeus was indeed a full-fledged deity worshipped by the Greek in ancient times. If you call Zeus a myth then I suspect your kind will also call Jesus a myth as well given enough time.

Edit 3: to respond to some of your additional information (dude you just go on and on); first, I agree with your take on prayer and the probability of coincidence. Personally it annoys me how some people seem to believe that Jesus is like some genie who grants wishes when you put your hands together (how debasing of an attitude is that for someone who is *supposed* to be a Supreme Being?). I also agree with your take on miracles as outlined in the Bible and how Jesus really isn't all that special among other historical figures in other religions like Buddha, Moses, Mohammad, etc. As for myself, I don't mean to try to portray myself as any more special or holy a person than the next guy because Lord knows I have my tragic flaws and I also can't judge another person's connection with the divine. I just think that I comparatively have a very well-developed process for my own exploration and growth and that very few people do the same, choosing instead to leap blindly on "faith" without truly comprehending the word. You say "there's a big difference between whether a religion is true and whether it's a good code for running one's life" but I would counter that you need to find a good code for your life so as to discover the truth of religion. In my mind and experience, the one leads to the other. In fact, all the historical figureheads of religion do the same (revelation through personal trial and introspection). This is going to sound EXTREMELY corny but it is a good yet accessible analogy in my mind: remember in The Matrix where Morpheus says that one cannot explain what the matrix is but that it must be experienced to be understood? The same holds true for Jesus, God, universal truth in general; I cannot explain to you why I know Jesus is God and Truth because we don't have a common enough spritual language with which to discuss it, and even if we did it may still not result in the ability to meaningfully dialogue the answer you are looking for. All I can do is to point to the path and help you make the journey and hope you have the strength and perserverence to see it through for yourself.

Oh and for the record, evolution and science are not mutually exclusive to faith and God. In fact Catholicism teaches that many stories in the Bible are just stories and that science does not contradict religion, but that religion has a place of guiding science with a sense of morality. In fact the Vatican is probably among the most progressive when it comes to sciences as they run many of the top astronomy labs and telescope arrays in the world. But most people don't know that and instead judge a religion by the wacked out zealots they encounter in the street. ;)

I'm so glad *answers* are not limited to 1000 characters at a time. ;P

Edit 4: maybe you'll read this before your next round of dealing with me. ;) I think the stumbling block you are hitting in finding your answer is in thinking that the answer is knowable through the mind. Now hear me out: the way I look at it, there are things that can be perceived by the logical mind and then there are things that are perceived by the emotional/spiritual mind's eye (or even that gut feeling). Now what you are striving for is a logical reason why Jesus is God from a classically mathematical point of view; you essentially want a proof. But could you expect someone to give you a written proof as to why the Mona Lisa is a great painting? Most people wouldn't dispute the greatness reflected in DaVinci's work but it can't be quantified in a logical sense. Instead you *feel* it with a different range of senses, just as humans do for all things pertaining to art. Can you tell me why you love things that you do? Why do you love your mother? I would say that knowing things in the realm of the divine also fall into this category of what I'll call "spiritual logic" where once you have exposed yourself to the various possibilities that one resonates on a spiritual level to a much higher degree than the others. This of course is why the journey is always important in all religions because it is only through self-exploration that we develop the senses necessary to truly know God in a meaningful way. Spiritual truth cannot be arrived at using the same methods as science and mathematics, which is where I feel you are having a problem and will always have a problem in trying to resolve the two.

But who knows...maybe my continuing journey will eventually lead me to to a higher truth that contradicts what I believe to be truth now. You could be right that Jesus may not be God (or maybe they are all God in one form or another and it is only mankind's ego that has inserted the need for one version to be exclusive over all others) but you don't actually believe this from any position of knowledge but from a lack of knowledge. This is why the journey is a integral part of finding the answer for anyone.

Answer 2

Well, I can really only tell you about my own experience. I'm not a theologian or anything, so I'm not sure how 'logical' or 'comparative' you will find it. But it's true.

I was raised in a christain family (a missionary family, actually), so I new the Way--intellectually. But I was always a questioner. Like you, I wondered about other religions. When I went to college and decided to major in philosophy, my dad was worried that it would make me question my faith. I told him that a faith that can't survive questioning, isn't worth having. (He understood.) I studied so many philosophies and religions. I actually practiced Buddhism for a couple of years.

But this is why I returned to the Way of Jesus: When I meditated for hours and hours and hours at a time, Buddha never responded to me with any sign or sense that I was on the right path. When I prayed, to God, at first it was the same thing, but as I really became more honest with God in my prayers, and acknowledged my deepest self (hopes, fears, dreams, loves, desires) ...he responded. Jesus responded. I hear his voice. I know it sounds really out there, but I hear him. I know he cares. And I know it's really cliche, but what can I say--it's true: I have an actual relationship with the one who created the universe.

Some churches can be very helpful (and some are less so) in your quest. Philosophy may be helpful or unhelpful. I actually have learned quite a lot from reading the writings of different Rabbis. Jesus was a practicing Jew, and he didn't find his Way to be contradictory to the Law of Moses and the Prophets. I do know that there is no shortcut to being painfully honest with yourself and your God.

I believe that anyone who honestly searches for relationship with God can find it. I'm not that special. If I can connect, then anyone can. I'm hoping the best for you.

Answer 3

Ok, I'm not going to be able to your question for a simple reason, you can't prove that any religion is false, mainly because it is extremely hard to prove that things don't exist at all, such as the Easter bunny, or aliens, ect.

I just had a suggestion, and a comment. If you want to find the truth so badly, maybe you should find it yourself, take your own advice and find what you think is true.

And a comment, I like the way you think, you don't tend to believe what people tell you without proving it first, your not afraid to ask questions, and you defend yourself using logic. You may want to consider a career in Computer Programming.

Good luck finding your truth, and a VERY well done question and responses.

Answer 4

I was raised in a Christian home, so it has pretty much been all I have ever known, although there were years when I did not participate or practice my faith. So I know how it feels to live both ways, and I know Christianity is all that will ever work for me. And when comparing to other beliefs, who profess to be THE only way, you just have to study, compare and believe in what works for you. There is no way to intellectually explain Christianity because it deals, at it's most basic level, with faith - you either believe or you don't. I believe God created the world and all that lives in it, that Jesus was his perfect son who came to fulfill His promise of redemption to a dying world, and that He is alive and active today. But that's what it takes: faith and belief - that's the only way it makes any sense.
The basic tenet of Christianity is the belief that Jesus Christ came to earth as a perfect man, God's son, born of a virgin,and was obedient to the Cross - He took on the sins of the world, died, laid in a tomb 3 days and was raised from the dead before going to Heaven. There are countless reports of this in letters from a physician (Luke), and others. There are also accounts in the Old Testament of God's intervention, deliverance and guidance before Christ's birth, all recorded by people who saw and experienced the stories they record. If we believe history books and accounts, written by people long dead & gone, who don't we believe the Bible - same thing.
After you accept Christ as your Savior & turn your heart/life over to Him, it's a matter of believing and faith. You either believe Him and the Bible, accepting them as truth (the Bible being the inspired word of God), or you don't. And there's a lot that seems unbelievable: walking on water, rising from the grave, all the healing & miracles. But as your relationship grows (by prayer, which is talking with Him, and studying the Bible, which is his way of communicating with us) and you get to "know" Him, life takes on a whole other dimension and He becomes more real.
His love is unconditional, His devotion to you unlike any you will find from mere mortals on earth, and His power overcomes everything we come up against. Doesn't mean, by any stretch of the imagination, that life becomes a cakewalk. The devil is alive and well, and life happens. But now you have an Answer, a Problem Solver, someone who sticks closer than a brother and will NEVER leave or forsake you.
Everyone has to answer that question for themselves. I just know that my life has been more hopeful, purposeful, peaceful and fulfilling living with Him than without. I am divorced, raised a child by myself, and have had really tough times, but in them I have found joy, peace, comfort and real answers to prayer that just are not explainable otherwise.
Bottom line: you either choose to believe or not. I respect those who believe otherwise, I just don't agree with them. And when you get to the question of Eternity and where you will spend it, if there is ANY truth to Hell, I'm gonna do whatever I have to do avoid it. Heaven sounds like a much better alternative to nothingness or eternal torment. That alone makes Christianity worth the choice to me, plus all the great fringe benefits :-)

Answer 5

You and I were created to live in a relationship with God. Until we find that relationship there will always be something missing in our lives. As a result, as I was (people) are aware of a gap, like an emptiness deep inside, like a chunk missing in our soul.

People try to fill this emptiness in various ways (as I used to). Some try to close the gap with money, success, work, music, sport, and although there may not be anything wrong with these things in themselves, they do not satisfy that hunger deep inside every human being.

Others try excess alcohol drugs or even sexual promiscuity, but they leave you feeling hollow afterwards.

Even the closest relationships, wonderful though they are, do not in themselves satisfy this emptiness deep inside. Nothing will fill this gap except the relationship with God for which we were made.

God satisfies my hunger for life beyond death.

Before I was a Christian I did not like to think about the subject of death, as most people don't. We all long to survive beyond death. Only in Jesus Christ do we find eternal life. For our relationship with God, which starts now, survives death and goes on into eternity.

He also satisfies my hunger for forgiveness. We all do things wrong, sometimes we do things of which we are deeply ashamed. More than that there is a self-centredness about our lives which spoils them.

By Jesus death on the cross He made it possible for us to be forgiven and brought back into a relationship with god. In this way He supplied the answer to my deepest need.

I know that Christianity is true because we can test its claims. It is based on historical faith, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. My faith is based on firm historical evidence.

Jesus is the centrepiece of our civilisation. After all, we call what happened before Him 'BC' and what happened after Him 'AD'

The evidence for the physical resurrection is very strong indeed. When the disciples went to the tomb they found that the grave clothes had collapsed and that Jesus' body was absent.

In the next 6 weeks, following, he was seen by over 500 people. The disciples' lives were transformed and the Christian Church was born, and then grew at a dynamic rate.

God has given me a plan and purpose for my life. As I look back over the years, I see that He has guided me and led me and made me into the person I am today. He has been with me through the most devastating of experiences, and I have learned to trust Him more as the years have gone by. He is a faithful God.

Answer 6

I asked this same question once on a Christian message board, and after 20 pages of responses, could not get one, good solid answer. The huge flaw with Christianity is that you are to believe in its major tenets SOLELY ON FAITH. Other religions do that, as well, but when someone asks, "Why do I have to have faith in your religion?", the other religions reply, "You don't. Go find the one you want to have faith in." And that makes everyone happy. Christianity doesn't respond this way. And that's when people get upset, get confused and get lost. My friend, Christianity is not for you; you've seen through the BS and want something else. Go on, worship Shiva or Vishnu or Allah or whomever you want to. And, if you do feel that Jesus is the one for you, check out modern Gnostic Christianity. It's still around and is the way all Christianity should be.

Btw, the Bible is not historically correct or any of that garbage; if it were, we'd probably be using it as history books, wouldn't we? Do some research if you want to know more.

Answer 7

Most likely because your question is about Jesus? Please realize that the offered answers are just offerings, you can ignore them if you so please, but why? Don't you realize that your questioning a faith system, not an individuals belief? There is a difference; we all can believe that the police will enforce the speed laws, even while others around us are going twenty miles an hour over that speed limit, but not everyone has the faith to believe it, and will follow the faster vehicle never noticing their speed. One day, I was doing this and the policeman passed me by after I pulled over to get the original speeder, but not all police officers are so diligent, however I digress, can you see how beliefs and faiths are different now?

Answer 8

This is difficult question for a believer to answer even though most believers don't know this. It's like asking how do you know the sky is blue or that the sun is going to come up in the morning. I believe because I have experienced the reality of an interaction with the creator.
Why should you believe?
Peace, happiness, love, belonging, satisfaction, forgiveness.

Why Jesus?
He is only one that can and has done what is necessary to make these a reality.

How do I know this? I have experience in a way that is not likely to be a delusion.
You seem to be honestly searching and if you are keep it up with an open heart and you will find what you are looking for. I hope this the type of answer you are looking for but you know and I know the medium is limited. I hope I haven't waisted you time.

Answer 9

what you have told me through your questions and answers you dont know what to believe but you are not open to other peoples personal experences. you have made it kind of hard to this answer but ill do it.
jesus came from heaven to save us all from our sins. i kno that from this sentance you are allready thinking that "how do i kno that this is true" well you dont, not yet. so please keep reading. all the stories in the bible talk of a man called jesus and as far as most people kno this is all just a myth. but it is not a myth not according to me.scientest have found proof that some of the stories in the bible are true, but i said some and still why should you believe??
why not believe?? we have to face it some of us are going to go to hell but im pretty convinced it wont be me. think of it this way have you ever met a christian that has been depressed or thinking about commiting suicide??? i havent. but think about all the poor muslims or budists dont they all seem sad or depressed about somthing ? now i dont kno why they are sad but i have a pretty good guess. look at all the rules they have to follow i mean its called a RELIGEON for a reason...rules. me as a christian i dont have a religeon i have a relationship with the one jesus that there is and ever will be. so many things in my life have changed as i get closer and closer to the one called Jesus. event if there isnt a god my life has changed dramaticly since i have "met" him. my point is that why shouldnt you believe, some of us are going to go to hell rathar we like it or not. but if you can live your life always feeling sincere were you are going after you die is it not worth believeing?

Answer 10

Jesus, Zeus, Thor all are NOTHING compared to Vishnu or Shiva, trust me. Read some Hindu mythology it's fascinating and you'll agree that it is much more complex, interesting, and involved then any other group of gods. Christianity is not the answer. Why do you think christian missionaries are all over the world trying to convert others??? They are insecure and feel that if other's convert then they will have accomplished something or done something with a purpose. Hinduism on the other hand doesn't actively try and convert anyone. It is such a relaxing religion, the requirements aren't many or complex, and you don't have to go to temple every sunday maybe a few times a month, and during religious festivals. VISHNU,SHIVA,BRAHMA before all others.......

Answer 11

Looking through your question it seems that no matter what any person has to say you'll have a reason why it is not good enough.

So I say this, no person can answer your question. Nothing a person could say could change your opinion on why you should believe.

Revelation, wisdom, insight, from the Holy Spirit may answer your question. So, pray, and be open to whatever answer comes to you. ^_^. ... If that's what you happened to be doing before coming here >> << >> ^^;;;; oops X3; In the end we were given free will, believe what you wish. If Christ appeals to you more than the rest that's your own decision to make. You can listen to books worth of people's opinions and stories, but it'll be the Holy Spirit that touches your heart.

God bless ^_^.
~Kuma