the problem with believing in christianity......?

Question

is that...

about 50% of christians don't even really know near enough about the faith it self to accurately defend it from skepticism,

another 45% know or understand a few of the christian apologetical arguments, but still grossly suspend reason because of their will to believe.

and about 5% of christians are earnest and intellectually honest enough to answer skeptical dissent moderately compitently, yet the issue remain wildly contentious.

and every single one of them think that christianity is very credible.

i think that is silly.

yes/no?

Answer 1

Well, that's true enough. I suppose every person following any religion is guilty of the same thing. Muslims, apparently, can follow their religion very loosely and still call themselves Muslim. I am Christian, though I was once Catholic. My early training was intense and I'm glad of it, because when I moved away from the Church I had to decide what was the good in it, and what the bad. I ended up with the simple idea of leading a life Jesus would call good. And I thing that's where most people are. It's not everyone who can sit down and read the Bible or Erasmus or Aquinus. And merely going to church on Sundays feels so inadequate, since we live our lives by the hour, by the day, and with family and co-workers - no match at all for the "spiritual" atsmosphere in a church or mosque. In my fairly long life I have come to see that there is tremendous good in most people, that all great religions have the same moral base, the same codes to live by. And I think most people realize that. Furthermore, it all has little to do with proving the existence of God or the verifiablility of scriptures, and everything to do with our quest for a meaningful journey though life for our soul.

Answer 2

“Always ready to make a defense before everyone that demands of you a reason for the hope in you, but doing do together with a mild temper and deep respect.”—1 Pet. 3:15.

Of these Christians, and according to this Bible translator, even of newly baptized ones, Peter expected that they be always ready to make a defense and give good reasons for the hope in them. So 1 Peter 3:15 applies to Christians, and they must all fulfill the divine requirement of defending successfully their hope.

I do agree that alot of christians when asked a question regarding their faith merely answer with "have faith or just believe" but you can hardly blame them becuase the majority of their church leaders do not really promote questions, and when asked they say the same thing.

If you dont know the answers then find out, the apostle paul said, keep testing whether you are in the faith, keep proving what you yourselves are". If you believe because a pastor says you should just have faith, then that isnt enough, you should prove it to yourself by reading the bible, studying it. The bible encourages us to delve into Gods word. The problem is that many churches teach commans of men as doctrines and cannot explain these doctrines..ie TRINITY, IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL. These are not scriptual doctrines but come from men so how can they be backed up with scripture.

If people want to know the truth about what the bible teaches and to be able to make a defense

www.watchtower.org

Answer 3

Prior to the schism this was not true. Jesus Christ formed His Church through his apostles. Judeo Christianity is the only religion that is historical and factual. It doesn't depend on blind faith for the fundamental beliefs. The Scriptures came about 300 years after the Church was formed by Christ and His apostles. The Scriptures confirm who we are in Christ and not the other way around. No such thing as "Sola Scriptura." Their is so much dissension from people due to a lack of understanding the historical Christian Church. Most western, protestant, well meaning, evangelical bible believing Christians have no understanding of the New Testament Church that has been preserved for over 2000 years. Jesus Christ is LORD and God. Everybody can continue bashing her, but the gates of hell shall not prevail.

Answer 4

Unfortunately some of your comments are true...

50% of people who consider themselves "Christian" have never opened their Bible and go to church once or twice a year. That's like me saying I am the President because I toured the White House once.

Most Christians haven't studied apologetics, either because they never had an interest, or they never had a need. Similarly most human beings haven't studied Physiology or Organic Chemistry, but their bodies still work just fine.

As I have written before, everything in the world takes a leap of faith, because no one is capable of knowing everything. The only difference is that the Christian puts his faith in God, the atheist puts his faith in his own limited existence and understanding, and the agnostic either puts his faith in nothing or in everything...

So who is being silly?

Answer 5

I don't need to know as much as you think I do. There have been many people before me that have defended my faith for a very long time. No, I am not an apologist, but I do trust them, and when I hear them I can understand what they are saying. What about the Christian who just became a Christian? How much about their faith are they suppose to know? How much is anyone suppose to know about their faith. The argument that you make could be said about any faith. So, are we to believe that your problem with Christians is the problem with everybody?

Answer 6

The credibility of something in and of itself has nothing to do with the understanding of those who follow it. It is true that people are at different places in their spiritual quest. I think that this must be true for all religions. We see it most on this list in the Christians because they are the most vocal. But I would suspect that the same is true for members of all religions. And I think that the 5% are also there in all religions and when they sit down and talk to each other it is a different type of exchange than we see on this forum. This is because the wise ones of each religion share a common wisdom from a common source.

Answer 7

I think the neocons, who courted the religious right, in order to get elected, have affected the view most people have of Christians. I am a Christian and I guess some Christians would say I'm not a good one, but I believe in live and let live and let God be the judge. I figure everybody has enough trouble living the right kind of life themselves. Jesus said, "Don't judge lest ye be judged." That means mind your own business. Some of them don't see it that way.

Answer 8

I'm wondering where you got those statistics, although on the surface I would have to think you are close to being to correct. I hope I fall within that 5%. I happen to think that it is not silly. I'm sorry that you make your life goal to disprove christianity. well, I am simply assuming due to they content of your posts. You may desire to climb mount everest. Anyways, I would have to disagree with your conclusion that it is silly. I have heard many arguments on why one might think it is. However, it comes down to a philisophical argument on why or why not you believe it. I have just as much of an argument to believe in God as you do to not believe in Him. God made it that way, so it would be a choice. Not only to believe, but then to serve as well. I'm not going to go into my reasons since I want to sleep tonight. Plus you didn't really explain why you thought it was silly. Short answer:No

Answer 9

It's like they never found the reality-based world and still look for explanation the way children do, in a world of make believe and fantasy.

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Hey Paulywog -

I think you mean the date Sunday 23 October 4004 BC as determined by James Ussher (1581-1656) , Archbishop of Armagh, and Primate of all Ireland, also known as Jacobus Usserius, Archiepiscopus Armachanus, Totius Hiberniae Primas. This date for the creation of the earth was incorporated into an authorized version of the Bible printed in 1701, fifty years after his death. Sir John Lightfoot later determined that it was at nine o'clock in the morning (he did not specify which time zone that might be).


I find it interesting that God created the earth in time to catch the early NFL game. Then, when all the Christians started bugging him on Sundays he had to invent Monday Night Football.

Are you aware that Adam and Eve were driven form the garden of Eden on Monday 10 November 4004 BC?

However, if you notice the time of year this all took place, I think it is more reasonable to conclude that God did not evict them, but that they just went shopping for clothes because they were freezing their butts off being homeless and naked in winter.

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Louise J -

I apologize for not excluding decent Christians in my answer. However, you guys really need to do something about the Paulywogs in your flock.

Cheers,
Gary

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BigPappa -

Exactly what is the 'reasoned' basis for the sexual exploitation and rape of children by catholic holy men? You are not terribly well-educated, are you? I didn't think so.

Answer 10

The thing that I like about christianity is that you dont have to know alot about it. Man, you dont need to know anything except that you sin. If you know that you sin, you can be a christian. God did not send his son down for us to explain it to you, He sent Him to forgive us. Either you accept his forgivness or you dont. I fyou want to learn more about chrisianity, go to church, where you can talk to a man who probably knows more about it than the avereage christian. Put it this way: I wouldnt ask a high school science nerd some super complex question about molecular structure, but I would ask a chemist. The chemist went to school, and is paid to know all he knows, much like a pastor. Not all christians go to bible school , there fore not all christians have all the answers you are looking for.