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[RLunde]

There are lots of religions in the world. What makes you say Christianity is the only true one?

[jimwalton]

Ah, many religions in the world. It seems like it’s all a matter of “he-said, she-said.” Anybody can say whatever they want, can’t they? “I think there’s reincarnation!” “I say there’s one God.” “I say there are lots of gods.” “I say all the gods are the same!” Dude, anybody can say anything they darn well please. Who’s to ever know? “The gods brought rain.” “No they didn’t. That cloud did!” We never get to see Anybody, and God’s work in the world is so non-existent and totally subjective that it’s all a game of who’s cup is the marble under. Since nobody ever gets to see the marble, nobody ever knows, now, do they? That’s why skeptics say to religious folks, “You’re all a bunch of delusional idiots.” And religious folks say to skeptics, “Have fun in hell.” And this is productive conversation?

In the olden days, any conquering army would say, “Our God is going to give us victory,” and the city quaking in fear would say, “Our God will protect us,” and whoever won made sacrifices to their God. Well, that didn’t convince anybody, since every city, every empire, every army had their share of winning and losing. And as far as praying to the gods for crops, rain, babies, food, and what have you, it was all up for grabs as times of plenty and abundance alternated with each other. Nobody could ever tell anything about the nature of the gods, or whose religion was true or right. Whatever. Believe whatever you want.

That is, until Jesus showed up on the scene. What happened around this guy was not a matter of he-said she-said. Everybody knew stuff was happening. Nicodemus in John 3.1: “You’re doing stuff we can’t understand, but we know it’s not from earth.” They had to make up reasons for what was happening, because what was happening was objective and obvious, so they said, “You’re doing this by the power of the devil.” Some said it was from God. Wherever it was from, it was undeniable that it was happening. And Jesus made claims: “It’s from my Father. My Father and I are one.”

It’s all just whatever you want to believe, until this guy changes the game and says, “OK, just to prove to you that there is a God, and that it’s me, I’m going to come back from the dead.” Well, now we got game. Anybody who can do that has my attention. I’ve done many funerals, but a guy rising out of his casket would have my instant attention. Now in this particular case Jesus predicted it, and said that it would be a proof of his teachings and his self-identity as God.

The keypin is the resurrection. I’ve studied it and studied it, looking at historical references, the weight of the evidence in a legal setting, and the options of what all could have happened there. If a guy can come back from the dead, he gets my vote, and yes, that means the others don’t get elected. Oh, they have plenty of religious experiences, and quite valid ones at that. And the other religions—Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism—are packed full with truth. But they’re not true. The guy who resurrected wins, because now it’s not just, “Well I think…blah blah blah.” This guy CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD. That trumps what’s in your hand, no matter what it is. That’s the reason Christianity is true over the others, because the ante has been upped, and though the other players haven’t folded, the game’s over.