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

Question

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

Answer 1

I believe in Jesus because of my faith. Through Jesus I have found peace and joy. My faith in HIM proves to me through what HE does in my life that HE is real. When I pray, I get results! When I seek HIM and read the Bible (the Bible being the Only infalliable Word of God) I find the words written come to life in my life and I see the results in the lives of others. I will not quote scriptures to you as you've asked. And I will not tell you why you should believe in Jesus and not in Zeus and Vishnu. Instead I will tell you why I believe and that's because not only by what someone else has told me but because of my own spiritual life and praying and fasting and believing ... I see Jesus working! He has done so much for me .... "I just can't tell it all!" : )







You are looking for an answer that suits you. You can't tell people what to tell you and what not to tell you.

Answer 2

Wow, what a great question. Here's my answer:



I was raised in a household where no one believes in God, or Jesus, or anything of the sort. In fact, we never even discussed it. But somehow I just always knew about God. I just...knew. Keep in mind that I did grow up in Canada, so it's possible I picked things up at school or from TV, but I don't think any of these things is persuasive enough to give me a sure knowledge of God's existence.



I didn't go to church, but somehow I heard about baptism when I was about eight years old. I drew myself a bath, and asked God to make my bathtub a place I could be baptized. I didn't know any fancy words, all I knew was that baptism involved going underwater so you could be a part of God's family. And at the age of 8 I knew that was what I wanted.



When I was 16 I arrived on the scene of a grisly accident. Some children had been riding in the bed of a pickup truck when it was T-boned at the intersection by my house in rural Ontario. My neighbours called me out because in a town of 217 people, I was the only one with a first aid certificate. And it takes an ambulance half an hour to reach us.



The first little boy I got to had blood around his mouth. He wasn't breathing. Still, my training said that I couldn't give him nouth to mouth for fear of infectious diseases. So I wracked my brain trying to come up with any other way to save this boy's life, when suddenly a thought came to me. I gathered the crowd around the boy, and asked his in-shock-but-still-coherent sister what his name was. When she told me "Brahm", I got everyone around me to start "calling him back". We did it for about 30 seconds, which may not sound long, but it sure feels long when a child isn't breathing. Then, with a sound that made my heart leap, he coughed. Long story short--he lived. His lung was punctured, his spleen was punctured, and his ribs were broken, among other things. But he lived. And had God not given me the idea to call him back, he wouldn't have lived--guaranteed. And I can't imagine coming up with such a silly idea on my own and having the cahones to ask people to do it with me unless I was sure it would work. I'm so thankful it did.



At this point, I wasn't even going to church yet.



Lots of other things started happening shortly thereafter, and it seemed clear to me that a god of some kind was in charge of things. Since I'd felt such a connection earlier in life with the God who suggested baptism, I went to a church to learn more.



The people of this church were good Christians. They praised my curiosity, but at the same time warned that if I didn't agree or didn't truly believe the things they taught, that I should be sure to research other religions as well. They firmly believe that education is the key to belief.



Isn't that a strange concept? Education about something that can never be proven is the key to believing in it?



But they were right. I learned a lot about God, and then looked into some other religions to learn what they were about, and what they were founded on. I believe in God, and His Son, Jesus, because they want what's best for everyone (even though some Christians don't seem to get that message). While it's not always easy to do what's right, it's easier when you know that it makes God smile.



I have moved since I first started going to church, and I found another one that's great. They preach love and acceptance above all else. They teach the bible alongside modern literature and historical accounts. They value education. They even offer to help people find a church that suits them if they don't like ours. (Which goes to show you that it is not about making money, as some people would suggest.) Their tagline is "A church for people who aren't into church."



Anyhow, that's my story about how I came to believe in the Christian God. I hope you enjoyed it, but I also hope you got my point. You shouldn't believe in a deity or way of life without researching its genesis, "rules", ideas, and practical applications. If you don't believe in the same God as me, I wish you luck in finding one that suits life better.

Answer 3

It will take an act of God to find people willing to read all that...especially people here, on Yahoo Answers.

Answer 4

i think you will cause all of the christian brains to over load with this question

Answer 5

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 6

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 7

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 8

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 9

As a Christian, I believe that Jesus was truly crucified for my sake, so that I may have eternal life. That's part of my faith. I'm not sure how to answer your question without saying, its faith. Because having faith means believing that Jesus IS Lord and that he DIED for you and me.



But I understand how you feel about other religions and not knowing which to believe. I've briefly studied other religions such as Hinduism, Judaism, and Islam *(along with others)* and I've run across the same question. I can't force my beliefs on you and that's not what I'm here to do. In my eyes, as long as you believe in a god or Deity, you will be saved. I think that all religions originated in the same place, but separated. I'd like to use the analogy of a tree. All branches are connected, either directly or indirectly, to the trunk. Each branch is a different religion, but the trunk is the base, where each religion can unite with their similarities. I'm not sure if that answers your question, but I hope it at least helped. Good luck.

Answer 10

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 11

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 12

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 13

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 14

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 15

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 16

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

Answer 17

I get the impression you are a very left-brained person. Could be wrong. I don't think you're ready for a full answer yet. If you haven't read the Book of Mormon yet, you might try that in addition to studying ancient Jewish culture. Yeah, I know the Bible seems to contradict itself, which is why I am reading W. Cleon Skousen's commentaries on it to make more sense of it. I suggest that you practice engaging in right-brained activities and work on simplifying the way you think. Have a happy day!

Answer 18

I have no reason, nor intention to believe any other religion. There is a song entitled "You Chose Me" and it says "My heart would still reject you if you hadn't chosen me". I had no reason to believe in Christianity, but there is a quote about that, too. Yes, I know you said "just because someone says something doesn't make it truth", but when the Lord is speaking through them, then it does. Anyways, the quote is "I would not walk across this stage to tell you about my religion, Christianity, but I would crawl on my hands and knees through broken glass to Hell and back to tell you about the love of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ." The reason I live for Him, is because He died for me. I once thought I had no purpose in this life, until He showed me otherwise. He has given me more than I could have ever asked for, and all I can do is give everything I can to him. Muhammhed and Buddah and all of those other DEAD HUMANS that people worship never gave me anything. I owe them nothing. Christ DIED for me (notice how I keep saying FOR ME in response to the "TO YOU" that you asked for). Because He died for me, I am living for Him. I'm sorry that you can't see what He's already done for you, but I will pray for you. God (and no other) bless.

Answer 19

I think a person can be any religion that he or she wants to as long as they believe in God. Answer this question to yourself, how did you come to be if there was no God to create you?. I am not trying to push anything down your throat but if you don't find God in your heart and believe in him through faith then you will die and go to hell and it will be on you and no one else. Zeus and other gods like him are purely myth, and reading books will tell you that they are myth. God on the other hand is not a myth he is very real and so is Jesus his son who died on a cross so that you and I could be born again in FAITH so that when we do die we will live eternally and not burn in hells fires. I certainly hope and pray that you come to believe in the Lord because if you don't then you will never know true love and peace in your heart. I believe in God because I can feel him in my heart and soul and every fiber of my being, and I know I have a lot to look forward to when the time comes for me to die and go to meet him. As far as atheist goes, if you really think they don't believe in God then wait until they come to the end of there life and see who they call on. All I can truly say to you is I will pray for you and hope you receive God in your heart and then you will understand what people are talking about when they say by faith they believe.

Answer 20

You seem to be searching for truth The bible teachs that if you search with a true heart you will find...Why Christ as opsosed to other gods because of the basic of the gospel all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God...If this is true and you assume that the creator would be holy as he created every idea we have about holiness and righteousness than God who is perfect can not simply over look sin or be in agreement with it this would call for atonement...and who could atone for sin? a man a perfect man? no all men have fallen short and the death of any mortal man would only atone for his own sin. an angel? no angels too are creation therefore falible...only God himself can atone for the sins of man and that was and is Jesus Christ.

Answer 21

Consider this. It is historically accepted that Jesus existed and claimed to be who He is. Therefore, there are three logical explanations as to whether or not Jesus is who He claims to be. He could have been intentionally lying, but that wouldn't make much sense, considering the message he dedicated his life to. He could have been crazy and thought He was God, but his deep wisdom seems to be enough to discredit that theory. Or he could have been telling the truth, and He is God. I hope this is the answer you were looking for.

Answer 22

First of all, history proves that Jesus lived. If you read the historian book by Josephus you will find mention of Jesus. Secondly, of all the prophecies in the Old Testament, you will find as you read the New Testament that Jesus fulfilled all of these prophecies exept the one where He returns in glory. The percentage of one person fulfilling even 3 of these prophcies is something like a billion to one. Jesus fulfilled 108 prophecies. You seem like an intelligent person. Why not read the bible for your self and ask God for guidance as you read and I am sure He will open your heart and mind to the truth if you are really sincere in knowing the answers.

Answer 23

that is probably the most clearly thought out "prove that there is a God" question that I have seen on Yahoo Answers...





I ask Christan's if they truly believe that God exists or if they believe because they were instructed to believe as Children. I have YET to receive an answer that isn't straight out of the bible.

Answer 24

I have read your responses to the answers given you. It seems that you don't want an answer; you want to argue. You say that the Bible cannot be believed because it cannot be verified. Well, if you want to use that argument, neither can the scripture for Hindu, Buddhism, Islam, and many of the other religions that have sacred texts. It may interest you to know that the Koran mentions Jesus as well as the patriarchs--Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As for your question, you will have to stop thinking about religion and start thinking in terms of faith. Even an athiest has faith that there is no god. I believe that Jesus really came to earth. I believe that He is the only One who could atone for my sins and that He did just that. He told the Pharisees of his time "If you do not believe the I Am, you are dead in your sin." He used the name of Yehweh when he said "I Am". The Pharisees knew exactly what he meant.

Take a look at the gospel of Luke. Luke was a Greek. He became a believer and wrote his gospel to another gentile named Theophilus. He states in his introduction that he had researched the stories about Jesus. That means that he went and talked to people who saw the miracles and heard the preaching and the parables. You might consider doing the same. Put yourself to work and read a few books outside the Bible. Evidence that Demands a Verdict is a good choice because the author set out to prove that Christianity was false and ended by accepting Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Another good one is No Wonder They Call Him the Savior by Max Lucado. The novel, Ben Hur, was also written by someone who set out to prove Christianity false and ended as a believer. The Case for Christ was written by a journalist who decided to look at the evidence for and against Jesus being the Messiah. The author, Lee Strobel considered himself an athiest. He also set about investigating the claims of christianity just as he would any other story. The investigation changed his life too.



In the end, religion is nothing. Faith is everything. Instead of arguing with people who have tried honestly to answer you, get out and do some research on your own. Christianity does not ask you to give all your money to the leader of the group or let the leader sleep with your daughter. Christianity asks only one thing and promises everything. The Lord askes us to believe. He promises to cleanse us of our sins, to be with us in good times and in bad, to prepare a place for us in His kingdom. He also promises us lives of difficulty and challenge. He told his followers that "...they will hate because they hated Me first. They will persecute you because they persecuted Me." He tells us that, to follow Him, we must take up our crosses daily. He does not promises us lives of ease in this world because we are not of this world.

You should also look at what His contemporaries said about Him and, yes, you will have to go to the Bible to do that. Put aside your prejudices and take a look. You might be surprised. "Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed which are not written in this book, but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may be saved." (John20:30:31). Take a look at the entire third chapter of John. The first 21 verses quote Jesus talking about being reborn, hence the phrase "born-again christian." Finally, I would recommend reading some of Paul's letters, especially Romans. Now there was a man with a track record of unbelief. He had impeccable credentials: born into the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised on the eighth day, trained in the Law. He spend his early career persecuting the chrisians and believed that he was doing God's will. Then he had an encounter with Jesus as the risen Lord and it changed his life. He became the apostle to the gentiles. He was beaten, imprisoned, run out of town, harrassed from one town to the next, persecuted, possibly had a near-death experience, and finally martyred for his beliefs. He wrote to the Corinthians "For if the dead are not raised , your faith is worthless; you are still in your sin. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied." (1 Corinthians 15:16-19) Paul also writes, "...that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heard man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses , resulting in salvation." (Romans 10:9-10)

You asked why you should believe in Jesus instead of Zeus or Vishnu, or Buddha, or Mohammed. I have tried to show you some reasons; but, in the end, it will be what you choose to believe, and it will have everything to do with faith. I will be praying for you. May the God of the universe open the eyes of your heart and let the truth shine in.

Answer 25

Ok, I'm trying very hard to understand exactly what you're asking and I hope I help somewhat. I can only speak on what I believe and why I believe Jesus is Lord. I believe that, unlike Vishnu or Zeus (who is a myth, by the way), that Jesus was sent down as a human being so that He could truly and honestly show us that He understood what it was like to be human and be tempted. There is no question that Jesus was real...even those who don't believe He was the Messiah, know He was a real person. It IS by faith, that we believe Jesus is the Messiah. However, the miracles performed by Jesus are fact and written as such. He is not just a deity that was never seen or never touched or never suffered. He was a man, born as a human, lived as a man and died AS A MAN. He did this to know what it was truly like to be weak and defenseless, as we are. I hope this answers your question. God bless!

Answer 26

I remember what our Pastor ould always tell those who have doubts about Christ. Would you believe that everything(including you) was an accident? You have to believe that there's a Creator, a Designer behind all of these. The greatest evidence of Christianity is the life of Christ, where He performed miracles and He resurrected.

God bless you. :-)

Answer 27

Well ok hear me out the christianity is true because the bible says its true and I know the bible is true because

1It was written by at least 40 diffrent men and yet it fits together

2 It was written over a span of 1500 years and fits

3People witnessed the events and recorded them

4It is Historically correct

Answer 28

First thing is the Holy Bible exists! What more proof do you want? If you believe in the Bible which is God's word, Jesus' word, then you will start to comprehend what is being said. I've witnessed it. My whole family isn't churchgoing, I asked my friend about church b/c I wanted to learn about Jesus and God, the truth. I asked God for that. I've always been a believer, but never as strong as I am now. Me and my friend are best friends and that bond came from the love of God. To believe in Him just seems natural for me. I don't think about other religions b/c I know that there is only one true religion. I know it's hard to understand, I'm still trying to understand it, but the thing is to believe is to understand and vice versa. It's very important. In the book of John you'll find that it says "anyone who is not been baptised will not enter the kingdom of God." If that doesn't scare you then, this will... Anyone who isn't a true, faithful, consistent believer, will be thrown into the lake of fire. (Hell). that means on Judgement Day you willstand before God and he will have the BOOK OF LIFE and if you're name isn't in there, then you'll will go to hell. If you want to live eternally in the most WONDERFUL PLACE EVER then yes believe in Jesus. In fact ask him to help guide you to him. I promise you, that he will. He will not turn down anyone who asks for help and lets him into your heart. First step: Ask him to save you, meaning: ask him to come into your heart and yours to his, admit that he is the one who died for you, (only if you believe this, otherwise it would be false.) You have to feel him with you. You need to have a deeper relationship with God, and just tell him everything, ask for forgiveness, b/c YOU ARE A SINNER! Everyone of us are. It's up to us to decide where we want to go in the afterlife, but it is really God's decision. If you truly believe in him you will fear him, b/c if you did something totally wrong, you'd be scared for his anger with you. Back to being saved, it's between you and the Lord, you will know when you're saved, when you just believe in him and not question things that happen. It's in God's Will. Everthing is.

All those other beliefs like Mormonism, Catholicism, Budhism, and ect. are not real. They were created from man's thoughts. I go to a Southern Baptist church and I know that this church is right for me b/c i feel comfortable. Everyone is so nice, not fake nice. I love it the pastor is great. God used my best friend to get to me to bring me to church, to bring me to him. I witnessed that. And this is before I was saved. My church goes only with the Bible.

Spend some time with a Teen study bible b/c it will be easier to understand than the hard to understand version.

Spend some prayer time with God.

Get to know him.

Stop thinking about the other weird religions and go for Christianity.

It's the only way to happiness.

Believe me, b/c I pray about lots a things and most of the time they're answered.

You've got to know that you need help[. You can't do things on your own. Admit that to God

If this doesn't help you, I can only pray for you and hope good will come of it.

Sometimes God doesn't always answer all of my prayers b/c it's not in his will.

Save your soul. don't be thrown in the lake of fire. The Devil is scarier than anything you'll face on this earth. Believe it that exorcisms do occur, and that the use of Holy water (which is blessed by the pope or pastor) is what makes the evil stop along with prayer.

Oh ya Jesus really did resurrect! Read it in the Bible.

God Bless You.

Answer 29

Wow, that a lot, i didnt finish, sorry



God is Real because ive seen Him work in lives around me including mine, i have seen the effects of God as i see the effects of the wind.



i dont beleive in any other God because they have eyes and cant see, mouths and cant talk, ears and cant hear, theyre God is dead, while mine is alive and well

Answer 30

I'll keep it simple here. 1st zeus was mythological....



Most important, out of ALL the religions, Christianity has the ONLY risen Savior. Christ came back from the dead. This is documented and witnessed by over 500 people over 30 days before His ascension into Heaven.

Answer 31

So many to choose from ... the ancient world was full of "christs" ...



Try http://www.medmalexperts.com/POCM/getting_started_pocm.html



Check out the picture of Dionysus on the cross.

Answer 32

Jesus died for your sins so that you can go to heaven provided that you believe what I am saying. That is why you should believe in Jesus!

Answer 33

Jehovah's Witnesses teach the truth from the bible.



Learn more:

http://watchtower.org

Answer 34

You may be over thinking this problem.



It really dosn't matter.



Everything that exists exists because God chose to creat it. What we call This creator God Is a function of the language we speak and the unique mythology we were raised with.



God is God no matter what we chose to name Her.

Answer 35

Christianity is true because Christ proved it all when He rose from the dead.

Answer 36

Christianity is just the most popular religion here and now. If you were born in Iran, you would believe the Koran, but you weren't.



There is nothing to prove christianity is any better than the polytheism of the ancient world. You need faith to believe in either.

Answer 37

hi,

sorry that i can't read all your question because I had kind of reading disabilty.

you might need to try "Allah" if you wish.

and i donate my pointes for this answer to you.

Answer 38

Okay, Religion is something, and the Truth is something else. There are alot of religions out there. But the Truth is the truth. Let me explain. Where do we get all of the knowledge that we have of God and man from? Hm? The BIBLE! Heaven and Hell are real places. You either go to one of the two.

In order to get to heaven (when you die, or if Jesus comes back before then) you must believe in Jesus Christ, and have faith that He will save you and take you to heaven when you die. Yes, it is by faith. It is by faith that we believe the Bible. It's by faith that Catholics believe in Mary. It's by faith that Muslims believe in the Koran, or whatever book that is. We would not know anything of God, about God, about heaven, about hell, about angels, about people in the Bible, or anything like that if it wasn't for the Bible. Think about it. Other religions either make something up and put it in a book, or they take what's in the Bible and twist it all around. Of course, you can believe in anything you want! But, if you believe in Jesus Christ (God) and put your trust in Him, and ask Him to forgive you of your sins and take you to heaven when you die, and repent (of your sins), you will be saved. Saved from hell and Satan and his angels. It's a free gift.

There is proof that the Bible is true. Historical evidence, geological evidence, scientific evidence, etc... They have found pieces of the ark on Mt. Ararat! Okay, we would know nothing of the flood or where the ark landed if it wasn't for the Bible! Every single prophecy has been fulfilled about Jesus, and His coming is all that we are waiting for. Just recently, scientist discovered that some dirt (or some material from a planet) was made in something-something-something of a second!!! When God said the word, it was created! How do we know that? Because the Bible says so!!! That's why "Christianity" (not referring to any religions!!!) is true!!! That's why Jesus saves! That why the stupid THEORY (not even proof) of evolution is false! Even Darwin- the dude that "thought it up"-said he was wrong and he couldn't prove that evolution was true!!!! All it is now is ...this is what people want to believe and if it's wrong, they don't care, they'll believe it anyway. It takes as much faith to believe in Greek gods and evolution as it does in the Bible. But, see, God made it easy for us. He wants us to believe by faith, but He's given us earthly proof as well (that the Bible is true and every single word and punctuation) just to make it more simple.

Zeus and all these other gods are just things made up. Millions of people worship these things, these idols (made by man-here's another thing, why would man want to worship something lower than him? I mean, he made the thing!) But, what people don't realize is that they are trusting in wooden and material things to save them. They sacrifice themselves, babies....you name it. When all it is is a free gift. He died for us so we can go to heaven, He did it for us!!! But people think it's harder, it can't be that simple. Now, billions of people are dying and going to hell b/c they believe in some god. And you ask yourself, well, how can all these people know the truth? They don't have the Bible or anything! That's why Christ commands us to go spread the gospel to the world. The entire world. How will these natives in Africa, or the communists in China ever know about Him and how He can save?!!!! We need to go tell them. That's why there are missionaries who go through years and years of learning a language just to tell people about Jesus and what he did for them. It is just as important to tell our neighbors and our co-workers the same!!!

I hope you will believe in Christ and accept Him as your Savior. I would have quoted scripture, but you requested me not to. Please believe and trust in Him.

Autumn

16

I ahd to go back and edit. I read most of your replies. I'm sure God just feels like vomiting right now. The very idea! For one, the reason why the Bible is correct, and I mean accurate, is that holy men of God wrote the Bible as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Now, you don't have this obviously b/c you're not a Christian, but when you get saved the Holy Spirit lives inside you. He convicts you when you sin and you ask for forgiveness. And God will forgive. He is so holy that He cannot look on man b/c of sin. He HAS to have Jesus in order to forgive us. Jesus died so that we can go directly to God and pray (talk to HIm).

You talk about Christians having circular resoning?!! Ha! YOU are believing in circular resoning. Evolution is false and was made up by man. How could anyone deny their own creator?! I'm sure God is so broken that His own creation despises Him.

The reason why people, like you, don't want to believe in God, is that they want to piddle in their own sin and they want to do whatever they want to and not have anyone there to have to give an account for. They don't want to be accountable for their own sins. They like it! Hey, I like to sin, and I do, but I am convicted and ask God to forgive me. Now, I don't lose my salvation. But, sin is only fun for a season. The devil makes it look soooo good and innocent and fun and inviting, and, sad to say, he wins a majority of the time.

I just can't believe you, and I'm not going to argue any more, I don't have to. Don't mean to rub it in, but I have the Truth, and you don't. Sure! You may have web sites and all these articles and "evolutional evidence" (which, by the way, is no such thing) but, I have what counts, and in the end, at the Judgment seat of Christ, I might see you go before God, and you know what he'll say? Oh, but He won't say this to me. "Depart from me ye worker of iniquity, for I never knew you." Ah! He created you, how could He not know you?! You refused Him. Jesus says, "Come." But you refuse. Think about it. Sounds like you already have your mind made up. But, I beg you, please believe the Truth and come to Christ. It is the most important and meaningful decision you will ever make. And if you say no, you have already made your decision. You will die and burn in hell for all of eternity. And during the 7 years of tribulation, you will not be able to get saved, you already had your chance. Please, ask God to save you before it is too late.

Answer 39

Hi Toby,



I did visit, as you asked, and found the whole thing interesting to read. Still, there is a lot here, and no real way to deal with all the points. To be honest, if you wanted to get at an answer with the level of granularity that would satisfy you, we'd probably have to write a 300-400 page book together... which won't happen in this format, I can assure you, unfortunately. :)



There's a number of days left on your question, so I need to take some time to think about what would be productive to say -- things that would help you, rather than dragging the topic into one more dead-end alley or red herring as looks like has happened a few times. (And again, I don't have every answer in the world; all I can do is share where I'm at and why, and maybe something will prove useful for you.)



I will say that I was disappointed in a few of the postings [Why do some of the most critical posts end up being some of the ironically most pretentious ones? :) ], while I found a few of them reasonable in describing why that person had come to believe in Jesus. While I don't come at it the same way they do, their experiences were what they needed to meet their own personal criteria, and what they learned from their experiences fits with what I've learned in my own walk... so I give them credibility even if it wouldn't have been enough for me to believe originally.



That being said, I could also see why the answer(s) did not satisfy you. I do not know you -- I wonder sometimes how often you might be as frustrated as pleased to have such a rigorous set of criteria you feel compelled to meet. [I wonder if part of you loves being this way, while part of you wishes you could just accept something for once that didn't have to be so empirically qualified. Is it ever painful to deal with? Just curious. If you want to answer -- and you seem inclined to -- feel free. :) ]



Anyway, I will write more later, I hope. Meawhile, take care.



--



Thursday 5pm: Yes, I'm still here. Still working, editing, and deleting. I feel like an old man in comparison watching your comments grow, I just don't have the energy I used to have to keep up with you (snort).



I appreciate you being extremely forward about where you are at in terms of faith. It doesn't get any more clear than that.



So how do you deal with this belief that life is ultimately meaningless? I'd sincerely love to hear more about that. Seriously, how do you maintain intellectual integrity without committing suicide? [Oops, i forgot -- you're the one asking questions here... :)



(Note: Please don't quote guys like Sartre to me -- if I wanted to know his opinion, I'd just read his books. I want to know what Tobey thinks. )



--



Hey, thank you for explaining a bit. You've never read Jean-Paul Sartre?



Huh. Well, I guess I have egg on my face for that one -- you didn't quote him, he's simply the "philosophical poster boy" of the existentialist "life has no meaning" position and I had assumed you would have read something by him. Sorry. :)



It really doesn't bother you that you believe life is ultimately meaningless? Wow. It's just funny, because that struggle -- the search for inherent meaning and value -- has always been very real for me.



Well, there ARE atheists who don't want to believe in God. They hate the idea of being underneath someone else's power and want to feel completely self-reliant and free. They usually cast themselves as the "noble but suffering hero" in the universal farce that is life -- knowing that life has no meaning, but choosing to do wonderful, heroic things anyway in order to somehow create their own meaning. You seem to be of a very different sort.



--



I'm sort of at a loss of how to respond to most of your comments. I've written and rewritten a number of things, and am not either happy with the content or the direction and don't want to post them.



My basic thoughts, I think, are what I will share with you, right off the cuff and little editing:





1. I think your inductive reasoning works very well with exploring whether something might be possible (even plausible) and for detecting inconsistencies / logical flaws in an argument.





2. Inductive reasoning, though, always remains "smoke and mirrors" -- it's always supposition and analogy. You have made some comments that seemed purely speculatory to me and seemed to show little knowledge of the topic in discussion -- and I think if you had studied those areas (such as the transmission of Biblical documents, how records were kept, the practices of the times, etc.), then your position would have been shaped a little differently.



How much actual background Bible knowledge (such as what it is, it's purpose, how it was put together, how it was editied, what the common practices were for that time, the oral tradition that resulted in certain "forms" being used in the structure of the OT, how common detailed memorization was in that culture, and so forth) do you have? Again, I think that some of your speculations would not have been made, if you read up more on the topic.



Maybe you have, and maybe you have some valid concerns about the Christian position on document transmission. If you haven't, though, I'd suggest you to start searching through it, just to learn the basics and be able to converse about them -- because anyone with any knowledge will start challenging some of your suppositions.



I just picked up this book called "Zondervan's Handbook of the Bible." It's got a bunch of overview material within it. I found it helpful, and it would give you ideas for future areas of study.



I think you'd be surprised at how the Bible is actually viewed by the mainstream church, because its position (as stated in this book) is not the "fundamentalist/literalist" position that agnostics and atheists always seem to argue against. The Bible is very much a pastiche of different works, each with different audiences and writers and purposes, and so you can't weigh what it says with the same criteria throughout.





3. I don't know how old you are. Your spirit sounds young, your mind sounds older. My one piece of advice at this time would be, don't let your strengths destroy you.



You have a good logical mind and a good imagination. I think they've sort of overshadowed some other aspects of life, though. I'm watching you -- instead of really exploring the things that people are sharing -- just finding the quickest potential flaw in them and then throwing everything out the window.



I understand why, but based on my similar experiences, it's not the right way to go about it.



One thing to realize is that head knowledge is only part of the truth. You only find out the whole truth by committing yourself to something or someone. You're overanalyzing everything, finding possibilities of flaws in everything, so that you'll simply go in circles forever, but truth becomes more real and obvious when you've invested yourself in something.



You can't manage every risk 100%. You say you want to believe, but you're demanding something you'll never get -- no possibility of being wrong. At some point, you end up realizing you just need to make the best choice you can, decide what is worth that level of loyalty from you, make the commitment, and take each day one at a time. (If later you decide you messed up, then change direction.)



I'm telling you this because you sound like you really WANT to believe in something, would in fact prefer it, but want to be 100% sure ahead of time. You won't ever be 100% sure. The only thing you're 100% sure of is that you're unsure, and so where you are now is where you will always be unless you decide to rethink your demands.



You know why we make truth decisions? Ultimately, we make them because of the relationships involved... and not because of the logical content. If someone is "living out" truth, then we are convinced of its rightness more than any intellectual argument can.



My brain is going here, so I need to close right now, and I don't want to burden down this with too many comments.



As far as your actual question, I don't believe in Zeus because of the nature of the stories in which he appears, because I do not find him admirable or someone I would want to serve and dedicate myself to, and because I don't believe that the relationship Greek mythology described between the gods and each other and humans was the best way to relate. They were in fact quite dysfunctional and little more than immature human beings with supernatural powers.



While your opinion of Jehovah might be similar (most people seem to "read" God that way when just skimming the Bible), I've found that the core concepts of love and how God says to relate reflect the best way for human beings to relate to each other in reality. At least as far as the interpersonals go, the Bible is "true" to life. But this is not something you would see until you really dig in and experience some things.



I admit to knowing little of Vishnu. It's been on my reading list for ages, but my list is a mile long and I'm already 50-100 books behind.... There is never enough time, right? :) So I will refrain from saying something uneducated here about her/him.



Anyway, take care, I hope our dialogue continues. Feel free to drop me a real e-mail / yahoo personal message if you'd like, it might be easier to stay in touch that way.

Answer 40

im coming back to answer, batteries must charge on my laptop.

save my spot!

Answer 41

I think Christian women dress better than Muslim women. I think that's a good reason.