What's the Best Argument for Being a Christian

A passionate article appeared recently by a man who refuses to give up on his faith. He says the usual reasons people give for leaving the faith are not good ones. They include unanswered questions about why suffering and evil continue to exist. These are side issues and not central to believing, he says.

What is central, he asks? It is two assumptions (his term), a.) there was a Jesus and b.) Jesus rose from the dead. If one believes these two assumptions are actual events then it will follow one is a Christian.

One thing I like about his case is that he uses refers to "assumptions" for the two crucial events. He then goes on to use the usual arguments as to why these were historical events. The only way these could not be historical events, he says, is for the bones of Jesus to be discovered. He does not cover the various reasons many of us are skeptical there was a Jesus and if there was a Jesus he came back to life from being dead.

I think it would work to the advantage of Christianity to lower these barriers to entry. Instead of demanding people believe there once was a human being who could walk on water and then died but came but came back to be alive something easier to swallow should be available.  A person could be  a Christian, for example, if he/she merely liked the social life of the church.

This may be close to what the church I attend occasionally, United Church of Christ, is doing. It still does the communion ritual but does not recite the Apostles Creed. All the other brands could follow the UCC and eliminate the weekly ritual of reciting the Creed.

Or a sentence could be added to the Creed which said, "I believe one can be a Christian in good standing without taking all the other 'I believes' literally."

Back to the question, "What's the best argument for being a Christian." For anyone who wants to be a Christian the best argument is, "I want to be a Christian."

There is no other reason.

Comments

  1. little helperNovember 21, 2019 at 2:45 PM

    Just one observation; The attachment or the attachment to the attachment is missing one significant point. That of which they ignore at their peril.

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    1. Ardy BNovember 21, 2019 at 3:46 PM

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    2. Ardy BNovember 21, 2019 at 3:56 PM

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    3. little helperNovember 21, 2019 at 4:25 PM

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    4. little helperNovember 21, 2019 at 4:43 PM

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