What convinced you to believe Christianity is true?

[Thesavorofpan]

Is there a particular argument or experience in your life that convinced you (as a believer) that Christianity is not just another false religion like the thousands of religions that have come and gone throughout the history of humankind?

Thanks in advance for your personal insight into this matter.

Dingleberry.

A religion thats hundred percent true? I don't believe that exist.

 

[smokydot]

I'd be interested in understanding your position on why the "Holy Spirit" chose to intervene in your life in order to bring you into the Christian "fold" but appears to avoid doing so in the lives of others. How do you reconcile this issue? Are non-believer who've never had the luxury of being "convinced" by this "Holy Spirit" at fault for their lack of belief?
Dingleberry.

So that's what you were looking for. . .is this a slam Christianity thread?

Let me think on whether I want to respond or not.
But also let me state how this works for me.
My response would be from the Bible, which I believe it is the true Word of God written.
And that is a matter of faith, not a matter of proof.

Therefore, I do not defend what the Bible says, I merely present what it says.
It's up to you to believe it or not.
Nor do I defend what God does. I merely present the Biblical testimony regarding him.
It's up to you to deal with him or not.

So let me think on it a little while and get back to you with my decision.

 

[Mister Emu]

God spoke to me...

 

[horiturk]

nothing,but there's a lot that convinced me it isn't true

 

[Klaufi_Wodensson]

See, I knew this thread was going to turn into a slam Christianity thread, it had troll written all over the first post.

Well it seemed to have turned into a "Bash Paganism" thread as he has stated, "... Christianity is not just another false religion like the thousands of religions that have come and gone throughout the history of humankind?"


Since my religion is a revival of a once forgotten belief system, I guess that makes mine false.

So, this has turned into a bash religion thread. You were correct.

 

[Klaufi_Wodensson]

You mean the same rationale that believers in the thousands of long-forgotten religions of the past would likely have given for their devotion? "I feel the embrace of Thor."

Dingleberry.

Do you realize that this is a very offensive statement? The way you worded these statements is portraying the believers in these "false, forgotten religions" as inferior, whether that was intentional or not.

As a member of a revival of one of these so-called "false" religions, I would like to let you know that for some people, it isn't about whether their religion is the "true" religion. It is about what feels true to them. My religion is a true religion. Christianity is a true religion, Islam is a true religion, etc. Ancient belief systems were, what do you know, true religions. They are every amount as valid now as they were then. The only difference is that now there are very few followers of those religions. So I would appreciate it, and I'm sure others would too, that you don't refer to ancient beliefs as false.

 

[dingleberry]

So that's what you were looking for. . .is this a slam Christianity thread?

No. It's a thread that's designed to help me better understand how Christians are convinced that their faith is valid?

Earlier you said, "The Holy Spirit convinced me when he gave me to believe it." and that "It couldn't happen to me without him." Now you're suggesting that it's up to me (the non-believer) to decide whether to "deal with him or not." How do those two positions not contradict one another?

Now, if it's all a matter of faith, as you suggest, did the faith come before or after you allege this "Holy Spirit" intervened in your life?

Please help me understand, smokydot.

Dingleberry.

 

[crimsonlung]

Its obvious dingle is trolling here.

 

[dingleberry]

Its obvious dingle is trolling here.

Trolling for rational answers. Sort of like I troll for trout.

 

[Flypurplehamster]

Klaufi, truth is not an opinion. Truth is REALITY. So one group has to be right. Sorry.

 

[crimsonlung]

Klaufi, truth is not an opinion. Truth is REALITY. So one group has to be right. Sorry.

Why does one group have to be right? No groups can be 100% right, or else everyone would go to that religion. If Islam was right about everything, I would still be Muslim.

 

[dingleberry]

No groups can be 100% right, or else everyone would go to that religion.

You wouldn't have a source for this claim, would ya?

 

[crimsonlung]

You wouldn't have a source for this claim, would ya?

Only human nature. Are you 100% sure that your using a computer right now? Are you 100% sure that your arm isn't made out of velcro? I can say I am 100% sure to both of those, are you 100% sure that whatever you believe in is 100% true? Or if you don't believe in anything, are you 100% sure that you are correct in not believing anything?

 

[dingleberry]

IOW, no. Roger that.

 

[rusra02]

Is there a particular argument or experience in your life that convinced you (as a believer) that Christianity is not just another false religion like the thousands of religions that have come and gone throughout the history of humankind?

Thanks in advance for your personal insight into this matter.

Dingleberry.

Literally hundreds of prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah are clearly fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The man Jesus Christ was, without a doubt, the greatest man who ever lived. He claimed to be the Messiah and God's Son. He performed great miracles witnessed by thousands, even resurrecting a man who had been dead four days. He willingly gave up his life as a ransom sacrifice, and hundreds were eyewitnesses to his resurrection. His early followers would die rather than deny him. To this day, millions follow his example and follow his steps. His teachings have no equal, and Jesus always attributed his teachings to God. Despite a great apostasy away from his teachings, the Bible survives and today millions worship as Jesus instructed. He prophesied unerringly about future events, including events of our time, and into the distant future. These are but a few of the reasons I have for believing in true Christianity (in contrast to the false religions that claim to follow Christ.)

 

[dingleberry]

Literally hundreds of prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah are clearly fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The man Jesus Christ was, without a doubt, the greatest man who ever lived. He claimed to be the Messiah and God's Son. He performed great miracles witnessed by thousands, even resurrecting a man who had been dead four days. He willingly gave up his life as a ransom sacrifice, and hundreds were eyewitnesses to his resurrection. His early followers would die rather than deny him. To this day, millions follow his example and follow his steps. His teachings have no equal, and Jesus always attributed his teachings to God. Despite a great apostasy away from his teachings, the Bible survives and today millions worship as Jesus instructed. He prophesied unerringly about future events, including events of our time, and into the distant future. These are but a few of the reasons I have for believing in true Christianity (in contrast to the false religions that claim to follow Christ.)

Makes complete circular reasoning sense. Thanks.

 

[Blackdog22]

I think I realized Christianity was true when I first heard a preacher turn "god" into a two syllable word.

Gah Odd said: "lol!!" Probably the funniest reply I have seen in a while.


Onto the topic, I am no longer Christian, but when I was it was because it was how I was raised. My Mom was good, She loved God, God loved me, God loved my friends, and God wanted something special for me. God was awesome! He was the reason for cookies, sunshine, icecream, our house, our food, my pet goldfish; and when my goldfish died he made a special place for him in goldfish Heaven where my goldfish lived happily forever. How great is that?

You see God was the coolest person ever and to not believe in him would just be silly. The thought never crossed my mind, there was God because he just was, and good things were proof. Then I got older and realized Puff the Magic Dragon was just a story and so was God.

 

[Blackdog22]

Literally hundreds of prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah are clearly fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The man Jesus Christ was, without a doubt, the greatest man who ever lived. He claimed to be the Messiah and God's Son. He performed great miracles witnessed by thousands, even resurrecting a man who had been dead four days. He willingly gave up his life as a ransom sacrifice, and hundreds were eyewitnesses to his resurrection. His early followers would die rather than deny him. To this day, millions follow his example and follow his steps. His teachings have no equal, and Jesus always attributed his teachings to God. Despite a great apostasy away from his teachings, the Bible survives and today millions worship as Jesus instructed. He prophesied unerringly about future events, including events of our time, and into the distant future. These are but a few of the reasons I have for believing in true Christianity (in contrast to the false religions that claim to follow Christ.)

Islam can cite the same. How many of these predictions have you looked into? It would help to open your eyes when you see how out of context these verses are that are said to be about Jesus. These verses in the Bible were about other people doing things and writing their own experiences down. None of them directly speak of a messiah and the ones that do speak of a messiah don't have any prophesy attached to them. I will give Jesus the one on the donkey however, the Bible did speak of the Messiah doing that, but then again.... He is Jesus and knew the Bible quite well. How hard would it be to read a book and then do what the book says?

Example: The messiah will surf on a surfboard... I go grab a surfboard and surf thus I am the Messiah.

 

[smokydot]

No. It's a thread that's designed to help me better understand how Christians are convinced that their faith is valid?
Earlier you said, "The Holy Spirit convinced me when he gave me to believe it." and that "It couldn't happen to me without him." Now you're suggesting that it's up to me (the non-believer) to decide whether to "deal with him or not." How do those two positions not contradict one another?

That means you will probably decide not to believe the Scriptures and not to deal with God.

Now, if it's all a matter of faith, as you suggest, did the faith come before or after you allege this "Holy Spirit" intervened in your life?

They were as simultaneous as the movement of the leaves with the wind.

Please help me understand, smokydot.
Dingleberry.

Words like allege, "Holy Spirit" indicate combativeness and a desire to refute, not a desire to understand.

 

[Mister Emu]

Only human nature. Are you 100% sure that your using a computer right now? Are you 100% sure that your arm isn't made out of velcro? I can say I am 100% sure to both of those, are you 100% sure that whatever you believe in is 100% true? Or if you don't believe in anything, are you 100% sure that you are correct in not believing anything?

Lack of surety does not equal lack of correctness.