The Uniqueness Of Christianity
There sure are a lot of religions out there
today. You've got Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, etc.
So obviously Christianity is just another "ism," right?
The truth is Christianity happens to be unique
among the world's religions for several important reasons. Not the least
of which happens to be that Christianity, unlike other religions, is
historic and evidential. The fact is, Jesus Himself is a figure of history.
He was, of course, born in Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of Caesar
Augustus, and was put to death by Pontius Pilate, a first century Roman
Governor.
And, more importantly, the testimony of his
life, death, and resurrection happened to come to us by way of eyewitness
accounts (2 Pet. 1:16; 1 John 1:1-4). Christianity therefore is a historical
faith, and its truth claims can be evaluated by examining the facts
and testimony of history. None of the other religions of the world can
claim this kind of historical support.
Another unique feature of Christianity is
that its founder claimed to be God. Of the great religious leaders of
the world (Buddha, Moses, Zoroaster, Lao Tzu, Mohammed) only Jesus claimed
to be God in human flesh (John 8:58). And this is not an empty claim
because it is supported by Christ's historically verifiable resurrection
from the dead (1 Cor. 15:3-8). Other religions like Buddhism and Islam
claim miracles in support of their faith, but unlike Christianity, these
miracles lack historical verification.
An additional feature which sets Christianity
apart from the other religions is that its beliefs system happens to
be coherent. Some Christian doctrines may transcend logical categories
- and even appear paradoxical - but unlike the religions of the east,
they are not irrational or absurd. Oh, and before I forget, the Christian
faith is unique in that it can account for the vast array of phenomena
which we encounter in life - things like the laws of science, the universal
laws of logic, ethical norms, love, meaning in life, and, of course,
the problem of evil. So to state it philosophically, the Christian faith
corresponds to the present state of affairs. Yes my friend, Christianity's
unique distinctions are very good reasons to embrace it.
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