What Makes Christianity The True Faith? Can it be trusted and what makes it different from all other faiths? We will briefly provide unintentional historic support, modern secular historians opinions, archeology and philosophical supports; as well as discuss the support from the death and resurrection and biblical prophecy for what makes Christianity true. Again, these are brief to allow for self reflection and research.
Ancient historians may not have believed the 'fables' but they still recorded what was taught, that validates what is recorded in the bible. This also supports people, place, a time and date which also supports the bible. Non-chrisitans such as Thallus (via Julius Africanus), Mara Bar-Serapion, Flavius Josephus, Cornelius Tactus, Pliny the Younger, Suetonius, Lucian of Samosata, and the Jewish Talmud.
Modern Secular Validation
In more modern times, it is look at from a more historical perspective with leaving out the spiritual aspects. A predominate Arts and Sciences Professor of Religion at Duke University, who is admittedly not christian, E.P. Sanders; stated this "Historical reconstruction is never absolutely certain, and in the case of Jesus it is sometimes highly uncertain. Despite this, we have a good idea of the main lines of his ministry and his message. We know who he was, what he did, what he taught, and why he died." When talking about the bible. Athiest and Emeritus Professor of New Testament, University of Nottingham, Maurice Casey, completely agrees with EP Sanders and believes there are more details that are historically reliable as well. Michael Grant, historian of the Roman Empire and worked at Ankara University, chairman of Humanity (Latin) at Edinburgh University, vice-chancellor of the University of Khartoum, vice-chancellor of Queen's University of Belfast, and an expert of ancient Greek, Roman and Israelite history agrees with Maurice Casey and stated "'no serious scholar has ventured to postulate the non historicity of Jesus' or at any rate very few, and they have not succeeded in disposing of the much stronger, indeed very abundant, evidence to the contrary."
Archeology
100% of all valid archeological finds related to an event or individual described in the bible have never contradicted the bible. From the The Tel Dan Inscription, The Merneptah Stele, The Berlin Column base fragmen, Marine fossils found on mountains, The Amulet Scroll, and thousands of more major supportive findings of what is described in the bible.
Ancient Record
Related to all the ancient inscriptions found, the vastness of ancient record of jewish and christian writings is to such extent they are all comparable and testable to the bible. The Dead Sea Scrolls, The Septuagint, all the thousands of new testament fragments, and all the ancient christian writers quoting from the ancient documents.
Historical Evidences Conclusion
Given the unintentional support by non-christian ancient writers, modern non-christian historians who have access to review all the archeology and ancient records; it would be irrational to to make the claim the Christian faith is not a historical fact.
Described by St. Anselm and Rene Descarte, then elaborated by G.W.F Hegel buts forth an argument for how we can come to know the existence of God through logical reasoning.
Described by St. Thomas Aquinas and expressed in various ways by Gottfried Leibniz,Richard Swinburn, and Dr. Tom Morris provides an argument for knowing God through nature occurrences in reality.
This argument, described by St. Thomas Aquinas argues for evidence of God through how nature is orderly in its vast complexity. This lead to the development and continued development of study of the design of nature and its designer.
The Universal Morality Argument
This argument explains the existence of evil and how it can be known, the source of absolute moral truth, and absolute good. We all believe there is a 'evil' that exists in this world, or we would never lock our doors at night, or be upset when someone steals our wallets. This answers what the standard is that leads us to see evil; which shows us the standard of good that we all inherently hope for.
In its own subcategory, the existence of something within us that is immaterial also leads us to understand the supernatural and not just the natural.
Philosophical Evidences Conclusion
Each one of these arguments leads us to understand a transcendent being and its characteristics and nature. Characteristics and natures all described in the bible which is supported by historical evidences.
The absolute fundamental truth of The Christian faith that sets it apart from all other religions and belief systems is the bodily death and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. One of the toughest pills to swallow for all who are searching for the deepest meaning and purpose in life.
The bible itself is support for the validity of The Christian Faith. Aside from being historically accurate and extremely well preserved compared to all ancient writings, it is unified. The unification is amazing in that it was written by different authors who did not know each other over generations from beginning of civilization to the last surviving Apostle. The most compelling and next most difficult for people to accept is the accuracy of Prophecies. The bible declared events to take place, recorded them, before they happened, and generations later, they happen how they are described. These are not 'self fulling' prophecies because a lot of them deal with outside non-christian agents that fulfill them. Nations were predicted to fall, they did. New nations were predicted to rise, they did. Cities were predicted to be destroyed, they were. The prophecies of Jesus are astounding. The Daniel 9 prophecy giving a time line to the coming son of man, ends at Jesus. This was written 400 years before Jesus. The Isaiah prophecy describing what will happen the one who came to pay for the sins of many, was fulfilled by Jesus in every astonishing detail.
Historical Evidences
Without taking into consideration the spiritual and supernatural elements of the Christian Faith; when only considering the historical evidences it is unintentionally supported by ancient writers closest to the time. It is intentionally supported by modern non-christian and well respected researchers and historians. It is continually and ever growing in the archeological support. It is very rational and logical to trust the reliably of what is stated in the bible.
Philosophical Evidences
Without considering the Historical Evidences supporting the Christian Faith; when only considering a more philosophical approach we can see numerous angles of argumentation that support what is described in the bible. These arguments also show the rational and logical validity of the Christian Faith and the reliability of the bible.
The Death and Resurrection
When focusing on the death and resurrection of Jesus without taking into account all other parts of the bible, we can see that he existed, died, and his resurrection is more probable and rational explanation when analyzing all other possibilities for the historic fact that the tomb he was buried in was empty. This compels and forces people who hear this message in one of two directions; to deny the preponderance of evidence or admit the validity of the bible and the consequences and results from it.
The Bible and Prophecy
The Christian Faith is not merely a historically based religion but a faith that came from God himself and proven through all sorts of means. A support for a supernatural cause for Christianity is unity in which different authors from different cultures and times all describe the same Being with the same Characteristics. Also are the detailed prophecies that came true in every detail.
Conclusion
History validates Christianity; philosophy rationally supports what is described by Christianity; the death and resurrection of Jesus leads to the uniqueness and absolute importance of the faith; and the bible itself points to its divine origin. All this combined is what makes The Christian Faith alone, true.