Can you give me a good reason to put my faith in Jesus?

[Tis_Bearself]

As the answers given all show, you are asking for the impossible, IMO. A non-believer cannot be convinced of any reason being “good” in just 3 to 5 sentences. One has to start with a belief in God

I don’t think the goal is to convince the person immediately in 3 sentences.
The goal is to get a foot in the door.

Selling somebody on Jesus is much the same as selling them anything else, like soap, a new car, a hamburger.
You grab their attention with a quick, appealing message and build on that.

Mormons and Evangelicals “get” this. Most Catholics don’t. Unless in real life they work in marketing or sales.

 

[tafan2]

I don’t think the goal is to convince the person immediately in 3 sentences.
The goal is to get a foot in the door.

I agree with your interpretation of the goal. I tried to make this clear. He did not ask for an argument that was convincing, merely one that a non-believer would find as a “good reason”. Convincing would obviously satisfy that, but it being a rational argument would seem to fit better for what the OP was asking. I do not think a non-believer can be given an argument in 3-5 sentences that he will find even the least bit rational. That has been my experience, yours may very. And non-lelievers are even more dismissive of the quick sales piteches that protestants and Mormons make.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I agree that seeing someone live a good life over the long term makes more impression.

However, if you catch a non-believer in the right moment, like when they are really down, or when they have been wavering in their non-belief, you might be able to get their attention.

 

[tafan2]

I have a little experience in, these scenarios. In none of three cases would 3-5 sentences sufficed to get my foot in the door, nor was it needed. My foot was in the door because they came to me. Due to their various situations, they were open to a more lengthy conversations.
Again, it all starts with having a lifestyle people view as authentically attractive.

 

[Kullervo]

I think nobody will argue about what they died defending. They died because they lived how Jesus Christ taught them. If you are a sceptic and a naturalist (which by the way is a philosophical standpoint which too must be defended) you can deny the supernatural elements.

 

[GLam1761]

@tafan2 Hi, I’d say to the non-believer: “I believe in God because
I LOVE, where there is love there is God, even a BABY can sense
and GIVE love”

 

[tafan2]

Of all the answers given so far, that might be the one that would come closest to meeting the criteria given.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I have experience in them too, and I am not talking about people who you know over the long term and “they came to you”. That’s like comparing being someone’s neighbor or workmate to an “elevator speech”.

What you’re talking about is fine, but you shouldn’t act like it’s the only way out there. There are a lot of different ways to go about evangelization, and having a 3 to 5 sentence reason (“elevator speech” basically) to believe is one good thing to have in your tool box. People probably are not going to convert on the spot, and you may not be the one who ultimately converts them, but nevertheless, you’ve sown a seed. It’s not a negative thing. So you shouldn’t knock it, which is what you seem to be doing.

The Apostles didn’t just keep living good lives and wait for people to come to them. Some people did of course do just that, but my point is that they evangelized in a variety of styles and ways.

 

[tafan2]

What you’re talking about is fine, but you shouldn’t act like it’s the only way out there. There are a lot of different ways to go about evangelization, and having a 3 to 5 sentence reason (“elevator speech” basically) to believe is one good thing to have in your tool box. People probably are not going to convert on the spot, and you may not be the one who ultimately converts them, but nevertheless, you’ve sown a seed. It’s not a negative thing. So you shouldn’t knock it, which is what you seem to be doing.

I don’t know why you are so upset with me. I never said people should not do what you propose. I never said there were not a variety of evalization styles and ways, nor that only one way is effective.
I simply said that one cannot satisfy the OP’s specific scenario. And I describe what I thought was the best approach of evangelization. You continue to read things into what I write that I do not state.
I seem to rub you the wrong way, I apologize. Will try to do better in the future.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I’m not sure how disagreement on this forum translates to you “rubbing me the wrong way” or me being “upset with you” and no apology is necessary.

I’m simply pointing out something that I think is a general fault of Catholics when it comes to evangelization. For some reason we aren’t comfortable pushing a quick or simple message (and then adding the complex details later). This is not a good thinking pattern for Catholics generally, in my opinion, and I think we could learn from some other religions here. It has nothing to do with my personal mood.

 

[tafan2]

You were criticizing me directly, not Catholics in general. And criticizing me for things I did not say. That’s how it translated.

Good day.

 

[VanitasVanitatum]

Depending on the dispositions of the non-believer it may be impossible to say something meaningful. God is who should be turned to for help through private prayer and a strong interior life.

 

[fhansen]

Can you give me a good reason to put my faith in Jesus? That was question was posed to me by a non-believer. How would you respond in a single paragraph (3-5 sentences)?

The truths that Jesus gave us to believe in; that goodness and love lie at the foundation of this universe, and that we’re asked to embrace and join in on that goodness, for our own good and happiness, and that we’re to live in that state eternally as proved by the resurrection is certainly something worthy of our interest. So that’s sort of the “why” in a nutshell.

But the “how”, whether or not we’re capable of believing, is another matter. And our faith teaches that we already know/believe in a sense, we possess this knowledge in our hearts and the ability to believe further, to confirm this faith, is granted to us as we exercise whatever faith we already have. God is pleased as man believes because this places us in right stead with order and truth -with Himself. Man was made for communion with God. Humility is a good thing-and a key to this relationship.