How can we prove christianity?

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javid

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hi

I want know, what is the formal way to prove that Christianity is the true religion.

Lets think some one believes in God and believes that God may give religions to people, but he didn’t choose any religion yet. What is catholic formal way to prove that true religion is Christianity?

In addition, please introduce me some pdf book in internet that proves catholic beliefs for non-christians.
 
I don’t believe it can be proved. Grace through faith is at the heart our epistemology and that is a gift (Ephesians 2:8).

I do think we can show Christianity is reasonable.
 
javid said:
How can we prove christianity?
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If a Buddhist turned up on your doorstep with a pamphlet that she claimed to prove Buddhism, what would you expect that pamphlet to contain?

You need to do the same for Christianity.

Hint: you have not asked an easy question.

rossum
 
Michael_Allen said:
I don’t believe it can be proved. Grace through faith is at the heart our epistemology and that is a gift (Ephesians 2:8).

I do think we can show Christianity is reasonable.
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Is this formal answer of Catholic Church?
 
Bezant said:
If Christianity is so evident that it can be “proven,” how can there be any reward for faith?
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I don’t think the “reward” for faith comes from the belief, but rather from the persistent cooperation with grace that changes or sanctifies the individual. In other words, for faithfulness rather than for faith (in the attenuated sense of believing in.)

The reason I used scare quotes around “reward” is that I do not believe the reward is an external “prize,” but rather the change in being itself. What you become is the reward. You become fully the being you are intended to be and, thereby, have the capacity to be fully united with God, who is the end or goal of all things, in the beatific vision.

As James said, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” (James 2:19)

It would seem that the “belief” of the devils is not a tenuous one, but actual and certain knowledge. However, that “belief” does not make them worthy of any reward for their belief, even as certain as it is. In fact, their certainty makes them even more culpable.
 
javid, some questions for you:

– What do you mean by “the formal way”? Do you mean a formula? Do you mean something official? Do you mean something traditional?

– What do you mean by “prove”? As others have stated, faith has to be part of the equation.

If talking to a pluralist / relativist as you suggest, I would start with the nature of truth. Two contrary beliefs cannot both be true in the same way and at the same time.
 
Be and example for Christ!

“For those who believe no proof is necessary, for those who don’t believe no proof is possible - Stuart Chase”

Proof is not always necessary to have…Faith is deeper than mere physical evidence.

By living our life of faith with our acts of kindness and love,living our faith being positive when times are tough, our prayerful life and how our prayers are answered and bring us a close relationship with God. Our acts of generosity,our compassion for those in need. The way we conduct our lives, as ambassadors to Our Lord and His Church by our acts others will ‘see’ the love Our Lord has for each and everyone one of us.

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”
― Mother Teresa

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
― Mother Teresa

In the end we each seek our path in life.We have our free will. We cannot force others to believe but we can be the example of Christ’s love…so others may come to know Him through us.

Eternal God , in whom mercy is endless,
and the treasury of compassion inexhastible ,
look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us ,
that in difficult moments we might not despair
nor become despondent , but with great confidence ,
submit ourselves to Your Holy Will ,
which is love and mercy itself . Amen
 
javid said:
Is this formal answer of Catholic Church?
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Well, I quoted St. Paul. I’ll leave it up to you to consider whether you think his view of grace, through faith, being a gift of the Holy Spirit is contrary to the Catholic faith. I would say, no, but that’s a personal view and I accept others may differ. My summary of Paul would be that the natural man rejects the truth of God, and that God needs to change the heart of man in order for him to accept the things of God - hence the essential need of grace. One cannot prove Christianity to a man whose heart has not been regenerated by God - he will always reject it. To a man whose heart has been regenerated by God no proof is necessary because his faith has come from God himself. And we know what Jesus said to those who demanded proof (signs) from him - ‘A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign’. In faith we need, and ask for, no proof.

Accepting other people may differ from this view.
 
javid said:
hi

I want know, what is the formal way to prove that Christianity is the true religion.

Lets think some one believes in God and believes that God may give religions to people, but he didn’t choose any religion yet. What is catholic formal way to prove that true religion is Christianity?

In addition, please introduce me some pdf book in internet that proves catholic beliefs for non-christians.
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The formal way for Catholics is RCIA (The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). After going through the course, you decide whether it is sufficient for you to believe. I like Peter Kreeft’s Why I am a Catholic on youtube youtube.com/watch?v=qAu5VL6mImA

But when you use a word like “proof”, that is very subjective. What is convincing to one may not be for another. Religion is not something you can proof mathematically or logically. There are many who claim religion is illogical or just something that went wrong in your head. And there are many that have undergone a religious experience and completely changed their lives.

The Christian religion requires faith. If God is visibly proven, you don’t need faith (such as God appearing right in front of you), you will be compelled to believe against your freewill. God reveals just enough of himself and the rest is up to you.
 
Read ‘Science speaks,’ by Peter W Stoner. In the book, there are probability calculations of Jesus fulfilling prophecy.

This is not a Catholic source, but read the article

Can We Trust the Bible?
 
javid said:
hi

I want know, what is the formal way to prove that Christianity is the true religion.

Lets think some one believes in God and believes that God may give religions to people, but he didn’t choose any religion yet. What is catholic formal way to prove that true religion is Christianity?

In addition, please introduce me some pdf book in internet that proves catholic beliefs for non-christians.
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You prove it by the way you live and then the atheists and other deniers will hate you because of envy, pride, lust…and other Capital Vices and because of the dominion of the flesh, the world and the devil over their lives.

They serve the senses, flesh, concupiscence, gossip, slander, lying, divorce, cheating, impurity in thought, word and deed and you Christian don’t do any of this.

Keep away from them. Love them with supernatural Charity which prays and sacrifices for their salvation. If you hang out with them you will become like them, because of weakness; it is a proximate occasion to sin to be around them.

…
 
I think asking a mere human to prove the validity of christianity is like asking a goldfish in a tank to prove to another goldfish that there’s a city in Russia called Moscow. It doesnt mean Moscow is a fairy tale- rather that goldfish are incapable of proving its existence.

Don’t worry about proving Christianity to anyone. I truly believe that deep down, we all have God written on our hearts - everyone knows. Some are just way more resistant to the idea than others. God created all of us. He is within our DNA.
 
It is not like a text you write to somebody who reads it understands it and has to accept it because can’t say otherwise than “it’s true”.
It is connected with the daily life, whith your life experience, and you have to live it.
On the intellectual part you will see that is harmonious, non-contradicting. Christianity was not invented by some scholar, but you can see the multitude of scholars that worked to organize it during history. Jesus is a real person, who lived in the middle of the people and teached the apostoles; they followed him against all hardships. Christianity provides you with the truths and rules that will give you the best possible life for your circumstances, but the most important is the fact that you will live your life with God. Happines is not only in the other world. It’s based on faith, it will take time to meditate until you really “get it” and usually you have to live by faith before you understand “why” ; there is a saying like “if you do not have an old man in your familly you better buy one…” probably this is the reason, you have to live by faith before you really understand how consequences work.
Mysteries of faith are mysteries, but as I said they are in harmony. You will experience graces, and you will see how they change you even if you do not feel anything special.
And at the end of the road is Jesus waiting to hug you…
 
It can be proven, but not based on reason alone, but also based on evidence (primarily historical) that Catholicism is the religion founded by God.
 
Thanks for answers
Ad_Orientem said:
– What do you mean by “the formal way”? Do you mean a formula? Do you mean something official? Do you mean something traditional?
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I mean the way that Church show it as the true way.
Ad_Orientem said:
– What do you mean by “prove”? As others have stated, faith has to be part of the equation.
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I mean present logical reasons to some thing.

There are many faithes in this world. I need a good reason that shows my faith is true.
 
Well, Jesus performed miracles. He healed the sick, cast out demons, and fed the hungry. Buddha, Muhammad, Siyyid `Alí Muḥammad Shírází, and the others didn’t. That’s how you know. 👍
 
bben15 said:
Well, Jesus performed miracles. He healed the sick, cast out demons, and fed the hungry. Buddha, Muhammad, Siyyid `Alí Muḥammad Shírází, and the others didn’t. That’s how you know. 👍
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The Buddha performed miracles, such as the Miracle of the Pairs, and ascended into the heavens to preach to the gods (and his reborn mother). You would do better to check before making blanket statements.

rossum
 
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