Let’s take it from the point of believing in Christ and then which denomination.
Okay…say you decide it is very convincing to believe in Christ, because of the miracles, one thing. Then, there were the apostles, who all witnessed to Christ. Some witnessed through martyrdom. Even Judas witnessed in his way, by admitting his guilt, commiting suicide.
Well, I find it compelling that all of the apostles were willing to undergo persecution. Now with, say, Islam, we can say followers of Islam have also died for their faith, and that is true. However, with Christianity, we had 12 witnesses to the major events, and all twelve witnessed. In Islam, it is my understanding that much of it was based on private revelation.
Now, to me, it is compelling that all of these men would give their lives to this mission, some be tortured to death, killed, if it weren’t true.
There are several theories on this…that they all could have been hallucinating, mass hallucination…or conspiracy. I find the conspiracy theory unlikely that they would conspire, only later to be tortured and killed. I just think most people, under torture, would cave in, were it not true.
I also find it improbable all 12 were lying.
Plus, there is the foreshadowing from the Jewish faith, the prophecies which were fulfilled in Christ.
I believe Christ rose from the dead. The alternative theories would be the “swoon” theory, that he never did die, but that doesn’t make sense to me that he’d appear to people and be radiant if almost killed, then.
I don’t accept the conspiracy theory. See above.
While it is possible Christ and all the 12 apostles, and the women, and everyone else were hallucinating. However, this seems improbable.
Christ could have been lying and the apostles as well, but I just think most liars would recant before undergoing torture and death. That none of them recanted gives strength to the claim that Christ was what he said he was and did rise from the dead.
We often don’t have evidence, but when we do, be it acheological, historical, geographic, etc., it supports Christianity’s claims.
I look at the basis for Christianity, Judaism, which holds what seems to me great wisdom, such as the 10 commandments. I see the wisdom in them.
As to other denominations, I accept Catholicism as the original and true version. Now, I understand there are approximately 41,000 new kinds of Christianity which have since come about.
Though, I don’t accept those, because to me, they were established by man rather that God (Christ). Catholicism was established with Christ, and Christ established his Church with the apostles, clearly placing Peter as the leader, in Christ’s absence.
Christ gave Peter authority, asking him (and him alone, 3 times), to shepherd his sheep. Further, Christ gave only Peter the “keys to the kingdom” with authority, that what he held bound would be held bound also in heaven and what he loosed on earth would be loosed in heaven.
With the apostles, Christ gave them authority to forgive sins. Now, when Judas committed suicide, he was replaced by Matthew. The Church’s structure is an “institution”. In fact, the Catholic Church is the longest lasting institution in the world, and it has survived wars, persecution, and the test of time, some 2,000 years and counting. In fact, people study it due to its longevity.
Getting back to Christ, he gave Peter and the apostles a lot of authority that Christ did not give to just the regular population. In turn, Peter and the apostles and the leaders they chose came to form what is today the Church.
Many other faiths have rejected the leaders Christ set up, preferring to start their own churches. However, Christ said he was establishing his “Church”, not “churches”. It is supposed to be one.
Now, some say that all faiths are right, good, true, and correct. Whatever you believe is right is right, moral relativism, etc. However, logically speaking, how can they all be true? Some say there is reincarnation. Some say there is not. Now, either it is, or it isn’t. They can’t both, or all, be right.
Some say homosexuality is fine, even in religious leaders. Even some Christian denominations accept this, but Catholicism has followed Christ’s teachings and the Bible. The Bible is very clear on homosexuality and that we are not to act on homosexual impulses.
Some new churches also permit divorce, but if you look at the Bible, Christ said that what God put together, man should not put asunder. Again, they can’t both be right.
We even had Henry VIII, and in part because the Church wouldn’t give him an annulment, he ran out, made up his own rules and own church. He also was power hungry. To me, he created his church for selfish reasons, not out of divine intervention.
We have had many others come and say they were the true church, to follow them rather than the descendants of Peter. Some of these did away with the Eucharist and others of the 7 sacraments left to us by the Church, and some modified the Bible, deleting books.
We Catholics follow the leaders that Christ set up. Christ promised us he would be with his Church till the end. We believe this and follow the original church, even though it is sometimes easier to go with a modern faith which will tell us what we want to hear.
Now, others say they are the messiah, to follow them, but Christ warned us not to follow these other faiths, not to be misled.
