For both the OP and hansard:
Tim Staples has a DVD entitled: why be Catholic where he walks the audience from why believe in God to why Catholicism is logical and true. Also another good book for why Christianity is logical and true is Case For Christianity by Lee Strobel. He’s non-Denominational, but his logic and evidence is good for showing why Christianity is true.
Blessed Bishop Fulton Sheen’s book “Life of Christ” also has a whole chapter on this entitled: “The only man pre-announced” or similar. Bishop Sheen goes through that Mohammad was not predicted, Buddha was not predicted, the Dali Lama was not predicted, Confucius was not predicted. Jesus Christ was.
The other big logical argument comes from history. First, no serious historian doubts that Jesus existed. There is too much historical evidence (both in Scripture and outside) for his existence. No serious historian doubts that something happened in Palestine in the first half of the 1st Century. These 12 un-educated men, who lived their whole lives no further than a few miles from where they were born, suddenly start travelling thousands of miles proclaiming that an obscure Rabbi rose from the dead.
This, then, becomes the next logical argument. 11 of those 12 were killed, in the most torturous ways, for proclaiming that this Rabbi was the Son of God, Savior and was Resurrected, bodily, from the dead. Why is this a logical argument? Because all of them could have avoided the horrible deaths by simply denying it.
Let me give an example, take my namesake, Nathaniel. According to some historic accounts, Nathaniel / Bartholomew, was skinned alive. Lets pretend you made-up a religion. Let’s say you did it for one or more of the following reasons: Fame, power, pleasure, money etc. Then in whatever country your preaching this lie, they arrest you because what you’re preaching is against the law. Then you find out the penalty is death by skinning alive. They bring you before the judge. The judge says that he will sentence you to be skinned alive UNLESS you say that it was all a lie, all made up.
Now lets pretend you’re either really brave, really stupid, or just still under the effects of what ever illicit chemical your ill-gotten gains have bought for you. You say, “no it’s true”. The judge then orders you strapped to a table. A soldier comes in and begins sharpening a knife within view. The judge then says again ‘Deny your religion and you can go free’. Again, let’s suppose that you say again, ‘Nope, it’s true’. The judge then orders the soldier to start. He walks up to your bare feet and cuts across the ball of your foot. He then grabs that flap of skin and begins pealing… The judge then says again, “Deny your religion and you can go free!”
How long could you last?
Bottom line: psychology says that no one ever dies for what they KNOW is false.
All 12 were willing to (St. John may have been saved by a miracle) and 11 did die slow, torturous deaths instead of deny that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and Rose from the dead.
I have more, but I’m being told to get off the computer.
I hope this helps. God Bless you both on your journey of Faith.
Poor Knight of Christ
