Proving Christianity is the true faith

[nkelly]

Greetings folks,

This is one I often come across when having a debate with an
unbeliever. How do you prove the faith of Christ is the true faith?

I use the argument that all faiths can’t be true because God wouldn’t reveal faiths that are contradictory with all the existing conflicts that result.

I also use the argument that all non-catholic faiths are actually anti-Christian.

“He who is not with me is against me!” Mt 12:30.

But how do you prove that the bible is true and that therefore the
Catholic Church is the one true church? Is it all based on faith?

God bless,
Noel.

 

[MichaelTDoyle]

What strengthens my faith is an argument from content. All religions are not the same. If you esteem love, if you think love is the highest calling of Man, then Christianity is the only religion that specifically espouses sacrificial love: The Passion and the calling of Christ to His followers.

Look at the emphasis on peace and forgiveness and reconciliation on acceptance while not accepting sin. These specific attributes should call out or have a ring of truth to anyone honestly seeking the Truth. No other religion can make the claim that their God loved us so much He sacrificed Himself for us.

The interior logic and yes the interior life make a compelling case for Christianity, but it’s not an easy message because it means giving up your selfish self too–or at least trying too

peace

Mike

 

[AquinasXVI]

Nkelley:

When Christ said He is the WAY TRUTH AND LIFE we have two trajectories; 1. accept and believe, 2. do not believe and deny this statement. Christ provided undeniable proof (his works) especially in his passion and RESURRECTION (unpresidented in human history) to prove that He in Himself is GOD.

He provided objective proof to his divinity. No other founder of other religion has done this.

in XT.

 

[awalt]

Regarding:

I also use the argument that all non-catholic faiths are actually anti-Christian.

this is not what the Church teaches. There are many non-Catholics that believe in Christ, they just don’t (yet?) believe in the full teaching of the Catholic Church. The Church would probably more accurately say they do not have the full revelation of Christ, just as Pope JP II said that the Islamic religion worships our same God; they too in JP’s words do not have the full revelation of God.

There have been a number of threads on here about salvation outside the Church, and I thikn CA has a tract on it too. In short, only those that know and reject Christ’s teachings are damned, according to the Church. That leaves a lot of people that it’s inaccurate to say the same thing about.

 

[Della]

But how do you prove that the bible is true and that therefore the Catholic Church is the one true church?

This, too, is a misstatement of the Catholic understanding. The Church is not based on the Bible. It is based on the teachings of Christ given to the Apostles and passed down to us through their successors, the bishops of the Church (the Magisterium).

The Bible is the witness to the Church not the proof of the Church. The Church is a historical body that believes in the Virgin Birth of Christ (the Incarnation), his life among us, his death on the cross as propitiation for our sins, and his Resurrection, and all that that entails.

 

[LatinCat]

nkelly:

Greetings folks,

This is one I often come across when having a debate with an
unbeliever. How do you prove the faith of Christ is the true faith?

I use the argument that all faiths can’t be true because God wouldn’t reveal faiths that are contradictory with all the existing conflicts that result.

I also use the argument that all non-catholic faiths are actually anti-Christian.

“He who is not with me is against me!” Mt 12:30.

But how do you prove that the bible is true and that therefore the
Catholic Church is the one true church? Is it all based on faith?

God bless,
Noel.

You can give the historical evidence of the Resurrection. I suggest reading the book “More than a Carpenter” by Josh McDowell and “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobell. Both are by protestants but they provide evidence for the Christian belief in the Ressurrection.

 

[Aureole]

Dr. Peter Kreeft may be able to help you out a bit. I made a quick browse of his website and came across this page, go to the Other Religions section toward the bottom. I’m sorry I can’t provide more than this right now, but he immediately popped into my mind. Those articles are from his book Fundamentals of the Faith, which I would highly recommend just because it’s so good.

Again, I apologize I can’t provide more right now. I’ll try to make another browse when I get home.

 

[Aureole]

awalt:

There have been a number of threads on here about salvation outside the Church, and I thikn CA has a tract on it too.

I believe that this is the tract you were thinking of.

 

[nkelly]

Thank you all for the replies.

Awalt, re my comment on anti-Christian religions, the point
I’m making is that non-catholic religion can’t have come from God
because there can only be one true faith. Islam denies the divinity
of Jesus. Jews believe the messiah hasn’t yet come and that Jesus was only a prophet. Buddhims/Hinduism teach re-incarnation and salvation by means of self effort. Protestants
deny the real presence in the blessed sacrament and the need for
confession to a priest. “He who is not with me is AGAINST me”.
Surely you can’t be WITH Jesus without be part of His Church?

I’m finished ranting now

I sometimes have to deal with the following allegations:

• There’s no proof that Jesus existed.
  Apart from the bible, presumably there are independent historical records (kept by the Romans)?
• The bible was changed by the Church to suit its own agenda.
  This allows people to deny the ressurection etc.

I want to be ready with answers convincing counter-arguments!

God bless,
Noel.

 

[Aureole]

nkelly:

I sometimes have to deal with the following allegations:

• There’s no proof that Jesus existed.
  Apart from the bible, presumably there are independent historical records (kept by the Romans)?
• The bible was changed by the Church to suit its own agenda.
  This allows people to deny the ressurection etc.

I want to be ready with answers convincing counter-arguments!

God bless,
Noel.

I’ve also heard of historical records that Jesus existed. I don’t know much on it though, so I won’t go into it. I do know one way you can reply to this though: There’s no proof X exists. How do you know it exists? (Where X is anything, from a person, city, country, continent, etc. - Eg. There’s no proof Europe exists. How do you know it exists?)

Ask the person claiming that the Church changed the Bible. They won’t be able to. The Church wrote the Bible, but not to suit her purposes.

Of course, these are very elementary and I’m sure someone else can provide you a better tack.

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

nkelly:

Greetings folks,

This is one I often come across when having a debate with an
unbeliever. How do you prove the faith of Christ is the true faith?

Define “faith of Christ”. If you mean “Christianity”, what is to be proved ? Or do you mean “The doctrinal content of Christian teaching” ?

I use the argument that all faiths can’t be true because God wouldn’t reveal faiths that are contradictory with all the existing conflicts that result.

Do all faiths claim to be true ? Not all religions make doctrinal claims, let alone that claim. Nigerian animists don’t - they still have a faith: if by faith is meant “way of living that allows man to be open to the Divine”.

I also use the argument that all non-catholic faiths are actually anti-Christian.

A lot of people are not going to become Catholic anyway, because they are well aware of the deficiencies of Catholicism, and of the gap betwen its claims and its life. Telling them they are anti-Christian for being Protestant or Orthodox will in all likelihood merely look like evidence of Catholic petty-mindedness, and do even more to impress upon them the ungraciousness of Catholicism. And who wants a religion which requires one to be petty-minded ?

Catholics will never get anywhere with people of religions or or of other forms of Christianity if they have no respect for the religious sensitivities of other people.

“He who is not with me is against me!” Mt 12:30.

And…?

But how do you prove that the bible is true and that therefore the
Catholic Church is the one true church? Is it all based on faith?

God bless,
Noel.

Yes, it is a matter of faith. At most, there may be arguments which favour what one believes - but there are no unanswerable proofs of any of it.

Christ needs no proofs - He was recognised by those who had eyes to see Him. He is Himself proof enough for them. The Apostles recognised Him, not because of their moral qualities - these were men who had deserted Him, to save their own skins - and not because they were brilliant (He complains often in the Gospel of how slow they are to understand); but because He, comes to them.

“Is X capable of being proved ?” is a question to ask of propositions in philosophy. But Christian believing is not a philosophy - it is a friendship.

 

[Montie_Claunch]

Gottle of Geer:

Define “faith of Christ”. If you mean “Christianity”, what is to be proved ? Or do you mean “The doctrinal content of Christian teaching” ?

If think what is being asked, and please correct me if I am wrong, is that Christianity is the true faith. And it would liked to be known how one could prove this to someone who is not Christian? I think that if it is meant Catholicism in particular of Christianity one could look around this forum to find arguements on Catholicism amongst other Christian Denomenations but, I think the real biggy is just what the title to the thread implies. How to prove That Christianity is the one true faith out of all the rest.

Am I correct?