why any serious religious quest should begin with christianity

Why Any Serious Why Any Serious Religious Quest Should Religious Quest Should Begin with ChristianityBegin with Christianity

www.SeanMcDowell.orgwww.SeanMcDowell.org

“…“…I think that the Christian I think that the Christian religion is the one religion that religion is the one religion that

most clearly deserves to be most clearly deserves to be honored and respected… honored and respected…

Antony FlewAntony Flew

……There is nothing like the There is nothing like the combination of a charismatic combination of a charismatic figure like Jesus and a first-figure like Jesus and a first-

class intellectual like St. Paul… class intellectual like St. Paul…

Antony FlewAntony Flew

……If you’re wanting If you’re wanting Omnipotence to set up a Omnipotence to set up a religion, this is the one to religion, this is the one to

beat.” beat.”

Antony FlewAntony Flew

1. Christianity is 1. Christianity is TestableTestable

“If Jesus is not risen, then our faith is

worthless…”

Jesus gave Jesus gave historical historical evidence that he was evidence that he was the Son of God, and the Son of God, and

these claims are these claims are testable.testable.

“Therefore, many other signs Jesus also performed in the

presence of the disciples, which are not written in this

book…

…but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Son of God; and that believing you may have

life in His name.”

2. Salvation is 2. Salvation is FreeFree

“For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith, and

this not from yourselves…

…but from God, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that

no one can boast.”

Salvation is a free giftSalvation is a free giftand is available to and is available to anyoneanyone

“Neither Greek nor Jew, slave nor free, male nor female, we are all one in

Christ Jesus.”

““For we know that it is by For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, grace that we are saved,

after all we can doafter all we can do.”.”

James FaustThe Atonement: Our Greatest Hope

Religion is about man trying Religion is about man trying to get to God; Christianity is to get to God; Christianity is

about God coming to usabout God coming to us

3. You get an amazing 3. You get an amazing worldviewworldview fit fit

A mental map of realityA mental map of realityA mental map of realityA mental map of reality

Can we live like Can we live like our worldview is our worldview is

truetrue??

A human is a A human is a ““no-soulno-soul” (” (anattaanatta))

BuddhismBuddhism

Darwinism is a Darwinism is a “universal acid”“universal acid”

Daniel DennettDaniel Dennett

“…“…If, as the evolutionary scientists If, as the evolutionary scientists say, what our brains tell us about say, what our brains tell us about

morality, love, and beauty morality, love, and beauty is not real…is not real…

Timothy KellerTimothy KellerThe Reason for GodThe Reason for God

……If it is merely a set of chemical If it is merely a set of chemical reactions designed to pass on our reactions designed to pass on our

genetic code…genetic code…

Timothy KellerTimothy KellerThe Reason for GodThe Reason for God

……then so is what then so is what theirtheir brains tell brains tell them about the world. Then why them about the world. Then why

should we trust them?” should we trust them?”

Timothy KellerTimothy KellerThe Reason for GodThe Reason for God

““The horrid doubt always arises The horrid doubt always arises whether the conviction of man’s whether the conviction of man’s mind, which has developed from mind, which has developed from the mind of the lower animals… the mind of the lower animals…

Charles DarwinCharles DarwinAutobiography of Charles DarwinAutobiography of Charles Darwin

……are of any value or at all are of any value or at all trustworthy. Would anyone trust trustworthy. Would anyone trust

the conviction of a monkey’s the conviction of a monkey’s mind, if there are any convictions mind, if there are any convictions

in such a mind?”in such a mind?”

Charles DarwinCharles DarwinAutobiography of Charles DarwinAutobiography of Charles Darwin

““If the value of If the value of reasoning reasoning is in is in doubt, you cannot try to doubt, you cannot try to

establish it by reasoning.”establish it by reasoning.”

C.S. LewisC.S. LewisAuthorAuthor

Christians don’t Christians don’t have to have to

compartmentalizecompartmentalize their worldviewtheir worldview

“Come, let us reason together

“In the beginning was the Word [logos]”

4. Christianity has Jesus 4. Christianity has Jesus at the at the centercenter