Why Should I Believe in the Bible?

Is it Wrong to Question the Bible?

Christian churches believe that the Bible is the inerrant, inspired word of God.  If you go to a church, but you have doubts whether the Bible is really true or not, you might be hesitant to express those doubts.  After all, church is like any other group, you feel a need to fit in and so you might not want to ‘stir up any trouble’ by asking hard questions.

The problem with this is, that if you have nagging doubts whether the Bible is true or not, it would naturally follow that you would have a hard time accepting what the Bible teaches.  After all, if the Bible is not true, you don’t have to follow all those rules, like the Ten Commandments, right?

I used to think that I should not question the Bible, until I read Acts 17:11.

“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true”.  They didn’t just blindly accept what the apostle Paul was saying, they studied the scriptures (in their time, the Old Testament) to see if it was true.

I think many people have questions about the truth of the Bible, especially in a culture that believes that the Bible is full of myths and legends.  If you have those kinds of doubts, your faith can only grow so much.  But I’ve found that if you have questions, and are able to find answers to those questions, your faith can grow bigger.  I’ve also found that many of the questions I had, were answered by just reading the Bible.

If the Bible really is the inspired word of God, it should be able to stand up to any scrutiny or doubt.  Of course, not every question can be answered, because the Bible does not tell every detail about everything.  But if you have questions about the truth of the Bible, try to read, study and seek out other resources like Bible commentaries and radio programs, and ask questions to pastors and fellow Christians.

Next:  The Church vs. Galileo

Christianity is a Crutch

Some people don’t believe in the Bible because they think ‘Christianity is just a crutch’.  The inference is that Christians are weak people who lean on their outdated religion.

Well, my answer is – Christianity is SUPPOSED to be a crutch.  First of all, if we all were completely honest with ourselves, we would admit that we are all weak, at least to a certain extent.  The Bible has many verses that talk about how we should depend on God’s strength, not our own.

Proverbs 3:5-51
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

1 Corinthians 1:25
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Exodus 15:2
The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

Isaiah 40:28-31
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Next:  Is it Wrong to Question the Bible?

About Religious Cults

Some people don’t believe in the Bible because they think that people use it to justify bad things that they do.  Let’s look at one of the more famous cults, Jim Jones and The People’s Temple.  My source is Wikipedia.

909 members of The People’s Temple committed suicide in Jonestown, Guyana (South America) in 1978.  Their leader, Jim Jones was a charismatic leader who advocated social change.  He helped to racially integrate churches and other institutions and businesses, and gained political support in Indianapolis and San Francisco.

Jones embraced Communism early in his life, and built Jonestown in the 1970s as a ‘socialist paradise’.  In the early 1970s, Jones began deriding traditional Christianity, rejecting the Bible, and claiming that he was the reincarnation of Jesus, Mahatma Gandhi, Buddha and Lenin.

In November 1978, U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan led a mission to Jonestown to investigate allegations of human rights abuses.  Ryan and some members of his party were killed by Jones’ guards.  Jones preached to his followers that intelligence organizations were conspiring against them.

Later that same day 909 inhabitants of Jonestown, 303 of them children, died of apparent cyanide poisoning by drinking laced juice drink.  It’s hard to understand why so many people could be influenced into committing suicide in such a way, but they were influenced over time by a charismatic, paranoid leader in an isolated environment.

Many followers and political leaders thought of Jones as a good person who did many good things in his lifetime, but he grew increasingly paranoid and his message grew increasingly contradictory to the Bible.

If you research about cults, their leaders usually twist the Bible to serve their own purposes.  The truth of the Bible should not be judged according to the actions or teaching of such people.

If anyone makes a claim about the Bible that doesn’t sound right, you should check it out, with the guidance of knowledgeable resources, including pastors, churches, articles, books, commentaries, radio programs, etc.  But the best way I can think of to determine the truth of the Bible is to read it for yourself.

Next:  Christianity is a Crutch

Christmas in America

Have you ever wondered why the picture of traditional Christmas celebrations – a warm cozy home, fireplace glowing, snow outside the windows, Christmas tree with decorations and presents, is so different from the scene of desert town with the birth of the baby Jesus in a manger?

It’s not just different climate or geography.  My sources are History.com and Wikipedia.

Christmas celebrations actually began in the 4th century in Rome when the early church tried to adapt and transform pagan celebrations.  The early celebrations were raucous festivals.  Christmas wasn’t really celebrated in America until the 1800s, during a time of class conflict, high unemployment and rioting.

Two writers, Washington Irving and Charles Dickens, changed the way people thought about Christmas.  Irving wrote ‘The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent’ in 1819.  In it was a story of an English squire who invited peasants into his home for Christmas holiday.  It was a warm picture of rich and poor coming together despite differences in social status.

Dickens wrote ‘A Christmas Carol’, published in 1843.  The secular story about the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge, and the message of charity and good will toward men struck a powerful chord in the U.S. and England.

Americans began to embrace Christmas as the perfect family holiday, and looked to immigrants and the church to see how the day should be celebrated.

In the next 100 years, Americans built a Christmas tradition that included many different customs, like decorating trees, family dinners, seasonal food, sending greeting cards and giving gifts.  Christmas was declared a U.S. Federal holiday in 1870, signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant.

Next: About  Religious Cults

Origins of Christmas – Santa Claus

Some people believe that the Bible is full of myths and legends.  One reason may be confusion over ideas about Christmas, like Santa Claus.  My source is Wikipedia.

The original inspiration for Santa Claus is probably Saint Nicholas, a 4th century Greek Christian Bishop who lived in what is now Turkey.  He was famous for giving gifts to the poor.

Another influence may be the German pagan god Odin, who was celebrated during the pagan festival of Yule in December.  He was believed to lead a great hunting party in the sky, riding an 8-legged horse (inspiration for the eight reindeer).  Children would fill their boots with treats for Odin’s horse, and leave them near the chimney, in return they would find gifts or candy.

In Northern Europe, Saint Nicholas was called Sinterklaas.  He was supposed to arrive each November by steam boat, with a book listing good and naughty children.  During the next weeks, following from Odin, he was believed to ride a horse over the rooftops at night, delivering gifts through the chimney to the well-behaved children.  Sinterklaas was depicted as a stately, serious elderly man with white hair and long beard, wearing a red cape over a bishop’s robe.

Many modern attributes of Santa come from the poem ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas’ by Clement Clarke Moore in 1823, including the sleigh, bag full of toys, the eight tiny reindeer and even their names, and the description of the ‘jolly old elf’.

Santa’s home in the North Pole may have originated in cartoons by the American political cartoonist Thomas Nast in the 1860s.

The picture of Santa most people are familiar with, a portly old man with white beard, red suit with with white fur trim, originated from Puck Magazine covers in the early 1900s, and was firmly established by illustrations in Coca Cola Christmas advertisements from the 1930s.

While the inspiration for Santa Claus may have been a Christian bishop, it is not from the Bible, and is not connected to Christ’s birth.  The story of Saint Nicholas was twisted in so many ways to become the Santa we know today.

Next: Christmas in America

About Protestants

My sources are Wikipedia and ‘The World’s Religions’, by Peter Clarke, Reader’s Digest Books, 1993.

In the 16th century, many factors contributed to the erosion of people’s faith in the Roman Catholic Church.  This led to the Protestant Reformation, because the reformers ‘protested’ the doctrines, rituals and structure of the Catholic Church.

It was led by Martin Luther, a German monk who rose to become a professor of biblical theology at Wittenburg University.  He was appalled by the corruption of the Catholic Church, especially at the church’s sale of ‘indulgences’, by which people could buy salvation and escape the punishment of purgatory.

After studying the letters of Paul in the New Testament, Luther also taught the doctrine of justification by faith alone, meaning that salvation comes only by acceptance of Jesus Christ as savior, not by good works.

Luther was joined by other reformers, but doctrinal and cultural differences between them resulted in the different denominations that still exist today.

If the Bible is a true document, why do differences exist between the Catholic Church, Protestant denominations and others who claim to be Christian churches?  Most Christian churches consider the Bible to be the ultimate authoritative word of God, but they may interpret it differently.  Also, sometimes they fix upon and emphasize a certain part, and they lose focus on the whole picture.  The Bible is a huge book, there are a lot of things that can be isolated and taken out of context.

Past history, even current history, has shown that pastors, bishops, priests, church leaders and even the Pope are fallible people.  Even great Bible heroes were not always ‘holy’ and had their faults.  If you want to know the truth about the Bible, it’s better NOT to rely ONLY on people (who by nature are fallible), but to read the Bible for yourself, and always consider the whole picture.

Next:  Origins of Christmas

About the Catholic Church

My sources are Wikipedia and ‘The World’s Religions’, by Peter Clarke, Reader’s Digest Books, 1993.

The New Testament of the Bible talks about the early history of the Christian church, up to about 70 AD.  The following history is not in the Bible.

In 64 AD the Roman Emperor Nero blamed Christians for the Great Fire of Rome, and began to persecute them.  Emperor Diocletian carried out the Great Persecution (303-311), in which Christians were arrested, tortured, mutilated and condemned to gladiatorial contests.  The persecution ended in 311, when Galerius issued an edict which granted Christians the right to practice their religion.

In 312, the Emperor Constantine embraced Christianity, because he believed the Christian God helped him win a crucial battle for the imperial throne.  Constantine became the patron of the Christian faith, supporting the church financially, building basilicas, granting privileges, promoting Christians to high offices, and endowed the church with land and other wealth.  Eventually, Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire.

The church grew in two places, Rome and Constantinople.  Rome fell to the Visigoths in 410, and began a period of turmoil.  In 800, Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by the Pope, and re-established the dominance of the church in Europe.

In 1054, because of cultural, spiritual and political differences, the church was split into the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.  The final break was over whether the Pope in Rome was supreme, or equal to the patriarchs of the Orthodox church.

According to the Catechism (official teachings), the Catholic Church is the ‘sole Church of Christ’, the Pope is the successor to the apostle Peter, and Catholic bishops have a lineal succession from the apostles.

Under Constantine, the church gained status and wealth, this led to more emphasis on ritual, and major corruption, which was the main cause of the Protestant Reformation.

Next:  About Protestants

Comparing the Religions

I’m summarizing the religions in the order that it is believed they originated.  (See other posts for more info)

It is not known when Hinduism originated, it evolved over thousands of years among different people and includes numerous traditions, sharing common themes but does not constitute a unified set of beliefs or practices.

Judaism is the oldest monotheistic (believing in one God) religion.  It’s holy book, the Tanakh, (The Old Testament in the Bible) is the record of the creation of the world, the origin of man and the nations, man’s fall into sin, and the history of the Jewish people.

Buddhism started with Siddhartha Gotama in Nepal, who realized that wealth and luxury did not guarantee happiness, and explored different teachings, finally finding the way to enlightenment.  He was not a God, nor did he claim to be.

Christianity has the same roots as Judaism, outlined in the Old Testament.  The difference is that Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah, who came as the ultimate sacrifice to conquer the sin started by Adam.

Islam has its basis with the prophet Muhammad, who Muslims believe received revelations from God over a period of twenty three years.  Islam also has its roots in Judaism and Christianity, holding that many Biblical figures from Adam to Jesus were divine prophets.

Hinduism has a diverse set of beliefs and practices.  Buddhism is mainly about philosophy and Buddha himself did not claim to be a god.  Among the different religions of the world, the Bible is the most complete body of religious writing.  It has extensive information about God, God’s relationship with man, sin, early world history, prophecy, philosophy and wisdom.  Jews, Muslims and Christians have differing amounts of agreement on the Bible’s New Testament, but agree on the Old Testament as a spiritual and historical work.

Does the existence of other religions prove or disprove the Bible?  I encourage people to check out the sources of my information on the internet (see my other articles), research more and decide for themselves.

Next:  About the Catholic Church

About Judaism

Does the existence of other religions prove that the Bible is not true?  Let’s look at Judaism.  I’ll compare and contrast later.

The following is summarized information from http://www.jewfaq.org/index.htm

Judaism is a religion, a set of ideas about the world and the way we should live our lives.  There is a lot of flexibility about certain aspects of those beliefs, and a lot of disagreement about specifics, but that flexibility is built into the organized system of belief that is Judaism.

Many people who call themselves Jews do not believe in that religion at all!   More than half of all Jews in Israel today call themselves ‘secular’ and don’t believe in God or any of the religious beliefs of Judaism.  Half of all Jews in the U.S. don’t belong to any synagogue.  They may practice some of the rituals and celebrate some of the holidays, but they don’t think of them as religious activities.

Most secular American Jews think of their Jewishness as a matter of culture or ethnicity.  When they think of Jewish culture, they think of the food (bagels and lox, gefilte fish, matzo ball soup), the Yiddish language (a mixture of German, Hebrew and other languages), of holidays and cultural values.  Most of that culture is really Ashkenazic (from Eastern Europe).  Most Jews in America today are Ashkenazic.  Jews from different parts of the world have many different traditions.

Common ancestry is not required to be a Jew.  Many Jews worldwide share common ancestry, as shown by genetics, but you can also be a Jew by converting.

The traditional explanation about Jews, and the one given in the Torah (first 5 books of the Old Testament in the Bible) is that Jews are a nation.  Throughout the Bible and Jewish literature, the Jewish people are referred to as the ‘Children of Israel’, a reference to the fact that they are the physical or spiritual descendants of Jacob, who was later called Israel.

Next:  Comparing the Religions

About Islam

Does the existence of other religions prove that the Bible is not true?  Let’s look at Islam.  I’ll compare and contrast later.

The following information is from Wikipedia.org

Muhammad (570-632 AD), was a trader, later becoming a religious, political and military leader.  Muslims do not view Muhammad as the creator of Islam, but instead regard him as the last messenger of God, through which the Qur’an was revealed.  Muslims view Muhammad as the restorer of the original monotheistic faith of Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and other prophets.

The following information is from islamicity.com

Who is Muhammad?

Muhammad was born in Makkah in the year 570, at a time when Christianity was not yet fully established in Europe.  Muhammad was of a deeply religious nature, and had long detested the decadence of his society.  It became his habit to meditate from time to time in the Cave of Hira.

How did Muhammad become a prophet and messenger of God?

At the age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel.  This revelation, which continued for twenty three years, is known as the Quran.

Do Islam and Christianity have different origins?

No. Together with Judaism, they go back to the prophet and patriarch Abraham, and their three prophets are directly descended from his sons, Muhammad from the elder son Ishmael, and Moses and Jesus from the younger son Isaac.

Next:  About Judaism