Why Should We Believe You, Christians?

[L.B.]

You're at my front door, or you've got a booth at the county fair, or you try to start a conversation in the break room at work.

 

You want to tell me about Jesus. That's... nice.

 

Here's my question: Why should I believe you?

 

No, not about Jesus being son of God or whatever. That's not what I'm asking.

 

I want to know why the "Jesus" you're presenting, the church/denomination you belong to, the version of Christianity you accept as true, is the one I should trust to accurately represent the actual intent of your god.

 

The Catholic Church says its bishops are the shepherds of the faithful in an unbroken chain of succession all the way back to the Apostles.

 

So, too does the Orthodox Church.

 

There are also more modern American denominations that claim similar apostolic authority, if not in an unbroken succession, at least from appointed leader to appointed leader and no "free agent" ministers.

 

So here's a short list of items that you should be able to present convincingly (or at least cogently) when you come up to me, or when you register here to "save" us.

 

*****************************************************************************************

1) Ecclesiology (regarding ecclesia, the church) - When was your church or denomination founded, and why did it take until X year in history for it to appear?

 

2) Soteriology (regarding soter, the "savior", Jesus) - What does your version of Christianity teach about the "saving work" of Jesus? Was He god or not? What did his death accomplish and purchase?

 

3) Pneumatology (regarding pneuma, the "Spirit") - How does the "spirit" empower a TrueBeliever™? Are the "gifts" of the spirit active in the church today? Why or why not?

******************************************************************************************

 

I'll stop at just those three central ideas; if you're going to come up to me, in person or virtually, I want answers to those points AND why YOUR answers (or your pastor's answers, or your denomination's positions) are the correct ones. Not correct over against NON-BELIEF - I want to know why your versions of these doctrines are the correct ones over against OTHER Christian theological claims.

 

Before you can tell me that you have access to all the answers to life's greatest mysteries and the secret to relationship with the sovereign, divine ruler of the universe and all that exists, you have to be able to prove that you're not just pitching a false version of the story.

 

Never mind why I should believe in Jesus over Krishna or Zeus. Why should I believe that you know anything about the "true religion" when other people who call themselves Christians are at odds with you?

 

I'll wait.