Why Is There Only One Religion?

 
Scientifically, why would one religion be more right than the other?

1. The effect on the course of history and on Western Civilization itself.
2. Christianity is the “mother of modern science,” due to its worldview, with no scientific absurdities in the Bible.
3. The Bible tells us that nature is governed by laws (cf. Job 38:33); dozens of scientific facts are in the Bible which were not known by science at the time.
4. Most early modern scientists were Christians.
5. The abundant evidence of witnesses and martyrs with similar experiences.
6. The laws of evidence must be considered and evidence weighed, without bias.
7. The laws of cause and effect and noncontradiction. eliminate contradiction as acceptable.
8. Harmonizing the conflicting faiths is impossible with so many diverse and contradictory claims of who God is.
9. The subjective evidence of experiencing God; evidenced even by martyrdom.
10. The fact of the resurrection of Christ is pivotal to changing history.
11. The objective evidence of history, documents, and records; the Bible itself.
12. The fact that truth by its very nature is exclusive: Jesus said He is the Way.
13. The value of God’s challenge to “Taste and see that the LORD is good.”
14. The proof of the pudding is in the eating; put God to the test; take the leap! God invites you to Him in an open invitation.
15. God invites you by faith; science is by faith also; both involve people of faith.
16. You need not kiss your brains goodbye to understand, there are answers from the Answerer.
17. The fact that it’s not faith versus reason but faith versus faith; both sides use facts and evidence and come to different conclusions because of confirmation bias; neither is wholly impartial.
18. You cannot demonstrate or measure God by experiment or laboratory conditions but you can see His effects just like you don’t see the wind but know its effects.
19. God is not audible, visible, nor tangible, thus He is outside the parameters of science and one must have faith to find the true God; but God has revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ and also in the Old Testament to prophets.
20. God is a metaphysical concept and not shown, observed, or tested by the physical, which science demands, thus complicating the issue.

There is no reason a Christian cannot be a good scientist or a scientist cannot be a good Christian. The fact that false religions are not wholly wrong but have an element of truth or just enough to inoculate or immunize one from the real thing. Christianity claims to be the truth and only way to God as Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no man comes to the Father except by Me,.” One must reckon that no other religious founder made such audacious and bold claims of being God and the only truth; this must be taken into account and reckoned with.

Is God A Myth Or A Hypothesis?

 

Is God a myth or a hypothesis?

Karl Broberg

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August 30

Blogger/Bible teacher (10+ yrs), researcher, life coach

People who deny God also must deny we are in God’s image and have no inherent dignity, purpose, or meaning in life. We are thus animals in heat, seeking pleasure and avoiding pain—that’s all. If we are animals, it must be okay to act like them. Thus, atheism, or the denial of God in the equation, is a crutch to lean on for immoral living as an excuse for sin, because they have no hell to shun or Judgement Day to fear—how convenient with no restraint on evil or motive to do good.

C. S. Lewis called Christianity the myth that had become true … it’s not what we would’ve imagined. God is neither of the above—that’s a false dichotomy. God is a fact of history and has given plenty of evidence to understand that, even in science. The fact is that God invites you to find out if He is real for yourself: “Taste and see that the LORD is good.” The proof of the pudding is in the eating. People who know God love Him as the response. God is love, and if you’ve experienced love, thank God.

Jesus claimed to be God, to deny this is to call Him a liar, and He is a historical figure, not a myth or legend—even secular attestation and corroboration. So the real issue is whether He is who He claimed to be. He proved it by rising from the dead: what more proof would one want? Jesus alone should be proof of God.

God is able to convince people He exists and loves us without making it so obvious that it’s beyond a shadow of a doubt or with “smoking gun” evidence God doesn’t need to prove Himself because there is ample evidence for the willing and open-minded, those willing to do His will.

There is manifold philosophical, logical, and scientific proof, argument or evidence for God, of which I will not venture to detail here. The Bible says that “they have no excuse,” because God has made it plain unto them (cf. Romans 1:20).

Can You Believe In Science If Science Contradicts The Bible?

 

Can you believe in science if it contradicts God and scripture?

Karl Broberg

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September 9

Blogger on worldview

1. There is no final conflict—apparent difficulties have been reconciled, the Bible proving right after all.
2. Science takes things apart; religion puts them together; many questions cannot be answered by science, but need religion; i..e., the Anthropic Principle.
3. Science is the know-how, while religion is the know-why; science deals in the physical while religion the metaphysical.
4. Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.
5. He who thinks there is a contradiction between science and religion understands neither.
6. Christianity is considered the “mother of modern science.”
7. There are dozens of scientific facts in the Bible with no scientific anomalies or contradictions; these facts were before science knew of them and were ahead of their time.
8. Science makes the mistake of ruling out the possibility of the supernatural and believes everything can be explained with natural causes and has an explanation without God in the equation.
9. Virtually all the early modern scientists were professing Christians and founded it upon the Christian worldview that definite laws govern nature (cf. Job 38:33).
10. There is no reason a Christian cannot be a good scientist and a scientist a good Christian—both exist.

NB: Augustine said that “all truth is God’s truth,” and Aquinas added that “all truth meets at the top.” John Locke described reality as that which corresponds with the truth. There can be a contradiction between truth and the God of truth.

Can You Believe In Jesus As A Non-Christian?

 

Can you believe in Jesus as a non-Christian?

Karl Broberg

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Updated September 11

Blogger/Bible teacher (10+ yrs), researcher, life coach

You can affirm His deity, His crucifixion for sins, and His resurrection even and not be saved—that’s only knowing history. Believing mere facts concerning Jesus doesn’t make one a Christian but a transformed heart from Him does due to repentance and faith in Him. You must not just know about Him, but know Him. Having a direct, personal knowledge due to a loving, growing relationship and fellowship of walking by faith in Him.

Even the demons believe in Jesus and tremble, in the strict sense of the word—they knew who He was (the Holy One of God), but their knowledge didn’t save them. You must put your knowledge into action and practice your faith without hypocrisy. God doesn’t expect perfect faith but sincere, unfeigned faith. You must not just believe in Jesus but believe Jesus. Jesus isn’t looking for admirers or fans, but fully devoted followers and worshipers.

You will be known by your works or fruit and judged by them, not your confession or creed “I’m of Apollos, I’m of Paul, I’m of Peter, I’m of Christ,” sort of sectarianism). Creeds don’t save, Jesus does. We’re not asking faith in a creed but in a Person. Faith doesn’t save, Jesus does. Faith must have the right object to be valid. You can have misdirected faith that cannot save. Jesus expects us to put all our faith in Him, and not to add Him to our life as in Jesus plus TM or Jesus plus yoga and so forth; we must believe in Jesus alone and trust only in Him for our salvation. Jesus is the only Savior. He demands a substituted, exchanged, relinquished, inhabited, and surrendered life.

The only test of our faith is obedience and Jesus said if we love Him we will obey His commands. “He became the author of salvation unto all of them who obey Him,” (cf. Heb. 5:9). Faith must be accompanied by repentance, that’s why theologians refer to penitent faith or believing repentance—they go hand in hand. (cf. Acts 20:21; Heb. 6:1).

How Is A Person Saved By Grace?

 

How is a person saved by grace?

Karl Broberg

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September 6

Blogger/Bible teacher (10+ yrs), researcher, life coach

The main text is Eph. 2:8–9, “For by grace are you saved through faith, and that [faith is the antecedent] is not of yourselves, it [faith]is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” Faith is the instrumental means by which God chooses to save us [through faith]. Thus we are not saved because we are “better” than others in any way. The thing about faith is that it’s inherently without merit and anyone can exercise it!

The only way to be saved by grace is not by works and the only way that can be is by some gift that is not merited. We receive the gift from God. Grace means God’s riches at Christ’s expense. God gives us a choice to receive it freely and not by compulsion or coercion. God saves us by not giving us (mercy) what we deserve and giving us what we don’t deserve (grace)!

God has given us faith to exercise towards Christ and receive this gift. Faith is God’s gift but our work. “This is the work of God that you believe….” (cf. John 6:29. “It has been granted unto you to believe,” (cf. Phil. 1:29). “We believe through grace,” (cf. Acts 18:27). ‘We have obtained like faith…” (cf. 2 Pet. 1:1). God gives us faith, but expects us to use it; He doesn’t believe for us! Note that as many as rely on the Law are under a curse! (cf. Gal. 3:10). We must not depend on our own righteousness which is also the gift of God (cf. Isaiah 45:24).

If faith were a work, then we would be saved by works and Titus 3:5 says we are not saved by works of righteousness. But “It is the gift of God, not of works…” (cf. Eph. 2:8–9). When you give someone a gift and they refuse it, they can only blame themselves.

God’s gift is also unconditional, He doesn’t save us because we will become good people or do something to deserve it. Grace means ultimately that we cannot pay it back even in all eternity, we do not deserve it no matter how good we are, and we cannot earn it by good behavior or works of merit. God’s gift is unmerited because we did nothing; we do not even know why God chose us for salvation. In sum, salvation is given and a given for those with faith, but not achieved!

What Does It Mean That Jesus Is The Word Of God?

What does it mean that Jesus is the Word of God?

1. God’s final word to man in Jesus as well as the Bible itself, pointing to Him.
2. God’s expression of Himself to us; logos strictly speaking is “thought expressed.”
3. God’s logic at work as the guiding principle and/or power in the cosmos., without which nothing can be known in reality.
4. God’s channel of communication power; how we can come to a knowledge of God; God still speaks to us through His Son.
5. God’s revelation to man in Jesus; all we can know of the Father.
6. God’s language and message to man revealed in Scripture.
7. God’s imprint or sign of Himself as we see Him at work; no Logos means no cosmos—only chaos.
8. Jesus is the wisdom or plan of God revealed.
9. Jesus is the idea of God—it came from Him!
10. Jesus is the mind or brains of God expressed in Scripture (the mind of Christ).

Jesus taught as one who had authority, not as the scribes (cf. Mark 1:22).

NB: The Greek philosopher Heraclitus called the Logos the power that holds all things together: “All things happen through this Word [Logos].” The word itself can be translated: mind, reason, thought, wisdom, intelligence, idea, law, order, purpose, or design.

If God Created Everything, How Was He Created?

 

If God created everything, how was he created?

Karl Broberg

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Updated September 5

Blogger/Bible teacher (10+ yrs), researcher, life coach

Originally Answered: If God created everything, didn’t he create himself?

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According to the law of cause and effect, nothing can cause or create itself; it would be a violation of the law of noncontradiction to exist and not exist at the same time or in the same manner. There can be uncaused causes, but not uncaused effects. Everything that begins to exist or any event has a cause or beginning. God is referred to as the Uncaused Cause or Unmoved Mover setting everything into motion according to Newton’s law of motion that an object at rest tends to stay at rest. We need not assume everything is created or must be; self-existence violates no law of logic, math, or philosophy, it is not only rationally possible, but necessary.

If everything was created or happened by cause, there would be no end to the chain of events. If ever there was “nothing,” though, nothing would exist now; nothing can come from nothing (ex nihilo, nihil fit). Add to this the fact that nothing can come from nothing, something must have always existed—this is called the necessary being and all other beings are unnecessary, caused, and created. Either matter or God came first. Is matter over and precedes God or God over and precedes matter?

The fact that God is eternal means by definition that He had no beginning in time; all things in the time-space continuum had a beginning in time, but God is before time and created it for there would be no time without matter and even science acknowledges it all began at the Big Bang.

God’s name as I AM (which can be translated “I Cause to be”) means He is self-existent and also that He causes to be. I AM WHO I AM or I AM WHAT I AM. He existed before time, which is a corollary of space and matter and is not confined, limited, nor defined by it. As being without beginning or end. Before creation (the Big Bang) there was no time either. Time had a beginning as the Bible says, “before time began,” (cf. Tim. 1:9; Titus 1:2).

An eternal amount of time cannot be crossed for it is impossible to cross infinity; infinite regress is impossible—you must begin somewhere with a First Cause, as Aristotle thought of God. If the cosmos were eternal and infinitely old, it would have time to be perfect by now and it would’ve stopped expanding as it is. Astronomers and physicists have determined that at some time in the past the time clock began clicking.

Can A Christian Believe In Creation If It Contradicts Science?

 

1. Even science acknowledges a beginning (the Big Bang)
2. Matter/energy/time all began about 13.7 billion years ago accordingly and not contradictory to the Bible
3. If there was a beginning, there must be a Beginner or cause behind it
4. Creation implies a Creator (order an Orderer, purpose a Purposer, etc.)
5. The Bible doesn’t say when the beginning was or when the earth was created but only “in the beginning,” there is a gap between Gen. 1:1 and Gen. 1:2 that is an unspecified amount of time
6. The so-called six days of creation could be interpreted as epochs or episode, not necessarily 24-hour days; to God, a day can be a thousand years for example, or a period of time (the day of the LORD)
7. The Bible doesn’t tell how things happened but that God made them happen at His word by the breath of His mouth
8. The Big Bang or creation is an event; all events require explanations and have causes
9. Everything that begins to exist (creation) has a cause; that cause is most likely God—the First Cause
10. Science cannot explain many things and doesn’t have all the answers, such as the mystery of life and its origin.

How Do You Know Your Religion Is The Right One?

 

Of all the religions in the world and all the different gods, why do you believe that yours is the right one?

Karl Broberg

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September 12

Blogger/Bible teacher (10+ yrs), researcher, life coach

1. Mine is based in history (my God orchestrates it) and objective fact; ‘t’s historical, from the God of history, or it’s nothing, pointing especially to the objective, historical fact of the resurrection as the climax.
2. Mine has no scientific anomalies but has scientific facts ahead of its time.
3. Mine has subjective evidence of experiencing God personally (“Taste and see that the LORD is good”).
4. Mine is based on the miracle of the resurrection, arguably the most attested fact of antiquity.
5. Mine claims to be the only way to know God (truth is exclusive by nature).
6. Mine has no inherent contradictions, which have not been reconciled by scholars.
7. Mine claims to be knowable, absolute truth from the God of truth that gives the answer from the Answerer.
8. Mine is based on a holy book (the Bible) that is infallible and inerrant, and the only so-called scripture that contains predictive prophecy, even fulfilled ones.
9. Mine is based on a Savior who was without sin but understands us as a human, though still God.—the God-man; Jesus claimed to be God Himself in the flesh—no other religious founder made such claims.
10. Mine is based on inspiration and revelation, not speculation or conjecture.
11. Mine is the only one that solves man’s problem of sin, not ignorance, yet He respects our minds.
12. Mine gives purpose, dignity, and meaning in life, including suffering, and gives us hope for the future.
13. Mine has witnesses and martyrs who have died for its truths rather than deny them.
14. Mine has changed the course of history, even turning Rome topsy-turvy.
15. Mine has had a profound effect on Western Civilization, especially in absolute morals.
16. Mine is the only one that offers salvation by grace as a gift through faith, not of works.
17. Mine is the only one that says we can know God, not just believe He exists.
18. Mine is the only one that says God loves me individually.
19. Mine is the only one that gives me a claim to having human rights as in the image of God.
20. Mine is the only one that has a personal God that knows me and I can know in return.

How Can Jesus Be Holy?

 

How can Jesus be without sin when even the "holy" Bible tells us that he went around beating people he didn't like with a whip?

Karl Broberg

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Updated September 7

Blogger/Bible teacher (10+ yrs), researcher, life coach

Jesus was without sin because He wasn’t born in sin, He was born of a virgin, and also He is God and incapable of sin, and He proved it when He was tempted by Satan after fasting forty days in the wilderness.

God reserves the right to judge and the Father has given all judgment to the Son (cf. John 5:27). Jesus claimed this authority. It wasn’t just because He didn’t “like them” in a human sense. There is such a thing as righteous indignation and Jesus expressed this at the wicked moneylenders at the temple. He said it was “His Father’s house” and for such reason had motive to judge. In fact, in John 8:46, Jesus challenged anyone to accuse Him of sin.

The only sin the Pharisees were able to accuse Him of at His trial was blasphemy in their eyes because He claimed to be the Christ, the Son of God (cf. Matt. 26:63). This was deemed blasphemy and worthy of death in their eyes. Other false accusations were that He broke the Sabbath but He said He was Lord of the Sabbath,. And all of His disciples claimed that He was without sin (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21; John 8:46; 1 John 3:5; Heb. 4:25; 2 Pet. 2:22). They would’ve known for familiarity can breed contempt.

1. “He “committed no sin,” (cf. 1 Pet. 2:22).
2. “In Him is no sin,” (cf. 1 John 3:5).
3. “[He]had no sin,” (cf. 2 Cor, 5:21).
4. “yet without sin,” (cf. Heb. 4:15).
5. “who did no sin,” (2 Pet. 2:22).