"It is wrong for a man to say that he is certain of the objective truth of any proposition unless he can produce evidence which logically justifies that certainty."

- Thomas Huxley

1) to explain the gospel

2) to answer why I follow Jesus Christ, and

3) to explain with logic and humility why a work begun in the second millennium BC can have so many supporters convinced that it is still rational, applicable truth today.

"I've been an atheist for years and years, but somehow I felt it was intellectually unrespectable to say one was an atheist, because it assumed knowledge that one didn't have...I finally decided that I'm a creature of emotion as well as of reason. Emotionally I'm an atheist. I don't have the evidence to prove that God doesn't exist, but I so strongly suspect he doesn't that I don't want to waste my time."

- Isaac Asimov

 

 

About the site

 

"Personally I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught."

- Sir Winston Churchill

"I have seen several entirely sincere people who thought they were (permanent) Seekers after Truth...until they believed without doubt or question they had found the Truth. That was the end of the search. The man spent the rest of his life hunting up shingles wherewith to protect his Truth from the weather."

- Mark Twain

 

9.1 Why was this site created?

This site is about the Bible and the numerous proofs for why it may be believed. Discovering the Bible's surprisingly high degree of believability was integral to effecting my own reversal from being a 28 year-old skeptic to an ardent believer.

The proofs herein are not presented with the unrealistic expectation of winning over every nonbeliever, nor to arouse any pride or arrogance within believers. The goal is merely:

 

 

 

 

 



9.2 Got religion?

The biblical writings claim to have been given to humanity by God so that we might learn of God's greatness, of God's love for us, and learn how to return that love from a state of spiritual rebirth.

This rebirth, or regeneration, has been known by different names to different generations. Maybe you've heard synonyms for it like getting religion, getting saved, being born again, confessing faith in Christ, accepting Christ, receiving Christ, trusting Christ, walking with Jesus, or becoming Christian. Whether or not that's you, may this site educate and encourage you in your personal search for truth and meaning.


9.3 Okay to question the Bible?

The Bible is sometimes accused by critics of being hateful of truth, condemning of free inquiry, and having not a single fact or rationale on which to stand. If these accusations were true, this site would not exist. I state with certainty that such haughty attributes are not descriptive of the Bible. The Bible most certainly is open to investigation. If anything, perhaps the only thing that it is not open to is being ignored. So check it out and only then accept it or reject it.


9.4 What's in a name?

One insight learned from my ideological counterparts has been that not everyone who lacks belief in God likes the title "atheist."

Some people feel the term unfairly connotes a socially undesirable quality relative to modern culture. Likewise, some believers feel the title Christian carries so many negative associations that they prefer to simply say they follow Jesus. What both sides desire is to avoid unfair generalizations and impersonal stereotypes. Everyone wants and deserves to be treated as individuals.

Additionally, the term atheist does not distinguish between strong atheism and weak atheism. Strong atheism, for example, holds the position "I know there is no God", whereas weak atheism would hold "I don't know if there is a God or not." (Agnosticism, by contrast, holds "Whether there exists a God or not, it cannot be known.")

Strong atheism and agnosticism can be self-refuting propositions, therefore weak atheism is the most defensible position of the two. It seems to be the position most non-religious types claim when pressed, though they seldom codify it so clearly. Weak atheism is also the only position that professes to have not already come to any firm decision and is still willing to weigh different arguments for the existence and attributes of God. It is for open-minded individuals like that sites like mine exist.


9.5 What everyone believes.

One common trait about beliefs shared between atheists, Christians, and others, is that whatever beliefs we hold we are all holding and defending something. Between some of us, the differences in our beliefs are hardly discernible; between others they are great. We also know that our beliefs are constantly challenged by the new things we learn, by our experiences, and by the beliefs of others.

In some of us, having our beliefs challenged creates considerable tension. One reason for that is it's often difficult to separate the beliefs we hold from that part of us which holds them. It's like a monkey who reaches through a small hole to get a big banana, and then can't get his hand out of the hole because he refuses to let go of the banana. Let's face it: any banana in OUR hand is the right banana, and does it ever anger us when some other monkey suggests "Let go."

In theory, we should be willing to simply set one belief down and pick up another whenever a better, more reasonable belief comes along. But in reality, there's a thing called pride. Everybody wants to be right; nobody wants to be wrong. So not only do we get uncomfortable when we fear ourselves to be wrong or uninformed or lacking in some way, but some of us nearly shoot through the ceiling when someone else suggests that we might be wrong or uninformed or lacking in some way.

In truth, making mistakes and being corrected is just part of the learning process. Sensitivity to the learning process is also why the non-Christian point of view that will most frequently be held up for comparison throughout this site is, or at least was, that of my own. Enjoy.

 

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Printing Tips, Contact, Search,
Links & Bibles,
The Gospel

Objections
Introduction
Integrity
Veracity
Divinity
Authority
History

 

 

 

 

WHY THIS CHAPTER?

General information on this web site; its intents and purposes.


1. Why?
2. Got religion?
3. Question the Bible?
4. What's in a name?
5. What everyone believes.