A Defense of the Christian Faith

William K. Clifford, a 19th century British mathematician and philosopher, in his essay "The Ethics of Belief" wrote: "To sum up: it is always wrong, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence"(159). Although not a believer himself, Clifford makes a valid point. The New Testament challenges the believer to "always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks for a reason for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect"(1 Peter 3:15). Lionel Ruby, a logician, wrote: "Every person who is interested in logical thinking accepts what we shall call the 'law of rationality' which may be stated as follows: We ought to justify our conclusions by adequate evidence"(131). The case for Christianity is grounded in reason, not fantasy. What, then, are the reasons for believing that Christianity is true?

First, the Christian faith affirms the existence of an omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent, and infinite God. God's existence can be proved philosophically. The main arguments for the existence of God are the ontological, teleological, cosmological, and moral arguments. Although I believe that each of these arguments is valid, I shall confine this article to the cosmological argument (argument from contingency). As F. C. Copleston said in his debate with Bertrand Russell, "So if you add up contingent beings to infinity, you still get contingent beings, not a necessary being. An infinite series of contingent beings will be, to my way of thinking, as unable to cause itself as one contingent being" (478). Simply put, Copleston argues that, if a contingent being exists, then a necessary being (God) exists. Put hypothetically: If p, then q, p, therefore q.

Second, the Christian faith affirms the deity of Jesus Christ. The historicity of Jesus is undeniable. The question, then, is whether He is God incarnate. As C. S. Lewis said, "A man who is merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with a man who says he is poached egg—or else be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a mad man or else be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a mad man or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him, and kill Him as a demon: or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us" (56).Jesus' life, teachings, and resurrection from the dead are proof that He is the Son of God. No argument has ever been given that has successfully refuted this claim. One is driven to the conclusion that Jesus is who He claimed to be (John 14:6).

Third, the Christian faith affirms the truthfulness and reliability of the Bible as the Word of God. The Bible possesses such properties and characteristics that preclude its being anything other than the divine Word of God. Its predictive prophecies, its timeless truths, its historical accuracy, and its remarkable influence on civilization are proof of its divine origin. No book of antiquity is as well-attested as the Bible. Its writings are sound philosophically, ethically, historically, and scientifically.

As believers, we can be certain that what we believe about God, about Jesus Christ, and about the Bible is true. The Apostle Paul reminded us in 1 Thessalonians 5:21: "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."

Works Cited:

Clifford, William K. "The Ethics of Belief." The Rationality of Belief in God. Ed. George I. Mavrodes. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1970.

Lewis. C. S. Mere Christianity. New York: MacMillian, 1960.

Ruby, Lionel. Logic: An Introduction. 2nd ed. Chicago: Lippincott, 1960.

Russell, Bertrand and F. C. Copleston. "The Existence of God—A Debate." A Modern Philosophy of Religion. Eds. Paul Edwards and Arthur Pap. Rev Ed. New York: Free, 1965.