We are all creatures of hope. We all have hopes for the future. Some hope they will get a promotion. We all hope our lives make some positive difference in the world. Some hopes are more grounded in reality like you hope that it will rain soon. Some hopes are grounded in fantasy like how you hope the Vikings will win the Super Bowl.
Whatever we hope for, we know that reality takes precedence over our desires. In other words, what we hope for is largely irrelevant as to whether our hope comes to be or not. Other factors are involved. As mortal beings we think about the big questions of life. What happens when I die? Is there a God? We all have hope for something good. If you believe that the afterlife will be a peaceful state, that’s wonderful, but it does not address the reality in and of itself.
Man is born with an innate nature to know what is true. Since we know that truth is not determined by popular opinion, our curiosity compels us to seek out information that we don’t have. If everyone in our community started thinking that squirrels run on electricity because they walk on the power lines, this would not make it true. In order to get to the bottom of what is true, you would do some research. You could study a squirrel and investigate to see whether or not it has a battery pack.
When it comes to religion, just because I or anyone else desires something to be true, does not make it true. Your hope must be grounded in something true and solid. However, the same could be said for those who desire Christianity to not be true. This does not make their desire true. Some have suggested there’s no way to know because all religions are supposedly the same. They are based on myths or unverifiable facts. Is this true?
While it may be true that faith is required when it comes to our knowledge of God, it can also be said with certainty that some religions make more sense than others. Some can still function rather well in academic circles, whereas others are easily discarded. Some are based on historical facts, and others, not so much. One thing that the Christian religion has always maintained is that it is rational. Everything from the teachings of Jesus to the teachings of the first apostles and early church leaders are all trying to make rational arguments for their belief in Jesus. Opposition toward the teachings of the church is not new, it has been around from the beginning. Early Christians were often accused of being gullible and intellectually deficient. Justin Martyr, who lived in the second century, is one of many who often wrote to defend Christian teachings against false attacks. He made intellectual arguments, like how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. He made philosophical arguments, like how Christians were in line with great philosophers of the past like Plato and Socrates. He made historical arguments, like how Christians stand in a heritage that traces its roots back to the beginning of time.
Christianity from its inception, has always claimed to be, first and foremost, true. This is why you will find Christians maintaining their faith in all realms of the academy from science to history, to philosophy, to social studies, because Christianity at its core doesn’t conflict with any of them. Christianity can be seen as objectively true as any other realm of knowledge.
Part of the reason why Christianity is often attacked and maligned is that Christians teach things that people don’t like to hear, so opponents naturally try to find holes in the logic of the movement. For example, Christianity has always taught that people are inherently sinful and wicked, and people don’t like being told they are sinful and wicked. However, it is again and again proven true when we see people fighting and treating one another with cruelty. This only adds to the reason why the life of Jesus was so necessary.
So, if you have doubts about the truthfulness of Christianity, then do some serious investigation of its claims. Don’t settle for simple answers to complex questions. Don’t dismiss it as some type of coping mechanism. Dig deeper and discover the truths that millions have placed their hope in. Discover the truth of a Man who was killed by His enemies and came back to life three days later. The same Man who said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet he will live” (John 11:25).
Christians don’t believe in fairy tales. There’s no hope in that.