I have talked with atheists, agnostics, and others who question my faith in Christianity. Some have said, "How can you believe in Jesus and the Bible when there are inconsistencies, contradictions, and other problems?"
I understand this question. And so I can also understand the reluctance of World Mission Society Church of God members (and people of other religions) to abandon their faith when they are confronted with problems.
Several things happen when I am confronted with those problems, and I am sure there is a similarity between me and my sister (and other WMSCOG members). I see that:
- Some of those 'contradictions' others see really do have logical explanations for them if you just look a little farther.
- People do sometimes fail to act in a 'Christian' manner, but that is because we are flawed human beings. We need to look at the teaching of the faith more than the actions of the adherents.
- Some of those other philosophical problems really do have answers if you will just consider another viewpoint.
- For the cases that are left over, if there are no explanations or answers, I understand the objection, but it does not bother me enough to abandon my faith. Why? Because I trust God enough that He has an answer even if I can't see it.
When I am confronted with the toughest questions about what I believe, I have to go back to that root, that rock, and remember the immovable facts my faith is built on.
The evidence can't be something that's a matter of opinion or interpretation--those are not stable or provable.
It can't be something that is entirely within the belief system, because then you get into circular arguments which don't prove anything. Basically that would be, "Why do you believe in the Bible? Because it is God's word. How do you know it is God's word? Because it tells me so."
No, it needs to be something from the outside that is factually based.
Here are two of the key pieces of evidence of my faith in Jesus and Christianity:
- Support for the Resurrection is profound. It is the only logical explanation (as strange as it may be) of the events occurring after the Resurrection and the changed lives of the disciples.
- There is an abundance of fulfilled prophecy in the Bible recorded in historical documents.
Remember, this evidence needs to be something outside the WMSCOG that is factual, verifiable.
For example, do not say your evidence is the prophecies that Ahn Sahng Hong fulfilled as the second coming Christ, because that is based on the WMSCOG's own interpretation of those prophecies.
Ok, responses please. :)