Can You Be Good Without God?

Another excellent video from Reasonable Faith:



The Moral Argument for God's existence.

The Fine-Tuned Universe - Video

Talking Points - Christianity

Ever get in a conversation about religion or politics, the only meaningful conversations, and get asked what you like or dislike about a person or topic, but just can't verbalize all the reasons? We've all been there. Here are a few talking points on Christianity that are brief enough to remember during those "moments".

Why God Exists

1. Everything that exists has a cause. Infinite regress is impossible. Therefore, there must be a first cause.
2. The universe appears to have a design. Therefore, there must be a designer.
3. There are morals that guide us (laws). Therefore, there must be a law giver.

Why the Bible is the Word of God

1. Consistency - Different authors, different cultures, different centuries, but the Bible is consistent throughout.
2. It has the most surviving copies of any ancient text - over 24,000
• Plato has only 7 copies
• Aristotle has on 49 copies of any one work
• Homer (Iliad) has the most at 643 copies
3. Stood the test of two millenia of critics 

Why Jesus is God

1. Fulfillment of scripture
• Mathew 1:23 - Virgin birth - Isaiah 7:14
• Mathew 1:3 - He would come from the tribe of Judah - Genesis 49:10-12
2. The Apostles - They were transformed from a few frightened men to individuals who died for One whom they believed to be God. No one would die for a lie. 
3. Transformation of the World - The teachings of a young rabbi in an obscure part of the world is still taught and believed today by a large percentage of the world's population.

Jesus - The only Way

To those who call themselves Christians, but believe that there are more ways to God - if one reads the Word of God, is there really any doubt? If you say you are a Christian, then you must believe in the Christian scriptures.

• Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. 
• John 8:24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.
• 1 Cor 3:11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
• 1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,
• John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
• 1 John 2:23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
• John 5:23b He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
• John 3:18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
• John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
• 2 John 1:9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
• Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
• 2 Thessalonians 1:8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Baseball Was Created by Chance Over Time

The game of baseball is a wonderful sport. However, there is no evidence that it was created by any one individual or a group of individuals. Given the right selection of materials, the equipment would come together through natural forces to form the field, the bases, and the viewing stands - all in the correct proportion and dimensions.  It is only a matter of time and chance. 

The rules governing the game are also derived by natural forces over time. The number of outs, what constitutes an out, the direction the players move around the field, and the governing of various individuals to monitor the game in the form of umpires was all coordinated at precisely the exact moments the materials came together to fully form the rules and the structure of the game. 

The documents that "prove" there was a designer of the game are so old they are to be considered unreliable. There are no witnesses of any such person who created the game. As a matter of fact, there is evidence that the game developed over time from other games infinitely regressing to a single elemental game using a stick and a rock. 

Baseball came to be by chance over time. There is no reason to deduce there was any one or group that created the game. Those who believe so are superstitious, uneducated, and unintelligent. 

You Know What You Know, But Why Do You Know It?

Here is a quote from a commentary on a site Debunking Christianity:

Of course, I realize that most Christians don't consider themselves to be gullible. They believe that there is LOTS of information backing up Christianity. They've been told this over and over again, by preachers, and their family and friends, so they just believe it... But when you actually go to Christians and ask them point blank what the evidence is for it, you typically find that they have no idea.

Now if you talk to them online they go and look it up, and copy and paste things from Christian websites. But if you talk to them in the real world and ask them what the information is, they have no idea... Most of them anyway, at least 75% of them are just Sunday Christians. The inner core of Christianity is only like 20-25% of them, the fundamentalists.

This person is right on the mark when it comes to evaluating the vast majority of Christians in North American today. Most go to church on Sunday and learn all the lessons about what happens to the various figures in the bible while learning much more about the particular life of the the pastor to whom the are listening. However, when asked about evidence or a reason for their faith, there is ambiguous talk of how it changed their life or they give their testimony. Testimonies are good, but it is no substitute for reason. It does the non-Christian little good to hear that this system of belief has made you a better person. Mormons are very well behaving people who have their lives in order. So what! They are still lost.

Christian, study the reasons behind your faith. There are many. Practice telling others that are close to you these reasons, so you are better able to give these reasons to those not so close to you. We must be intelligent about our faith. It is reasonable along with being of faith. It is also historical. Your faith is bound to a historical event. Do not forget that. Think more while continuing to cultivate your feelings for the service and defense of our Lord, Christ Jesus.