Quick Answers
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1. Are All Religions True?
What do we mean by "true"? While many world religions share some similarities, they more importantly differ in major areas. For instance, Christianity teaches that Jesus died and rose from the dead, Judaism teaches that Jesus died but did NOT rise from the dead, and Islam teaches that Jesus did NOT die and did NOT rise from the dead. According to the law of non-contradiction, it is objectively true (independent of what people think/feel) that something cannot be true and untrue simultaneously.
Therefore, Jesus could not have died and risen while also not dying and rising at the same time. And this is no small matter, Christianity hinges on the fact that Jesus died and rose again – forgiving the sins of those who trust in Him. So, these three religions can’t all be true. When basing truth in reality (such as with the law of non-contradiction), all religions can't be objectively true. It’s either one of the religions is true, or none of them are. The person who holds the view that all religions are false must be prepared to show that the evidence supporting any of the religions is false, which is simply too heavy of a burden to bear (specifically for Christianity).
2. Why Is Jesus The Only Way?
Jesus is the only way because He was the only One to solve the problem! Every religion has to deal with the problem of sin (even if they don’t call it that). However, all of the other religious figures had their own sins to pay for. Jesus lived the perfect life and died according to what was prophesied about Him (as the Messiah) hundreds of years before His birth (Isaiah 53). Not only that, but He also claimed to be the only way, and His followers taught this as well.
Lastly, God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). If Jesus is God as He claimed to be, He never lied about His claims. Therefore, His claims are true. God having raised Jesus from the dead served as verification for Jesus' claims of being God (John 8:58; Mark 14:61-62), the prophesied Messiah (Isaiah 53; Matthew 16:16), and His teachings. Therefore, if Jesus rose from the dead, Christianity is true and Jesus is the only way to salvation - logically resulting in all other religions being false. "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'" (John 14:6).
3. What About Those Who Never Heard About Jesus?
Some may not have heard of the Son, but there is ample evidence for the Father (Romans 1:20; Romans 2:15). By responding obediently to the general revelation of the Father (nature and the moral law on our hearts), He will present the Gospel to us accordingly. Therefore, someone who responds obediently to the general revelation of God will be presented with the message of salvation through Christ. Anyone seeking God in truth will find him and be accepted by him. God can reach any person in any circumstance. He is not limited by geography, technology, language, or culture (Acts 17:26-27). Anyone seeking the true God on God’s terms will find him.
Also, people do not go to hell because of wrong beliefs, but because of sins committed. In the same way, a patient doesn’t die because he doesn’t go to the doctor; he dies because of the disease. Therefore, hell is judgment for the sins against God, Jesus is the Ultimate Physician who can save us from such judgment that we deserve. Concerning people being in hell, some may object and say God should be more loving to overlook their sins and bring them into heaven despite their wrongdoings. However, God wouldn’t be Just if He simply overlooked sin – this would make Him less Loving. Lastly, God created us as free beings, which entails the possibility of evil (sin). We would not be free if God forced us to choose Him, despite the Power He holds. Nonetheless, even though some freely choose to be separate from God in this life (which spills over to eternity), God still provides providential Grace to all.
4. Why Christian Apologetics? What is The Apologetics Sandwich?
Christian apologetics is the defense of the Christian faith – as in a court of law. Apologetics is NOT apologizing for being a Christian or making others apologize for not being a Christian; there is no apologizing! The term “apologetics” comes from 1 Peter 3:15, in which the word for “defense” in the original Greek language is “apologia.” While apologetics is not necessary to be a Christian, there are five reasons Christians should be familiar with it: the Bible commands it, the culture demands it, the Church needs it, doubts require it, and the results confirm it. Especially in the relativistic and seemingly anti-Christian culture we live in today, apologetics can be used to remove the barriers preventing people from accepting the Gospel readily.
Here, at Truthful Hope, we've created The Apologetics Sandwich, a helpful method for remembering this verse and using apologetics correctly. Have you ever eaten a sandwich without the top, bottom, or both pieces of bread? It's not a pleasant experience! The top and bottom pieces of bread of our apologetics sandwich are essential for keeping it all together. They are also vital for getting the most enjoyment out of the middle part of the sandwich. While it may be easy to overlook the top and bottom pieces of bread of our apologetics sandwich when reading 1 Peter 3:15, we cannot most efficiently use Christian Apologetics without them. By honoring Christ our Lord and approaching people with gentleness & respect, we can defend the Christian faith most effectively.
5. Why Truthful Hope?
Simply put, because hope is desparately needed in our culture today. Recent research has shown that the next generation is more hopeless than hopeful. Not only do we want to raise awareness to this problem, we also want to propose a solution…the solution. That is, the Living Hope – Jesus. The Christian Hope brings everlasting fulfillment, joy, peace, and freedom. As an apologetics ministry, we aim to show that the Christian hope is worth trusting in. Christian hope can be defined by the word “hope” as an acronym: Holding Onto Promises that are Eternal through Jesus Christ.