Skeptical Christian

In quite a few articles on this web site, I have attempted to show that belief in God is not only rational to accept, but also necessary to accept in order to remain rational. Naturally, the existence of God (or gods), even if positively established, does not answer the question as to which religion is correct.

The possibilities, it seems, are endless- Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Taoism, Judaism, Wicca, etc. It would appear, on the surface, that we humans have a difficult job set ahead of us if we wish to discover the true religion. ¹ How can we possible evaluate every single one? Surely such a task would be impossible.

Fortunately for the rational human being, the issue is not quite as difficult as it may seem. This is because, out of all of the world religions, only a select few of them are rational at all. Christianity, in particular, has the nerve to base its claims on an actual historical event:

“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” (1 Cor. 15:14)

As just about every Christian will admit, if the resurrection is false, so is Christianity. This is a very important issue indeed. Whether or not you agree that the resurrection is true, it is very significant that Christians base their religion on an alleged historical fact, subject to falsification.

Most religions, on the other hand, take no such risk. These religions are based on “spiritual” ideas and basic “feel-good” thoughts that simply lack any sort of evidential basis. Therefore, the rational man is completely justified in disregarding those religions that make no positive, falsifiable claims.

Due to this, I find it rather interesting that atheists are so fond of claiming that Christianity is “irrational” and “absurd”. If anything, Christianity is one of the most coherent belief systems around. Even if you think the doctrines are false and the resurrection untrue, you still have to respect the fact that Christianity bases its claims in historical events that are subject to scrutiny, unlike almost every other religion.

That Christianity is quite rational, at least compared to other religions, is easily seen by the fact that Christian apologetics are so easy to find. You will search in vain for “apologetic” Buddhism sites, but will be overwhelmed by the massive amount of apologetic literature written by Christians. Much of this literature is in defense of the resurrection, which is the central tenet of Christianity and by far the most important subject. This is probably also the reason that critiques of Christianity are so easy to find. Since Christians are so fond of apologetics, and since Christianity is based upon historical events, there is a lot of substance in the Christian religion for skeptics to address. It is obvious that Christianity is the main topic of most anti-religion work- and for good reason.

I will now provide a few case studies of different religions, laying out their beliefs and doctrines, and then deciding whether or not the religion has a chance to be considered rational.

Case Study # 1: Buddhism

Number of followers: Over 3 million ²

Buddhism’s founder is Siddhartha Gautama, a man who lived in the sixth and fifth centuries B.C. Gautama, given the title “Buddha” (enlightened one) by his followers, taught the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

The Four Noble Truths: ³

1.Suffering exists. 2.There is a reason for suffering. 3.There is a way to end suffering. 4.The way to end suffering is through the Eightfold Path.

The Eightfold Path:

1.Right Views- knowing and understanding the Four Noble Truths. 2.Right Thoughts- letting go of want and desire, and acting with kindness to avoid hurting anything. 3.Right Speech- telling the truth, speaking kindly and wisely. 4.Right Action- not stealing or cheating. 5.Right Livelihood- earning a living that does not cause bloodshed or harm to others. 6.Right Effort- encouraging and developing positive thoughts in order to keep to the Path. 7.Right Mindfulness- being aware of thoughts and actions that affect the world now and in the future. 8.Right Concentration- the peaceful state of mind that arises through correct practice of the Eightfold Path.

Certainly one can credit Gautama for having some interesting and truthful things to say. However, what reason is provided for this being the true religion?

Buddhism is based only on spiritual ideas- the kind of things that make one feel good. However, there is no rational basis for us to consider this religion as true. Buddhism offers no chance for falsification, and does not make any positive historical claims (other than the existence of Siddharta Gautama. However, even if his existence was questioned, Buddhism could still be considered true). Therefore, I think the rational man is justified in disregarding Buddhism.

Case Study # 2: Hinduism

Number of Followers: About 750 million ²

Hinduists have a variety of different beliefs, but there are a few beliefs shared by virtually all followers. The prime belief is the existence of a Supreme Being who has unlimited forms. ⁴ Hinduists also believe in the repetitious Transmigration of the Soul (i.e. reincarnation). ⁵

Since Hinduists believe in reincarnation, it is theoretically possible for them to defend such a belief with evidence. However, even if reincarnation were proven true, that would not prove that the Hindu religion is true. Many world religions support belief in reincarnation. Also, Hinduists could theoretically support their belief in a Supreme Being much the way I have. However, it is impossible to use evidence to come to the conclusion that their particular deity is the correct one.

Hinduism, much like Buddhism, is not a rational religion to accept. There is no evidence provided that Hinduism is true. It is another religion that is based heavily upon “spiritual” ideas and emotional beliefs. The rational man is justified in disregarding this religion.

Conclusion:

Christianity stands out as one of the only rational religions in existence. Most other religions, with the exception of perhaps Islam and Judaism, are utterly incapable of defense, for they do not claim any significant historical or scientific realities to be true. Therefore, they are not even subject to critique.

Thus, atheists are wrong to claim that Christianity is “irrational”. In actuality, Christianity is perhaps the most rational religion of all, and much superior to atheism because of its acknowledgement that God exists. ⁶

NOTES:

1. Of course, it is possible that God exists, yet no religion is correct. In any case, upon our recognition that God exists, we would be wise to see if God has revealed Himself any further to mankind. Thus, an investigation of the world religions is justified.

2. Religions of the World Transedition Limited and Fernleigh Books, 1997, p. 10.

3. Ibid, p. 109.

4. Ibid, p. 92.

5. http://www.religioustolerance.org/hinduism2.htm Hinduism: A General Introduction.

6. Since there is abundant evidence for the existence of God (such as that provided HERE), Christianity is superior to atheism in that regard.

Recommended Further Reading

J.P. Holding, The Impossible Faith http://www.tektonics.org/nowayjose.html This article discusses the various factors of the ancient world which make the mere survival of the Christian religion a miracle in itself.

In this article, I have made an attempt to give an accurate description of the beliefs, practices, and customs of various world religions. I will eventually add more and more religions to my case studies. If I am misrepresenting a worldview, please offer me a correction.

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