Since the late 90s, I’ve extensively debated religion on various platforms such as alt-discuss groups, AOL chats, and bulletin boards, in a time before “social media” existed. Back then, I was not only a non-believer but also capable of constructing a compelling argument against the existence of Jesus as a historical figure. Similar to Saul/Paul, I would ridicule Christians. It is important to note that I was not raised in a religious family.
Today, there are numerous social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok Live, with an abundance of TikTok lives in particular. Additionally, there is a noticeable rise in the number of self-proclaimed atheists who repeatedly pose the same question: “Why should I believe in the Christian God when there are 4000+ religions worldwide? Why should I have faith in the Bible?” This question may be presented in various manners, ranging from genuine curiosity to pure sarcasm or even outright animosity. Personally, I find the statement “I only believe in one less God than you do!” quite endearing. It possesses a certain charm, almost akin to poetry.
So I will just cut to the chase and I will summarize and then elaborate on the 5 reasons why the Christian God is the true God. The purpose of this is a quick response to those who ask the question, and what prompted this blog. I can simply direct them to my website instead of being constricted in a comment section.
Now, let’s delve into each reason and build upon the reasons from my other blog post Proof God Exists.
The number of believers does not necessarily prove anything, but it can indicate the authenticity of something. If only a small tribal group on some small island follows it, then it is unlikely to appeal to a wider audience. After thousands of years, it should have gained global recognition, no? It’s that simple.
Does the religion worship a deity with an eagle head or an elephant-like form with multiple arms, or perhaps a turtle, cat, cow, or even the Sun? I have no doubts about dismissing such a religion since these entities cannot have emerged spontaneously. I aspire to discover the ultimate source. I can confidently dismiss numerous religions based on this viewpoint, including Hinduism from India and Nepal, as well as Zoroastrianism, ancient Greek, and Egyptian religion. I doubt the validity of religions that worship deities resembling animals, mythical creatures, or celestial objects. I am determined to uncover the ultimate origin and truth. Based on this perspective, I can confidently reject various religions.
There is a popular religion centered on the teachings of a man who claimed to have had a vision in a cave. I have no personal problem with followers of this faith, but the teachings of an individual alone do not convince me about various aspects, such as the afterlife. Interestingly, there are versions of Christianity that also revolve around a single figure who received a divine vision and solely based on that, require loyalty. I politely decline. I can also confidently reject many religions. If I have to rely on someone’s word alone, I immediately lose interest and stop investigating it.
Christianity offers multiple witnesses for the events documented in the Bible. Every aspect of our faith is supported by witnesses or the fulfillment of prophecies. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Paul provides a roster of individuals who witnessed the resurrected Jesus. These witnesses include the Apostle Peter, James (Jesus’ brother), and notably, a gathering of over 500 individuals simultaneously. In fact, The only debate worth noting is whether Jesus somehow survived the crucifixion, which would nullify the faith. According to a consensus of historians, a man named Jesus who lived where the Bible claims was most certainly Crucified. It’s history. As credible as any history book in any public school.
There are 5 key ancient and non-Christian sources:
- Josephus
- Tacitus
- Lucian
- Mara Bar-Serapion
- Talmud
As Habermas and Licona point out 1) the data on the crucifixion is strongly evidenced and 2) even non-believing historians accept it. The skeptical New Testament scholar John Dominic Crossan is typical of historians where he states that Jesus “was crucified is as sure as anything historical can ever be.
https://renew.org/the-historical-evidence-for-the-death-burial-and-resurrection-of-jesus-evidence-for-easter-part-3/
The Bible repeatedly encourages us to seek knowledge, study, and avoid being cast out due to ignorance. Therefore, Christianity does not advocate blind belief or submission to mere human words. As a result, I identify as a Christian because the Bible does not compel me to have blind faith or follow the words of any single individual.
In fact if the bible in any way said you have to blindly believe, then I never would have become a Christian. Proverbs 18:15 Proverbs 15:14 Hosea 4:6 NIV Ephesians 1:17 NIV 2 Timothy 2:15
Can you name another text that has faced extensive scrutiny, debate, and protest like Christianity and still remained credible? People have attempted to disprove the Bible and argued that Jesus is a derivative story based on ancient deities, but many years ago, a website created by “king David” effectively refuted every supposed deity that Jesus was allegedly copied from. Unfortunately, that website no longer exists, but there are numerous others that address this issue. (Try the wayback machine for old dead links). I have even come across a web-based database dedicated to exposing contradictions in the bible, but a counter database was created to discuss each alleged error. The rabbit hole of debate seems to continue endlessly.
There are Ted Talks, books, movies, TV shows, endless documentaries both positive and negative. Nothing on earth has been torn apart as much as the Bible and the bottom line is the argument goes on WITHOUT disproving the events of the bible.
Also, No other religion faces such frequent attacks. It makes me wonder why there are so many assaults on something that is deemed merely a myth or a fictional story. Why do people spend so much time on something they believe is made up?
What’s the catch? What’s in it for me?
Choosing my destiny is easy. The Bible does not impose any obligations. Believing grants me the gift of eternal life. This is reiterated multiple times. If I do not believe and reject the faith, I die when my time comes. Despite what some prominent Christian leaders may say, the Bible does not teach that nonbelievers or those who live a life of evil and sin will be tormented in an eternal inferno. This notion lacks logic, as experiencing pain and torture requires being alive. Rest assured, God did not create us to torture us for disobeying. In fact, the idea is foolish and raises unnecessary questions. God is not complex.
The Bible does not condemn sinners, non-believers, or evil-doers to eternal torture. Not a single verse can be provided that states this. This idea likely originates from distortions by individuals and preachers seeking financial support from their congregation.
For further reference: https://becomingchristians.com/2017/08/21/5-surprising-biblical-proofs-that-god-will-not-burn-people-forever-in-hell/
https://www.thinkersbiblestudies.com/no-burn-in-hell-forever
https://time.com/5822598/jesus-really-said-heaven-hell/
There’s actually hundreds of sources that flat out debunk the hellfire preaching that some churches have abused to scare their flock into the pews and into their wallets.
So the major point to consider is, if you are a non-believer, who doesn’t believe in heaven or hell or even an afterlife of any kind… well, you will get exactly what you expect when you die. You’ll be dead.
What do I gain? If my faith is true, I will receive eternal life in paradise, possibly on a new Earth. If I am incorrect, I will die without knowledge of my mistake. However, I have also lived my life striving to do what is right towards my fellow humans, guided by the love that Jesus taught. Perhaps I have even influenced some individuals. Whose worldview requires further scrutiny? Yours or mine?
Dont quit.
To think there was a time when I fancied myself a pretty good writer. I was writing essays for fun in elementary school. I wrote raps, a full album worth in middle school. I had full songs in elementary school. I even tried to send a demo tape to “NWA”. And who knows what would have happened if I actually put stamps on the envelope that I stuffed a cassette tape into and sent it to the address on the cover of their album?
Later, I gained “employment” with multiple opinion websites, pay was of course optional…and pretty much 100% of the time they opted out. This was back when I was big into the internet Pro Wrestling scene. So in a sense, I was an officially published writer.
I even had a poetry website. I of course wasn’t the first poetry website, but I fully believe I had the first online poetry community. It was called the “Internet Poetry Society” or “IPS” and I treated it kind of like a Pro Wrestling type of community. I can’t really remember the dates and no records of it exist, even on the “Wayback” machine. There were poetry “matches” of sorts, free style, Haiku boards, etc. It was ambitious, and in a wild digress, it was how my family found out my girlfriend was pregnant. (lol)
I had a very popular Fantasy Wrestling website. At its peak I had 10,000 members. People treated me like I was someone important and I even reluctantly signed two autographs. Even made a little actual money off my hobby with eager wrestling website owners paying me money to advertise on my website. It was a fun run. And my family knew NOTHING about this website. (lol)
I wrote articles, columns, tutorials, I was literally blogging before that word existed, you name it. My good friend, Eric at the time called it “comprehensive”. That word was the ultimate compliment to me at the time because I thought it severely lacked material.
Fact is, I didn’t care what other people were writing. I wrote because I enjoyed it. I did read a lot, but I wasn’t like an avid reader. I read most of the cliché classics and all (Twain, Salinger, London, Verne), but I didn’t immerse myself in novels.
But one day, I just stopped writing on a regular basis. I started caring what others were writing… and it made me feel inadequate. You see, I can write but my writing was only better than my environment. I was only better than the people around me. When I compared it to writing from outside my own circle, it felt bush-league at best, drivel at worst.
In other words, I quit because others were better.
So I gave up on something I was genuinely passionate about. And that was pretty much it. It never truly went back to the way it was. Even as I write this I’m struggling to continue and just want to save it for later, which translates into the cutting room floor. Mind is drifting off into space. Keep thinking about bills and other issues. Feeling a need to cast if off as “writers block” and box it up in the attic.
But there’s the thing. There is no such thing as “writers block”.
I stumbled across some audio books by a guy named Seth Godin. He’ a renown marketing guru if you aren’t familiar with the name. He explained that writers block is a myth. It is a convenient way to be lazy. It’s a made-up ailment that disguises the real problem; fear. The fear of putting out something that might make you uncomfortable due to the judgement of others. You simply don’t want people to think you suck. You don’t want to make a mistake that might expose you as a rank amateur instead of the consummate expert in your field that you put in your own head. And ironically I got stuck on a word that I was trying to use that sounded fancy… swandisan… swatisan…suadisan… I can’t even remember how it’s spelled ang google isn’t helping lol. It roughly means “self titled”. Just keeping it a buck, I don’t have a sophisticated vocabulary and sometimes I pretend I do.
To make this as elementary as possible, writers write. You are not always going to sound the smartest, or write the deepest, or be the most insightful and sometimes your writing won’t even be helpful to anyone, but you keep writing because you love to write. Some writers have dozens of books, and only a single novel made any waves.
You just write. Sure, there will be detractors and those who only serve to insult and attack, (aka haters). Sometimes they maybe have a point. Most times they are simply projecting their own misery on to you.
This is simply just something that was on my mind. A “what if” if you please. What if I didn’t allow myself to get discouraged. What if I ended up on a major publication if I never gave up?
What if I stopped using quotation marks to show emphasis?
What if… it’s not too late for me too?
Ingredients:
Small/Medium turnip.
Almond Flour
Olive Oil
salt/pepper/garlic powder.
Time: No more than 20-25 mins total
Are you interested in the Keto/Low-carb lifestyle? But like many of us, you get tired of just meat and cheese and then some bland, boring side? Do you search low-carb side dishes and get exhausted with almost all of them containing some form of broccoli or cauliflower?
Well, I have been testing a number of Keto side dishes that will delight your palette and more importantly DO NOT CONTAIN BROCCOLI OR IT’S PALE COUSIN CAULIFLOWER!
Living a low-carb life isn’t easy. Finding exactly what to eat each day can get discouraging quickly. I’m here to help! So I won’t be doing a “top ten” even though it may be convenient. I’m going to blog each meal that I make as I make it. So without further Ado…
Oh yes! There IS a fairly acceptable alternative to potato French fries. (Actually, I found more than 1)
If done correctly, the turnip root cuts, cooks and even has a similar consistency to a regular potato fry.
Couple things to consider before the recipe:
So here we go!
Sometimes you can find rather large turnips, but I got some smaller ones in a bag at Walmart. I found 1 was sufficient for my needs, because not everyone in my home is doing keto as I am. You want to slice it across into sections as below.
Not much else than to slice them long ways into fry shapes!
As you can tell, you’re probably feeling like you are in familiar territory if you ever sliced a potato. It’s honestly not that different. Difference here is, I wouldn’t season a potato. But you might want to season your turnip fries!
I used a little olive oil to stick the ingredients, salt, pepper, parsley flakes, garlic powder and coated them with almond flour as a last addition to see if it makes them crispier. I also threw a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese but it’s completely optional.
Don’t toss it around in the almond flour, it will make it separate and soggy blots. Just kind of pile it on. I felt like an egg wash would be overkill, so I left it out.
And last, I put them in the air fryer as loosely as possible for 15 mins. Then let them rest for a few mins, then another 5 minutes! And BOOM! Paired with some batter-less fried chicken, glory greens and topped with hot sauce! FLAVOR TOW… ok that’s someone else’s bit lol. Here we have a filling, wholesome and virtually carb free meal! The Turnip I used was a bit smaller than a full cup, so I imagine about 3-4 carbs. The chicken is ZERO carbs. The greens are hovering around the 1-2 carb area.
Disclaimer: I am not a professional of any sort for dealing with the medical field. If you feel like you want to hurt yourself or possibly others, immediately seek professional help. These are suggestions based on my opinion alone from my own experiences.
One thing that I’ve learned in my time is that depression is very real and can be debilitating. Depression, I’ve learned isn’t necessarily being “sad”. Depression is more of a numbness. It makes you lose interest in things you once cared deeply for, especially hobbies and activities. It places a pause on your emotions.
You can be sad during a bout with depression, but your depression doesn’t always mean you are sad as many people think and movies and TV shows portray.
Sadness is necessary in life. If you ever watched the Disney/Pixar movie Inside Out, you learned a surprising lesson (spoiler alert) that sadness is actually an essential part of finding happiness. Throughout the movie, the character “Sadness” was treated like a nuisance. She literally held the other characters back at certain points, making them drag her lifeless body in order to move onward. Everything she touches physically turned sad and blue. But in the end, we learned that she was vital in order to restore the perfect balance of life’s emotions. We need to cry, we need to mourn in order to heal and move back into happiness. There is purpose in pain, we don’t know that something needs to be fixed without pain.
But depression? I can’t think of a single instance where it is needed. It’s a disease. DIS-EASE. And it’s a nasty one that many people see no way out of. Many people see no end to it’s grasp on their lives and they make a very drastic and very final decision. Nobody needs to feel numb and lifeless. Nobody needs to feel as if there is no hope.
I’ll be honest, there is no magic pill. There’s no quick fix. You didn’t become depressed overnight.
Think about your childhood. You were probably carefree and adventurous. You played with your toys alone or with friends, it didn’t matter if anyone was there or not you found a way to entertain yourself. You didn’t sulk about being lonely, your toys became your friends.
Where do we lose this feeling? Of innocence and adventure? Where did we become so entrapped in being around others, needing their approval and companionship?
I’m not saying being around other people is a problem. If we don’t find a mate then we don’t reproduce and if everyone felt this way humanity would collapse.
What I’m saying is when do we lose the ability to be alone and feel on top of the world? We lost our imagination. Where friends are awesome and all but being alone is where we can really spread our wings?
I present that as a child, we purely LOVED ourselves. And that feeling doesn’t need to be a distant memory because we are now “adulting” and paying bills, stressing about this and that.
You can love yourself again and leave depression and the world’s problems behind. I did and you can as well!
You see, the moment that you learn to love yourself is the moment you’ll never feel alone a single second after! Doesn’t that make sense?
If you are worried about legitimate life events that have caused chaos in your life then it will be a struggle. Uncontrollable medical conditions, house fires with no insurance, etc. Unless you are in relentless, chronic pain then you are able to learn to love yourself. Even those that are in this type of pain can find solace in loving themselves.
This is the one thing that nobody and nothing can take away from you and you need to learn how to own it.
So how can you begin to start loving yourself again like when you were a child? It begins with your mindset, you have to tell yourself “I’m happy, I’m a good person, I’m just fine the way I am”, etc. You have to repeat this to yourself until it becomes a habit.
This may sound ridiculous to those who are suffering but I am speaking from experience. You may have tears in your eyes, wondering how this could even be possible. I am proof that it works. But just don’t think it’s some kind of instant medicine.
When somebody asks you “How are you doing?” Your response, no matter how you really feel inside should be “Fantastic!” That was always my response. The more you say it, speak it into existence, the more you actually feel better.
If you tell every cell in your body everyday that “I feel terrible… I’m, miserable, etc” this is that way you will ultimately feel. If you are constantly telling your mind and body that you feel awful, then that is what you will be.
Do not misunderstand me. I know that medical depression is a very real condition and you can’t just “chant it away” magically. What I am talking about is not simply talking. You are changing your subconscious mind to heal itself.
While this may be difficult at first to wrap your mind around, especially those that feel the world is coming down around them, remember that what I’m saying is nothing new.
You ever just sat down and thought about that famous saying? This is called manifestation. There is science behind it. It’s biblically sound, these methods are mentioned over and over in the scriptures.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7
“And all things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.” – Matthew 21:22
What do you think prayer is exactly?
Your homework is to study, not the bible. But The LAW OF ATTRACTION. There is countless material available about this subject. There is a wealth of information on YourTube about this.
The next move is yours. I know you are hurting, but how long you hurt is fully up to you.
Good luck!
