Searching? Start With Christianity

This post was originally written as a paper for a course of study in apologetics which I am taking at Biola University. The concept is based on an argument by Dr. Craig Hazen in which he suggests that a religious seeker would be wise to begin a search among various faith traditions with Christianity. Take special notice toward the end of the paper of my shameless flattery of the Biola professors. I did, actually, submit the paper with the “sucking up” portion and final footnote. I have not yet received a grade on the paper.

Here is my version of the argument . . .


If a person were going to look into the various religions of the world as an authentic seeker, with an open mind, it can be argued that the Christian faith would be the wisest place to begin.

There are several reasons why Christianity would be a most reasonable starting place.

First of all, more people on earth are Christians than any other religious faith. Billions of people all around the world, from every nationality, and, every educational level and every socio-economic background, are convinced of the truth of Christianity. This, of course, does not prove that Christianity is true, but this testimony certainly raises the question “why?”, to any truly curious seeker.

Why are such a huge percentage of all living people committed to Jesus Christ? This fact would incline a person to investigate Christianity as one of the primary starting places.

Another reason to begin with Christianity would be the vast amount of information that is available. This is simply a practical suggestion. If one intends to embark upon a search of various religions, why not start with a religion where an extraordinary wealth of material is readily available?

This may sound like an appeal to laziness. Heavens no. I prefer to think of it as beginning the research process with the wind at your back.

Perhaps the strongest reason for beginning a search of various religions with Christianity is that it can be tested.

Let me explain, Christianity is rooted in history and it claims to be objectively true. Yes, there is an experiential component to Christianity, and there is, by definition, a faith component, as there is with all religions. However, Christianity does not depend on experience alone for confirmation of its truth claims. This would not be the case for the other major world religions which often make the subjective experiences of spiritual practices—which can take a lifetime to master—integral to an understanding of the faith.

So, if an honest search is to be undertaken, it makes sense to begin with a religion which can be tested—and, even, relatively speaking, quickly tested—in objective ways. Then, if it fails the test, it can be confidently crossed off the list of alternatives and the seeker can move along to investigate other options.

Christianity makes claims that can be and, for that matter, have been tested. For example, the field of archaeology has provided many confirmations of the truthfulness and reliability of Christian scripture when it comes to the names and dates and places and culture during which the Bible was written.

Christianity, in the Bible, makes claims about issues having to do with human nature. Is mankind inherently good and virtuous as some people claim? Or, is mankind fallen and inclined toward sin as the Bible clearly teaches? These basic questions are, at least to some degree, testable. This morning’s newspaper could give some indication of the answer to the question of mankind’s basic nature.

G.K. Chesterton famously, wrote that the doctrine of original sin—which speaks to man’s basic nature—was an empirically verifiable aspect of Christian teaching.

The Christian scriptures are open to the accepted methods of academic historical criticism and, for that matter, have been subjected to the rigorous scrutiny of historical critical methods for many years. This is just another way in which Christianity can be, and has been, tested.

It is significant to note that Christian scriptures have stood the test of decades of historical critical study and remain credible, trustworthy and reliable, even to knowledgeable, sophisticated scholars, *like, for example, the brilliant, witty, good-looking professors at Biola University. The same cannot be said of the holy books of other world religions.

Christianity is believed by more people than any other religion on earth. An investigation of Christianity would be a simple and obvious place to begin because of the wealth of available material. And Christianity is objectively testable in ways, unlike any other major world religion. So, it makes great sense for an investigation by a true religious seeker to begin with the Christian faith.

Daniel L. Marler
Oak Lawn, IL



*Note: Come on, a little shameless apple polishing is going to happen once in a while, it’s a time-honored part of the academic process.