Why Religion? Why Not?
Which
Religion? Which Church?
Age old questions that man has been asking himself:
Where did I come from?
Why am I here?
Where am I going?
Why religion? Why not?
From a purely scientific
point of view, scientists are now closing the gap in proving that GOD does
indeed exist. Such basic questions as, "Did the universe come into existence by
accident or by design?", are now being answered by many differing paths that all
lead to the same conclusion. It is indeed no accident, as there is a genius of
intelligent order everywhere that science investigates.
1. From the smallest through a microscope:
Every
single human cell is more complex than all of New York City, yet every part of
every cell has a purpose to fulfill, and all parts work in well ordered unison.
There are processing systems, communication systems, food distribution systems,
transportation systems, plumbing systems, waste management systems, reproductive
systems, first aid systems, and much more in each and every cell. It is all
ordered. It is all purposeful.
This cannot be accidental happenstance, but
accomplished only by the result of intelligent design.
2. To the largest through a telescope:
Billions of
galaxies, each with billions of stars and planets, all working in supreme order.
Cosmologists have postulated that the so-called "Big Bang", the theoretical
'cause of it all', must have had a cause in itself, a prime mover so to speak, a
source of great power and "intelligence", for temperature and mass had to be
extremely exacting for it to happen at all.
This cannot be accidental
happenstance, but accomplished only by the result of intelligent
design.
3. And everything in between by using our GOD
given senses, our intellect, and reasoning power:
In fact, science is not even needed to show order
everywhere we look, if we would only take the time to observe and ponder the simple things in nature.
He who has eyes to see, let him see.
Since there is order in all aspects of science and of nature,
and order cannot be accidental but must be designed by intelligence, we can
reasonably conclude that, yes, GOD
does indeed exist, and yes, a divinely ordered religion and proper worship
of Him is necessary for the assurance of our salvation.
So then...
Which religion?
So many different religions, and
so little time. A person who is committed to belonging to one could spend an
entire lifetime researching them all.
However, never fear for there is a
shortcut here.
Some of the major religions of the world, listed in order of size by the number
of participants, (2001).
1. Christianity
2. Islam
3. Hinduism
4.
Buddhism
5. Chinese traditional, Chinese Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism,
etc.
6. Sikhism
7. Shinto
8. Universalism
And there are many
more...
GOD is GOD who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, so by
using your common sense,
which of the above (if any) would you choose as being the only one founded by
Him? Can you think of any criteria that would make His chosen religion stand out
from all the others?
Here is a hint. All were founded by a human being, who
was called a prophet.
Give up?
Only one religion was
founded by a prophet who was pre-announced. All of the rest were founded by self
proclaimed prophets. The Old Testament of Holy Scripture is full of predictions
of the coming of a "Messiah" who would save the human race from its sins.
Starting with the first book
(Genesis 3:15) there are a considerable number
of startlingly accurate predictions regarding "He who is to come". Some books
such as Isaiah 53 are chocked full of explicit details of happenings and events
regarding He that would come hundreds of years later and who would fulfill
Isaiah's prophecies exactly as he related.
That religion, its root being
Judaism, is of course Christianity, and was founded by the divine person of
Jesus Christ, who is the long awaited and prophesied
Messiah*.
*Messiah is a Hebrew word meaning, the Anointed
One. In Greek it is Christos, Christ in English.
So
then...
Which Church?
Since we have
now picked the right religion, of the tens of thousands* of different Christian churches in
the world today, how does one pick the right church? So many churches, so little
time.
*There
were more than 33,800 different Christian denominations in the world as of April
2001.
Source: World Christian Encyclopedia, a Protestant
publication.
Of those tens of
thousands, there is only one Church which matches all of the following
criteria.
1. It is the only Church which was
founded by GOD in the person of Jesus Christ.
"And so I say to you, you are
Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it."
Matthew 16:18
We know it is the only Church
because Jesus used the singular word "Church", not churches.
2. It
matches its image perfectly, which is
found in Holy
Scripture.
3. It is able to trace its roots all the way
back to its founder, Jesus Christ.
4. It has genuine historical records stretching back for twenty centuries attesting to its existence in every day in every century, and with no gaps whatsoever since
its founding. See Matthew 28:20.
5. It is the Church which gave the world
the Bible which all Christians use today.
6. It has an unbroken line
of successors, traceable all the way back to its divine founder.
7. It is
obvious that it did not have a founder who was a mere human person.
8.
It is the only Church which has the authority given to it by GOD
Himself. No other church founded by mere human persons can show a single Bible
verse which gives them the authority to found another church other than that one
which was founded by Jesus Christ, and thus, they will face the wrath of
GOD.
"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there
is no authority except from GOD, and those that exist have been instituted
by God. Therefore he who resists the authorities resists what GOD has
appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a
terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of him who is in
authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is
God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not
bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the
wrongdoer. Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid God's wrath but also
for the sake of conscience."
Romans 13:1-5
9. It is the only Church
which has all truth.
Let us consult Holy Scripture for the meaning of
this:
"I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for
he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and
he will declare to you the things that are to come."
John 16:12-13
Of the
tens of thousands of Christian sects, each one teaches something different in
order to distinguish themselves from the others in the pack. They will all
readily admit that they do this. Since there is only one
truth, how can this way of thinking be accepted by any sane person who is
searching for that one truth?
In a deeper understanding of these verses, it
becomes obvious that the Holy Spirit teaches all the truth to only one
Church, the only Church which Jesus Christ founded. How then, could the Holy
Spirit teach 'something different' to the tens of thousands of other
denominations which were founded by mere men or women and not by Jesus
Christ?
Here is another verse where Saint Paul reinforces what Saint John
said:
"But if I should be delayed, you should know how to behave in the
household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and
foundation of truth."
1Timothy 3:15
Notice in this verse also that the
word "Church" is singular.
We know that the Holy Spirit will teach GOD's one
Church all truth, and that His Church is the "pillar and foundation of truth".
It has to be, since its teaching comes from the Holy Spirit.
Now let us recap
this segment with yet a third verse from a third writer which emphasizes GOD's
Church while at the same time excluding all others:
"Unless the Lord
builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches
over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."
Psalms 127:1
It
should be so obvious to everyone that the Catholic Church is the only Church which
fulfills every one of the above criteria. Not one of the tens of thousands of
non-Catholic denominations can match even one of them.
We know it can
only be the Catholic Church, as it is the Most Hated Christian Church in the
World. Just as the Catholic Church is the Body of Christ, so she naturally must
follow the trials and tribulations of her founder and Head. His physical body
endured an unmerciful persecution and scourging, and so must His Mystical Body,
the Catholic Church, endure the same.
A comparison between Jesus Christ and
His Mystical Body. He is the head and His Church is His body (Ephesians
1:22-23). You cannot separate the head from the body. They are one.
What happens to the one must also happen to the
other.
Jesus Christ
persecuted..................................His Mystical Body, the
Catholic Church persecuted.
They rebelled against His
Authority................They rebel against its Authority, 2Peter 2:10.
They
said Crucify Him...................................Heretics have tried to
destroy it for 2000 years.
He is called
Beelzebub....................................It is run by Satan, Matthew 10:25.
He is a false messiah......................................It is a false
church, Luke 22:70-71.
He called Himself the Son of GOD.................It
claims it was founded by GOD, Matthew 16:18.
He called Himself
Truth.................................It claims to be infallible, 1Timothy 3:15.
He called Himself King..................................It says it is the
only true Church, Matthew 16:18.
He could not
sin.............................................It has no spot or wrinkle,
Ephesians 5:27.
He was not believed by many..........................It is
not believed by many, Luke 22:67.
He was denied by
many..................................It is denied by many, Luke 22:57-60.
He was derided, not being understood.............It is derided, not being
understood, 2Peter 2:12.
Not understanding Him, they walked away.....Not
understanding it, they walk away, John 6:66.
He had false
accusers.....................................It has false accusers, Mark
14:56-59.
He was mocked..............................................It is
mocked, Luke 23:35-37.
He was
scandalized........................................It is scandalized, Luke
17:1-2.
He was hated without a cause.........................It is hated
without a cause, John 15:18-25.
His accuser, Judas,
died.................................Its accusers die, but still, the Church
lives on.
His enemies would stumble and fall...............Its enemies
stumble and fall, John 18:6.
We have no king but
Caesar...........................We have no need of it, as we have the Bible.
Can anything good come out of Nazareth?......Can anything good come from
Rome? John 1:46
They cried out, "Not this one but Barabbas"...It is also
rejected by the world, John 15:18-25.
He bore His
Cross..........................................It bears a cross also, the cross
of persecution.
He died on the Cross......................................It
has thousands of martyrs, many on crosses.
1970+ years later, He lives, stronger
than ever........1970+ years later, it lives, stronger than
ever.
However, no matter how hard the
persecutors try... His Kingdom will last forever,
Daniel 7:14, Hebrews 1:8.
His Church will last until the end of the world as promised by Him in
Matthew 28:20.
"BEHOLD, I HAVE GIVEN YOU POWER TO TREAD UPON SERPENTS AND
SCORPIONS, AND OVER ALL THE MIGHT OF THE ENEMY; AND NOTHING SHALL HURT YOU."
Luke 10:19
"Do not be a stumbling block to Jews
and Greeks AND TO THE CHURCH OF GOD".
1Corinthians 10:32.
Anyone who
persecutes the Catholic Church has made himself/herself a stumbling block to the
Church of GOD. It is a clear violation of Holy
Scripture.
"For I am the least of the Apostles,
and I AM NOT WORTHY TO BE CALLED AN APOSTLE, BECAUSE I PERSECUTED THE CHURCH OF
GOD." 1Corinthians 15:9
"Do not be surprised, brethren, IF
THE WORLD HATES YOU." 1John 3:13
"IF THE WORLD HATES YOU, KNOW THAT IT
HATED ME BEFORE YOU. IF YOU WERE OF THE WORLD, THE WORLD WOULD LOVE ITS OWN. BUT
BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT OF THE WORLD, BUT I HAVE CHOSEN YOU OUT OF THE WORLD,
THEREFORE THE WORLD HATES YOU. REMEMBER THE WORD THAT I HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU: NO
SERVANT IS GREATER THAN HIS MASTER. IF THEY HAVE PERSECUTED ME, THEY WILL
PERSECUTE YOU ALSO; IF THEY HAVE KEPT MY WORD, THEY WILL KEEP YOURS ALSO. BUT
ALL OF THESE THINGS THEY WILL DO TO YOU FOR MY NAME'S SAKE, BECAUSE THEY DO NOT
KNOW HIM WHO SENT ME. IF I HAD NOT COME AND SPOKEN TO THEM, THEY WOULD HAVE NO
SIN. BUT NOW THEY HAVE NO EXCUSE FOR THEIR SIN. HE WHO HATES ME HATES MY FATHER
ALSO. IF I HAD NOT DONE AMONG THEM WORKS SUCH AS NO ONE ELSE HAS DONE, THEY
WOULD HAVE NO SIN. BUT NOW THEY HAVE SEEN, AND HAVE HATED BOTH ME AND MY FATHER;
BUT THAT THE WORD WRITTEN IN THEIR LAW MAY BE FULFILLED, 'THEY HAVE HATED ME
WITHOUT CAUSE',
(Psalms 35:19)".
John 15:18-25
I would say that
Jesus Christ said it all in these verses, which were written with the inspired
pen of Saint John, wouldn't you?
Name another Church which is attacked
so much on a daily basis as is the Catholic Church?
Jesus Christ warned us,
"You will be HATED BY ALL NATIONS for My Name's sake."
Matthew 24:9
"Blessed are you when men reproach
you, and persecute you, and speaking falsely, say all manner of evil against
you, for My sake. REJOICE AND EXULT, BECAUSE YOUR REWARD IS GREAT IN HEAVEN; for
so did they persecute the prophets who were before you." Matthew
5:11-12
Every time you see someone
persecuting the Catholic Church, or speaking falsely against her, be happy,
because those people are merely helping Catholics to gain their eternal reward
in Heaven.
It is a promise from Jesus Christ Himself. See Matthew
5:11-12.
A message from Bishop Fulton J. Sheen...
"If I were
not a Catholic, and were looking for the true Church in the world today, I would
look for the one Church which did not get along well with the world; in other
words, I would look for the Church which the world hates. My reason for doing
this would be, that if Christ is in any one of the churches in the world today,
He must still be hated as He was when He was on earth in the flesh. If you would
find Christ today, then find the Church that does not get along with the world.
Look for the Church which is hated by the world, as Christ was hated by the
world. Look for the Church which is accused of being behind the times, as Our
Lord was accused of being ignorant and of never having learned. Look for the
Church which men sneer at as socially inferior, as they sneered at Our Lord
because He came from Nazareth. Look for the Church which is accused of having a
devil, as Our Lord was accused of being possessed by Beelzebub, the Prince of
Devils. Look for the Church which, in seasons of bigotry, men say must be
destroyed in the name of GOD as men crucified Christ and thought they had done a
service to GOD. Look for the Church which the world rejects because it claims it
is infallible, as Pilate rejected Christ because He called Himself The Truth.
Look for the Church which is rejected by the world as Our Lord was rejected by
men. Look for the Church which amid the confusion of conflicting opinions, its
members love as they love Christ, and respect its Voice as the very voice of its
Founder, and the suspicion will grow, that if the Church is unpopular with the
spirit of the world, then it is unworldly, and if it is unworldly, it is
other-worldly. Since it is other-worldly it is infinitely loved and infinitely
hated as was Christ Himself. But only that which is Divine can be infinitely
hated and infinitely loved. Therefore the Church is Divine."
Msgr (at the time of writing) Fulton J. Sheen D.D..
Preface to Radio Replies Volume #1, Fr. Leslie Rumble and Fr. Charles Carty,
a Tan Book.
For those of you who deny that the Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ,
then I would ask you to name the one Church which He did
found?
Remember, it has to match all of the criteria which I have presented
here,
and it must still be with us after almost 2000 years, as He promised us
it would be.
Written by Bob Stanley
February 6, 2002
Updated
February 22, 2002
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