“Professing to be wise, they became fools.” This scripture creeps into my consciousness more and more these days as the ostentation of so-called religious leaders and theologians undermines the purpose and direction of Christianity. The self-appointed clerisy chip away at the faith of innocents with ridiculous statements presented as facts. Christian commentary like that unleashed in Tom Harpur’s new book, “The Pagan Christ,” which contends that Jesus did not exist, is a perfect example of building a case on a false premise.
The suggestion that Christianity “borrows” from the ancient religions of the world to create a new, workable religion is a false premise. Once people accept that false premise, the accompanying logic works to support various theories that undermine faith. The truth of the matter is that Christianity is a religion that coincides with the creation of the world itself. Christianity is an evolution out of the Jewish faith. It does not borrow from the Jewish faith; it is the result thereof. So at the very least, the Christian faith is as old as the Jewish faith which looked to the same messiah that Christians worship.
Many debunk the Bible’s account of the origins of our world by stating that all ancient societies and religions have similar creation stories, flood legends, and promises of saviors coming from heaven. This reality does not undermine but strengthens the premise that those events, in fact, occurred. Ten different people leaving the scene of an automobile accident may have ten different versions of the event, but the one thing nobody denies is the fact that the accident happened. Perhaps some could question men’s powers of observation, but the preponderance of testimony claiming an event occurred should move intelligent people to conclude that these ancient stories are based in fact. The Bible’s account happens to be the most intricate, precise, and believable documentation of those facts available to us, even if you do not believe in the inspiration of the scriptures.
The evolutionist and the atheist have a motive behind building arguments on false premises: Either God created man or man created God. If it’s the former, then there are consequences for ignoring His guidance and instruction. If it’s the latter, we are free to pursue our own counsel. The stakes are immense.
Scott