COMMON SENSE PROOFS

FOR CHRISTIANITY

.....

INFORMATION: these are the notes of the author to support reasons for belief in Christ, the Son of GOD as well as Christianity as a whole. ..... Content is copyrighted. Permission granted by author to publish here. ...... the Editor

......

This was begun on the feast of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, whose smallpox scars miraculously disappeared from her face moments after her death

Dedication

To all who pass on the True Faith,

actively and passively

Table of Contents

Prologue

Introduction

Attraction, Archaeology, and the Apostles

Brains, “Bricks”, and the Bible

Charity, Conversions, and the Cross

Doubts, Details, and the Don’t-Tells

Embarrassment, Effects, and the Evil Spirits

Failures, Frankness, and the Faith

God, Gamaliel, and the Gospels

History, Holy Communion, and the Holy Spirit

Logic, Lewis, and “The Last Respectable Prejudice”

Mary, Miracles, and the Martyrs

Offsetting, Ockham’s Razor, and The Our Father

Proximity, Paradoxes, and the Prophecies

Risks, Relics, and the Resurrection

Saints, Sanctity, and the Stigmatics

Truth, Timing, and the Temple

Wisdom, Wonders, and the Women

Prologue

Where are you in your journey of faith? If you’re like many people, you’re somewhere in between “totally got it” and “totally don’t . . got it”. You want to completely believe (and a good part of you does), but still you long for some good ol’, stick-to-your-ribs, mentally tangible proofs that you can sink your soul’s teeth into.

They don’t have to be earth-shattering ones. You’re not looking for the Lord to put these on a billboard or sky-write His proofs on a perfectly blue sky. Just some facts that, taken together, amount to an intellectually satisfying foundation for believing in Him and in what His Scriptures profess.

And that, in a nutshell, is what this book’s purpose is: to kindle, to strengthen, and/or to inform your faith journey (depending on where you're at). Approach these pages as would a detective or a judge. Ask yourself this: To where does this evidence lead? What would an open-minded, rational person conclude about the presented information? Are these “bricks” enough to build a solid house of faith with?

I believe they are. After decades of searching and struggling myself, I have finally arrived at a place where faith and reason coexist. On the following pages you’ll find evidence of His work in the world, both during and since His earthly life. And I daresay that among them you’ll find plenty of bricks strong enough to build your own solid house of faith.

That said, I also think there’s room for a “strong enough to bend” faith, a faith that acknowledge uncertainty but remains true. Perhaps that’s the kind of faith He’s looking for?

Introduction

Jesus understands our faith struggle. He is amazingly gentle with sincere doubters (those who are genuinely searching for the truth about Jesus):

He went ahead and healed the boy whose father declared, “I believe -- help my unbelief”.

Post-Resurrection, He invited the doubting Apostle, Thomas, to probe His Crucifixion wounds with his fingers.

And when even John the Baptist doubted, Jesus answered his queries by pointing to His prophesied good works (which, by then, were common knowledge).

That said, those who remain stubbornly defiant, despite having been taught the Truth, are of a different ilk, and not dealt with in the same gentle way. For Our Lord expects us to use our gift of reason (which He uniquely gave to humanity at creation) to connect the evidential dots and see the Truth of Who He is.

An honest study of the evidence (both those presented here and the many additional ones presented elsewhere) shows that the preponderance of it is clearly on God’s side. As someone once wrote, “It would take more faith not to believe than to believe.”

Indeed, barely a month goes by nowadays that doesn’t see the publication of a new theory to explain away Christ’s divinity, or His saving sacrifice, or His Resurrection, or His . . . But these theories all seem to be illogical, outlandish, and self-contradictory. They rely on presumption after presumption. And why do they all fail to stand the test of time? Hmmm . . .

For in contrast to those convoluted theories against Christ (which really aren’t so new, but are instead rebrandings of ancient ones), the arguments for the truth of Christ are beautiful, straightforward, and coherent. And they’ve stood the test of time. Ok, time to put on your investigator’s hat . . .

Chapter 1 -- Attraction, Archaeology, and the Apostles

“[Jesus,] You picked 12 outsiders nobody would have chosen, and You changed the world!” -- from the song Nobody, by Casting Crowns

-- Attraction --

Ask yourself this: How did the Early Church grow so rapidly, against all odds?

As you chew on this question, remember three things:

There were no telephones, no emails, and no television networks with which to spread the word

Travel was slow and dangerous

Christians were being hunted down and killed on a regular basis

Nevertheless, the Early Church grew by leaps and bounds! How?

The single most attractive quality in a human being is goodness, especially when the person isn’t even aware that s/he is good. Such goodness can also abide in a group of people, and thus attract new members to that group. And that’s exactly what we see happening in Christianity. People of both genders, all ages, and multiple nationalities were (and are) welcomed with open arms by the Catholic Church.

And so the question becomes: Just what did these prospective members see in the Early Church, besides probable persecution and painful death? Well . . .

People readily noticed that there was something very different about the Christians. They were kind -- even to their enemies. They were joyous -- even amid murderous persecutions. They were holy -- keeping away from divorce, abortion, adultery, and all the other serious sins that were dragging down the societies around them. Empowered by their unshakeable (and in many cases, eyewitnessed) faith in the bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Christians resolutely lived The Way (as Christianity was first called) in everything they did. People noticed. And people joined.

-- Archaeology --

Ask yourself this: If the Bible is incorrect, why hasn’t archaeology demonstrated that by now?

Well, it’s not for lack of trying. For example, St. Luke (widely regarded as an excellent historian) wrote that the Pools of Bethesda have five porticos. Since the usual number is four, archaeologists investigated. Their finding? That there was indeed a fifth portico on that particular structure! And that’s just one such example.

To date, not a single archaeological find has ever refuted a Biblical reference. Surely such conscientious accuracy in the minor details lends credence to the Bible’s more important truth claims.

-- the Apostles --

Ask yourself this: If Christianity is just made up, why didn’t its authors whitewash their own descriptions of themselves?

Jesus’s twelve closest disciples (the Apostles) were a motley crew consisting of four fishermen, one tax collector, six who-knows-whats, and a traitor. They were slow to believe, self-centered, short-sighted, and (except for the youngest), too afraid to stick with Jesus through His horrific Passion and Death. Indeed, if Jesus could change the world through those men, He can do anything!

So just how did Jesus launch history’s greatest world-changing institution -- His Catholic Church -- with just eleven (not counting Judas the traitor) flawed, unreliable men? How, when so many other, better staffed movements have come and gone throughout history?

Chapter 2 -- Brains, “Bricks”, and the Bible

“Greater minds than mine have accepted these things.” --- Monsignor F. Thomas Gallen

-- Brains --

Ask yourself this: Am I really more intelligent than every single person (including some very intelligent people) who has accepted Jesus and the Christian Faith?

One of the most formidable barriers to conversion is the “not-wanting-to-be-duped” sentiment, whereby one feels that “giving in” to faith runs the risk of the person’s being made a fool of. So fence-sitters opt to not decide for nor against Christianity.

The problem with that strategy is that it doesn't answer the question -- it merely puts it off. And it thus runs the very real risk of eternal damnation if such indecision calcifies into stubborn refusal.

Yes, faith involves risk, but so does every other worthwhile undertaking. We are inundated with risks from the very moment we wake up each morning. But most people refuse to let that stop them. And we should apply the same commendable courage to this most important of undertakings -- our faith life.

The seventeenth-century French philosopher, theologian, mathematician, and physicist Blaise Pascal formulated what has come to be called “Pascal's Wager”. Basically it states that not believing in God and being wrong constitutes a greater risk than does believing in God and being wrong.

Christians come in all colors, backgrounds, and IQ’s. Some are as simple-minded as this humble author, while others are among the most brilliant minds who ever lived. Take, for example, St. Thomas Aquinas (1224/1225 -- 1274), who was so quiet in school that classmates, thinking him a simpleton, called him “the dumb ox”. But in actuality he was stunningly bright, a fact soon realized by his mentor, St. Albert the Great (an extremely intelligent man in his own right). St. Thomas Aquinas wrote the Summa Theologica, a masterpiece still used (and still challenging) to this day. Or take St. Catherine of Siena, whose wisdom was repeatedly sought after by Pope Gregory XI. The list of smart Christians could go on and on.

In the non-saint column, the list of very intelligent Christian scientists includes Louis Pasteur, Marie Curie, and countless others. So instead of going on and on listing more smart and faithful Christians, suffice it to say that some extremely intellectual people have and continue to populate the ranks of those who have accepted the truth of Jesus Christ.

-- “Bricks” --

Ask yourself this: If Jesus was nothing other than a simple, carpenter-turned-preacher, then why are we still so fascinated by Him? Why do His words still challenge, comfort, and resonate with billions of people the world over?

“Bricks” is a collective term I use for the many solid, foundational things Jesus said during His public ministry here on earth. Some prime examples include:

“Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.”

“Be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”

“Unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you.”

“The Truth will set you free.”

“It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.”

“The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life ; no one comes to the Father except through Me.”

No wonder “the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught as one having authority and not as their scribes” They asked, “Where did this man get all this?!”

-- the Bible --

Ask yourself this: If the Bible is just a run-of-the-mill publication, then why is it so feared by the tyrants of the world, who have tried numerous times to destroy it?

The word “Bible” means “the book”, and there are 30 billion copies of it in the world today. It is the best-selling book of all time -- by orders of magnitude. It has survived targeted campaigns against it. And it has been miraculously snuck into countries that outright ban it (read the amazing book, God’s Smuggler, by Brother Andrew).

Moreover, the Bible has come down to us through four millenia, multiple writers, numerous languages/translations, and countless miles. Yet, despite all this, today’s copies are 99.6% faithful to the oldest manuscripts we have of it. On the 0.4% that differs involves spelling and other minor details -- not matters of doctrine. I’m no mathematician, so I won’t pretend to calculate the astronomical odds against that being the case. Let’s just say, play a round of the “Telephone Game” and see how that goes.

Chapter 3 -- Charity , Conversions, and the Cross

“Never doubt that a small but committed group of people can change the world -- indeed, that’s all that ever has.” --- Marianne Williamson

-- Charity --

Ask yourself this: How did the Church single-handedly invent organized charity, setting the example that is still the standard today?

The Catholic Church is the world’s largest church, the world’s oldest organization, and “the world’s greatest force for good”. Nothing else even comes close. And from her earliest days, she has ministered to those in need -- from plague victims to drug addicts, from the orphaned to the widowed, from the jobless to the mentally ill, from the disabled to the down-and-out -- she helps any and all, regardless of religion, seeing in all people the face of Christ.

She has built schools, hospitals, and orphanages. She has begun soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and prayer groups. She has championed civil rights, universal education, and subsidiarity. Without a doubt, the world would be a much more dangerous, limited, and miserable place were it not for the highly effective charity efforts of the Catholic Church.

-- Conversions --

Ask yourself this: How did and does the Church -- persecuted, ostracized, and ridiculed -- manage to make so many converts (then and now)?

And . . .

Ask yourself this: How did a murderous persecutor of the Early Church do a complete “180” and become her most effective missionary ever, if not for God’s intervention?

Throughout the centuries, the Church has been blessed with countless conversions of all kinds: famous and not, miraculous and not, individual and group. The sheer multitude of conversions and the substantial odds against them are enough to convince any rational seeker of Christianity’s authenticity.

For example, the Apostle Peter, who famously denied Jesus thrice just before His Crucifixion, recanted his apostasy and later died on a cross himself (requesting to be nailed upside down in deference to Christ). Or take the Apostle James, who was a skeptic. After Jesus’s Resurrection, he became a staunch believer. In fact, he was named Bishop of Jerusalem and died a martyr’s death soon thereafter.

But there’s one conversion that stands out from all the rest. Indeed it’s been called “the Church's greatest conversion”. Jesus Himself referred to this man as “a chosen instrument of Mine”. It is the conversion of Saul → Paul.

Saul was a Pharisee, well educated in Judaism and on fire for keeping the Jewish faith “pure”. He persecuted the Early Church, arresting Christians and consenting to their executions. He was widely popular among Jews and greatly feared among Christians. In short, he was the Early Church’s worst physical nightmare. Yet, the Risen Christ confronted Saul, showed him the error of his ways, and set him on a new mission. Now known by his new name, Paul, he became Christianity’s greatest missionary ever. Indeed, he said, “For [Jesus’s] sake I have accepted the loss of all things and consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ . . .” {Phillippians 3:8}

Bart Millard’s dad -- “I Can Only Imagine” (song and movie)

-- the Cross --

Ask yourself this: How did what was once only a dreaded symbol of torture and death become a beloved symbol of love and life, unless Jesus utterly transformed the Cross’s meaning by rising from the dead?!

The Cross is the most recognized symbol in the world. If you were to ask a first-century inhabitant of Roman-occupied Palestine what a cross stood for, they would probably answer, “oppression, pain, and death”. Crucifixion was the horrific way in which the Roman Empire (which militarily occupied Jewish lands at the time of Jesus’s earthly life) kept subjugated populations under its thumb.

But ask someone today what the Cross stands for, and you’ll likely hear that it is a sign of faith, hope, and love to billions of people the world over. It is where Jesus showed us the depth of His love for each one of us. And a Crucifix (a Cross with Jesus’s Body on it) is an even more poignant reminder. We display them in our homes and churches, carry them in our purses and pockets, and put them around our necks and our rearview mirrors. We even bless ourselves with the Sign of the Cross! Indeed St. Paul wrote that “we proclaim Christ crucified.” {1c Cor 1:23}

Chapter 4 -- Doubts, Details, and the Don’t-Tells

“Anyone who could walk through a forest and claim there is no God, could walk through a museum and claim there are no artists.” --- President Ronald Reagan

-- Doubts --

Ask yourself this: If the Evangelists were merely trying to foist a new religion upon the world, then why would they feature their doubts so prominently in the Bible?

SEE INTRO Jesus understands our faith struggles. He is amazingly gentle with sincere doubters (those who are genuinely searching for the truth about Him).

He went ahead and healed the boy whose father declared, “I believe -- help my unbelief”.

Post-Resurrection, He invited the doubting Apostle, Thomas, to probe His Crucifixion wounds with his fingers.

And when even John the Baptist doubted, Jesus answered him (through John’s disciples) by pointing to His prophesied good works (which, by then, were common knowledge): “‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.’” {Lk 7:22}

-- Details --

Ask yourself this: If the Gospel writers were making everything up, why were they so meticulous in the details?

The Gospels were written to pass on Jesus’s words and deeds (particularly His salvific Death and Resurrection). But they are not biographies of Jesus’s life -- at least not biographies as we know the genre. Back then, write-ups of people’s lives focused much less on the minutia and much more on the message. What did the person espouse? What did s/he accomplish?

Given the above, it is remarkable that all four Gospels contain plenty of details -- and not just names and places:

Jesus fed thousands with “five barley loaves and two fish”. {Jn 6:9}

“. . . the net [was] full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.” {Jn 21:11)

“Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons.” {Jn 2:6}

“. . . a woman came with an alabaster jar of perfumed oil.” {Mk 14:3}

One miracle recipient “had been ill for thirty-eight years”. {Jn 5:5}

These are just a few of the many details found throughout the Gospels, and they lend a great deal of credence to the more profound faith statements that accompany them. As C. S. Lewis put it, the Gospels have “that gritty feel of reality”.

-- the Don’t-Tells --

Ask yourself this: If Jesus were just some power-hungry, celebrity-seeking fake, then why did He tell demons, disciples, and miracle recipients alike not to make Him known?

In a number of His healing miracles, “Jesus warned them sternly, ‘See that no one knows about this.’” {Mt 9:30}. Even when Peter declared Jesus to be “‘The Christ of God’, Jesus “rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.” {Lk 9:21} And in most of His exorcisms, the soon-to-be-displaced demon would verbally attest to Jesus’s divinity, eliciting a “be silent” admonishment from Jesus. On one occasion Jesus said, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing . . .” {Jn 8:54} On another occasion, Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry Him off to make Him king, He withdrew again to the mountain alone.” {Jn 6:15}

Chapter 5 -- Embarrassment, Effects, and the Evil Spirits

“All that I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all that I have not seen.” -- Ralph waldo Emerson

-- Embarrassment --

Ask yourself this: If the Gospel writers were making everything up, why did they include many verses that were outright embarrassing to themselves?

Many people can tell you a good story. Some people can even humbly tell you about something that embarrasses themselves. But people don’t purposely embarrass themselves when trying to convince you to follow them into a radically new way of life.

Here is a sampling of such Gospel verses:

“ . . . the apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’” {Lk 17:5}

“When they saw Him [post-Resurrection], they worshiped, but they doubted.” {Mt 28:17}

“They had not understood the incident of the [feeding the 5,000 with the few] loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.” {Mk 6:52}

-- Effects --

Ask yourself this: If God isn’t behind the Church, where did all her magnificent benefits come from?

CHAP 3 The Catholic Church has been called “the greatest force for good in the history of the world”, and with good reason. Imitating the love of Christ, she inaugurated the very concept of organized charity. Thus she initiated soup kitchens, food pantries, hospitals, orphanages, religious schools, and much more. For example, during the plagues, when those who could afford to flee fled, her members stayed behind to care for the victims -- knowingly putting their own lives in jeopardy. A prime example of such self-sacrifice involved Fr. Damien of Molokai, who volunteered to minister to Hawaii’s leprosy colony despite the very high likelihood of dying himself from the dreaded disease (which he eventually did). Indeed “the Church has a history of stepping up and caring for the afflicted when others will not.” -- Msgr. Owen F. Campion, in Our Sunday Visitor

And to this day, every day, no other organization in the world serves more poor, ill, and otherwise needy people (both Christians and non-Christians) than the Catholic Church. In his wonderful book, Yours is the Church: How Catholicism Shapes Our World, Mike Aquilina delineates more of the numerous benefits to mankind fostered by the Catholic Church.

Everywhere that the Catholic Church is present, things improve. And everywhere that the Church is banned, things worsen. Case in point: Atheistic Communism’s terrible circumstances. MORE + \-?

-- The Evil Spirits--

Ask yourself this: Why would God-fearing Gospel writers relate stories about the evil spirits’ recognizing Jesus if they weren’t true? And why would evil spirits beg anything from a merely human Jesus -- unless Jesus isn’t merely human?

Jesus performed many miracles, most of which were either miracles of helping (turning water into wine, feeding the thousands, etc.) or miracles of healing (curing the sick, raising the dead, etc.). Among the healing miracles, some of the most dramatic involve Jesus’s casting out demons. WHY DIDN’T HE FIX EVERYTHING?

On more than one occasion He told the healer not to tell anyone about his/her cure. SEE “DON’T-TELLS” And when He asked His disciples Who they say He is, and Peter spoke up for the group in declaring Jesus to be “the Christ of God, [Jesus] rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.” {Lk 9:19 ; cf Mk 7:36}

Jesus’s inaugurating the Kingdom of God also dealt directly with those people who were possessed by demons -- and thus the demons themselves. And they knew it. In numerous encounters, the demons spoke to Jesus. “But He rebuked them and did not allow them to speak because they knew that He [is] the Christ.” (Lk 4:38-44} {see also Mk 1:21-28 ; Mk 3:7-12 ; Lk 4:31-37}

Chapter 6 -- Failures, Frankness, and the Faith

“There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.” -- Bishop Fulton J. Sheen

-- Failures --

Ask yourself this: After all this time, and after all the foibles that characterize every worldly enterprise, do we honestly think that the Church is merely a human endeavor?

The Catholic Church has been accused of some serious errors over the two millennia of her existence. (I stress the word “accused” because one could make a good argument for the Church in a number of these cases.) From the Crusades to the Inquisition, from how she treated Galileo to how she dealt with Hitler -- her history includes some less-than-perfect scenes. Yet she is still here, still attesting to the truth of Jesus Christ, still charitably serving all men. And there inlies the proof: Surely she would have succumbed to her own errors were she not supported, defended, and guided by something (Someone) of infinite power, wisdom, and love.

-- Frankness --

Ask yourself this: How is it that Christianity is the only religion that willingly bases its entire credibility on one single, historically verifiable event -- the Resurrection of Jesus Christ?

The Bible can be quite forthright in a great many of its passages. Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.” (Mt 10:34). Elsewhere, St. Peters declares, “We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of His majesty.” (2 Pt 1 ; 16) But there is one passage in particular that is so stark, so strong, that it is a proof in and of itself. St. Paul states clearly that, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain ; you are still in your sins” (1 Cor 15:17). This is a statement of confidence -- from a man who used to be a mortal enemy of the Church.

-- The Faith --

Ask yourself this: Why did good, conscientious, monotheistic Jews come to worship Jesus as God Incarnate, knowing that they risked eternal damnation if they were wrong?

Jesus’s Apostles were all Jews, as were most of His disciples. Few of them were scholars of the Law, but they all knew enough to realize that they risked hellfire if they worshipped anyone or anything other than the One True God. Yet they came to the belief that this Jesus, Whom they were following and listening to, is in fact that same One true God. And thus, being convinced of that fact, they worshipped Jesus.

Chapter 7 -- God, Gamaliel, and the Gospels

“Mr. Chesterton, you are a despicable human being. And you call yourself a Catholic?!

“Oh, Madam, I would be a much more despicable human being were I not a Catholic.” -- G. K. Chesterton

-- God --

Ask yourself this: If Jesus were lying, would God the Father have let us be so deceived about something as crucially important as our very salvation?

One of the many attributes of God is that He is true. He is the Author of Truth. He loves the Truth. He is all about the Truth. And He knows how very important it is for human beings to know the Truth.

Now, hold onto that thought as you read the following:

Jesus Christ makes some fairly bold statements, among them:

“The Father and I are one” {Jn 10:30}

“Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father.” {Jn 14:9}

“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” {Mt 28:18}

“ . . . the Son of Man has the power on earth to forgive sins.” {Mt 9:6} {Mk 2:10}

If Jesus were lying, would God the Father not have intervened? Well, God the Father did intervene -- on the confirming side. In the Gospels, God the Father speaks from Heaven, saying, “This [Jesus] is My beloved Son” {Mt 3:17}. Jesus’s miracles attest to His divinity. And the greatest validation of Jesus’s being God Incarnate is His Resurrection from the dead. Jesus Himself offered us a “side path” to faith in Him when He said, “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me, or else believe because of the works themselves.” {Jn 14:11}

-- Gamaliel – SEE “FAILURES”

Ask yourself this: If Christianity is a false religion, why hasn’t it gone by the wayside, like other historical movements? How is it still thriving, 2000 + years later?

This section is based on the words of a certain Pharisee, Gamaliel, recorded in the New Testament. We’ll let the passage speak for itself:

“ . . . a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up, . . . and said to them, ‘Fellow Israelites, be careful what you are about to do to these men [Jesus’s Apostles]. . . . I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them ; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.’ They were persuaded by him. {Acts 5:34-39}

-- the Gospels --

Ask yourself this: If the Evangelists simply fabricated the Gospels, then why didn’t they make themselves look better?

Let’s look at the heart of the Bible -- the four Gospels themselves. In them we find the words and deeds of Jesus Himself. They are written in an eyewitness style. Importantly, the four vary a bit in the details -- indicating that no collusion occurred in their composition. Even more importantly, they sometimes portray the Apostles (two of whom each wrote a Gospels) as selfish, slow, and doubting. In short, they tell the (pun intended) Gospel truth -- warts and all.

Now we humans are a vain lot, and when we concoct a story, we invariably make ourselves look good. But the Gospels don’t do that -- in fact, they do the opposite, as stated above. The Apostles write as if they had seen the very Person and power of God, and that they were thus bound to tell the truth, so help them God.

Chapter 8 -- History, Holy Communion, and the Holy Spirit

“The only way to approach the Savior is on your knees.” -- Fr. Gavin @ St. Meinrad

-- History --

Ask yourself this: With history’s worst always gunning for the Catholic Church, how has she survived? How is she still here, and still flourishing, if not for divine help and protection?

Throughout the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history, she has been under siege. Besides the early Roman persecutions, there have been numerous systematic pogroms designed to destroy her. From Attila the Hun to the Soviet Communists, from the fascist Nazi’s to the radical Muslims, wave after wave of diabolical attacks have been aimed directly at the Bride of Christ. Yet she remains.

Ask yourself this: If the Catholic Church is false, then why has she always been targeted, from day one? What is deemed such a threat by her persecutors?

Let’s look once more, now in a broader scope, at the persecutions constantly leveled against the Catholic Church:

Demonic attacks

Heretical attacks

Human attacks

These attacks all have at least one thing in common -- they seek to eradicate the truth that the Catholic Church embodies. And because the Catholic Church stands for the truth, she consequently attracts the rage of those who cannot stand truth. “For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.” -- Jesus {Jn 3:20}

-- Holy Communion – MENTION EUCHARISTIC MIRACLES!

Ask yourself this: If Jesus were some power-hungry false messiah, why didn’t He water-down His stance on Holy Communion in order to keep as many followers as possible? If He is not truly present in the Holy Communion of the Church that He started, then why was He willing to risk losing His closest friends over it?

If there’s one thing that separates a Catholic church from a Protestant church, it is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in Catholic Holy Communion. Reserved in each and every Catholic church’s tabernacle, Jesus's real Body is present in the Communion Hosts. (His Blood is not reserved, but is instead fully consumed at each Mass.)

Jesus promised His Apostles that at the consecration of the bread and the wine, those become His Body and Blood, respectively. And because only the Catholic Church continues in the line of Apostolic Succession (meaning that all her priests can trace their individual ordinations back to a particular Apostle, and thus to Jesus Himself), then Jesus’s Real Presence is continued forever in Catholic Holy Communion.

And here’s the clincher: Jesus told His disciples, “ . . . My Flesh is true food, and My Blood is true drink. Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood remains in Me and I in him. . . . Then many of His disciples who were listening said, ‘This saying is hard ; who can accept it?’ . . . As a result of this, many [of] His disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied Him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, ‘Do you also want to leave?’” (Jn 53: 55-56, 60, 66-67)

So why indeed did He risk losing His twelve closest friends over His teaching regarding Holy Communion being His very Body and Blood? For one simple reason: The truth is the truth.

-- The Holy Spirit --

Ask yourself this: How has the Church maintained the truth -- undiluted and unpolluted -- for over 2,000 years, despite the Devil’s 24/7 onslaught, if not for divine guidance?

The Holy Spirit (The Third Person of the Holy Trinity) has many names: the Consoler, the Companion, the Breath of God, etc. But one of His names is of particular interest to us here: The Spirit of Truth. Indeed, Jesus promised us that, “. . . when He comes, the Spirit of Truth, He will guide you to all truth.” {Jn 16:13}

Truth is hard to come by, and the Devil seems bent on confusing us. His interaction with our first parents in the Garden of Eden was based on a lie. Jesus Himself warned us that Satan “ . . . is a liar and the father of lies.” {Jn 8:44}

But an honest observer will admit that the Catholic Church has always gotten the important stuff right. From morals to charity, from Christ’s divinity to the salvation He offers, the Truths that the Church has taught ever since the beginning have not wavered. And she has often paid a price for that fortitude -- at least a worldly price. To wit: Until the 1930’s, every mainstream Christian denomination denounced contraception as contrary to God’s will. Then, as contraception became more accepted in secular society, one by one the Protestant denominations caved to it as well. But the Catholic Church remained steadfastly against it, always citing moral reasons. It cost her members, it cost her priests, and it cost her donations. But she held firm to the truth.

Chapter 9 -- Logic, Lewis, and “The Last Respectable Prejudice”

“Come, let us reason together.” -- Isaiah {1:18}

-- Logic --

Ask yourself this: If Christianity is just a made-up religion, why were hardships and dangers baked into it from the beginning?

Advertisers know that when they develop a plan to win customers, they must present the product as easy-to-use and with no downsides. In other words: best foot forward, worst foot hidden.

The same is true for recruiting members to a new organization. So then why did Jesus’s Apostles (particularly St. Paul) openly write about all the hardships and dangers that accompanied being a 1st-century Christian? And why did the Gospel writers include many unpopular dictums, such as “Love your enemies” or “Turn the other cheek”? Surely these facets of Christianity weren’t designed to attract new followers.

So why were they included? The only logical explanation is that the Evangelists felt obliged to. And the only logical explanation for feeling such an obligation is that it is the truth.

-- Lewis --

Ask yourself this: If Jesus is just a run-of-the-mill preacher, why did He claim to be the Son of God? And if He claimed to be the Son of God, does that logically fit what we see in His life?

The English author and wonderful Christian apologist C. S. Lewis (writer of the Narnia series, which includes the beloved The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe book) was an atheist for 15 years of his life. His conversion was largely facilitated by his close friend and fellow English writer J. R. R. Tolkien.

As a Christian apologist, Lewis developed “The 3 L’s” proof for the divinity of Jesus. Basically it goes like this:

Jesus said that He is the Son of God

Therefore He is either:

a Lunatic

a Liar

or

The Lord

Well, His cogent debates with His enemies precludes the first option

And, His many attested miracles precludes the second option

So, the only viable option is that He is Who He says He is: The Only Son of God and the Only Savior of the World

-- “The Last Respectable Prejudice” (Kenneth L. Woodward) --

Ask yourself this: When every other religion (with the possible exception of Judaism) is taboo to disparage, why is Christianity in general -- and Catholicism in particular -- singled out for rampant ridicule?

In October of 2002, Kenneth L. Woodward wrote an essay in First Things entitled “The Last Respectable Prejudice”. In it he described the existence of a “repugnance for things Catholic . . . .”

However, this prejudice is largely ignored when discrimination of all kinds is discussed. Such ‘prejudice about prejudice’ indicates that something deeper is at work here. What is it about faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior that seems to bring out the worst in some people? Why do we not see this happening when non-Christian religions (again, with the possible exception of are considered?

Could it be that Jesus alone really is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, as He told us He is? And thus could it be that Christianity alone, among all the world’s religions, is the one and only true religion?

I believe so, for many reasons, and chief among them are the following:

Christianity (especially Catholicism) is persecuted like no other.

Jesus claimed divinity and sole Saviorship, validated by miracles (especially His Resurrection) ever since -- right up to the present day.

God’s approving seal on Christianity (especially Catholicism) is very clear and ongoing, and He would never leave us in a state of confusion by validating two (or more) true religions.

The Truth comforts, yet the Truth challenges.

Chapter 10 -- Mary, Miracles, and the Martyrs

“If God exists, then the real miracle would be if there were never any miracles at all.” -- C. S. Lewis [verify]

-- Mary --

Ask yourself this: If Christianity is false, then how have so many people, separated by centuries and by oceans, reported seeing very similar appearances by Mary (the Mother of Christ), and reported hearing very similar requests from her in those appearances?

Mary, the humble virgin who agreed to become the Mother of God (without losing her eternal virginity, mind you), is our most powerful human intercessor before the throne of God. She is constantly at work calling us to her Son. She is the Devil’s most feared saint. And she has repeatedly appeared on earth over the centuries, to warn us off the wrong path and onto the right one.

The Catholic Church scrupulously investigates all claims of Mary appearances, and has approved only about 1/30 of them. The Church’s investigatory criteria are:

The facts in the case are free of error.

The person(s) receiving the messages is/are psychologically balanced, honest, moral, sincere and respectful of church authority.

Doctrinal errors are not attributed to God, Our Lady or to a saint.

Theological and spiritual doctrines presented are free of error.

Money-making is not a motive involved in the events.

Healthy religious devotion and spiritual fruits result, with no evidence of collective hysteria. https://udayton.edu/imri/mary/a/apparitions-approval-process.php

In her appearances, Mary has performed miracles (e.g., the dancing sun, witnessed by some 70,000 people at Fatima, Portugal, on October 13, 1917), predicted future events (e.g., a more terrible war after World War I), and repeatedly asked for increased prayers (e.g., requesting daily Rosary praying).

Given all of the above, it’s obvious that a very strong case can be made for the reality of Mary as the Mother of God (Jesus).

P. S. It has been said that when you put a dot on each of the places Mary has appeared in France, it forms the letter “M”! [verify]

-- Miracles --

Ask yourself this: If Christianity is false, then why are so very many people convinced they’ve witnessed miracles? And how have numerous saints’ bodies not experienced degradation, despite never being properly embalmed?

Besides the ones noted above, and all of those that Jesus performed during His earthly ministry, there have been thousands of miracles that God has wrought through His saints, from the time of Jesus and continuing to this present day.

Jesus many miracles, of various types, are attested to by all the Gospels, and even by Jesus’s skeptics and enemies. Many of the witnesses of these miracles were still alive when the early sources were being put together, and could have refuted any errors. Lastly, Jesus repeatedly told the recipients of His miracles to keep the affair quiet -- not exactly the m.o. of an egotist or sharlatan.

Defining miracles as events inexplicable by ordinary means, and knowing that the Catholic Church has an excellent track record of assiduously investigating miracles, we can put a good deal of faith in their reality. Let’s focus on 3 key miracles:

First is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from death by Roman crucifixion, the greatest of all miracles and the bedrock of Christianity.

Second is the conversion of Saul → St. Paul (discussed in Chapter 3) ; Paul went on to become Christianity’s greatest missionary of all and a willing martyr for Jesus Christ.

Third is the re-conversion of St. Peter, after Jesus arose. When push came to shove, as Jesus was beginning His Passion, Simon Peter had denied that he even knew the Name of Jesus -- not once, not twice, but three times. He then abandoned Jesus to His enemies. Yet, post-Resurrection, Peter reaffirmed his faith in Jesus, spoke out boldly about Jesus’s resurrection and divinity, and led the Church as her first pope.

Third is a special group of saints known as the incorruptibles, whose bodies did not undergo the natural fate of physical disintegration, but were found decades and centuries after burial to be whole (and often accompanied by a heavenly scent).

Again, given the sheer number of miracles reported throughout the world ever since the time of Jesus, even if only a small percentage of them is true (a position that would require a huge amount of ‘reverse faith’), even a single miracle would prove, by definition, that God exists.

-- the Martyrs--

Ask yourself this: If Catholicism is made up, then when have so many people, from all different times and places, been willing to die (often under torture) rather than remounce their faith in Christ? And why did Jesus’s Apostles, who knew for sure whether He had or had not risen from the dead, choose death rather than denying the truth of His Resurrection?

Another special subset of saints comprises the martyrs. From the Greek word for “witness”, a martyr is one who gives up his life for faith in Christ. With the exception of John (the youngest) and Judas (the betrayer), all of Jesus’s Apostles were martyred. Since then, countless persecuted Christians have chosen (often torturous) death instead of denying Our Lord. And it is important to note that the roll of Christian martyrs continues to grow to this very day. To wit: the century that saw the most Christian martyrs was the 20th century!

Before we leave this section, let’s drive home one key point: A special group of martyrs (and that’s saying something) is comprised of the Apostles (Jesus’s “inner circle”). Obviously they were in a unique position to know the truth or falsity of Jesus’s Resurrection. And they chose painful martyrdom instead of denying what they knew to be true: that Jesus rose again from the dead and is therefore the Son of God. People don’t willingly die for a lie.

Chapter 11 -- Offsetting, Ockham’s Razor, and the Our Father prayer

“When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” -- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes

-- Offsetting --

Ask yourself this: If there is no God, then why hasn’t evil long ago destroyed all traces of goodness in the world?

In my search for God, I read a book entitled My Life without God, by William J. Murray. In it, he describes his life with his mother, Madalyn Murray O’Hair, the woman responsible for prayer’s being taken out of public schools. While this is one of the worst things to ever happen in America, the book ends on a happy note, with William Murray becoming a Christian (another proof that there’s a God?).

One point he made in the book has always stuck with me. To paraphrase: “I [William Murray] saw enough evil growing up to know that there must be an Supreme Being balancing it out with goodness.”

This is a salient point to keep in mind as we proceed. For, as Sean Hannity put it in his book, Deliver Us from Evil, “Evil exists. It is real, and it means to harm us.” So, given the Devil’s 24/7 malevolence toward all humanity, the only logical reason why the world hasn’t already been completely overwhelmed by evil is that there must be an omnipotent, omnibenevolent Supreme Being limiting the Devil’s power.

-- Ockham’s Razor --

Ask yourself this: If there is no God, then why are all the atheistic theories for reality much more convoluted (and often contradictory) than the one, beautiful, straightforward theistic one?

William of Ockham, an English Franciscan friar and theologian who lived around 1300, devised a philosophical tool (“Ockham’s Razor”) that can shed good light here. Basically, Ockham’s Razor states that when confronted with two or more possibilities for the same phenomenon, the simplest explanation is usually the correct one.

This may seem obvious, but in practice it is often far from. Unfortunately, we humans are very adept at coming up with all kinds of convoluted theories to explain away things that we are not comfortable with. Sadly, the evidence for God’s existence has been shrouded in a fog of competing theories to try and account for why things are the way they are, without God. And while honest inquiry can be a beautiful thing, some of the atheistic theories are just plain nonsense. DETAILS?

That said, Ockham’s Razor cuts (pun intended) to the heart of the matter, reminding us that the simplest explanation carries a great deal of veracity for its very simplicity, and the simplest explanation for why things are as they are is that there is a God, Who sent His Son to pay the price for our sins.

-- The Our Father Prayer --

Ask yourself this: If Jesus were evil and/or insane, then how did He compose The Our Father prayer (arguably the most wonderful individual prayer of all)?

One day, Jesus’s “disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.’” {Lk 11:1-4} {NAB}

Now that is a prayer! It contains the three elements of praising, asking, and repenting. And yet it’s simple. Direct. Trusting. Such beautiful things do not come from an evil nor insane mind. They can’t.

Chapter 12 -- Proximity, Paradoxes, and the Persecutions

“ . . . power is made perfect in weakness.” -- The Lord, to St. Paul {2 Cor 12:9}

-- Proximity --

Ask yourself this: If the Catholic Church is just a human institution, then how did the Early Church manage to grow so explosively in the very time and place where it could have been so easily snuffed out: 1st-Century, Roman-occupied Jerusalem?!

The Earliest Church consisted simply of Jesus’s disciples. The Jewish authorities and the Roman occupiers likely knew who most of them were (at least the ones in Jerusalem). And seeing this new “start-up” religion as a threat to their power and way of life, they conspired to try and crush it before it had a chance to grow.

And the odds were overwhelmingly in their favor. They had the motive. They had the opportunity. And they had the means. Even a casual observer would agree that this nascent movement should have easily been nipped in the bud. But it wasn’t. “Things that make you go hmm.”

-- Paradoxes --

Ask yourself this: If the Catholic Church were just a made-up organization which just wanted to attract membership, why would they include such stark paradoxes in the Bible?

A Dictionary.com definition of the word paradox is “any person, thing, or situation exhibiting an apparently contradictory nature”. God often works in paradox:

Creation from Nothing (in Latin, creatio ex nihilo)

The Virgin Birth

Life from Death

Growth amid Persecution

“We rise by self-abasement” (St. John Henry Neumann)

“The first shall be last, and the last shall be first” (Jesus)

Justice and Mercy simultaneously

Etc.

How can this be?, you ask. God is truth ; surely He cannot work in falsehood, right. Ah, but note the word “apparently” in the definition. God can do anything. And along with His omnipotence comes the possibility (probability?) of events which, to our limited intellects, seem to be impossible. “ . . .but for God all things are possible,” says Jesus {Mt 19:26}

-- Prophecies --

Ask yourself this: If Jesus is not the Messiah (the long-awaited Savior), then how did He so accurately fulfill the Old Testament prophecy about Himself? And importantly, how does one go about arranging the circumstances of one’s own birth (from a Virgin, no less!) and one’s own death (at the hands of one’s enemies!)?

Jesus Christ fulfilled both the “minor” prophecies and the major prophecies concerning the Messiah. Examples of the former include curing the sick, riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, etc. Examples of the latter include being born of a Virgin (prophesied 700 hundred years earlier by the prophet Isaiah {Is 7:10-14 ; 8:10}) and being executed by crucifixion (prophesied by Isaiah {52:13-15 ; 53:2-5}, by King David, and by others in the Old Testament). Arranging your own death on a Roman cross is next-to-impossible. Arranging your own birth is absolutely impossible -- unless you’re God. And the virgin-birth piece is the icing on the cake: God ensured the impossibility of someone’s successfully impersonating the Messiah.

Chapter 13 -- Risks, Relics, and the Resurrection

“Prosperity is to be much more feared than poverty.” -- Fr. Moye

-- Risks --

Ask yourself this: If Christianity is just a made-up scheme, why are millions of people so willing to offer up so much for it? In other words (and to paraphrase Winston Churchill), “Never has so much been sacrificed, by so many, for so ‘little’.”

Millions of martyrs have given their very lives for Christianity. Innumerable missionaries have lived their very lives for Christianity. Countless funds have been donated to Christian charity. Why? Who’s benefiting? Certainly not the tortured and murdered martyrs, nor the impoverished and weary missionaries. And before you claim that the popes benefit, consider this: Pope St. John Paul II needed only one page to declare his last will and testament, bequeathing his only possessions (prayer books and house slippers) to a poor friend.

One last point: The astute reader will have noticed the single quotation marks on the word “little” in the first paragraph above. As you've surely deduced, it denotes the fact that multitudes gladly forego earthly comforts for the sake of the Faith, preferring instead to store up treasures in Heaven.

-- Relics --

Ask yourself this: If Christianity is simply some fairy tale, with no ties to the real world, then how do you explain the astounding numbers of relics (including the incorruptibles)?

First, let’s define our terms:

A relic is something left behind my a saint.

A first-class relic is a part of a saint’s body (e.g., a bone fragment).

A second-class relic is something a saint owned or used often (e.g., a prayer book).

A third-class relic is something that was touched to a first- or second-class relic (e.g., a handkerchief).

An incorruptible is a saint’s body that does not display nearly the expected amount of decay (and that was decidedly not treated with preservatives). Examples include the body of St. Padre Pio and that of St. Bernadette Soubirous.

And while the fact that relics exist is not a proof of the Faith, the fact that they are religiously valued by so many is proof of faith.

More importantly, many miracles have been reported with/surrounding relics. And even more importantly, dozens upon dozens of saints’ bodies have been found incorrupt years, decades, even centuries after their deaths. Certainly one must agree that such inexplicable phenomena lend a great deal of credence to the veracity of Christianity.

-- the Resurrection --

Ask yourself this: If Jesus did not rise from the dead, how do you explain all of the happenings surrounding that utterly pivotal event (both then and now)?

Events back then, such as:

Multiple sightings of Jesus alive after His fatal Crucifixion

Persecutorial Saul’s complete conversion into missionary Paul

So many people (notably the Apostles) who knew Jesus first-handedly being willing to die horrific martyrdoms rather than deny the truth of Jesus’s Resurrection

Post-Resurrection miracles wrought in Jesus’s Name by His followers

The astounding growth and fidelity of the Early Church amid persecution

And events since then, such as:

Hundreds of appearances by Jesus and/or Mary to believers worldwide

Continuous conversions to the Faith, including those of staunch detractors

Continued willing martyrdoms (most occurred in the 20th-Century)

Continuous documented miracles (healings, provisionings, etc.)

The Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history, despite targeted persecution

Chapter 14 -- Saints, Stigmatics, and the Scriptures

“By their fruits you will know them.” – Jesus

Ask yourself this: If Christianity is a fake, where did all the saints come from?

-- Saints --

Ask yourself this: If Christianity is wrong, how do you explain so many, many miraculously good people coming forth from it?

Over the past 2 millenia, thousands of people have been recognized as saints by the Catholic Church. Recognized, not made -- only God can make saints (with the person’s free-will cooperation). The Church simply acknowledges that they are in Heaven. How does she know? Because miracles have been witnessed as a result of their intercessory prayers. In fact, thoroughly investigating such claims is a full-time job for the Church, so as to make sure she never declares someone a saint who isn’t.

All those saints. All those years. All those miracles. All the goodness done on earth. All those answered prayers. All that dedication to the Lord’s work. And all for what? Certainly not for worldly riches, fame, or comfort. Many saints died in poverty. Many saints were ridiculed. And many saints were tortured and martyred. So the only logical reason that so many would sacrifice so much is that they were motivated by fidelity to a calling from beyond this world.

-- Sanctity –

Ask yourself this: If Christianity is a false religion, why is there such widespread consistency in her espoused attributes -- across two millenia, across all continents, across myriad personalities?

Think fast: What are the top 10 attributes of the saints? Were you to interview any number of saints, I daresay you’d get a very consistent listing across the board -- such things as:

Love

Faith

Hope

Truth

Prayer

Sacrifice

Service

Joy

Grace

Poverty of spirit

Whence comes such agreement? If left to mankind, chaos would surely have found its way in. (If you doubt that, just look at current events.) So the only logical explanation for such nearly-uniform consistency is that it emanates from somewhere beyond mankind’s control.

P. S. The above list also agrees nicely with the very attributes that Mary, in her appearances, has asked us to practice as well.

-- the Stigmatics --

Ask yourself this: If Jesus isn’t the one and only Savior, then how do you explain stigmata?

There is a small but special group among the saints, known as the stigmatics. These are saints who have experienced the Wounds of Christ. These have usually involved the person’s hands, feet, side, and/or scalp. Most have been visible (although at least one saint asked God to make hers invisible). Some have lasted for decades. Below are the criteria with that the Catholic Church uses to judge the veracity of stigmata:

“The stigmata must be genuine wounds.

They must appear instantaneously.

There must not be pus, putrefaction, or fetid odor.

The stigmata are accompanied by continual hemorrhages.

The stigmata remain unchanged in spite of all medical treatment.

Interestingly, they generally bring the sharpest pain on days that recall the Passion of the Lord, such as on Fridays and during Holy Week.” {Padre Pio, by Fr. Gabriele Amorth}

Chapter 15 -- Truth, Timing, and the Temple

“If I tell you the truth, and you won’t believe it, what does that make it?”

“A lie?”

“No, it’s still the truth -- you just refuse to believe it.”

-- Truth --

Ask yourself this: If the Gospels are untrue, how do they have all the natural appearances of truth?

At His “trial”, Jesus was asked by Pontius Pilate (the Roman Empire's Governor in Judea), “What is truth?” That particular question has haunted mankind – before and since. Simply put, truth corresponds to what is, while untruth corresponds to what is not.

And the Gospels (the Biblical reports about Jesus’s life) are replete with truth. Why do I say that? Well, . . .

2 of the 4 Gospels were written by 2 of Jesus’s Apostles (His closest friends, who accompanied Him throughout His public ministry).

1 of the 4 Gospels was written by a companion of the lead Apostle, St. Peter, accompanying him during his spreading of the Good News.

And 1 of the 4 Gospels was written by a physician who was also an excellent historian, and who prefaced his Gospel by saying that he endeavored to put together an orderly account of all that happened to and through Jesus. He is believed to have interviewed eyewitnesses (including Jesus’s Mother, Mary). He is also the author of the Acts of the Apostles, which follows the Gospels, and which documents the words and actions of the Apostles (including St. Paul) as they fanned out across the known world, spreading Christianity.

Reading the Gospels with an open mind, one is struck by how many situations have that “you-can’t-make-this-stuff-up” quality to them.

Even Jesus’s enemies admit His miraculous power and philosophical dominance.

As stated earlier, all but 1 of Jesus’s Apostles (and even more of His disciples) died horrifically as martyrs, rather than deny the truth of Who Jesus is and the salvation He accomplished on our behalf. (And as for that one un-martyred Apostle, John: he died of natural causes while under house arrest by the non-Christians.)

Also as stated earlier, many passages in the Gospels as well as in Acts paint the Apostles as slow, selfish, and unfaithful (no white-washing here!).

As convert C. S. Lewis put it, “the Gospels have that gritty feel of reality”.

-- Timing --

Ask yourself this: If Jesus's lifes was a ransom occurrence, why does it looked so intentionally timed?

Jesus was born in the exact time-frame that was prophesied 2 centuries prior in the Old Testament's Book of Daniel.

The Old Testament’s Book of Psalms was written a few centuries before crucifixion was “invented”, yet accurately prophesied, “They have pierced my hands and my feet – they have numbered all my bones”. And obviously Jesus’s lifespan coincided with when crucifixion was being used regularly.

The spread of Christianity came at a time when the known world was mostly under the rule of a central empire (the Roman), complete with excellent roads and a system of a few common languages – both of which greatly aided its spread.

-- the Temple --

Ask yourself this: If the Jewish temple was the earthly epicenter of their sacrificial offerings to God, why was it not rebuilt after the Romans destroyed it in 70 A.D.? And why is the major religion of Judaism still without the means to make the sin sacrifices to God that are such a central part of the belief system?

Up until Jesus’s Death and Resurrection, the Jewish priestly class made regular and countless sacrifices to God – sin offerings on behalf of the Jewish people. This practice was integral to their religion, and its cessation unthinkable.

Then came Jesus, Who made the once-for-all sin sacrifice that eclipsed all others. As St. Paul (after being converted by the Risen Christ Himself) put it,

“Every [Jewish] priest stands daily . . . offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins. But this One [Jesus] offered one sacrifice for sins . . . . Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.” {Heb 10:11-14, 18}

After a failed Jewish revolt, the Romans destroyed the Temple in 70 A.D. (as Jesus had predicted). And it has never been rebuilt. Why?

Why would God’s Chosen People (in their way of thinking) expose themselves to God’s wrath by ceasing their sin offerings to Him that have been the mainstay of their religion since its founding?

The only explanation is that God is not demanding them anymore because the paramount sacrifice of Christ’s Death on the Cross paid the price for all of humanity’s sins – past, present, and future.

Chapter 16 -- Wisdom, Wonders, and the Women

“Everything's a miracle – it’s a wonder one doesn’t dissolve in one’s bathwater like a sugar cube.” – Pablo Picasso

-- Wisdom –

Ask yourself this: If Christianity is made up, then why has it’s wisdom not suffered human errancy as have all the other philosophical systems before and after it?

An honest, thorough reading of the Bible will bring you face-to-face with the world’s best wisdom. And an honest study of the teachings of Jesus Christ will bring you face-to-face with the world’s greatest Philosopher (as Peter Kreeft’s new book affirms).

Wisdom doesn’t grow on trees. It’s the fruit (no pun intended) of knowledge, effort, and truth. So how did the best of it end up all in one book? And how did the very best of it end up all in one Person?

The only explanation is that Someone (with a capital “S”) authored it, and is still protecting it.

For example, Jesus said:

“ . . . they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking* that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.” {Luke 21:12-15}

-- Wonders –

Ask yourself this: If God doesn’t exist, then where do all the good things come from, in a world plagued by evil and driven (we’re told) by ever-increasing entropy?

“Will wonders never cease?” No, they won’t – not with an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omnibenevolent God in charge. Think about it – in terms of raw numbers:

Evil should have completely conquered humanity by now

The Israelites should have wiped out during one or another of their forced captivities

Christianity should have been squashed in its infancy by the Roman Empire

The Colonists should have lost the Revolutionary War

The Allies should have lost World War II

Atheistic Communism should have smothered the Catholic Church

A mutually destructive nuclear war should have occurred by now

Etc.

Who’s helping all these (and countless more) things to turn out ok?

-- the Women –

Ask yourself this: If Jesus’s Resurrection is made up , then why did the Apostles base it right out of the gate on women’s testimony?

Let us end this present work with one of the most powerful of all the Proofs: the women’s testimony regarding the bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ..

The Gospels tell us that the first to see the Risen Christ was Mary Magdalene, and that she and the other women had found the tomb empty early Easter morning. Now, to fully appreciate why this is such a bombshell of a Proof, a little background is in order.

In 1st-Century Palestine, as in most places at that time, women’s testimony was inadmissible in court, because it was considered too influenced by emotions and therefore unreliable. In other words, to make your case, you would always want a male witness and never a female one. To rely on female testimony was to torpedo your chances in court.

Yet all 4 Gospels report that women first saw the empty tomb and/or Jesus talking with them. Why? Why would the first believers of a nascent religion risk failure by even mentioning that women were witnesses at all, much less the crucial first witnesses?

There is no other explanation for this, other than that it was true.

Afterword

Two of the most difficult things for the human mind to do are: 1) to differentiate between truth and prejudice ; and 2) to remember that what is, has not necessarily always been.

Good and evil both exist.

Both seek to spread, but only good respects free will.

We humans made a free-will choice to allow sin into the world, thus giving evil a foothold that it’s used to expand into the world (with our continuing cooperation).

Given all of the above, the only possible explanation for why evil has not totally dominated is that Someone is limiting it.

And the only explanation for why our world stated getting better around 1 A.D. is that Jesus of Nazareth is God, and that His sacrificial Death and Resurrection decisively won the war over evil’s claim on us (although vain battles still rage).

We began this journey promising to let the truth lead where it leads, and that we would base our decision to follow it or not based on where lies the preponderance of evidence.

And the preponderance of evidence lies with faith – faith in Jesus Christ as the unique God-man, and the only Savior this world has.

Content is copyrighted. Permission granted by author to publish here.