Faith and The Bible
Whether you are aware of it or not, faith plays a huge part in many, if not most religions of the world. However, faith can mean two different things. It can mean reasonable trust based on evidence. On the other hand, faith can also mean trust or belief without evidence, or contrary to evidence - also called 'blind faith'. Christianity is perhaps the only religion that does not demand 'blind faith' from it's followers.  The Impossible Faith
17 factors where Christianity "did the wrong thing" in order to be a successful religion.
Who Is Jesus? The Historical Christ—Fact or Fiction?
Unlike many religions, both ancient and modern, which depend upon ideas rather than events, and therefore require no historical basis, Christianity rests solely on the person of Jesus. Without Christ, Christianity does not exist. Therefore the all important question is whether Jesus of Nazareth ever really lived. Is the Jesus of the New Testament, as Albert Schweitzer once said, a figure "clothed by modern theology in an historical garb"? Are such views based upon historical evidence and therefore worthy of serious consideration? Or do they represent merely wishful thinking on the part of those who prefer to believe—for whatever reason—that Christ never lived? The Birth of Jesus: Hype or History?
If Jesus was not, in fact, born of a virgin, then why should I consider him as light and Lord? Why should I take the “spiritual meaning” of the story when I can reject it’s historical meaning as fictional? Wouldn’t it make just as much sense to reject the spiritual meaning as well? If Matthew and Luke were free to make up their own Christmas stories and meanings, why can’t I?
Was He Foretold?
Messianic Prophecies of the Old Testament
Compelling evidence according to Moses, The prophet Daniel, Isaiah, King David etc... (Several Articles) Jesus Didn't Fulfill The Validating Prophecies
If God said that his Messiah would be a great political leader, would bring peace to the world, would rebuild the temple and reunite the Jews, then why do Christians believe Jesus was that Messiah?
What Was Jesus’ Message?
What Was the Message of Jesus?
If you were to ask the average person what Jesus' preached - even the average Christian - you'd no doubt hear something about love: "Jesus taught about love. He said we should all love each other." While it is true that love figured prominently in the message of Jesus, it was not the core of his proclamation and didn't get Him crucified. Neither the Romans nor the Jewish authorities would have been particularly bothered by a Jewish prophet who ran around telling people to love God and people. The Answer To Death... What "Solace and Hope" Do The Different Religions Offer Us
The Heaven Jesus was sent to tell us about is no pie in the sky ethereal place 'somewhere out there' but a literal, earthly kingdom ... a place of peace and safety, where there is no crime, hunger and disease, war and above all... no death. In fact, Christianity promises exactly the utopian world most men and women dream of. Unless of course, your idea of paradise is "an ineffable transcendental state" (whatever that means). If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Saviour. Roy Lessin
Was Jesus Saviour or Fraud?
Jesus Christ.. Unique Savior or Average Fraud?
History is filled with examples of those whose lives, real or imagined, share certain traits with the well-documented life of Jesus of Nazareth. Such accounts often compose a portion of the curriculum in college-level comparative religion courses, and provide a fine starting point for any study about the uniqueness of Jesus. Different tribes and religions, spanning thousands of years, formulated their personal versions of what they thought a resurrected savior-god should be and do. How can it be maintained, then, that the one savior for whom all humanity waited was, and is, Jesus? Comparing Jesus With Other Religious Leaders... Why Jesus Is Without Equal
The claim to authority made by the founders of most religions, is generally based on visions they claim to have had, and/or their own experiences or wisdom. However, since anyone can claim to be divine, be divinely inspired, or have mystical visions or experiences, all of these religions stand or fall on something which no one can prove or disprove. All we have to go on is what the founder of the religion said (blind faith), and whether the teachings seem to work in our own lives. Good Enough? It shouldn’t be
Was Jesus God?
The Deity of Jesus Christ. Was He Lord, Liar Or Lunatic?
When it comes to Christianity, perhaps the most common disagreement is not whether a person called Jesus ever lived, but who exactly He was. Many people see Jesus as simply a great moral teacher, perhaps even an extraordinary "way-shower". Others believe that He was a God in Heaven, but divested Himself of His 'Godhood' when He came to earth, becoming mere man. Various New Age groups regard Jesus as no more than a man who achieved enlightenment. The answer to the question of who Jesus really was cannot be filed under 'differences of opinion', and left at that, since the practical implications for every person on this planet is enormous. If Jesus was not who he claimed to be, and was not who the Bible says He is, then we can at best safely ignore His teachings as the product of the devious mind of an out and out charlatan, or the ranting of one who who was vastly deluded, or simply insane. However, if He really is God, then we need to sit up and pay very close attention to what He had to say. A serious study of the Gospels leads a person to one of three conclusions about Jesus: He was (1) an evil lying villain, (2) a preposterously deluded madman, or (3) the Messiah, the Son of God. It is ludicrous for anyone who has studied His life to take the position that He was simply a good teacher. Only one of the three conclusions is a logical possibility.
Did He Rise From The Dead?
Historical Evidence For The Resurrection
Jesus' bodily resurrection is fundamental to Christian faith and can be proved with at least as much certainty as any universally believed and well-documented event in ancient history. (Several Articles including What Some People Have To Say About The Resurrection)
Did Jesus Come To Bring Peace? Jesus and World Peace
In Isaiah 9:6, the prophet referred to Jesus as the “Prince of Peace.” In the New Testament, He is called the “Lord of peace” (2 Thessalonians 3:16). At His birth, the angels and the heavenly host said: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14). Contrary to what many people think, these passages are not saying that His primary mission was to bring peace between men. In fact, in Luke 12 Jesus unequivocally stated that his earthly ministry was not to bring peace to the earth. This has not only perplexed many believers but have been pointed out by the already skeptical as an example of a clear contradiction in the Scriptures. So the question is how we are to make any sense of the seemingly opposing declarations.
Did Jesus ‘Hang Out’ With Sinners?
The Inclusiveness of Jesus
It’s true that the inclusiveness of Jesus was extraordinary. Unlike his religious contemporaries, Jesus included among his followers those who were generally excluded from religious life, if not polite society - people such as tax-collectors, “sinners,” lepers, and women. However, if you read the accounts of His dealing with the tax collectors and the lepers with an unbiased eye you will see that Jesus' inclusion of these groups of people ostracized by society was not the "Come as you are and stay as you are " variety. Much to the contrary, He first changed whatever wasn't right with them be it an unsavory occupation, deathly illness or possession. Although there is no question that Jesus reached also out to sinners, he didn't include them in the kingdom of God as they were. Rather, he offered forgiveness and new life. Although His invitation and the Kingdom is open to all, it isn't "absolute" in the sense that everyone is invited to join him without qualification or condition. Entrance is on the Savior's terms. What Did Jesus Look Like And Does It Matter Jesus - Appearance
We have a very good idea of the physical characteristics of a first century Jewish male - how he wore his hair and dressed. They were olive skinned, short, with short black hair and short beards who wore calf length tunics. Portraying Jesus as a white Caucasian male insidiously lends itself to racism. This brings us to another equally important question - Are pictures of Christ a violation of the second commandment?
Misc
The Crucifixion Described
Have you taken the Crucifixion more or less for granted.. callous to its horror by a too easy familiarity with the grim details and a too distant friendship with our Lord. Yahweh or Jesus: What is God's Name?
In Hebrew Jesus' name is spelled as "Yeshua." The "Ye" in Yeshua is the abbreviated form of YHWH. "Shua" is from the Hebrew word for salvation, yasha. Jesus' name literally means "YHWH is salvation. [Includes Is the Name of the Messiah "Yeshua?"] Son of David, Son of Abraham, Son of Man
Christ’s genealogy is listed in two places in the New Testament - Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38. However, the fact that each of the two lists varies from the other gives the impression that either one of them incorrect or that both the Gospel writers made it up as they went along. Not so! Genealogy in ancient days was not like genealogy today - an unchangeable list of names and dates. Ancient authors were accurate but did not necessarily include every detail in the list they compiled. They put them together depending on what their primary focus was. If we keep this in mind we will find that that because Matthew (writing to the Jews) was stressing Jesus’ right to the throne of David, following the legal & royal line of descent to Joseph. Luke on the other hand was following the blood line of descent to Mary.
Jesus and Modern Day Skepticism
Jesus...Plain and Simple
Who do you believe about Jesus.. those who were closest to Him, or those who are two thousand years removed from the event? The Jesus Seminar
While the media and the general public may tend to be gullible and naive about the authority and findings of the Jesus Seminar, Christians need not be intimidated. The ‘Lost’ Years of Jesus
Did Jesus travel to the East to study under gurus? Did He become "the Christ" as a result of what He learned and accomplished there? The DaVinci Code
Dan Brown opens his novel with the words “FACT” in bold, capital letters and this statement: “All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate”. In terms of documents and rituals, and even artwork and architecture, The DaVinci Code contains few “facts” and what few it does contain require serious qualification. (Section) | 
