Paradox?

Not to sound controversial here, but I think this is a genuine thing that has been bugging me. I’m not too sure if this is a question I’m asking, or a reminder I’m giving. Don't even know if I'll ever regret expressing this out here in the future. Just the result of doing some armchair-philosophizing. And this is not a jeremiad, or diatribe aimed at anyone.

This is about how we deal about the authenticity of the many claims in the bible, and specifically about our whole belief system.

How do we Christians know that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Light? We say we believe that because the Bible tells us so. And why do we believe the Bible? Ohhh, because the Bible says so.

Now, how on earth can you possibly verify the accuracy/truth of something by making reference to itself?

You can go on explaining about the cannon and what not, but in the eyes of an outsider, all they see is us begging the question. It’s unfortunate that to verify and prove anything, we always need to appeal to some higher power/authority. But since the bible already makes this claim of the Christian God being at the top, who/what do we refer to prove that claim then?

We may not realize that often we answer our friends’ queries this way, but in many ways, implicitly we’ve been using this flawed argument. As harsh as it may sound, that is how people judge us, and they are right to judge us that way. Can we accept that criticism? Aren’t we all thinking people too?

We can all also come up with evidence of all sorts pointing out to either the existence of 1) Jesus Christ 2) a force/power/God.

We use all sorts of examples to prove 2. It’s easy. Like look at this animal, if it weren’t for this blah, blah, blah. Look at the eye, look at the thumb. If the earth was spinning slightly faster then blah, blah, blah. True, this explains some sort of pattern/perfection in creation. We all use the (corny/trite) examples of the barber/clockmaker. But honestly, this evidence doesn’t really say much since

1. it only proves that there is some force or invisible hand(s), and it doesn’t say anything about the monotheistic nature of the Lord whatmore about the Christian God, and this doesn’t do us any favour, since a lot of people themselves already accept the argument that there is indeed some force/power/God/gods/spirits.
2. it could still all be an ‘accident’ or it all happened by ‘chance’ (whatever that means)

Looking at subpoint 2), I think too often we brush aside this chance/luck/probabilistic nature of the world. I think we shouldn’t since what the world calls chance we call God’s work. They can’t deny that it is indeed God’s work, but neither can you prove that it is. We always claim that there’s no such thing as luck/chance. But it could be that what the world sees as chance, and what we see as God’s work are actually two sides of the same coin. I think this is an important issue since we always use it to dismiss science and all (a debate some other time?)

Hence statement 2) is actually just a reaffirmation of statement 1). Still, it doesn’t say anything about the monotheistic nature about the Lord, what more about us worshipping the ‘correct’ one.

And with regards to Jesus? No doubt a lot of people believe that he existed, was a good man and all. Our Muslim brothers believe that too. The contentious issue is the divinity of Christ. And how can we prove it? Through the Bible? (more circular arguments) That the Bible has changed so many peoples’ lives? (so has the sexual revolution, the television and Deepak Chopra, for better or for worse). Changed our lives for the better? (other religions also make the same claims).

In a nutshell, I’m just trying to say is that until we actually leave this world (for a higher one that is, IF there is such a thing, and IF we actually do leave) or until we meet our Creator, we may never be SO sure about anything.

We can sing all day we want about being sure, we can attend church and cell groups to ‘reaffirm’ what we believe, we can continue reading all the Christian literature out there but it’s still not going to change the very fact that we can be so sure. We can continue preaching to ourselves (the converted) to make ourselves deal with this insecurity. We can use all sorts of methods/imagery to show that Jesus indeed is the way, the truth, yada, yada, yada. We can conduct thought experiments, we can try to logically explain everything, we can look for evidence in this world (historical, personal etc.)

I think that the only way we can be sure is if we have evidence from outside this world, and unfortunately we don’t have any that is credible just yet. And until I get that evidence I cannot be so sure, i.e. until then, truth is just a relative concept. We’re all just too dumb for Him, trying to reduce such wonderful and amazing concepts into examples that we mere mortals can relate to.

But thank God (whoever/whatever he/it is) has given me faith in Him in the form of Jesus (that we know). And in this world, that’s all I need for now, I think.

It still confounds me why God (???) gives different people different types of faith (in different ‘gods’), in different degrees (can’t help it if I’m a doubting Thomas), and some none at all.

Hope you don't get this all wrong. Don't misunderstand me. Some might be wondering, oh what a backslider we have in Roy! I can't help it if the devil (his advocate, I mean) plants thoughts in my mind.