Is Christianity a sham?

        Have you ever wondered whether Christianity was a sham or just a club of people who had espoused a belief that was man-made? If the Christian religion were indeed a sham, then the Bible itself or the New Testament’s veracity could be easily questioned; however, we have shown in previous articles that the Bible or the New Testament is of high reputation and is an historically accurate document, in fact we have shown that the New Testament documents are among the best historically accurate documents we have.

        Let us however explore the consequences of Christianity being a sham. If Christianity were a sham, then it is also a scam, and the founder of Christianity would be a fake or as the Jews said, a deceiver[1] because Christianity rests and falls on the veracity of Jesus. One historian put it this way:

“The old testament covers a period of nearly 1, 200 years if we reckon from the Exodus from Egypt under Moses, or nearly 2000 years if we reckon from the time of the patriarchs. The New Testament on the other hand covers a period of less than 100 years from the beginning of the ministry of Jesus to the end of the Acts of the Apostles is only a little more than thirty years. The Old Testament largely reflects the varied history of the People of Israel; the New Testament is concerned with the life and sayings of a few individuals: it revolves exclusively around the teachings of Jesus, around his disciples and the apostles.” [2]

        All this history would have to be interpreted as scandalous and a clever deception were the Bible a sham. And it goes even further. The Old Testament that dovetails so perfectly with the New Testament would also have to be relegated as a sham! In a previous article we showed how the Old Testament prophecies on the Messiah, Jesus Christ, could not in any way be fulfilled simply by chance, the odds of this happening were too astronomical. To add to this observation is that certain events in Roman history would have to be considered false if Christianity were a sham, for the founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ was born, according to the biblical historian, and medical doctor, Luke, at the time when Augustus Caesar taxed the world around 6 and 7 B.C. when Cyrenius was governor of Syria;[3] however, there was no historical record of the world being taxed during the years B.C. 7 and 6 and of Cyrenius being governor in Syria so it was concluded that Luke was wrong because the only census that was known when there was a taxation was around 6 and 7 A.D. and which was a provincial one.

        Fortunately, the discovery of a Roman fragment[4] clearly shows that Cyrenius (Quirinius) was indeed there before on a mission by Augustus Caesar, he there established his headquarters in Syria around the years 10-7 B.C. during which time Augustus taxed ‘the world’ and Jesus Christ was born precisely at that time. No wonder the apostle Paul confirmed this when he wrote “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” Galatians 4:4. No scam here. The founder of Christianity was indeed born as was predicted.

        One insightful human put it this way, not only did Christ appear in the centre of history as the supreme manifestation of God, but He was the agent of creation and the one with whom history reaches its climax at His appearing to set up His kingdom. In the cross of Christ time reaches its focal point, its meaning, from eternity in the past to eternity in the future; and it forever disposes of the ancient concept of time as a meaningless repetition, or cycle. Christ showed the shape of history in relation to a larger design, infinite in scope.[5]

        If the tenets of Christianity are a sham, then what alternative is there for people to develop a worldview? Or put another way, what worldview can we subscribe to if we take away Christianity? Everyone has a worldview, intricate or otherwise, that has been developed from the time we came into this world. And as we pass through the stages of life and education this worldview becomes strengthened or discarded.  Christianity is a worldview held by billions of people. The Christian Worldview is not only riveted on its founder Jesus Christ, but also on the Bible which itself is anchored unassailably on genuine historical evidence which cannot be controverted.  Remember, as we shape our worldview, “the heart cannot delight in what the mind rejects as false” (Pinnock, SFYC, 3).[6]  So, Christianity is not founded on some will-o-the wisp that leads one on Ad infinitum.

        Take away the Christian worldview and the world will have no view at all except that every man (think governments, corporations, police, people, etc.) will do “what is right in his own eyes”[7] until the consequential demise of human civilization. The Bible stands alone among all other books, it is unique “different from all others”[8] just as “the universe is so uniquely calibrated to support life that it seems to go beyond the reach of coincidence.”[9]  “If one is an intelligent person, and you are, one would read the one book that has drawn more attention than any other, if one is searching for the truth. The Bible certainly qualifies as this one book.”[10]

        If Christianity, coming out of Judaism, is a sham, then so are all other religions. Christianity, like most religions seems to be embedded in what was anciently known as the Law of Nature, the Law of Right and Wrong. And according to C. S. Lewis, most humans, if not all, are aware of this law of Right and Wrong and people normally, consciously or unconsciously, resort to this moral code when objecting to a particular action which is deemed wrong.[11] Where did this worldview of right and wrong come from? And why does everyone in general subscribe to this behaviour? Well, the concept of right and wrong is most clearly and sufficiently expressed in the Bible, in Christianity, especially in the teachings of Jesus Christ. In his teachings on the Mt. of Olives, the Beatitudes, this concept is beautifully laid out, especially in the phrase, ‘do unto others what you will have them do unto you.’[12]

        There is, however, an alternate worldview and this worldview is not embedded in the psyche of humanity, as a study into anthropology would reveal. In fact, a study into human anthropology shows in more cases than one, a connectedness among the widely scattered, isolated, and apparently disconnected tribes, peoples, and nations that seem to wager that all men at some point in time had a common origin where their varied concepts were once a reality.[13]

        This alternative worldview is the belief in evolution. Compared to the religious beliefs including Christianity, we find amongst humanity from time immemorial, evolution is clearly the new kid on the block. Research has shown that the farther back we go anthropologically into human existence we encounter a belief in God or the gods.  It can be said that religion and the belief in the supernatural is as old as humanity.  Coleman aptly puts it: “one thing, however, is abundantly clear from the records that are available to us; the urge-the need even- to create myths seems to be inherent in all cultures…it is just as valid to suggest that the many similarities between the major myths have no connections since they appear in cultures so widely separated by both distance and time that no contact between seems possible.[15]

        What is even more ironic is that many of these myths seem to have their connection to the Genesis account of the creation,[15] and the Fall[16] of mankind through satan as is recorded in the Christian Bible. So, when the concept of evolution came on the scene there was God already there oodles of years ago!  So then, is Christianity which predates evolution and is integrally related to God a sham? What about evolution, who is it related to? Evolution is a human concept and related only to man. Man is the product of God. God created him and he rebelled against God and became subject to death. The only recourse that humans have now is to ask God for forgiveness, accept His forgiveness and live a God filled life through the Holy Spirit until He comes to renew this earth and to remove sin and satan. A very interesting series to watch (in English) is found here (Subodh Pandit); or you may go directly to: https://amazingdiscoveries.tv/media/2265/2201-theism–atheism-reason-and-faith/.

        As we close this article, we ask the question that the late Dr. O Hallesby, a celebrated Norwegian theology professor asked, “is it possible to reconcile Christian faith with scientific thought”[17] that we might show that it is not a scam? We will not answer that question at this time due to space and time constraints, although the answers do not have to be too erudite since the question itself is a simple one. However, let me just say a tiny bit of what Einstein concluded in his research into physics. In his calculations of General Relativity, he found that the university was not eternal, it had a beginning. If the universe had a beginning, then there must have been a cause; that led to the law of causality. Einstein then, rightly reasoned that every object must have had a creator and the universe must have had a creator. We say, every design must have a designer. 

        Let us look at the Big Bang theory. There was no time, no space and no matter yet out of this void came the Big Bang which created the universe, so the university came out of nothing which is unscientific. If we believe in the law of General Relativity and the law of causality, then how was the universe made? The university with all its complexity, the earth which has been shown to have been made especially to sustain life, must have been caused by an entity more powerful than the university, the earth had to have been created intentionally by a being wiser and more superior than humans. No wonder all humans from time immemorial have been worshipping this being we call God until this ‘new kid’ [evolution] came on the block. Can you, my readers, see who is scamming who?

        It has been known from a long time that the Bible factualizes history. Many Middle Eastern place names and names of peoples and nations mentioned in the Bible were unknow or forgotten. It was even said that these names in the Bible were purely fictitious. It was only when archaeology rediscovered these places and brought to light places and names long buried under the sand that men began to have more respect for the Bible. It is said that many an archaeologist working in the Near Eastern areas must have among his chief tools a Bible with him.  Even in the religion of Islam we find that Judaism and Christianity are all mixed in. Without Christianity and Judaism Islam as we know it may not have existed. Jacques Jomier gives an interesting view on Islam and Christianity in his book, How to Understand Islam.[18] In this book he shows the delicate historical balance between Christianity and Islam.

        No, friends, the Bible is not a sham. The Bible contains the words of the eternal God who reaches out to every sinful human being with the promise of eternal restoration to godliness, sinlessness and the greatest happiness we can ever imagine.  And all God asks is that you open to Him that He may come in and dwell with you for ever. “Behold I stand at the door and knock”[19] Jesus says. Your response will determine your destiny.  While God calls ever man that comes into this world, it is left to the man himself to exercise the choice to respond. May God bless you and lead you to decide for Him and for eternity.   In my next article we will take time to look at this ‘novel pandemic’ and man’s talk of a necessary reset

[1] Matthew 27:73

[2] Keller, Werner, The Bible as History, tr. from German by William Neil (NY: Barnes & Noble, 1995), p. 322

[3] Luke 2:1-8

[4] Keller, pp. 323-4

[5] George Edgar Shankel, God and Man in History, (Nashville, Tenn.: Southern Publishing Association, 1967), p. 150

[6] Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell, The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995), introduction, xxxi.

[7] Judges 21:25

[8] McDowell, p. 4

[9] McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict (p. lxviii). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

[10] McDowell, p. 16

[11] C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, (NY: HarperSanFrancisce, Trademarks of HarperCollins Pub., 1980), pp. 3-8.

[12] Mat. 5:1-12; Mat. 7:12

[13] J. A. Coleman, The Dictionary of Mythology, (Singapore: Arcturus Publishing Limited, 2007), Introduction, pp. 7-9

[14] Coleman, Introduction, p. 7

[15] Genesis 1-2:3

[16] Genesis 3

[17] O. Hallesby, Why I am a Christian, tr. by C. J. Carlsen, (London: Inter-Varisty Fellowhship, 1964), p. 8

[18] Jacques Jomier, How to Understand Islam, (London: SCM Press Ltd., 1989), pp. 39, 45, 102, 145 among others.

[19] Revelation 3:20

If you would like to study the Bibles in English or a different language then click here or here.

If you have any comments or questions please contact Pr. Ron Henderson at ronhende@outlook.com.