The great difficulty is to get modern audiences to realize that you are preaching Christianity solely and simply because you happen to think it true; they always suppose you are preaching it because you like it or think it is good for society or something of that sort.
-C.S. Lewis
I suppose you could say that I didn't choose Christianity. Christianity chose me. I've known it to be true ever since I was a child. At any point in time I could have made up my mind to the contrary but everything about the Holy Bible has always been truth to me and there's never been a single thing to sway me. I can re-count to you many moments in my life that solidify my belief in Jesus and the Christian God.
The same could be said about others born into other religions and I'm sure they feel the same way as I do. "This is my truth." But since it is my truth as far as I'm concerned it is thee truth. I can't be open minded enough to say or to think "well maybe your truth is true." If I were to even begin to think upon those lines then what truth would there be in anything I believe? Thus, I hold that Christianity is thee truth. I will profess this until the very end. I don't wish to offend anyone but I can't stand against what is at the very core of who I am.
It seems more and more we're being asked to do just that. There is much talk today about "accepting" other views, and about understanding where others are coming from, and about everyone having equal representation. I get it. Especially since Christ preached love and Paul preached against causing anyone to stumble but you can only go so far with your "acceptance." Truth is truth. I'll love you no matter what you believe but that does not mean that I will agree with you and acknowledge, "well, you could be right." I believe Christianity to be truth. I haven't chose "my" religion because I like it or because it appeared better to me than yours. Not at all. I've stuck with it because I believe it is true.
We are to defend Christianity itself - the faith preached by the Apostles, attested by the Martyrs, embodied in the Creeds, expounded by the Fathers. This must be clearly distinguished from the whole of what any one of us may think about God and Man. Each of us has his individual emphasis: each holds, in addition to the Faith, many opinions which seem to him to be consistent with it and true and important. And so perhaps they are. But as apologists it is not our business to defend them. We are defending Christianity: not 'my religion.' When we mention our personal opinions we must always make quite clear the difference between them and the Faith itself....
This distinction, which is demanded by honesty, also gives the apologist a great tactical advantage. The great difficulty is to get modern audiences to realize that you are preaching Christianity solely and simply because you happen to think it true; they always suppose you are preaching it because you like it or think it is good for society or something of that sort.... This immediately helps them to realize that what is being discussed is a question about objective fact - not gas about ideals and points of view.... Do not attempt to water Christianity down. There must be no pretense that you can have it with the Supernatural left out. So far as I can see Christianity is precisely the one religion from which the miraculous cannot be separated. You must frankly argue for supernaturalism from the very outset.
-C.S. Lewis
The Business of Heaven
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