Quote: "As a freethinker, I personally believe that while there isn't sufficient evidence to support any religion/god(s) at the moment"
Here are some reasons I believe the Bible (and thus Christianity) can be proven. The full text is at:
http://www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn53/bibletrue.htm. Just to be careful, I want to say that I didn't read the entire article. Therefore I can't say for sure that the article is %100 accurate, but the portions I posted here I believe to be correct.
-The unity of the Bible
Quote: "This first proof that the Bible is inspired was provided by Jesus Christ Himself when He said, "Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35). This means that what the Bible says is true and has a basic unity of thought and principles that cannot be broken or contradicted.
Why is this significant?
According to the traditional chronology for the writing of all the biblical books, it took around 1,500 years to complete the Bible—a very long time.
Imagine, for comparison's sake, that a collection of several dozen books about the historical, cultural and religious heritage of a people began to be written around the year A.D. 500, a few years after the collapse of the Roman Empire. These books would then have been completed 1,500 years later—in our day. Also, some 40 different authors would have been involved over this long span and their language and thought would have reflected their changing surroundings and conditions.
Could someone seriously believe that these authors would be able to maintain an essential unity of thought and principles through all that time? If they did, it certainly would be unprecedented in world history!"
-The Bible is non-mythical
Quote: "Another striking difference between the Bible and other religious works is the absence of mythical stories and legends. While many will surely debate this, we should consider the following.
Other creation accounts in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America include such mythological scenarios as gods feuding and cutting up other gods to form the heavens and the earth. The religious works of the Greeks described the earth being held up by the god Atlas, while in India, the Hindu religion pictured the earth as supported on the backs of eight huge elephants.
Yet the Bible describes God hanging the earth "on nothing" (Job 26:7). This was written millennia before Isaac Newton discovered the invisible laws of gravity that showed the earth truly is suspended "on nothing."
In contrast to every other ancient creation account, the Bible pictures the creation of the earth in a very scientific manner. In Genesis 1, the continents are lifted from the seas. Then vegetation is created and, later, animal life—all reproducing "according to its kind"—recognizing fixed genetic laws.
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-The Bible is intact
Quote: "Of all the ancient works of substantial size, only the Bible comes to us completely intact. This is against all odds and expectations. In comparison, William Shakespeare's plays, written only about 400 years ago, and after the invention of the printing press, are in much worse shape. Shakespeare's original words have been lost in numerous sections, and scholars are left to fill in the blanks as best as they can.
But when it comes to the Bible, its uncanny preservation has permitted it to weather thousands of years of wars, persecutions, fires and invasions, and still remain intact. As author Josh McDowell notes: "Compared with other ancient writings, the Bible has more manuscript evidence to support it than any ten pieces of classical literature combined" (The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, 1999, p. 9)."
-The Bible tells events ahead of time
Quote: "The fourth proof of the inspiration of the Bible is the way it deals with time—by accurately foretelling what will happen ahead of time. This is also a unique characteristic of the Bible: It boldly proclaims specific historical events to come in the future. No other ancient sacred book dares to deal with time in this way with unmatched results.
As the book A General Introduction to the Bible says: "No unconditional prophecy of the Bible about events to the present day has gone unfulfilled ... Other books claim divine inspiration, such as the Koran, the Book of Mormon, and parts of the [Hindu] Veda. But none of those books contains predictive prophecy. As a result, fulfilled prophecy is a strong indication of the unique, divine authority of the Bible" (Norman Geisler and William Nix, 1986, p. 13)."
-The Bible yields results
Quote: "The final proof of the Bible's inspiration is very simple—apply it and it will work for you.
The Bible has yielded fantastic results in the lives of so many, and it can do the same for you. It is a practical book, explaining God's will in virtually every facet of life and how to achieve true success. As U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt remarked, "A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education."
However, reaping its blessings takes faith—an active belief that God's Word is true and that applying it will yield positive results. The Bible puts it this way: "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6)."
Sorry for the extra long post.
