The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-06-23
/. Why a Christian?


God | honor as well as I know how.
| have therefore religion, a natural
religion, but | can think Of no reason
why ] should adopt the Christian, the
supernatural religion. Why are you
q Christian?
Answer: I have many reasons for
this; among others these three: y
the Divinity Of Christ, q Christ
teaching, 81 Christs work, Christian
ity.
u Christ is God AS God He has
revealed to me the true religion.
Hence l must accept this Christian
religion.
That Christ is God is not only
truth Of faith, but a truth which | can
know and prove by reason. (Which
will be proved in future articles of
this series).
To deny the divinity OF Christ ra-
tionalists try to prove that super
natural revelation is unnecessary and
impossible, or contradictory. Be
cause Christ has proved His divinity
by miracles, they deny the possibility
of miracles, or at least their know
ability. Finally they attack the re-
liability of the documents of Chris
tianity, especially the Gospels.
After having refuted these attacks,
we shall prove the Divinity of Christ
and of Christianity This is the pur
pose of this series of articles.
p Christ's doctrine is divine;
hence l accept it and am a Christian.
All the wise men, both before and
after Christ, have in their religious
and moral teaching besides many
good also many false tenets, much
that contradicts true morality, even
childish and contradictory doctrines.
In the teachings of the heather
philosophers of antiquity (Socrates,
Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, etc., we find
the queerest errors about God, the
world, the soul, and morality. We
need only mention the good and bad
Principle therefore a good and bad
GodD, the TRANSPORTATION of souls,
the. appreciation of the worst kind Of
slavery, the exposing and Killing Of
sickly and crippled children, the ap-
prevail of suicide, hatred, revenge,
polygamy, the most unnatural vices,
etc.
No one has ever been able to show
Il doctrinal or moral contradiction in
the doctrines of Christ The relig
ious-moral values set up by Christ
have never been deprecated. Thus
Christ surpasses all great men by the
height of divine infallible authority.
Christs teaching needs no improve
ment; it is for all times and condi-
tions. 1t satisfies the highest mind,
and still fits the simple and the low
Iy. 1t is today as vital as in the be-
ginning, and in spite of all persecu-
ton and hostility it has never yielded
in the least from its high standard;
it still inspires millions to the great
est deeds and sacrifices. Only q di-
vine teaching can effect this.
Christs doctrine can not be i'm
proved upon Even Goethe admits:
mo mind will ever surpass the heights
and moral culture of Christianity as
it glimmers and shines in the Cos
pels.' Certainly, for Christs teach
ing is divine truth. Therefore I am
a Christian
That is Christs doctrine in itself;
but what is it for me?
Christ's doctrine offers everything
to me that can reasonably ask for. !,
a. l want to know something GER
tain about my lot in eternity; l want
to know whether God forgives me my
sins and on what conditions. Only
the Christian religion tells me. There
fore | am a Christian.
b. I want light and strength in the
dark hours of suffering Both are
given me in the religion of the Cross
bearer. Therefore I am a Christian.
g l want solid consolation in
death. Only Christ gives it to me
when He says: Il am the resurrec-
ton and the life Therefore I am a
Christian.
81 ChrisSs work, Christianity,
proves itself to be the only true relig-
ion. l take my proof from the Provi-
dence of God in which you also be-
lieve.
Gods Providence can not permit
that error should be with the religion
that does the most for the honor of
God and the morality of mankind;
that on the contrary truth should be
with those religions which do consid-
erably less, for the honor of God and
for morality, for then God would lead
directly into error and astray the
most upright and sincere men who
seek the true religion.
In this very mild form this asser-
ton can certainly not be denied.
If we compare the different relig-
ions with one another, Christianity,
which is at the same time the COM
,sletion of the Old Testament, Moham-
mechanism, old heathenism, new
heathenism among the civilized and
uncivilized nations, it is plain as day.
light that Christianity has done by.
far the most for the honor of the true.
God and the morality of mankind. It
is therefore the only true. religion.
In christianity what high and pure.
ideas oil God and things diyinei tCat-s
echiam). What zeal in teaching high
and low by sermons Instructions, sci
ence. the pressi What grand veflera-