Recently I was asked about religion in general and whether there is an original standard that can be trusted and if so, how can it be known. This actually took place in my class studying religion and came from my teacher. I can tell by some of his statements that he doesn’t really believe in all this religion stuff, but he’ll take money to teach it. I only make that speculation about him—it may not be the case at all, but from what I gather, this is the case. At any rate, I took some time to respond to his questions and below is my response.
The idea that truth in the "sacred realm" cannot be known is an escapist mentality appealed to to avoid having to think about mortality, eternal responsibility, or possibly the realization of some previously unknown set of consequences. To write it off is either laziness or reluctance based on some preconceived notion about the subject instead of a conclusion based on evidence or lack thereof. I am not accusing anyone here of taking such a position; I bring it up because I meet with it frequently.
Now, barring rejection without good reason, what good reason is there to believe in a "sacred realm or reality"? In my years as an unbound Christian I've immersed myself (and consequently my faith with me) in many areas of critical thought. I haven't limited myself to merely reading the Bible and only reading critical analysis by other Christians. Instead, I've gone to many neutral, critical, and even anti-Christian sources to find out what has been said about my chosen faith.
First, let me explain a little about myself. As with many people that purchase a new car, I wouldn't know how it all worked before I bought it. I didn't feel that I needed to understand the fuel mixture computer as a prerequisite for buying my car--I just bought it based on face value and trusted that a new car would run. Similarly, I became a Christian without knowing much about the Bible. I was raised believing in Christianity as much as Santa-Clause. My child-like mind couldn't distinguish in a critical way to make an educated decision while I was young; I just accepted it because my parents accepted it and lived it. Later in life, I was faced with the decision to truly take this faith and define myself with it or to reject it and live life how I saw fit. Presented with a rudimentary understanding of the Bible and the faith, I chose to pursue it as my own for life.
From that point, I found myself asking question after question, but then found it difficult to get answers to those questions. I discovered opposition from non-Christians who pointed out elements that seemed contradictory and I was bombarded with questions about the nature of a loving God that exercised sovereign authority over a world filled with suffering and other questions like it. I began to lose my faith and seriously question my eternal destination. Throughout this time, I had only read my Bible sporadically, sometimes with large gaps of time between readings. I eventually realized that I was standing on my own strength.
After a long conversation with my new wife about my struggle, I resolved, with her support and advice, to actually read the Bible. During my reading I began to understand things that were complete mysteries to me before. The big questions about suffering, those who don't hear the message of Jesus Christ, and the nature of a Triune God all began to take shape in my mind with valid and surprisingly logical answers. An understanding of my faith gave me answers to these once difficult questions.
After finding my foundation right where it was supposed to be, I moved on to more difficult fields of study like Greek, historical accuracy, archeological confirmation, and scientific arguments. Needless to say, I've found nothing that has proven to be a true contradiction. There are differences in accounts, but these differences are complementary and not contradictory. There is some question about historical accuracy, but throughout our short archeological history the seeming inconsistencies have later been validated by more recent findings. And projects like RATE (Radioisotopes and the Age of The Earth) done by the Institute for Creation Research have shed light and validity on the Bible's claim to a young earth. Finally, the scriptures themselves, written over a 1700 year span, make amazing predictions that were later fulfilled with precise accuracy. In one instance, a specific number of years is given to the cutting off of the Messiah. The math comes out to exactly the time of Jesus' crucifixion.
I only say all this because I think it conveys a reliability to you the reader. Reliability is a basis for trust. This trust can be placed on the writings that have earned it. Then these trustworthy writings go on to make great claims about a reality outside our own and a God that created it all. So, what is the original standard and truth behind religion? That there really is something to it, and that some people don't just believe it for no good reason. The evidence and reliability is there, it just requires action on the part of the seeker.
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