Supposing that one has a choice, then why should anyone choose Christianity over other religions that also proclaim the existence of a God or gods and the promise of an afterlife? What makes Christianity so special? Let us take a closer look at the major world religions.
A Comparison of World Religions
So what about other world religions? Let us have a look at the major ones and see how each one defines ‘afterlife’ and what the ‘conditions’ are for inheriting it.
Other major religions require obedience and adherence to a set of rules and regulations as a means to an end. By contrast, Christianity is based on accepting the fact that we can never live up to God’s high standard and that it is only God’s undeserved mercy that can set us free from sin. Sure enough, Christians have their own set of rules to live by; the Ten Commandments. But for Christians trying to live by these rules is merely a logical consequence of their faith; these rules are not the ultimate guidebook to inheriting eternal life. That is where Christianity differs from other religions.
What makes Christianity special?
All major world religions promise life after death for those who deserve it. Christianity stands out as the only one that offers a freedom and joy that cannot be earned by living right and doing good. With other religions, attaining a next life of some sort, depends on whether one has lived right and performed sufficient good works. In other words, as a non-Christian, when you die you face a ‘wait-and-see’ and a ‘I-can’t-be-sure’.
Christianity offers freedom from fear and doubt. Whereas other religions have rules and regulations as a guideline to ‘earning’ life after this one, Jesus shows us the way to have this freedom already here and now. That is the Good News that Jesus talked about and that his disciples were so excited about. Salvation, in the Christian sense, is there for the taking, for free. Payment has already been made. It requires only that you accept Jesus and his message and put your trust in him. Full stop.
We cannot prove that God exists. We cannot prove that there is an afterlife. However, there is convincing evidence that the foundations of the Christian faith are credible. The Christian faith is not a blind following of some idea that someone once had. The evidence of a loving ever-present Creator is overwhelming. Christianity, in the interpretation of both the Old and the New Testament, is based on our acceptance of the fact that we will always fall short of being perfect in God’s eyes. Jesus Christ has taken our sins upon him and paid the price on the cross and he has paid it in full.