A voice of authority needed

Europe: should we believe and trust what the ‘stay in’ campaigners tell us, or the advocates of ‘leave’? The former are using fear as one of their artillery pieces and more recently President Obama has weighed in with threats. The ‘leave’ party are at pains to talk down the risk factors and talk up the benefits of leaving the EU. I would like to know whether either side can speak authoritatively about how leaving would pan out in practice. I suggest that no-one really knows.

For some, there is a similar type of dilemma when it comes to the existence of God. On the one hand we have groups such as the humanists and new atheists who tell us that we must leave God out of our world view and, in so doing, things will be better. Then there are the religious, of various persuasions, who are convinced that God is essential to our understanding of the world and our lives in it. Most people probably feel ill-equipped to understand the complex arguments encompassing the ‘leave God in’ or ‘leave God out’ debate. As with the EU issue what is needed is an authoritative voice.

Now, imagine a politician of impeccable character, utterly trustworthy and who has a complete grasp of all the facts; one who is equally aware of past present and future. Wouldn’t the guidance of such a person make our choice in the polling booth on 23rd June so much easier? There is, of course, no such person to help us with the EU dilemma. However, in the ‘existence of God’ debate, Christians say that there is such a person of authority. His name is Jesus Christ and he has much to say and demonstrate on the subject of God.

Jesus says that what he tells us is true. He says that his way is the right one; that believing his truth and paying heed to his way will give us life of an eternal quality. He sums all this up by saying ‘I am the way, the truth and the life’.

With statements such as this we may well ask what credentials does Jesus have for claiming such authority? This is precisely what the religious leaders were asking of Jesus 2000 years ago. God himself provides the credentials by raising Jesus from the dead. We may be sceptical of our politicians; are we going to be sceptical of Jesus also?

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