Many people enjoy decent lives. They feel that they are good people, and their friends constantly tell them how good they are. They don’t care what any one religion says and they have no interest in things beyond the material world. Advice and opinions from religious people, whom they consider unwise, are simply ignored. They think that religions are nothing more than moral teachings, i.e., instructions on how to behave well. They believe that they are winners in this area instead of losers who have to ask for help from those outdated traditions. They always overcome their difficulties by their own power and never need assistance from some invisible sources. They accept materialism and the absolute universal generalization principle with little or no doubt. They don’t want to know more things about the idea of souls, which sometimes becomes a topic of conversation, and they don’t care about their final destinies. If there is no life after death and everyone simply will not exist beyond the end of his or her days, it’s fine with them. If there is life after death, they are certain it will be good for them because they are good people.
     The main problem with this attitude is that they have too much imagination and confidence. Our existential status is a profound mystery and knowledge of things outside the physical world is beyond the capabilities of common people. It is considered irrational to make a conclusion with limited knowledge about them. This belief violates the central ideas of many religions in the world, and brings people who adhere to it nothing but harm. It is highly likely that these people will keep this attitude until they die. They are in danger if any religion with ideas about life after death is true. However, there is no hope for them unless some miracle happens and they begin to open their minds a bit and lower their confidence a little.
     It is a common feature of all religions to give moral teachings. Nevertheless, it would be an oversimplification of Christianity to consider it merely an ethical guide. Everyone trying to understand Christianity sooner or later will find it provides something more than moral teachings. The Bible has historical accounts, the descriptions of the nature of God, and a declaration that Jesus is the son of God. The God in the Bible is very personalized. Like us, he has his own will. He loves people but has requirements of them. He hates sinful desires and wrongdoings. The Bible also gives people examples and instructions of how to know him and worship him. Besides, the Bible advances some deep and abstract ideas about mankind, the whole universe, and things beyond the physical world. Passages in the Bible have inspired millions of volumes of theological and philosophical works.
     The main theme of Christianity is the relationship between people and God. We people are mortal and humble beings. God is the creator and the ruler of the whole universe. The Bible takes the existence of God for granted and requires its readers to believe in him. It tells people who God is, what he said, what he did, and what the right attitude toward him should be. It uses many examples to illustrate the ways in which to communicate with him, how to ask him for help, and what the real relationship between people and God looks like. Christianity says if a person wants to solve his or her moral problems, he or she first must have the right knowledge about God and establish a good relationship with God, and then he or she naturally will overcome them with the help of God.
     Some people have a preconception that religions are simply moral teachings and mental healing methods which only bad or hurt people need. However, these ideas don’t apply to Christianity. Actually, if any religion is true, it should be helpful and necessary not only to morally or mentally bankrupt people, but to everyone. Do only morally or mentally bankrupt people have self-consciousness? Do only morally or mentally bankrupt people have souls that will last after death?
     Christianity uncompromisingly asserts its authenticity. It says that everyone needs to know the true God of the whole universe. Some ideas, such as saying that Christianity is good because it persuades some people to behave well and is beneficial to society, indirectly claim that the main statements of Christianity are lies. People who have these ideas must change their thinking significantly if they want to understand Christianity. For a serious Christian, it is inappropriate to say Christianity is a kind of religion, a category of human activities. (However, we call Christianity a religion from time to time in this book for the lack of an appropriate substitute word.) Knowledge of God relates to all activities of humanity, if there truly is a God who created the whole world. “Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and he died on the cross for your sins?” is the very challenge of Christianity to everyone. Faith is the most important issue of Christianity.
     However, moral teachings are inseparable from Christianity. We suggest the reason is that this kind of knowledge is what we need. Guidance for human behavior is one of the main themes in the book that God wrote to people. In regards to knowledge of other areas such as science or engineering, God gave people imagination, intelligence, and creativity to research and pursue these areas. We human beings are capable of taking on the difficulties and producing many amazing achievements in the material world. Nevertheless, we have trouble when it comes to dealing with our sinful nature and we simply can’t succeed in this area by our own efforts.
     Christianity claims that we are responsible to God for our decisions that we make according to God’s standard. It also claims that human efforts toward perfection are ultimately in vain. People need to believe Jesus Christ died for their sins so that their sins will be forgiven. Moreover, only the transforming power of the Holy Spirit can actually change the sinful nature of people, empowering them to live new lives. Christianity is not just moral teachings.

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