--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best argument for Christianity is…" description: "\"“The best argument for Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christianity is a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d4/sheldon-vanauken-19025_christianity_the-best-argument-for-christianity-is-ch_1944482.jpg" --- # The best argument for Christianity is Christians: their… ![“The best argument for Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians--when they are sombre and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug in complacent consecration, when they are narrow and…” quote by Sheldon Vanauken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d4/sheldon-vanauken-19025_christianity_the-best-argument-for-christianity-is-ch_1944482.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d4/sheldon-vanauken-19025_christianity_the-best-argument-for-christianity-is-ch_1944482.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d4/sheldon-vanauken-19025_christianity_the-best-argument-for-christianity-is-ch_1944482.jpg) > ““The best argument for Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians--when they are sombre and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug in complacent consecration, when they are narrow and repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths. But, though it is just to condemn some Christians for these things, perhaps, after all, it is not just, though very easy, to condemn Christianity itself for them. Indeed, there are impressive indications that the positive quality of joy is in Christianity--and possibly nowhere else. If that were certain, it would be proof of a very high order”” [Sheldon Vanauken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-vanauken/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Joy and certainty among Christians argue for faith’s value, yet hypocrisy and sorrow among believers also undermine it, showing faith’s complex impact. **In simple terms:** Joy supports faith; hypocrisy harms it. Key Takeaway Cultivate authentic joy in belief. Themes faith joy hypocrisy Mood thoughtful analytical critical Type philosophical theological When to use this quote - religious communities - personal spirituality - social critique Key Concepts theology human nature Questions to Reflect On - How can faith stay authentic? - What role does joy play in belief? A Different Perspective Joy alone may not prove truth; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [I condemn Christianity; I bring against the Christian Church the most terrible of all accusations that an accuser has ever had in his mouth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/i-condemn-christianity-i-bring-against-the-christian-church-the-most/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [We are not masochists - the cross is not an end in itself; it is for glory. We Christians are not looking for suffering,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabrice-hadjadj/we-are-not-masochists-the-cross-is-not-an-end-in-itself-it-is-for/) Fabrice Hadjadj > [If you lack joy, your Christianity must be leaking somewhere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/if-you-lack-joy-your-christianity-must-be-leaking-somewhere/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [Sheldon Vanauken wrote that the strongest argument for Christianity is Christians, when they are drawing life from God. The strongest argument against Christianity? Also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/sheldon-vanauken-wrote-that-the-strongest-argument-for-christianity/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [The best argument for Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. 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A mercy as severe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-vanauken/that-death-so-full-of-suffering-for-us-both-suffering-that-still/) [Sheldon Vanauken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-vanauken/) [Explore all 33 Sheldon Vanauken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-vanauken/) ## More Christianity quotes > [Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/christianity-was-never-meant-to-be-defined-by-its-disciplines-but-by/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. 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Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) [Browse all 14,385 Christianity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The best argument for Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians--when they are sombre and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug in complacent consecration, when they are narrow and repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths. But, though it is just to condemn some Christians for these things, perhaps, after all, it is not just, though very easy, to condemn Christianity itself for them. 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