Christianity: Attitude or Religion?

No, this isn’t a controversial article in which I try to tell you something like “as long as you believe and sorta try most of the time, God will forgive you and you’re saved.” 

Christianity is definitely a religion. 

It is the religion. 

            On Dictionary.com, the first definition listed for “religion” defines the word as ”a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.” That describes Christianity. 

I know of people, even a few of my close friends, who preach “Christianity is not a religion, it’s not about what you do, it’s about who you are, and anyone who believes is saved - end of discussion.” etc. 

If you are one of those people, I don't mean to offend you. 

On the other end of the spectrum, I know of people (also some of my close friends) who believe that if you’re sinless your whole life, but you lie right before you die, and you don’t ask for forgiveness and repent right before you die, you’ll probably fall short of Heaven. For them, it’s more of a religion than anything; it’s not about who you are as much as it is about what you do. 

If you are one of those people, I don’t mean to offend you either. 

Regardless of your position on the religiosity of Christianity, I pray that by the time you finish reading this post, you will all be able to say that you enjoyed reading what I have to say. I also hope and pray that what I am about to tell you is the truth, and that you will agree with me when I'm done so that you can take what you have learned out into the world to change the world as we know it. Please study the things I present to you for yourself.

            What governs our religious practices? With so many different people wearing the name “Christian” yet believing so many different things, so many different buildings with different names on them that preach different doctrines yet claim to be united under the banner of “Christianity,” and so on, what exactly determines where we each worship? 

Some would say it’s a matter of interpretation and everyone who at least tries to worship God is still a Christian in God’s eyes.

Others might say it’s a matter of choosing to be right vs. choosing to be wrong, and those who don’t follow their specific religious practices will be condemned in the end. 

I see logic in both arguments. 

However, I don’t think that our personal beliefs are governed by either of these. 

I think that people choose to see Christianity filtered through the ideals behind “denominationalism” or through the thought process of “be like me or go to Hell” as a result of something else. 

We interpret the Bible differently based on something other than just a mere difference in interpretation.

It goes deeper than that. 

In Philippians 2:2, Paul writes that the church be of the same mind. 1 Corinthians 1:10 says that there should “be no divisions” among us, but that we be “united in the same mind and in the same judgment.” In Ephesians 1:4-6, it is written that Christians are to walk in Christ “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Is the “church” united today?

If you say “yes,” why do so many “churches” have different names, different doctrines, different views on salvation, different views on worship, and different views on scriptures?

Why are so many “churches” so different?

“He’s a Methodist. She’s a Baptist. He’s a Catholic. She’s a Church of Christer. He’s a Jehovah’s Witness. He's non-denom. She's Pentecostal. ” Etc.

The way we attempt to follow the Bible and the way we view others who attempt to follow the Bible is a key part of achieving unity. 

            Sometime this week, right now if you can, read 1 Corinthians 9 and 10, 1 Pet. 3:15, Romans 14, and 1 Corinthians 8. It’s a lot of reading I know, but it will be very important for our discussion in the upcoming weeks. 

What does Christianity mean? 

What is unity? 

What is truth? 

How can we pull together and change the world?

With Christian love,
Ethan

This is a heavily condensed version of the original post from which this was drawn. In order to see the full version of this post, check out my own blog - you're more than welcome to view and comment on any articles I post here or there. You can also e-mail me if you'd like to talk about anything I discuss in these posts. Thanks for reading!