Christians Only: Is Christianity a Religion or Not?

[ChristineES]

I was having a discussion with a fellow member of my Church. She told me she didn't think of Christianity as a religion, but a relationship with Jesus/God. That got me to thinking: Is Christianity a religion to you or is it a relationship with God or both?

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Yes, of course it's a religion.

 

[Desert Snake]

It's both.

 

[Parsimony]

I would say that having a relationship with God is part of the religion that is Christianity. It's not an "either-or" thing.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

If it wasn't a religion then there would have been no church for you guys to go to to have that discussion. Christianity is in the main an organized religion with creeds and doctrines that unite a body of believers.

 

[Sariel]

Yes it is. If it has a central dogma and belief system, then it's a religion.

 

[Brickjectivity]

I think it is. I think some Christians are not religious, because they don't do anything yet that does not mean Christianity isn't about doing. It is all about doing. Many google'd definitions would say that religion is a set of beliefs, but historically that was not always true. Christian means 'Christ like' and you can't be Christ like if you aren't doing anything Christ like. Christians live a certain way and they hopefully grow certain spiritual fruit. You can say that beliefs are involved, but you have to act religiously for it to be a religion. You don't have to believe anything for it to be a religion.

 

[Desert Snake]

I think it is. I think some Christians are not religious, because they don't do anything yet that does not mean Christianity isn't about doing. It is all about doing. Many google'd definitions would say that religion is a set of beliefs, but historically that was not always true. Christian means 'Christ like' and you can't be Christ like if you aren't doing anything Christ like. Christians live a certain way and they hopefully grow certain spiritual fruit. You can say that beliefs are involved, but you have to act religiously for it to be a religion. You don't have to believe anything for it to be a religion.

Wrong. Works without faith are meaningless.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Wrong. Works without faith are meaningless.

It is fine if you believe that. Faith without works is not religion though. Works without faith is still religion. It could be meaningless religion but it is religion.

 

[dawny0826]

I was having a discussion with a fellow member of my Church. She told me she didn't think of Christianity as a religion, but a relationship with Jesus/God. That got me to thinking: Is Christianity a religion to you or is it a relationship with God or both?

For me, it's a walk with Christ. I can't deny that I subscribe to religious concepts as a Christian, but, I consider myself more spiritual than religious.

 

[Desert Snake]

It is fine if you believe that. Faith without works is not religion though. Works without faith is still religion. It could be meaningless religion but it is religion.

No, it isn't.

 

[Desert Snake]

It is fine if you believe that. Faith without works is not religion though. Works without faith is still religion. It could be meaningless religion but it is religion.

You have the basics wrong. You're trying to understand religion through secular concepts, it doesn't work.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Religion is a secular term. Secular people use it to define non secular things. That is why Christine's friend asked the question in the first place. She wanted to know if Christianity was a religion. No I am not trying to understand religion through secular concepts. I'm saying that religion refers to the practices that religious people have. Buddhists meditate. Christians have communion. Jews have passover. Secular people get that.

 

[roger1440]

I was having a discussion with a fellow member of my Church. She told me she didn't think of Christianity as a religion, but a relationship with Jesus/God. That got me to thinking: Is Christianity a religion to you or is it a relationship with God or both?

What do you mean by religion?
“If you want to converse with me, first define your terms.” (Voltaire)

 

[Jeremy Mason]

For me they are both that evolve in life's journey.

 

[Desert Snake]

For me they are both that evolve in life's journey.

I think that the 'Religion' aspect is a major part of Christianity. This doesn't mean church attendance, but studying Christian literature.

 

[Jeremy Mason]

I think that the 'Religion' aspect is a major part of Christianity. This doesn't mean church attendance, but studying Christian literature.

I can agree with that. I've always maintained that the church is the body of Christ within you. Without serious study, one must wonder if they truly desire God.

Acts 17:11 (NIV)

11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

 

[jtartar]

I was having a discussion with a fellow member of my Church. She told me she didn't think of Christianity as a religion, but a relationship with Jesus/God. That got me to thinking: Is Christianity a religion to you or is it a relationship with God or both?

ChristineES,
Christianity is a religion, but most important, it is a WAY of life. In the first century people called Christianity The Way. This is recorded several times in the Holy Scriptures, Acts 9:2, 19:9, 23, 22:4, 24:22.
Christianity fulfills all the requirements for a religion as recorded in dictionaries. Religion seems to mean a system or set of rules that are adhered to by a group of people. A Faith, Denomination, belief. It can also take in Sect, Cult. These one with the same beliefs meet together and edify each other.
The Bible even says that Christians should meet together to insight one another to good works, and all the more as the day draws nearer.
Another interesting thing about Christianity is: we are under Jesus' command, that after we learn, we should then teach others about God so that they too may live, 2Tim 2:2.
Jesus' command, just before he went back to heaven was to go and to baptize people of all nations, and to teach them, Matt 28:19,20. Paul told Timothy the same thing, 2Tim 4:1,2, and Paul mentioned that he had a Stewardship given him to preach the word, 1Cor 9:16-26.
It seems to me that Christianity fulfills all the requirements of a religion.

 

[John Martin]

I was having a discussion with a fellow member of my Church. She told me she didn't think of Christianity as a religion, but a relationship with Jesus/God. That got me to thinking: Is Christianity a religion to you or is it a relationship with God or both?

Christianity as taught by Jesus Christ is not a religion but it is a way of life. Jesus called it the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is the transformation of our life in such a way our life becomes God's life, our actions become God's actions, and our children become God's children. The kingdom of God is the one hundred percent love of God and one hundred percent love of neighbour. Jesus said, the Father and I are one' it is the one hundred percent love of God. Jesus said, whatever you do to the others you do to me. It is the one hundred percent love of neighbour. This is the life of the kingdom of God. It was not the mission of Jesus to start a new religion but to inaugurate a new human being who lives in the New Covenant,who can say, I am the way,the truth and the life.
A person who lives in a religion will say, 'Religion is the way,the truth and the life'. A person who lives in the kingdom of God will say 'I am the way,the truth and the life' or God is the way,the truth and the life'. Jesus thought that his religious authorities would cooperate with him to facilitate the birth this new human consciousness but they did not. So he formed a nucleus of his close disciples as a nest to facilitate the birth of this new consciousness of the kingdom of God. But unfortunately they did not do that and changed it into a religion, thus the nest became a cage.

 

[savagewind]

Christianity as taught by Jesus Christ is not a religion but it is a way of life. Jesus called it the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is the transformation of our life in such a way our life becomes God's life, our actions become God's actions, and our children become God's children. The kingdom of God is the one hundred percent love of God and one hundred percent love of neighbour. Jesus said, the Father and I are one' it is the one hundred percent love of God. Jesus said, whatever you do to the others you do to me. It is the one hundred percent love of neighbour. This is the life of the kingdom of God. It was not the mission of Jesus to start a new religion but to inaugurate a new human being who lives in the New Covenant,who can say, I am the way,the truth and the life.
A person who lives in a religion will say, 'Religion is the way,the truth and the life'. A person who lives in the kingdom of God will say 'I am the way,the truth and the life' or God is the way,the truth and the life'. Jesus thought that his religious authorities would cooperate with him to facilitate the birth this new human consciousness but they did not. So he formed a nucleus of his close disciples as a nest to facilitate the birth of this new consciousness of the kingdom of God. But unfortunately they did not do that and changed it into a religion, thus the nest became a cage.

This. I agree. But 100% isn't real. It is a daily struggle.