Leinad89 Posted October 26, 2010 Posted October 26, 2010 Many of my christian friends, and most of my christian upbringing has told me that christianity is totally different from religion. They say it's different because while RELIGION focuses on rules and regulations you have to follow to make the deity accept you, CHRISTIANITY only needs you to acknowledge Jesus as your lord and saviour in order to recieve salvation. I've always been proud to say these things. It made me proud to be a christian and not "some religious lunatic" and made me calm every time someone blamed "religion" for something, because I knew I wasn't religious, but CHRISTIAN! Lately though, I've thought some more about it. Isn't christianity a religion? It DOES have alot of rules that, if you break them (willingly or without knowing they existed), require immediate confessing lest Jesus or death was to show up the day after, right? Isn't the only difference that instead of an offering, you say "sorry" to Jesus? They tell me that all those rules were before Jesus came, and that now, it's enough to live with Jesus in your heart. But apparently many of those old rules still apply! Which ones? Homosexuality and sex-before-marriage is still a big no-no, but they say that's because Paul forbid it and "brought it into" the new testament era. That it isn't because of what's written in the Old Testament. How did Paul get so much say anyway? So much of modern christianity is based on the books said to be written by Paul. How can we trust Paul? He didn't even meet Jesus in person! He claims he did, but noone was with him, right? Throughout my christian life, I've tried to live in a relationship with Jesus. So many people around me claimed to talk with Jesus/God. I tried and tried, and sometimes I thought I could "hear" God in my thoughts. Then suddenly, the same "voice" thought/said stuff about monstertrucks and toothbrushes and engineering-stuff I learned in class yesterday. anyway... If you look at it unbiased; Is there anything that Christianity has, that separates it from something all other religions have?
Darklady Posted October 26, 2010 Posted October 26, 2010 having been a xian for a long time, I too brought into the lie that xianity was a relationship. But where was he when i was in pain, where was he when my children suffered, and I cried out for .... anything, something, got nothing. Unlike my relationships with real people, there was no give and take, no help, no anything. While I am no expert, a relationship to me involves interaction - there is nothing that proves that someone called jesus, died and rose again, and has ever interacts with anyone since then. No proof, no scientific evidence, no physical evidence, nothing. Its all a pie in the sky, an illusion, a deceit foisted on the world and perpetrated by a powerful organisation called the Roman Catholic church.
The Seeker Posted October 26, 2010 Posted October 26, 2010 Many of my christian friends, and most of my christian upbringing has told me that christianity is totally different from religion. They say it's different because while RELIGION focuses on rules and regulations you have to follow to make the deity accept you, CHRISTIANITY only needs you to acknowledge Jesus as your lord and saviour in order to recieve salvation. I've always been proud to say these things. It made me proud to be a christian and not "some religious lunatic" and made me calm every time someone blamed "religion" for something, because I knew I wasn't religious, but CHRISTIAN! Lately though, I've thought some more about it. Isn't christianity a religion? It DOES have alot of rules that, if you break them (willingly or without knowing they existed), require immediate confessing lest Jesus or death was to show up the day after, right? Isn't the only difference that instead of an offering, you say "sorry" to Jesus? They tell me that all those rules were before Jesus came, and that now, it's enough to live with Jesus in your heart. But apparently many of those old rules still apply! Which ones? Homosexuality and sex-before-marriage is still a big no-no, but they say that's because Paul forbid it and "brought it into" the new testament era. That it isn't because of what's written in the Old Testament. How did Paul get so much say anyway? So much of modern christianity is based on the books said to be written by Paul. How can we trust Paul? He didn't even meet Jesus in person! He claims he did, but noone was with him, right? Throughout my christian life, I've tried to live in a relationship with Jesus. So many people around me claimed to talk with Jesus/God. I tried and tried, and sometimes I thought I could "hear" God in my thoughts. Then suddenly, the same "voice" thought/said stuff about monstertrucks and toothbrushes and engineering-stuff I learned in class yesterday. anyway... If you look at it unbiased; Is there anything that Christianity has, that separates it from something all other religions have? The answer is no. Protestant Christians reject the term "religion" as a means to separating themselves from more liturgical religions that require complex ceremonies and rituals (who are we kidding, namely the Catholic Church). This is an attempt to make Christianity look cool, modern, and easy-do. They even use "religion" and related words like "religious" and "religiousness" with a negative connotation when describing a wrong attitude or a fellow Christian. The reason it's complete bullshit is, as said above, that a relationship needs feedback to exist. Since the God speaking to you is -as I see you already suspect, yourself, then no real relationship exists. Also, irrational belief in a supernatural being with complex theology to back it up would classify as religion all the way.
OpheliaGinger Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 And yet, ask them if one could still go to Hell just by breaking a commandment without seeking forgiveness. Commandments are rules, aren't they not?
Brought None Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 For those that don't fit the mold, religion becomes an all out abusive relationship with the self.
Vomit Comet Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck....
★ Citsonga ★ Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 Similarly, I was also told that "religion" is man trying (but failing) to reach gawd, while "Christianity" is gawd reaching down to man. Ironically, despite the way some christians pretend that christianity isn't a "religion" and actually scorn the word, look at this buybull text: James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. Why would James make this comment if christianity isn't a "religion" and if "religion" is something to detest? Besides, if christians really aren't religious, then why do they detest organizations like the Freedom From Religion Foundation? If religion is so awful and christianity is so much better, then why don't they want our society to have freedom from religion?
Phanta Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 Throughout my christian life, I've tried to live in a relationship with Jesus. So many people around me claimed to talk with Jesus/God. I tried and tried, and sometimes I thought I could "hear" God in my thoughts. Then suddenly, the same "voice" thought/said stuff about monstertrucks and toothbrushes and engineering-stuff I learned in class yesterday. Ha. Curious, isn't it? Phanta
☆ TexasFreethinker ☆ Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 I'm not going to fight with anyone about a label. If they want to claim they belong to a relationship instead of a religion I just ask if the relationship is with someone supernatural and if the relatinship is required to determine where they spend eternity. And then I continue to ask for proof of their supernatural relationship and afterlife.
dona_priscilla Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck.... LOL that's exactly what I think when people claim Christianity is not a religion. Just another survival mechanism of the Christian "virus"...
Brought None Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck.... Then it must be crocoduck.
par4dcourse Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 It's a relationship in the sense that I got fucked by xianity.
☆ TexasFreethinker ☆ Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 It's a relationship in the sense that I got fucked by xianity.
Ro-bear Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 I'm having a relationship with a supermodel, but she doesn't know about it. That's kind of like your relationship with Jesus, except the supermodel is alive.
Googledotman Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck.... Then it must be crocoduck. I am loling at this over here. Thanks for the laugh Brought None!
Brought None Posted October 27, 2010 Posted October 27, 2010 If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck.... Then it must be crocoduck. I am loling at this over here. Thanks for the laugh Brought None! Welcome fellow quacker.
Guest Babylonian Dream Posted October 30, 2010 Posted October 30, 2010 If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck.... then it's a relationship.
luksan Posted October 30, 2010 Posted October 30, 2010 "It's not a religion, it's a relationship" line is something that annoyed me even when I was a Christian. It seemed that whenever people said this it was to evade discussing the technical matters of their faith (and the Bible is replete with technical matters), a sort of though-terminating cliche that exempted them from actually having to justify their beliefs or behavior in the context of those beliefs. Most people just believe based on emotion, not logic, and they aren't intellectually curious about their own scriptures. These are, after all, working class people who don't have time to sit around worrying about the contradictions in a bunch of old books that don't make any sense.
I Broke Free Posted October 30, 2010 Posted October 30, 2010 Throughout my christian life, I've tried to live in a relationship with Jesus. So many people around me claimed to talk with Jesus/God. I tried and tried, and sometimes I thought I could "hear" God in my thoughts. Then suddenly, the same "voice" thought/said stuff about monstertrucks and toothbrushes and engineering-stuff I learned in class yesterday. I remember that same “moment of clarity” hitting me too. I thought I was talking with God, but was amazed that the same small voice in my head was completely under MY control. I could make God say anything I wanted. I think that is how most Christians work. “Wow, being a Christian is easy. God tells me to the believe and vote and the same way I would have anyway.”
Vomit Comet Posted October 31, 2010 Posted October 31, 2010 Hey, isn't it like how some people claim that Buddhism isn't a religion but a way of life? Or something?
Jayhawkfan1 Posted October 31, 2010 Posted October 31, 2010 I'm having a relationship with a supermodel, but she doesn't know about it. That's kind of like your relationship with Jesus, except the supermodel is alive. LOL! Exactly! As I've said before, my "relationship" with Jesus is as real as my "relationship" with Halle Berry. The sad, and funny thing about it is that the odds of communicating back and fourth with Halle Berry, as extremely low as they may be, are still significantly higher than the odds of having back and fourth communication with God/Jesus.
Guest Babylonian Dream Posted October 31, 2010 Posted October 31, 2010 If the christians guys have a relationship with Jesus, then doesn't that make them......
Leinad89 Posted October 31, 2010 Author Posted October 31, 2010 If the christians guys have a relationship with Jesus, then doesn't that make them...... A friendship is also a relationship, but yeah, I was never too keen on being part of the Bride of Christ.
Guest Babylonian Dream Posted October 31, 2010 Posted October 31, 2010 A friendship is also a relationship, but yeah, I was never too keen on being part of the Bride of Christ. It's not friendship if you have to love God/Jebus more than your wife, husband, kids, family, etc... It's beyond that. Vomit Comet, yeah, that and pagans claiming their religion (I know not all of them) is not a religion but a way of life. You're right on target there. Or that they "work with" their gods.
Recommended Posts