Is Christianity a religion?

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burnse22
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28 Aug 2008, 3:45 pm

Wikipedia wrote:

A religion is a set of tenets and practices, often centered upon specific supernatural and moral claims about reality, the cosmos, and human nature, and often codified as prayer, ritual, or religious law. Religion also encompasses ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, and mythology, as well as personal faith and religious experience.

Dictionary.com wrote:

a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. 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.
2. a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.
3. the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.
4. the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.
5. the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.
6. something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience: to make a religion of fighting prejudice.
7. religions, Archaic. religious rites.
8. Archaic. strict faithfulness; devotion: a religion to one's vow.

I could go on with these definitions, but you get the idea.

So, in your opinion, is Christianity a religion?

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skafather84
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28 Aug 2008, 3:55 pm

this thread is s**t.

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burnse22
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28 Aug 2008, 4:02 pm

skafather84 wrote:

this thread is sh**.

Ha, well there is apparently some debate on the issue.

prometheuspann wrote:

burnse22 wrote:

prometheuspann wrote:

Christianity is not a religion,

So what is a religion then? You can't just change the definition til you get what you want.

-----------
Christianity is a political and economic system. Religions are methods to obtain altered states of consciousness.

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Awesomelyglorious
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28 Aug 2008, 4:10 pm

Christianity isn't a religion, it is a relationship. :twisted:

iamnotaparakeet
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28 Aug 2008, 4:14 pm

I consider Christianity and pre-Rabbinic (before Akiba at the most) Judaism
to be the correct form of religion. That is my view.

My answer is "yes".

Fnord
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28 Aug 2008, 4:15 pm

Christianity is a term that encompasses several religions and sects of those religions. It is also a term that includes a few non-theistic philosophies of the same name.

There is no such thing as THE Christian religion or philosophy, except in the minds of those who practice any particular Chrisitan religion or philosophy.

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iamnotaparakeet
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28 Aug 2008, 4:17 pm

Awesomelyglorious wrote:

Christianity isn't a religion, it is a relationship. :twisted:

That's one of the annoying catch phrases which is true in a sense, but falsely denies what Christianity is: Religion. People just use the term disparagingly, so someone popularized the relationship aspect of this religion.

Fnord
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28 Aug 2008, 4:39 pm

The Christian faith is a relationship.

The Christian religions are political entities and social organisations.

The Christian philosophies are ways of life.

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Awesomelyglorious
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28 Aug 2008, 4:48 pm

iamnotaparakeet wrote:

Awesomelyglorious wrote:

Christianity isn't a religion, it is a relationship. :twisted:

Yeah, I know, that is why I had the little demon thingy.

skafather84
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28 Aug 2008, 4:48 pm

burnse22 wrote:

skafather84 wrote:

this thread is sh**.

Ha, well there is apparently some debate on the issue.

prometheuspann wrote:

burnse22 wrote:

prometheuspann wrote:

Christianity is not a religion,

So what is a religion then? You can't just change the definition til you get what you want.

-----------
Christianity is a political and economic system. Religions are methods to obtain altered states of consciousness.

what a backasswards way of trying to present a contradictory argument. it'd be better to just challenge him directly.

and instead of limiting it to just one specific religion as you did, just ask what is religion.

iamnotaparakeet
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28 Aug 2008, 5:18 pm

skafather84 wrote:

burnse22 wrote:

skafather84 wrote:

this thread is sh**.

Ha, well there is apparently some debate on the issue.

prometheuspann wrote:

burnse22 wrote:

prometheuspann wrote:

Christianity is not a religion,

So what is a religion then? You can't just change the definition til you get what you want.

-----------
Christianity is a political and economic system. Religions are methods to obtain altered states of consciousness.

He had already defined it as getting high or something like that.

I think otherwise of course...

skafather84
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28 Aug 2008, 5:42 pm

iamnotaparakeet wrote:

skafather84 wrote:

burnse22 wrote:

skafather84 wrote:

this thread is sh**.

Ha, well there is apparently some debate on the issue.

prometheuspann wrote:

burnse22 wrote:

prometheuspann wrote:

Christianity is not a religion,

So what is a religion then? You can't just change the definition til you get what you want.

-----------
Christianity is a political and economic system. Religions are methods to obtain altered states of consciousness.

He had already defined it as getting high or something like that.

I think otherwise of course...

that's not quite what he meant and he's been pretty condescending of doing drugs in general.

i, on the other hand, think doing (some) drugs is great!!

Anubis
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28 Aug 2008, 6:34 pm

Are you ret*d?

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slowmutant
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28 Aug 2008, 6:55 pm

Christianity is indeed a religion, unless you have some ferociously anti-Christian agenda or some personal vendetta against the church. Militant atheists might try to pick it apart in hopes of eventually destroying it, but obviously that's not going to happen. Athiests, the jealous ones anyway, will try to undermine what we believe because they think it will elevate them somehow.

The WP members should note that atheism is a watered-down version of satanism.

corroonb
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