Why Christianity?

Alethea Thompson wrote: This is for those of you that are Christian. The challenge is to come up with a non-Biblical reason that Christianity is a better belief system for you than any other religion. Why does Christ appeal to you, where the Goddess doesn't, or where the Norse Pantheon, etc?

I don't think one can give an answer that doesn't relate to the bible, honestly. Not to demean any previous answer which attempted to do so. Without discussing the bible one is forced to use super vague phrases like "It's what I grew up with" "It's what I know" or other things, which are perfectly acceptable answers, but are super vague. It'd be like asking why someone thinks the Earth is round and rotates around the sun or that evolution is real without letting them explain the science that proves it. (which, ironically, is done by the vocal minority of Christian science deniers "prove your science, but don't use science because I think you're making it up anyway.") We're no longer allowed to say "because Christ teaches us [x]" where x is an example of his teachings from the bible.

It's an interesting exercise, I just don't think one can properly do it.

I happen to believe "It's what I grew up with" or "it's my parent's religion" is completely tragic. It suggests that you never took the time to truly ask whether or not you believe in the belief system, or if it's just something that you were forced to believe due to upbringing. And that's with any religion.

With "It's what I know" (as opposed to "it's all I know"), at least it implies there might be experience that proves the benefit of living in accordance with the belief system. But that's must me.

To give you an example of how I don't use scripture to support my journey back to Christianity, I'll simplify it into this:

I found that in other deistic religions, the gods I encountered preferred to manipulate you to fit either their own selfish desires, or to help you reach your desires. But the God I found in Christianity cares more to lead the world towards working together, where everyone contributes to the well-being of one another, not of themselves.

That isn't to say that your desires are not pure, you might be Wiccan and love people in general. So you seek to use your relationship with the Goddess to help others. But equally, the Goddess will give to another the elevation to a corrupt position. Those deities I encountered don't seem to care how you used them, only that you do. Christ, on the other hand, has standards.

Alethea Thompson wrote: To give you an example of how I don't use scripture to support my journey back to Christianity, I'll simplify it into this:

I found that in other deistic religions, the gods I encountered preferred to manipulate you to fit either their own desires, or to help you reach your desires. But the God I found in Christianity cares more to lead the world towards working together, where everyone contributes to the well-being of one another, not of themselves.

That isn't to say that your desires are not pure, you might be Wiccan and love people in general. So you seek to use your relationship with the Goddess to help others. But equally, the Goddess will give to another the elevation to a corrupt position. Those deities I encountered don't seem to care how you used them, only that you do. Christ, on the other hand, has standards.

But how do you expand on those statements or back them up without talking about the bible since the bible is where these ideas on Christianity come from?

Then again, maybe I'm getting too picky and taking the "non-bible" part too literally. One can certainly have a discussion without directly quoting scripture. I was just confused on how one can have a discussion on Christianity without taking the bible into account. This is what happens when I'm bored at work. :laugh: (just don't tell my boss I'm bored :laugh: :whistle: )

Greetings,

As a Jedi, I do not find any one religion to be superior to any other, for all have points of morality and ethics which are to be desired by any individual seeking the Light. But as an active Mormon, I feel that there is a deeper level which we must come to understand when it comes to the Plan of Salvation. The Master Jesus showed us the way to be as our Heavenly Parents through His own life and sacrifice. We too, if we follow the commandments can receive our inheritance. If a puppy grows up into a dog, and a kitten becomes a cat isn't it logical that we can grow into "gods" in our own right by virtue of being children of divinity? But I digress. I hold a dichotomy in that I am first and foremost a Jedi. I see the various divinities and forces as Carl Jung called, "Archetypes" of the Source, or "the Force". Each of these have bearing on aspects of life, death and rebirth, which are external and internal as well. The myths are guides to understanding the ways of the Universe, and how we can perfect ourselves and understand natural phenomenon.

So, why Christianity? Partially because of the centuries of indoctrination within the Western world. Early on, it could have been any of the monotheistic faiths which could have won the battle for supremacy. If the Jews won the revolt against Rome in AD 70, we would probably have Judaism as the center of our faiths. If the Muslims had won the various Crusades and we didn't have the Protestant Reformation, it could be Islam. So, sociologically, any of the modern faiths could have been the standard.

But that is the way of the world, faiths come, and faith go. Civilizations rise and fall, but the power of myth within our own lives will ever remain.

I suppose I could call myself a progressive Christian except for one detail. While I agree that there are many paths to enlightenment, I know only one Christ. Most religions have a prophecy about a Messiah or they have a Christ figure somewhere in their history. To me, all those stories come together in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. It is only through Jesus that anyone truly finds the supreme being of the universe. I would say that if a person is walking in love and forgiveness, they are following Jesus even if they don't acknowledge him. Conversely, I know people who claim to be Christians, but don't know Jesus in this way.

This is what I like about this temple. The doctrine will tend to bring a person down the same path that Jesus would have us walk. Progressive Christianity may also do this, but I like how the Jedi don't have the "Christian" stigma attached. I am free to demonstrate the love of Christ without having to be all Christiany.

For me, following the Jedi path is a good way to get to know the real Jesus and share his love with others.

Goken wrote: But how do you expand on those statements or back them up without talking about the bible since the bible is where these ideas on Christianity come from?

The doctrine of sola scriptura (by scripture alone) is fairly new, something that only became common with the Protestant Reformation, and remains a primarily Protestant/Evangelical idea. For the vast majority of its history, Christianity (I'd argue) has been more focused on tradition than scripture, since most Christians couldn't read scripture themselves until the last 500 years. That means liturgy, worship practices, the lives of saints... things that are not necessarily a part of scripture.

If you spoke to an Anglican, Roman Catholic or an Eastern Orthodox Christian, they would all probably be able to give you answers and back them up without talking about the Bible, since the doctrine for them is generally prima scriptura (scripture first) instead, as it was for the Church as a whole before the Protestant Reformation. Though even in prima scriptura, the Bible is, obviously, still quite important!

Edit: I forgot to add, in addition to tradition, divine revelation was a much bigger deal "back in the day," and constituted an important part of one's Christian experience. Christian mysticism, something Protestantism historically tends to be fairly critical of, is becoming vogue again especially in mainline Protestant circles.

To add to Adi's statements.

I've asked people in general this question. The answers I get back are

"The Bible says you should have no other gods. That makes our God the only one that is truth."
"The fact that the Book of Revelations is coming true now is proof that our God is the only true God."
"The Bible says we are going to hell if we don't accept Christ into our hearts, so why not be on the safe side?"
"I'm Christian because Christ died on the cross for my salvation. If he had not, I wouldn't be able to live with the sin I've committed against others."

But going back to my statement. I didn't find God in the Bible. I had an encounter with God while I was Pagan that shoved the truth I provided above into my face. It wasn't a pleasant experience. I had to go to the Bible to learn how to live my life in accordance with God's Will. So my story is very backwards. Most people these days, it seems, find God through their reading of the Bible if you listen to them explain why they are Christian.

That makes sense. Good answers all.

Ok Alethea, I see what you mean. I had a similar experience. I found God in my Egypt studies. The Egyptian mythological history tells of the plagues that Moses wrote about, but they are told in a slightly different way. Each plague is like the punishment for disrespecting a different god. Because of my childhood, I had the Bible stories about God in the back of my head and I realized that the plagues were God's way of invalidating the Egyptian gods one by one. This revelation is what prompted me to go back to reading the Bible. I started getting to know Jesus in a way that I hadn't when I was a child. Jesus is all about love and forgiveness.

Fact: There is no condemnation in Christ.

I only recently discovered that version of the story, where it was the wrath of the Egyptian gods. That's pretty cool how you made the parallel on on your own ^^.