What is Christianity?

[PoetPhilosopher]

I keep hearing the "Are they a Christian?" type questions and it makes me realize...

I don't really know what Christianity is.

Is Christianity praying in your closet?

Is Christianity putting on showy displays during music and pointing up at the ceiling a lot, as I witnessed in a "live" performance on Youtube recently by a Christian musician?

Is Christianity trying to be childlike?

Is Christianity following the Protestant church?

Is Christianity having your own versions of facts like the alt-right with general distrust of science and the media?

Is Christianity believing in a sort of mythology-like writing but God-inspired?

Is Christianity not using profanity in your speech, and encouraging others not to too?

Is Christianity being hopeful of the end times?

Is Christianity thinking you have some invisible truth and thinking that you now must spread it?

Is Christianity saying you haven't heard a good enough argument against Jesus and the NT Bible writers?

 

[The Hammer]

I keep hearing the "Are they a Christian?" type questions and it makes me realize...

I don't really know what Christianity is.

Is Christianity praying in your closet?

Is Christianity putting on showy displays during music and pointing up at the ceiling a lot, as I witnessed in a "live" performance on Youtube recently by a Christian musician?

Is Christianity trying to be childlike?

Is Christianity following the Protestant church?

Is Christianity having your own versions of facts like the alt-right with general distrust of science and the media?

Is Christianity believing in a sort of mythology-like writing but God-inspired?

Is Christianity not using profanity in your speech, and encouraging others not to too?

Is Christianity being hopeful of the end times?

Is Christianity thinking you have some invisible truth and thinking that you now must spread it?

Is Christianity saying you haven't heard a good enough argument against Jesus and the NT Bible writers?

Given all the variations of Christianity over the years,I would think that it is what you make of it.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Christianity - Wikipedia

 

[sun rise]

@KAT-KAT , I'd say everything you wrote in the OP.

 

[Vouthon]

I don't really know what Christianity is.

Everything you wrote is reflective, in its own way, of the rich diversity of experience one finds in the Christian faith tradition.

If I had to distill the bare-bones essence of Christianity, I'd have to say that it's fundamentally about an encounter - psychologically, emotionally, spiritually, mystically - with a person. Jesus Christ. His life as an exemplar for imitation, his teachings as a framework for one's moral edification and the social good, and faith in him as one's anchor for navigating the vicissitudes of life.

Everything else - the culture and civilizational aspects, the distinctive moral values or whatsoever else one may focus upon - pretty much flows from that essential premise.

 

[paarsurrey]

I keep hearing the "Are they a Christian?" type questions and it makes me realize...

I don't really know what Christianity is.

Is Christianity praying in your closet?

Is Christianity putting on showy displays during music and pointing up at the ceiling a lot, as I witnessed in a "live" performance on Youtube recently by a Christian musician?

Is Christianity trying to be childlike?

Is Christianity following the Protestant church?

Is Christianity having your own versions of facts like the alt-right with general distrust of science and the media?

Is Christianity believing in a sort of mythology-like writing but God-inspired?

Is Christianity not using profanity in your speech, and encouraging others not to too?

Is Christianity being hopeful of the end times?

Is Christianity thinking you have some invisible truth and thinking that you now must spread it?

Is Christianity saying you haven't heard a good enough argument against Jesus and the NT Bible writers?

I understand that Jesus was/is a reality, but Christianity is fiction. Right, please?

Regards
_______________
" Christianity – A Journey from Facts to Fiction"
by Mirza Tahir Ahmad
Christianity - A Journey from Facts to Fiction | Islam Ahmadiyya



,

 

[Orbit]

By their fruits you shall know them.

 

[JustGeorge]

By their fruits you shall know them.

So check their tags...

 

[nPeace]

I keep hearing the "Are they a Christian?" type questions and it makes me realize...

I don't really know what Christianity is.

Is Christianity praying in your closet?

Is Christianity putting on showy displays during music and pointing up at the ceiling a lot, as I witnessed in a "live" performance on Youtube recently by a Christian musician?

Is Christianity trying to be childlike?

Is Christianity following the Protestant church?

Is Christianity having your own versions of facts like the alt-right with general distrust of science and the media?

Is Christianity believing in a sort of mythology-like writing but God-inspired?

Is Christianity not using profanity in your speech, and encouraging others not to too?

Is Christianity being hopeful of the end times?

Is Christianity thinking you have some invisible truth and thinking that you now must spread it?

Is Christianity saying you haven't heard a good enough argument against Jesus and the NT Bible writers?

It's a morass in today's world, evidently.
While there are diverse interpretations of Christianity which sometimes conflict, they are united in believing that Jesus has a unique significance.
I stick with what it was known as in it's original form, in the first century.

(Acts 9:1, 2) 1 But Saul, still breathing threat and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that he might bring bound to Jerusalem any whom he found who belonged to The Way, both men and women.
(Acts 11:26) After he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year they assembled with them in the congregation and taught quite a crowd, and it was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians.
(Acts 22:4) I persecuted this Way to the point of death, binding and handing over to prisons both men and women,

The followers of Christ were known as The Way, before they were called Christian.
They were known and identified by their activities and teachings, while with Jesus, and after Jesus left. The book of Acts describes those activities and teachings after Jesus left, and when the congregation was first formed, and beyond.

These are what I use as the identifying marks of true Christianity.
Corruption infiltrated the congregation, and thus the tree we see today, with it's hundreds of branches, is the Christianity we see today.
(Acts 20:29, 30) 29 I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among you and will not treat the flock with tenderness, 30 and from among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.

Spoiler: More

(1 Timothy 4:1) However, the inspired word clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired statements and teachings of demons,
(2 Timothy 4:3, 4) 3 For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the wholesome teaching, but according to their own desires, they will surround themselves with teachers to have their ears tickled. 4 They will turn away from listening to the truth and give attention to false stories.
(1 John 2:18, 19) 18 Young children, it is the last hour, and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared, from which fact we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of our sort; for if they had been of our sort, they would have remained with us. But they went out so that it might be shown that not all are of our sort.

2 Thessalonians 2

 

[74x12]

I keep hearing the "Are they a Christian?" type questions and it makes me realize...

I don't really know what Christianity is.

Is Christianity praying in your closet?

Is Christianity putting on showy displays during music and pointing up at the ceiling a lot, as I witnessed in a "live" performance on Youtube recently by a Christian musician?

Is Christianity trying to be childlike?

Is Christianity following the Protestant church?

Is Christianity having your own versions of facts like the alt-right with general distrust of science and the media?

Is Christianity believing in a sort of mythology-like writing but God-inspired?

Is Christianity not using profanity in your speech, and encouraging others not to too?

Is Christianity being hopeful of the end times?

Is Christianity thinking you have some invisible truth and thinking that you now must spread it?

Is Christianity saying you haven't heard a good enough argument against Jesus and the NT Bible writers?

I believe Christianity is following Christ.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Given all the variations of Christianity over the years,I would think that it is what you make of it.

Or, rather given all the variations of 'Christendom' ( so-called Christian but mostly in name only )
The variations are Not in harmony with Scripture, but a following of men's customs, men's traditions as Jesus warned against at Matthew 15:9.
Jesus forewarned that fake ' weed/tares' Christians would grow together with the genuine ' wheat ' Christians until the Harvest Time or the soon coming Time of Separation on Earth as found at Matthew 25:31-33,37.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

I understand that Jesus was/is a reality, but Christianity is fiction. Right, please?.......,

Not exactly, it is 'Christendom' ( So-called Christianity but mostly in name only ) that is fiction.
Christendom is what Jesus referred to as the fake ' weed/tares' Christians that grow together with the genuine ' wheat ' Christians until our day or time frame, the Harvest Time, which ends with the soon coming ' Time of Separating ' to take place on Earth as per Matthew 25:31-33,37,40.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Since the Leader / Head of it is Christ, shouldn’t it be about following Jesus’ example, to the best of our ability?

A big part of it, is loving others. John 13:34-35
(For many, that seems to have gone by the wayside.)

 

[1213]

I keep hearing the "Are they a Christian?"...

In Bible Christians means a disciple of Jesus. And a disciple of Jesus is a person who remains in words of Jesus.

…in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.
Acts 11:26

Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, "If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
John 8:31-32

That is how it originally was. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be so anymore. Many people who call themselves Christian don’t think they are disciple of Jesus and are not loyal to him.

 

[Muffled]

I believe essential Christianity is believing the Gospel. I believe some of what is called Christianity follows some parts of NT scripture.

 

[Muffled]

I understand that Jesus was/is a reality, but Christianity is fiction. Right, please?

Regards
_______________
" Christianity – A Journey from Facts to Fiction"
by Mirza Tahir Ahmad
Christianity - A Journey from Facts to Fiction | Islam Ahmadiyya



,

I believe the idea that Christianity is a fiction is pure fantasy.

 

[Muffled]

I believe Christianity is following Christ.

I believe that tends to vary as to whether people are really doing that or just saying they are doing it.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

I believe essential Christianity is believing the Gospel...................................

.... and people don't seem to think about what is the Gospel. What is the 'good news' about God's kingdom in the hands of Christ Jesus for a thousand years.
In the Gospel accounts it says to pray for God's kingdom to come ( thy kingdom come...)
We don't pray to be 'taken away' to the kingdom, nor pray to 'go up ' to the kingdom but for the kingdom to come.....
Which goes hand in hand with praying the invitation for Rev. 22:20 for Jesus to come !
So, what will Jesus accomplish - Daniel 2:44 ; Psalms 110 - but to rid earth of enemies, subdue enemies.
Subduing enemies will bring relief to humanity.
* Peace on Earth for us - Isaiah 54:13; Micah 4:3-4
* A healthy environment for us - Isaiah 33:24; Revelation 22:2
* Happiness in enjoyable work for us - Isaiah 65:22-23
* An end to ' enemy death ' on Earth for us - 1 Corinthians 15:26; Isaiah 25:8
This is truly the good news gospel which Jesus taught and instructed about - Matthew 24:14; Acts 1:8