[Disillusioned]

Quote: (Originally Posted by kariyanine)

Ok, let's get this straight here.

1. Christianity in itself is not a religion. It is a basic belief structure of people that believe in Christ. Catholics, Methodists, Mormons, Lutherns, Jehovas, Episcapallians, Menonites, blah, blah, blah..... are all Christians in the sense of the idea that they believe in Christ. Yet not one of them is the same religion. They share basic fundamentals.

This probably belongs in the Religion section, but here goes.

I think you're mistaken. Christianity in itself is a Religion. The Religion of Christianity, is taught in schools and colleges all across the nation, in the context of a World's Religion class. Within the Religion of Christianity, there are 2 Christian Religions.

1.) Roman Catholicism

2.) Protestant

There are 2 Christian Bibles. The Catholic Bible and the Protestant Bible. The difference between the Catholic Bible and the Protestant Bible is in the origin of translation, each coming from 2 different ancient texts in 2 different ancient languages.

*Within the Protestant Religion, there are many different sects, called Denominations (Episcopalians, Mennonites, Methodists, etc...), which arose out of differing interpretations of the Protestant Bible. However , ALL Protestants use the SAME Protestant Bible as their point of reference for their beliefs. Different interpretations of the same Bible does not constitute a separate Religion.

Catholics on the other hand, use the Catholic Bible as their point of reference for their beliefs, which in fact does make it a separate Religion...which is why, there are 2 Christian Religions -- Catholic and Protestant.

Quote:

2. My opinion of this is that if you believe in Christ, you are a Christian. I grew up Catholic but I do not practice the Catholic religion or any other organized religion for that matter. I don't believe that I need a guy with a big hat telling me what I can and cannot eat on Friday's during Lent and if I don't follow his diet I am a sinner and need to go and confess it to him. I beleive that if you find peace with yourself and with God through other means than you are just as much of a Christian as someone whom goes to church once a week and donates to the air conditioning fund. If you live by Christ's teaching then you are a Christian.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but based on this statement, what you mean by what you're saying, is that you believe you are a Christian, but that you do not believe in organized Religion?

That may be what you believe, but from a historical perspective...meaning, the actual history of how the Religion of Christianity came to be (of which you are extracting your personal beliefs from), Christianity in itself was, and still remains a Religion.