What do you think about this quote on Christianity?

Question

Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.
-G.K. Chesterton

Peace and Love

This quote is the message of the day from a Christian web site.

"Gilbert Keith Chesterton (usually called G.K. Chesterton or simply GKC) was born in London in 1874. He became a well-known writer and lecturer. He was officially received into the Roman Catholic Church in 1922, but had been writing from a Romanist point of view for a long time before that. Some of his writing is specifically Roman Catholic, and (in my judgement) he sometimes takes a passing swipe at Protestant positions without troubling to understand them. However, much of his writing is "generic Christian," and is read with profit and delight by many readers, theologically conservative and otherwise, from all branches of Christendom and from none. (C. S. Lewis read him at a time when he was suspicious of most Christian writers, and counts him an influence in his conversion.) "
http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/jek/06/12.html

Answer 1

There's a difference between "difficulty" and "absurdity."

It's not that it's hard to understand Christianity - at least, it's no harder than it is to understand the Brothers Grimm. It's a collection of moralizing fables - irrational, to be sure, but not incomprehensible. I think we're all clear on the Christian idea that man is infected with sin from birth, needs redemption, finds it in Jesus. It's just that some of us recognize this for bad psychology elevated to universal law.

Answer 2

As Christianity is the following of teachings of Jesus Christ - yes it is extremely difficult. Many/Most (I'm not saying all) Christian Churches try and find an "easier" way - much like the Baltimore Catechism of the Catholic Church - there was a way to show Christians how to be a Christian - but make it easy enough so that they would actually do it. Spouting bible passages became one of them - evangelizing is another, but the hard work only really gets done by a handful - the feeding of the poor, healing of the sick (without a paycheck attached), loving your enemies (how many Christians feel it is OK to hate Muslims?).

I am a Christian and know I have a long way to go - this is an interesting statement and one I will copy and paste to review regularly.

Answer 3

Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.

Christianity has been found difficult and not tried--now that is a ill-conceived statement. It shows that so many people THINK Christianity is about following a bunch of rules. That is not what it is about. True Christianity is doing what Jesus did. Having compassion on our fellow man. Loving them but hating their sin. Showing people how to live the correct way.

Many people look at today's Christianity and think it is all about what church you belong too, how often you attend etc....
That is so wrong--When one has a relationship with Christ, what church you attend doesn't matter, how much money you make doesn't matter. You so want to be like Christ that you do certain things because they make you feel closer to HIM. My words are not enough to adequately express my thoughts on this. I hope I have not confused you. I hope I have helped you understand.

Answer 4

Whats difficult about a fantasy? 1/3 of the world is filled with the idiots.

Answer 5

Christianity isn't difficult. It is so simple that people try to make it more complicated than it really is. Christianity is simple: John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes on Him shall have eternal life.

To learn more about Jesus click the link

Answer 6

I'm not a Catholic, and I don't agree with Chesterton on every point, but here and in many other places he was spot on. I would recommend anyone with a reading comprehension above the 6th grade level reading Orthodoxy.

edit: It is not easy to love your enemies, to do good to them who harm you, to turn the other cheek, to "take no thought for tomorrow," or to not seek retribution.

Answer 7

I believe that during the Christian Dispensation (i.e. from the time of Jesus Christ until the advent of the Comforter, Muhammad), Christian civilization and teachings prospered. They reached a peak and began to decline until the Comforter promised by Jesus Christ appeared in the person of Muhammad. The Islamic Dispensation also brought a great golden era of science and learning and unity, until it declined, eventually leading to the coming of the Mahdi (the Bab) and Return of Christ (Baha'u'llah), who has now established the Baha'i Dispensation, destined to last at least a thousand years.

Answer 8

christianity isnt difficult in fact it gives u rest from a frantic and chaotic life trying to live and make it all work without God ... if it hasnt been tried, well then, thats the problem ...

Answer 9

Christianity isn't really very difficult.

"ACCEPT JESUS AND YOU GO TO HEAVEN! EASY AS THAT!"

It hasn't had much sucess in the tried-and-found-sufficient department, either. So you're quote's wrong.

Answer 10

This may be true about following Christianity, but it is not true about following that teachings of Jesus.

That is pretty easy.

Love and blessings Don