Why is it so many here think Christianity is a religion?

Question

A Person wether a Gentile a Jew or Muslim who believes Jesus Christ is the risen Messiah is classified a Christian. Do the Jews realize the Apostles who happen to be all Jews spoke only to the Jews (FIRST) about Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. It was the Jews in Cypress who told Paul they had been called Jewish Christians so how is Christianity a religion?

Do you think thier are Jewish and Gentile Christians? if not what were the Apostles?, and are you saying every Jew in Ancient Israel were not Jews anymore who believed Jesus was the Messiah?

Answer 1

It is a religion. It is the belief in a god that makes it a religion, by its definition.

Answer 2

Your train of thought is flawed.
Christianity is a religious category just like judaism. Each has it's own sects that have varying beliefs. (As does Islam.)

In answer to another part of your question: The Apostles WERE Jewish, as was Jesus, however the minute they believed that Jesus was the son of God, they were then converts to Christianity. At the current time, being part of being Jewish means believing the messiah has NOT come yet. Keeping jewish traditions, but believing in Christ still puts you in the Christian boat.

Answer 3

The word "religion" comes from the Latin ligiare, which means to bind together (ie "ligament"). A religion is a common set of beliefs or principles which bind people together. Obviously Christianity does this. What definition were you using?

Judaism is also a religion. A "Jew" can mean either someone who follows Judaism as a religion, or someone who is ethnically related the ancient Israelites. Since most Jews are both, the term is usually interchangeable. However, the "Jewish Christians" you mentioned were obviously still Jewish in the ethnic sense, while Christian in the theological sense.

Answer 4

Yes, if a Jew comes to believe Jesus was divine, then they're not Jewish anymore. There are scriptural conditions for the coming of the Messiah in Judaism, and those conditions have not been met. Sorry I don't know the exact conditions, but I'm neither Jewish or Chrisitian. Ask a rabbi.

Jesus' apostles were in the process of changing from being Jews to being Christians.

Christianity is a religion. They believe Jesus is the Son of God. What's your objection?

Answer 5

Yes there are Jewish and Gentile Christians. They were still Jews but called converted Jews.

Answer 6

The Messianic Jews believe that Christ died on the cross for our sins & was resurrected on the third day and sits at the right hand of the Father. Jesus came to fulfill the law of the old testament & to offer Himself as a sacrifice & established the New Covenant (explained in the New Testament). All of these other religions & doctrines are manmade and not based on Jesus Christ & His works.......<><

Answer 7

Ummm, what?

Neither the Jews, nor the Muslims believe Jesus is the "risen Messiah".

And I'm not sure how Christianity isn't a religion.

re·li·gion
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

Answer 8

You can look at Christianity as history's most successful cult.

2000 years ago there were many cults focused around several figures, such as Mithras, Osiris, etc.

The Jesus cult was one of these. It's the one that won out.

One reason for this is that it was a good unifying religion for the fragmenting Roman Empire. Many of the other cults at the time were attached to a particular region. Christianity, however, was mobile, and incorporated ideas friendly to many of the other ancient cults.

The only place you might say Christianity is native to is Israel, and noone there believed in it.

Answer 9

According to my dictionary, Christianity is "the Christian religion, including the Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox churches." That is why I think of Christianity as a religion.

I think I understand what you mean though. A person may be very "spriritual" without being "religious" and vice-versa. However, whenever I use the term Christianity or read the term Christianity, it does imply religion.


And I assume, when you speak of Jews and Muslim, you are speaking about the ethnicity --as opposed to the religion. You might want to make that distinction in your question.

Answer 10

Being a christian is a matter of identification. It is a label that identifies a set of beliefs or world view. The term christian is not a new term.

Act 26:28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

1Pe 4:16 Yet if [any man suffer] as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

Act 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

Answer 11

I believe the definition of a Christian is one who believes that Jesus is the risen son of God. Jews and Muslims do not believe that and therefore are not Christians.

Nonetheless, Christianity - no matter what you may like to call it - is a religion.

Religion:
a) Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
b) A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.