Why is it that Buddhists, Pagans, Wiccans, Muslims and Jews know what their religion is...?

Question

... but many Christians don't?

In fact, some of them think they don't have a religion.

See this question, for example.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AgY2MWgTQXuZbhOSw2hyi9vd7BR.?qid=20070312231829AAOVALy
The asker and three answerers insist that Christianity is not a religion.

This misconception is unique to american christians, as far as I can tell. British christians, for example, will correctly identify their religion every time.

Answer 1

After reading your question, the link question and the answers above I decided to answer. Yes this claim that they are Christians instead of part of Christianity is real. It is American. It is a fundamentalist position. You will see it in Jack Chick's infamous comics/tracts.
The fundamentalists have decided to openly attack all the other sects of the Christian faith. By branding everyone else as just Religion they can claim that they are the only real Christians or true Christians.
This is also why you will see answers with Real or True before the word Christian and capitalized or even in all caps.
This behaviour began with the Born Again movements and Evangelical Crusades of the late sixties. It expanded in the seventies and became doctine in the eighties and nineties. Again very polain to see in the Chick Tracts which have been part of this movements materials all along.
You will also notice fewewr references to belief or even faith with the term "Truth" taking precidence. It is not uncommon to hear them say they have no religion they have the TRUTH (yes in caps)

These people honestly believe that every other denomination is evil, that they must fight them and when they can do it eliminate the other denominations.
I hope my answer is clear enough to explain this question.

Answer 2

I'm not aware of the problem, but I'd say there are offshoots of Christianity that run rather far afield of the basic religion. Last I heard there were more than 300 identifiable sects under Protestantism, plus Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox, and some groups that consider themselves separate from all of these.

There are many different stripes of Muslims, and I think a few differing sects of Buddhism. I think you will find some disagreement--including some rather violent disagreements--among the differing Muslims.

I don't know about any Christian claiming he or she doesn't have a religion.

Answer 3

I think it's because calling it a "relationship" rather than a "religion" allows them to feel superior and special -- even though members of every other faith have as profound a relationship with their God(s) as any Christian, AND Christianity is a religion by any sociological definition.

It's annoying, but there's not much that can be done about it except to note that they're wrong and move on.

EDITED TO ADD: In response to JIMBUS_35's comment on the origins of Wicca... I'm sorry, but you're incorrect. The origins of modern Wicca can be traced back to England during the early 1950's, when Gerald Gardner, a British civil servant, published "Witchcraft Today". I highly recommend the book "The Triumph of the Moon" by Ronald Hutton as a non-Wiccan professional historian's point of view on the subject.

Answer 4

Perhaps because over time people equate Christian and Catholic so when a person says their a Christian it is automatically assumed they are Catholic. Protestants prefer to refer to it as a relationship with Jesus because it prevents that. In a sense it's because "religion" is considered man's attempts to be good enough for God by following rules and regulations. The relationship with Jesus allows you to become closer to Him and, as you do, you begin to develop different outlooks and insights that change how you act and view the world around you.

Answer 5

because the culture of christians have unfortunatnally been neglected by selfish leaders who do not push the importantce of the orgins of the religion its self. Maby becuase its too contravercial. But there are some who do know also but thoes are the ones who wernt brought up to just go to church and thats it. These people who actually know what its all about are the ones who actually seeked it out for themselves.

Answer 6

Have you really asked most Christians? Do Sunni Muslims and Shiite Muslims observe the same religion? How many Wiccans are aware that their form of religion was founded in America in the 1940s or 50s?

Answer 7

"Our two minds .... One is an act of the emotional
mind, the other of the rational mind. In a very real
sense we have two minds, one that thinks and one that
feels" (Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence,
Bloomsbury Publishing, London, 1996, page 8).

The Upanishads call the emotional component of mind as
Chitta and the rational component of mind as Manas.

The rational component is connected with science,
reason and logic. Most of the scientists are accused
as un-intuituional.

The white Americans have made that largest number of
inventions in modern times. Manas works dominantly
in them. Chitta is connected with religion and faith.
Chitta and Manas are opposite in nature. Modern
psychologists have also recognised this fact but
they are not very sure of it:

"At the same time, reason sometimes clearly seems to
come into conflict with some desires (even while not
being in conflict with others) giving us the impression
that reason is separate from emotion".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reason

Answer 8

I am a 'British' Christian, and I have absoloutely no misconception about what it means to me to be a Christian. It matters nothing to me or to God what 'denomination' I belong to, It matters nothing to me or God what building I choose to meet other Christians in. It matters nothing to me or God whether people call me a Catholic or a Protestant. It matters nothing to me or God what country I live in, whether it be labelled 'Christian' or otherwise.

What matters to me and to God is the fact that I have a personal one to one relationship with Him and a relationship with God is simply that, a relationship, not a religion. Religion can do nothing for you, religion did not die for you.

This is what makes Christianity unique... religion requires good works to get close to God, whereas relationship and closeness with God produces good works. Might not seem like much of a difference but it is the key to understanding the difference.

Of course I understand that when people talk about Christianity they automatically look at institutions, denominations etc, as opposed to other 'non Christian institutions and organisations, both of which are entirely man made and therefore would come under the heading of 'religion', but this is not the essence of Christianity at all.

This may seem as if I am going to contradict myself here but read till the end and judge for yourself.

There is a great deal of religion within Christianity today, mainly because of those who 'religiously' go to Church each Sunday because that is what Christians do, who try to lead a good life, because that is what Christians do, who help out at social and charitable events, because that is what a Christian does, the reality of it is this, none of these things will make you a Christian, just as no matter how many times I go for a swim, I will not become a fish. But they too have missed the fact that Christianity is based on this relationship with God, first and foremost...

Then people will go to Church on Sundays to worship their God because they want to, because this will be their heartfelt desire, not because this is what Christians do and so on.

The first group are doing it out of duty etc (religion), the second group are doing it out of love, gratitude, thankfulness, with a passion to serve (relationship), this is the difference between relationship and religion.

Am I a Christian - Yes
Am I religious - No

JB

Answer 9

Im guessing its an american thing coz im from new zealand and people hear say if they are christian and know its a religion

Answer 10

An excellent question. Most American Christians are ignorant of their own religion's history and doctrine. That is sad but it doesn't necessary mean that they aren't saved, it just means they are not armored very well.