Do christians understand christianity as well as atheists?

Question

I find it amazing how some christians here seem to have so little knowledge about the history of their faith and the circumstances in which it evolved.

Are some of them actively discouraged from learning about the history that their faith is based around?

Answer 1

The history of the Church is interesting and I would definitely encourage Christians to learn about their history. But on a practical level, it's not very relevant. The underlying message of the Gospel is that we are all sinners and need a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The Great Commission and responsibility of all believers is to deliver that message to the World. Anything else is merely dressing.

The reason many atheists have a greater knowledge of Church history than the average Christian is because many atheists obsess over a need to validate their atheism by "disproving" Christianity and spend a vast amount of time searching for "contradictions" in the Bible and other "proofs". There is no such need among Christians.

Answer 2

Pretty much, no, they don't have a very good understanding--I know more atheists who have read the Bible than Christians who have. They aren't actively discouraged from learning the history and details of their faith, but they aren't encouraged either. The basic precept of Catholicism at least (I can't speak for other denominations) is that "proof denies faith." Thus, when people (especially children) are taught about the Catholic faith, they are taught simply the end interpretation, "because that's the way it is." The Church does not feel that intelligent research is important for average Catholics; they believe it's just fine to leave it to the theologians and as long as a person believes what they are told about their faith, regardless of why, they're a great Christian. In my personal experience, I went to Catholic schools nearly all my life, and the only time we actually made use of the Bible or any official Church documents for that matter was reading a few lines pertaining to whatever aspect we were studying, completely out of context.

Also, the lack of understanding is something of a self-perpetuating problem; because there *are* so many people who don't learn about it in depth and accept the answer, "because the Church says so," it makes it a lot harder for Christians to find other Christians who will give them the information.

Answer 3

In my years I've owned more than 7 Bibles. Being brought up Christian in a Catholic household they were pretty common. I have been a bookworm, sort of, since I was 6. I read Moby Dick then (started reading really early), have re-read it later to find out more. So I did so too with the Bible seeing how much it was loved. Needless to say this helped me become an Atheist more than anything else in the world. The first part of the book proclaims all kind of atrocities done to human beings. I found some of the endless contradictions in the book by my second re-read when I was 9 (I believe it had to be with the love of the family trumped by the love of god instead of family). After arriving to high school I was already a full blown Atheist, even what some may consider nowadays militant atheist. I outright challenged pastors at weddings, and other places. Disrespectful if deserving of respect, perhaps, but they were poison on society back then as they are now. During these challenges at diverse churches spawning the USA and Mexico I came across my first apologetics, claiming version discrepancies were at fault for my lack of faith. Thereafter I bought several versions they claimed, finding no evidence of such discrepancies, just grammatically different sentences. From this spawned my desire to learn about several other religions, from Islam to Buddhism, to Wicca even to almost parody ones like Discordianism. After all the seeking every single one provides and infuriating, but funny, look on what the hell do several people fall for. I have considerable space in the bookshelf back at my Parents house occupied by that nonsense, alongside greater works. So yeah, I believe I am entitled to my opinion on most of these religions, specially those of Judeo Christian roots.

Answer 4

No, I don't think the majority of christians understand the history and circumstances of their faith. Ans yes, I KNOW that some of them are discouraged from learning these things. I know because I was raised christian and experienced that discouragement first-hand when I began asking questions while still a teen. As a young adult I left the church, searched many paths, and found that the "religion," or more accurately the folkway of my ancestors, was what I had been searching for....it truly was like "coming home."

Mostly I feel pity for those who are afraid to question their faith.

Answer 5

I think part of it is that many Christians on this forum are either new to the faith, and can't articulate their beliefs well, or perhaps some have never made the effort to learn.

To make the claim that atheists know more about Christianity is debatable. An atheist may have book knowledge, but no experience with the Living God. The atheist's knowledge might be likened to a scientist who studies a culture in a Petri dish. They know about the culture, its makeup, how is reproduces, treatments against it, and so on. They don't, however, know what it's like to BE the culture in the Petri dish, and that's the difference.

The Christian has experienced God in a personal way, that no outsider can know. Even between Christians, there are differences. Just as a parent deals with their children as individuals, so also does God.

Answer 6

I find it amazing that people who do not believe God exists and Jesus was just a man, who went off the deep end, report that God did this or Christians did that. History is history, the past is the past. sociologically no though is ever given to the social make-up of the a group. The customs of the day or the reality of the political make up Those who have never trusted God by faith cannot judge. I have a BA in Bible--history is part of that degree(Biblical and History of Religions)

Religion does not discourage study, in fact, if you studied religion you would know that knowledge is the basis of a Faithful act--to give ones self to the knowledge of God
So, you condemn, condemnation is not an educated evaluation--It is the conclusion of an uneducated person who only looks from one perspective and refused to open there mind to other thoughts.

Answer 7

Paradoxically, the most learned people of the Middle Ages for example where considered to be the clergy. They had access to the libraries and to the currant translations of the books existant. It was clergy that produced alchemists, heretics like Giordano Bruno, and the Tampliers. On the other hand, because of the many political issues, the books had to be restricted to the selected few, as well as highly censored. Although there was an interchange between different cultures, it was often times restricted. For example Catholic students, when coming to Spain for studies would be converted to Judaism, not because they were interested in changing religions, but because of the better, more thourough explanations of the nature of things and not just "it is like this because such and such said so". Of course, that s where Scholastic Christianity came to live. So anyway, the question seems to be a complex one. Thanks!

Answer 8

"I find it amazing how some christians here seem to have so little knowledge about the history of their faith and the circumstances in which it evolved."

On the contrary, I think many of us disagree with what atheists (and others) claim to be the circumstances under which Christianity evolved. For example, many consider the doctrine of the Trinity to be nothing but a product of Nicea, while Christians believe that the council held there merely reaffirmed what was already biblical teaching.

Answer 9

Quote, "Are some of them actively discouraged from learning about the history that their faith is based around?"

Would be swell, wouldn't it, if this explained it, that Christians, and especially the young, were unknowing because preachers and other 'men of god' did not teach about the path which Christianity has taken since its founding round about the third century AD. Too, it could be in the genes--like so much else of what we puling humans do and do not do.

Answer 10

Many do not. Yes it is amazing and pretty universal. I have found in my travels in the Islamic countries that they too are short on studying their faith. It is easier to do the theatre than to wrestle with your mind.
Not actively discouraged (although as you will know the Catholic Church tried to keep the scriptures out of the hands of the laity so they could keep power). Wycliffe changed all that. Wesley encouraged Bible study. So do most poor churches where owning a Bible is seen as a blessing and no one is worried if they have an alligator case for it.