Should Christianity have just been a philosophy?

Question

Hey

Still reading up my texts in the New testament and the like, but from what I have read jesus was thought to have been a very interesting individual. Incredibly kind, humble, deeply philosophical too.

In fact, many of the teachings and scriptures I have read seem to be more of a philosophical bent as such rather than dogmatically religious. Also, bearing in mind the times and socierty he was brought up in, he shows a great deal of compassion and understanding of others, as well as making some very deep philosophical statements.

So I was wondering - we all know of the crusades and countless other atrocities that have been associated with Jesus (even if it was not caused by Jesus), the dogma and hypocrisy that has gone on since too.

Should Christianity have been more of a philosophy than a religion? An alternative way of thinking and existing rather than what it has been used for to this day?

Not an attack, I'm merely curious.

Toodles

Answer 1

No,
Because it's a way of life.

Answer 2

This is a good question and the only thing I can see differentiating Christianity from philosophy is the fact that it is based upon an iconic figure.

Most philosophical schools are taught by a philosophical figure, but that figure is not recognized as the son of god. They may be really good teachers and full of wisdom, but the person is not to be worshipped. The system of thought and/or practice is bigger than the person, not the other way around as presented in Christianity. Jesus is always bigger than his message.

Nevertheless, a good question.

Answer 3

For me it is not about religion it is more of a relationship. As you read you will find that Jesus was never upset with an unbeliever, but in many places through out the bible He is upset with the religious sec. Take the account of Jesus being turned over to be killed, Peter cuts off the ear of one of the men that was trying to capture Jesus. Who is Jesus mad at? You got it Peter? He heals the non believer and tells Peter if he lives by the sword he will die by the sword. What if all of us Christians practiced what Jesus did?

Answer 4

The Crusades were a series of defensive wars against Islamic aggression in the Middle Ages and attempts to recapture the Holy Land from Muslim conquerors in order to allow safe pilgrimage and to protect and maintain the Christian presence there. Jerusalem had been Christian for hundreds of years when Caliph Omar seized it, and following that victory, Muslims warred their way into Egypt, other parts of Africa, Spain, Sicily, and Greece, leaving Christians dead and churches in ruins. They stole lands in the area now known as Turkey, destroying Catholic communities founded by St. Paul himself. They siezed Constantinople -- the "second Rome" -- and threatened the Balkans. They warred their way as far north as Vienna, Austria and Tours, France.


When they [Muslims] had despoiled all the country near to Damascus, they advanced to Jerusalem, took it by storm, and put all the Christians to the sword. The women and girls, having suffered every insult from a brutal disorderly soldiery, were loaded with chains. They destroyed the church of the Holy Sepulchre; and when they found nothing among the living, to glut their rage, they opened the tombs of the Christians, took out the bodies, and burnt them.

Why are Catholics hated for defending Christendom? For the same reasons Christians of all kinds, Protestant or Catholic, are hated in our increasingly secularized world: "I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." (John 17:14) Christianity and its virtues have been under attack since the time of Christ, and even more so since the so-called "Enlightenment." After centuries of attacks on the Catholic Church in "Reformation" circles and the later, consequent rise of secular humanism, moral and cultural relativism, and Marxist political correctness, the Crusades came to be seen and taught as an example of "Western Imperialism" or "Colonialism." Because members of the Church were doing the fighting, Christianity itself (and Catholicism in particular) was slandered as a cause of war. Note how the same people who scream about the Crusades tend to be those who scream about "religion" in general as being at the root of wars, ignoring the fact that atheistic communism and pagan Nazism killed hundreds of millions in the 20th century alone.

All this understood, it must be said that the Popes' noble, reasonable purposes for the war, however, became entangled with the purposes of those with secular interests and more interested in dynastic feuds, economic concerns over Mediterranean trade, or destroying the Eastern Roman Empire. Many "bad guys" jumped onto the Crusade bandwagon and evil was done by some of the Crusaders: the sacking of Constantinople (including the destruction of churches) and the murder of Jews along Crusade routes most definitely took place and are deeply lamentable. There is no excuse for such behaviors except human evil, but this evil was not sanctioned in any way by the Church, in no way reflects on Church teachings or her purposes for the Crusades, and resulted in the excommunication of many Crusaders responsible.

Answer 5

That's a moot question, really.

If you assume Jesus was and did say what he supposedly did, Christianity must be a religion by virtue of being a (mono)theism.

If you assume he was not and therefore did not, it can only be religion because proper philosophy can't be based one such a big web of lies.

Christianity cannot not be a religion.

Answer 6

no
then people would have a Croce
it is always more easy to control the people
with religion than philosophy


that is just what jesus said

Answer 7

I Agree that it should have been that way; sadly it is a religion and people like Ann Coulter would LOVE to force convert everyone into Christianity.

Answer 8

It was meant to be a way a life, so yes, I can agree with it being a practiced philosophy.

When it stopped being a way and became an institution it became something else.

Answer 9

This is exactly why I 'd like to label the really kind Christians as "Jesuits" and the rest as "Christians".

Answer 10

No. Jesus was the Son of God, and his covenant is the sixth covenant God has made with man. This is fact, not philosophy.
The first covenant was with Adam, then Noah, then Abraham, Moses, David.... each one always encompasses a wider group of people, until the last on finally encompassed the whole world.
This is the truth of our existance.