Does Christianity foster individualism in its followers?

Question

Any websites you could refer me pertaining to this particular question is appreciated immensely.

Answer 1

Sigh... all of you atheists, lol.

It really depends on how you practice it. As I do, Christianity is very much about the individual. After all, it's the PERSONAL choice to accept good and fight evil, to accept Jesus as savior and God as master of the universe. I believe it was C.S. Lewis who said that Christianity is mostly you and God alone in the universe, and he's waiting for you (much more eloquently, of course).

Remember, all religion changes over time for the society that practices it. American religion, because of the mass media culture that spawned it, is in my opinion more conformist than Christianity was originally founded as.

Answer 2

Good question.

If you mean by Christianity, most organized Christian church leaders promoting just their one official creed or dogma for that church, the answer, sadly is NO ! Newborn faith and personal God-consciousness can never be shared there if any of the testimonies are even slightly different than the official line.

If you mean by Christianity; the true teachings of Jesus Christ here in Spirit, YES ! Jesus gives each human full spiritual liberty and spiritually inspired creativity !

Thus the progressive trend is toward a living personal religion practicing the Presence of God everywhere and at all times, not just in an ecclesiastically controlled organized church. They will have private religion or form Home-Family Christian Fellowship groups. There are a few progressive, trans-denominational, small, organized Christian churches that allow SOME personal statements different from the old line. Thus it remains open if the large organized old-line Christian churches will continue or fade away as the more diverse churches and groups and individuals continue to grow in numbers and in individual strengths.

Search on-line for: Christianity spiritual freedom liberty dogma control

You might find some interesting websites. Email me if you can't find any, and I'll mention other resources to study.

Peace and progress,
Brother Dave, a Jesusonian Christian Truthist
http://www.PureChristians.org/ Gospel enlarging website,
proclaiming worldwide the True Religion
OF JESUS and ABOUT JESUS and IN JESUS
Come and share !

Answer 3

Christianity does not. I don't have a website, but I grew up in the church, and individualism is barely tolerated, much less fostered. It is expected that a Christian will conform to the doctrine of the Church (whichever one you're in), and leave behind all things of this world. This includes ideas you have that do not agree with the law of the church.
There are some churches where you can be a Christian, and still have your own ideas about things, including the Unity Church, the Unitarian Universalist church, and some of the non-denominational congregations. But be careful, some of the non-demoninactional places are more fundamentalist, rather than less.

Answer 4

Sweetie, any religion that brands people with titles for free- thought like heretic, blasphemer, witch, and a few select others which I wont bother mentioning as well as slaughtering folks for the crimes of "Judaism" or "Astrology", or of being a temptress cannot be said to like it's followers praticing any form of individuality! By the way, us homosexuals got branded "*******" by the christians because we were "tender for the fire" to be burned under the same charge as witchcraft more or less....so no, I don't think there is much fostering of "be who you are" in that cult!

Answer 5

Christian people made this democracy we call U.S.A. so i would expect that i as a christian would respect somebody wanting to succeed as an individual it is inherent in all humans to do that. The only thing is that i would think that when a person gives his life to a good cause. It would be greater than a person who gives it to himself. Because since individualism is inherent then someone that gives his life for a good cause is godly. But i wouldn't love you less for it and i'm sure Jesus Wouldn't ether.

Answer 6

Very much so. Scripture shows that there are many wonderful Spiritual Gifts - and no one person has all of them. That is why the Body of Christ is so diverse:

Ephesians 4:11-14: "And he [Jesus] gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers ..."

There is also:

The Gift of Administration
The Gift of Apostle
The Gift of Craftsmanship/Artistry
The Gift of Discernment
The Gift of Evangelism
The Gift of Exhortation
The Gift of Faith
The Gift of Giving
The Gift of Hospitality
The Gift of Intercession
The Gift of Knowledge
The Gift of Leadership
The Gift of Mercy
The Gift of Music/Vocal
The Gift of Music/Instrumental
The Gift of Pastor
The Gift of Service
The Gift of Teaching
The Gift of Wisdom
The Gift of Writing

There are three primary lists of gifts in the New Testament (in Romans 12, I Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4). We don't have any reason to believe that these lists are meant to be exhaustive.

Answer 7

the leadership of the catholic (my) faith writes the canon which its members are supposed to follow. on EWTN, catholic radio, i have heard callers call in and ask ?s like "do we as catholics believe in pergatory" like they cant think it thru for themselves. but then again there are around 1 billion professed catholics, and there has to be some uniformity

Answer 8

There is a wide variety of denominations in the Christian religions..
http://www.religioustolerance.org/evolutio.htm

Some yes, some no.

Answer 9

Well, since questioning the church can get you excommunicated(Just look at Martin Luther), I would have to say no.

Answer 10

No, Fellowship is greatly expressed in the scripture. Christ had disciples. Yet, with Christ we are never alone.