Christianity is a religion

[GingerBeer]

There! I said it, and you can't get mad at me since my avatar is Wonder Woman smiling.

Both Thumbs up!

 

[Ing Bee]

There! I said it, and you can't get mad at me since my avatar is Wonder Woman smiling.

I can't believe I'm jumping in, but here I go:

Assuming that what the OP means by "religion" is the modern, sociological usage (i.e. employed by anthropologists to describe the practices of others) then, Christianity can be given the label "religion".

However, this is a modern construct and not a concept native to the biblical authors. I'll go further and say it did not exist as a concept until the modern age began; to wit, when Indian Hindus become a Christian, its not uncommon for Hindu neighbors to be confused, "How can you not be Indian anymore?". (see the Wikipedia quote below).

Although it's fun to start a firestorm, I think the OP's statement provides an interesting word-study opportunity. Biblically, I think it can be said that Christianity:
a) involves what can loosely, almost tongue in cheek (ala James 1:26) be called religious elements, but is not "religion" in its essential character an was not viewed this way by early Christians
and
b) some forms of Christianity (Catholicism, Anglicanism, Lutheranism, Eastern Orthodoxy, et al) incorporate elements associated with modern concepts of religion (insence, call and response, repititious prayer, etc.) shared by other non-Christian faiths
and
c) all churches of any size will naturally develop forms that become a small "t" tradition that could be called "religious". (e.g. coffee and donuts after service every Sunday becomes a formal expression of that body of believers)

Here are the findings of my N.T. greek word study of "religion/religious"

The N.T. authors do not make this connection with the concepts or words implying religion available to them at the time.

I identified just 7 uses of the English "religion" in the N.T. greek. The first of these employs the greek word δεισιδαιμονία and is used dismissively of Judaism by Festus, the Roman governor (Acts 25:19).

Five others translate a second family of words based on θρησκεία ("religion as expressed in ritual acts") . One is by Paul to Festus and is a references to his former status as a faultlessly observant Jew before his conversion. Three of the uses are negative (worthless religion (James 1:26) and man-made religion, ineffective religion (Colossians 2:23 Note: Interestingly Paul's antidote to the ineffective religious do's and don'ts is not by doing "effective religion" but by recalling the truth of the gospel that frees us from man-made structures that are "worthless " and "shadows".) The final usage is positive (James 1:27) but doesn't support the OP thesis if that thesis is envisioning religion as ritualistic practice in the modern sense. It is basically a recapitulation of Micah 6:7 and 6:8 - honoring God is living like Him, not formal rituals or practice.

The seventh example translates δεισιδαίμων (Acts 17), and is used by Paul to comment on the idol worship of the Athenians who had made an idol to an "unnamed God"... just in case. The word is ambiguous and can be used to describe piety or superstition. Thayer's Greek Lexicon comments that Paul was using this ambiguity intentionally. In the KJV this word is translated as "too superstitious".

Side note: I wondered about the use of the word "godliness". A cursory glance at εὐσέβεια, translated variously as godliness, devotion or piety (used mostly in 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus and 2 Peter) indicates to me this has to do with matters of the the inner person rather than outward, religious expression. Feel free to look more deeply though since I paid more attention to words explicitly translated into the english usage of "religion".​

"Religion" in the way it is used in the OP is a modern construct. Using it imposes concepts foreign to the authors of both the Old and New Testaments.

The Wikipedia article on "Religion" quotes books by four scholars:

"The concept of religion was formed in the 16th and 17th centuries, despite the fact that ancient sacred texts like the Bible, the Quran, and others did not have a word or even a concept of religion in the original languages and neither did the people or the cultures in which these sacred texts were written. For example, there is no precise equivalent of religion in Hebrew, and Judaism does not distinguish clearly between religious, national, racial, or ethnic identities."
​

It is only in a pluralistic context that "religion" as a way of classifying cultural phenomena becomes possible, useful or necessary. The Old Testament is not a "pluralistic" context, it is a "them versus us" context. The New Testament is similar; pagans were "mix-and-match" (not true pluralism) and Christians did not see themselves as the "true religion" (as against false religions) because only Yahweh was God or ever had been. There was only "false gods" and idolatry.
​

Relational language predominates throughout the bible as the essential way of discussing Yahweh's relationship to His people and vice versa.

I don't know if I need to defend this since it is obvious, but just in case, here are some examples:

• covenant terminology in both Old and New Testaments
• Father/child or inheritor terminology in both testaments (over the top in the New)
• Marriage/Family metaphors in both testaments
• Your God/My People language
• shepherd/sheep metaphors in both testaments
• in the negative, adultery
• vine/branch, head/body metaphors
• king/kingdom/citizenship
• image/imagebearers

The overwhelming picture from the whole witness of scripture is that Yahweh is the most intensely, interpersonally relational being in existence and has created humanity for a deep, love relationship with himself. In Christ, that long-anticipated promise has become a reality and so we can say with great joy and confidence in God's Word: the New Life is a relationship not a religion.​

 

[Yarddog]

So it's a transliteration of a transliteration of a transliteration...

Yeah, so it's not a transliteration of Yahshua...like I pointed out...

*A true transliteration would be Joshua...what happened there?

**Hint...your church's tradition

Jesus does not translate to anything...Joshua does...so does Yahshua.

The name Jesus is a transliteration because Hebrew doesn't translate into Greek exactly. When we say Jesus, we are still calling the Son of the Father.

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

Is it not clearly demonstrating the division between those who follow the ways of man and those who choose the Kingdom. One church follows the traditions of the world in it's goals, the other the opposing goals of the Kingdom. A choice Jesus taught .

Nothing is clear from what you're saying. What are the traditions of men followed by whatever Church you are mentioning? What are the goals of the Kingdom being followed by someone else? Give an example.

 

[Knownunknown]

Hello!
Sorry to hop into this conversation randomly, but isn't religion just a word? People assign it to differing beliefs about existence and thus the practices that are part of those beliefs. But does it actually matter whether we consider our Christian faith a religion or not? What I mean is, religion is a technical sounding word the world uses to describe Christianity (and other belief systems besides atheism). And in a technical way, a Christian might consider themselves part of a religion and mean nothing by it. They might just be trying to be "technical". At the same time, that exact Christian could have a wonderful and close relationship with God and be a genuinely saved convert.
My point here is this: Religion is a word used by man, and yes, sometimes even by Christians. But it is a word. What really matters in the life of a Christian, to me, seems to be whether or not their Christianity is characterized by legalistic religious works or a genuine relationship with God the Father-whether they're trying to earn their way into heaven, or know with confidence that they are saved by grace through faith and live in freedom and service of the King they love.

Wonderful

 

[Tone]

The name Jesus is a transliteration because Hebrew doesn't translate into Greek exactly. When we say Jesus, we are still calling the Son of the Father.

Yeah it translates as:

FACT: The biblical Messiah had the same name as the Israelite General, and successor to Moses, Yah’shua (like "Joshua" with a "Y"), the son of Nun, as Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8 (in the KJV) show, and is used about 249 times in the Septuagint [LXX] as [Ιησου]["Ihsou"]. Please note that the full lettered Hebrew contains six letters: יהושוע [yothe-hey-waw-sheen-waw-eyin] while the shortened form contains five letters AND a replacement mark [ֻ] three diagonal dots for the second [ו] "waw", rendering the first non-vocalized! That is why the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew יהשֻוע..."Yahshu(a)" [Ιησου] does not employ any representation for the first [ו] "waw". So the Greek is Ιησου ["IHSOU"]."
Origin of the name Jesus

Look, all I'm saying is that your religion has crafted the name Jesus as opposed to Jesus crafting your religion.

Yahshua ha Mashiach is the Way the Truth and the Life and no one gets to the Father except through Him...am I right?

 

[Knownunknown]

I can't believe I'm jumping in, but here I go:

Assuming that what the OP means by "religion" is the modern, sociological usage (i.e. employed by anthropologists to describe the practices of others) then, Christianity can be given the label "religion".

However, this is a modern construct and not a concept native to the biblical authors. I'll go further and say it did not exist as a concept until the modern age began; to wit, when Indian Hindus become a Christian, its not uncommon for Hindu neighbors to be confused, "How can you not be Indian anymore?". (see the Wikipedia quote below).

Although it's fun to start a firestorm, I think the OP's statement provides an interesting word-study opportunity. Biblically, I think it can be said that Christianity:
a) involves what can loosely, almost tongue in cheek (ala James 1:26) be called religious elements, but is not "religion" in its essential character an was not viewed this way by early Christians
and
b) some forms of Christianity (Catholicism, Anglicanism, Lutheranism, Eastern Orthodoxy, et al) incorporate elements associated with modern concepts of religion (insence, call and response, repititious prayer, etc.) shared by other non-Christian faiths
and
c) all churches of any size will naturally develop forms that become a small "t" tradition that could be called "religious". (e.g. coffee and donuts after service every Sunday becomes a formal expression of that body of believers)

Here are the findings of my N.T. greek word study of "religion/religious"

The N.T. authors do not make this connection with the concepts or words implying religion available to them at the time.

I identified just 7 uses of the English "religion" in the N.T. greek. The first of these employs the greek word δεισιδαιμονία and is used dismissively of Judaism by Festus, the Roman governor (Acts 25:19).

Five others translate a second family of words based on θρησκεία ("religion as expressed in ritual acts") . One is by Paul to Festus and is a references to his former status as a faultlessly observant Jew before his conversion. Three of the uses are negative (worthless religion (James 1:26) and man-made religion, ineffective religion (Colossians 2:23 Note: Interestingly Paul's antidote to the ineffective religious do's and don'ts is not by doing "effective religion" but by recalling the truth of the gospel that frees us from man-made structures that are "worthless " and "shadows".) The final usage is positive (James 1:27) but doesn't support the OP thesis if that thesis is envisioning religion as ritualistic practice in the modern sense. It is basically a recapitulation of Micah 6:7 and 6:8 - honoring God is living like Him, not formal rituals or practice.

The seventh example translates δεισιδαίμων (Acts 17), and is used by Paul to comment on the idol worship of the Athenians who had made an idol to an "unnamed God"... just in case. The word is ambiguous and can be used to describe piety or superstition. Thayer's Greek Lexicon comments that Paul was using this ambiguity intentionally. In the KJV this word is translated as "too superstitious".

Side note: I wondered about the use of the word "godliness". A cursory glance at εὐσέβεια, translated variously as godliness, devotion or piety (used mostly in 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus and 2 Peter) indicates to me this has to do with matters of the the inner person rather than outward, religious expression. Feel free to look more deeply though since I paid more attention to words explicitly translated into the english usage of "religion".​

"Religion" in the way it is used in the OP is a modern construct. Using it imposes concepts foreign to the authors of both the Old and New Testaments.

The Wikipedia article on "Religion" quotes books by four scholars:

"The concept of religion was formed in the 16th and 17th centuries, despite the fact that ancient sacred texts like the Bible, the Quran, and others did not have a word or even a concept of religion in the original languages and neither did the people or the cultures in which these sacred texts were written. For example, there is no precise equivalent of religion in Hebrew, and Judaism does not distinguish clearly between religious, national, racial, or ethnic identities."
​

It is only in a pluralistic context that "religion" as a way of classifying cultural phenomena becomes possible, useful or necessary. The Old Testament is not a "pluralistic" context, it is a "them versus us" context. The New Testament is similar; pagans were "mix-and-match" (not true pluralism) and Christians did not see themselves as the "true religion" (as against false religions) because only Yahweh was God or ever had been. There was only "false gods" and idolatry.​

Relational language predominates throughout the bible as the essential way of discussing Yahweh's relationship to His people and vice versa.

I don't know if I need to defend this since it is obvious, but just in case, here are some examples:

• covenant terminology in both Old and New Testaments
• Father/child or inheritor terminology in both testaments (over the top in the New)
• Marriage/Family metaphors in both testaments
• Your God/My People language
• shepherd/sheep metaphors in both testaments
• in the negative, adultery
• vine/branch, head/body metaphors
• king/kingdom/citizenship
• image/imagebearers

The overwhelming picture from the whole witness of scripture is that Yahweh is the most intensely, interpersonally relational being in existence and has created humanity for a deep, love relationship with himself. In Christ, that long-anticipated promise has become a reality and so we can say with great joy and confidence in God's Word: the New Life is a relationship not a religion.​

Absolutely wonderful. Thank you.

 

[Arcangl86]

Yeah it translates as:

FACT: The biblical Messiah had the same name as the Israelite General, and successor to Moses, Yah’shua (like "Joshua" with a "Y"), the son of Nun, as Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8 (in the KJV) show, and is used about 249 times in the Septuagint [LXX] as [Ιησου]["Ihsou"]. Please note that the full lettered Hebrew contains six letters: יהושוע [yothe-hey-waw-sheen-waw-eyin] while the shortened form contains five letters AND a replacement mark [ֻ] three diagonal dots for the second [ו] "waw", rendering the first non-vocalized! That is why the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew יהשֻוע..."Yahshu(a)" [Ιησου] does not employ any representation for the first [ו] "waw". So the Greek is Ιησου ["IHSOU"]."
Origin of the name Jesus

Look, all I'm saying is that your religion has crafted the name Jesus as opposed to Jesus crafting your religion.

Yahshua ha Mashiach is the Way the Truth and the Life and no one gets to the Father except through Him...am I right?

Actually the fact is that we don't actually know the Hebrew, or probably Aramaic, name of the Messiah, because our records of him are all in Greek.

 

[Tone]

Actually the fact is that we don't actually know the Hebrew, or probably Aramaic, name of the Messiah, because our records of him are all in Greek.

"we"..."our"?...The best transliteration of His name is Joshua.

*"From the Hebrew name יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshu'a)meaning "YAHWEH is salvation", from the roots יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and יָשַׁע (yasha') meaning "to save". As told in the Old Testament, Joshua was a companion of Moses. He went up Mount Sinai with Moses when he received the Ten Commandments from God, and later he was one of the twelve spies sent into Canaan. After Moses died Joshua succeeded him as leader of the Israelites and he led the conquest of Canaan. His original name was Hoshea."
Meaning, origin and history of the name Joshua

 

[Not David]

"we"..."our"?...The best transliteration of His name is Joshua.

*"From the Hebrew name יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshu'a)meaning "YAHWEH is salvation", from the roots יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and יָשַׁע (yasha') meaning "to save". As told in the Old Testament, Joshua was a companion of Moses. He went up Mount Sinai with Moses when he received the Ten Commandments from God, and later he was one of the twelve spies sent into Canaan. After Moses died Joshua succeeded him as leader of the Israelites and he led the conquest of Canaan. His original name was Hoshea."
Meaning, origin and history of the name Joshua

The New Testament never says "Yeshua", it says "Ieasus", so I will call him Jesus

 

[greenguzzi]

Of course Christianity is a religion, I don't understand why this debatable?

Of course Christianity isn't a religion, I don't understand why this debatable.

 

[Jonaitis]

Of course Christianity isn't a religion, I don't understand why this debatable.

?

 

[Foxfyre]

Well, for us liturgy, prayers and Bible should be important.

They are important to me. But when they are weaponized, i.e. used to judge and accuse or control people, and/or take the place of our relationship with the Christ, I think we probably err a whole bunch more than we get it right.

 

[FireDragon76]

Saying its a religion is basically blasphemy. Your saying its equal to all other religions. Religions are religious. Christianity is a walk with God.

That notion is inherently religious in the first place.

 

[Llewelyn Stevenson]

There! I said it, and you can't get mad at me since my avatar is Wonder Woman smiling.

So what?

Jamess 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.


It should not be a controversy in the first place.

It isn't in those who know the truth. There's nothing wrong with being religious, just do it God's way.

 

[Llewelyn Stevenson]

It interests me that Christians, particularly from my chosen faith walk [Pentecostal/Charismatic], have demonized the term "religion".

There is a true religion and there are many false religions. Only true religion leads to God through Jesus Christ, all others offer false hope and expectations.

Christianity is a religion and it is the only one that leads to life everlasting. Follow the path. There is only one that leads to God.

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

There! I said it, and you can't get mad at me since my avatar is Wonder Woman smiling.

Well, I don't know what to say. It is impossible to be upset at a smiling wonder woman.

 

[Radagast]

The New Testament never says "Yeshua", it says "Ieasus", so I will call him Jesus

I always get worried when people jump in and say "this is what the Holy Spirit should have written."

As you say, Iēsous is what's in the New Testament: that's the name the Holy Spirit gave us.

 

[Arcangl86]

"we"..."our"?...The best transliteration of His name is Joshua.

*"From the Hebrew name יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshu'a)meaning "YAHWEH is salvation", from the roots יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and יָשַׁע (yasha') meaning "to save". As told in the Old Testament, Joshua was a companion of Moses. He went up Mount Sinai with Moses when he received the Ten Commandments from God, and later he was one of the twelve spies sent into Canaan. After Moses died Joshua succeeded him as leader of the Israelites and he led the conquest of Canaan. His original name was Hoshea."
Meaning, origin and history of the name Joshua

How do you know what the best transliteration of his name is, when every single record of Jesus is in Greek. We have no idea what his actual Hebrew name is, which is part of why I dislike people who call him Yeshua.

 

[Tone]

How do you know what the best transliteration of his name is, when every single record of Jesus is in Greek. We have no idea what his actual Hebrew name is, which is part of why I dislike people who call him Yeshua.

Like I said, it's your church's tradition to morph it:

Christogram - Wikipedia

Why don't you just accept that "Jesus" is a tradition of your religion?

If I were a religious Christian I would be proud to say that my religion is responsible for the traditions of Christmas, Easter, Jesus Christ, etc..., but I'm not.