Do the majority of christians know the history of there religion?

K

K.FLINT

Devil's advocate :D
Registered Senior Member
Do the majority of christians know the history of there religion? Or is there only bond to christianity been created by blind faith?

If you are christian, have you learned only from the BIBLE or have you really studied the historical time line in regards to christianity?

I have done in depth research on the subject and find it really very interesting. What I find most disturbing is that the majority of the people that are vocal about religion have no clue about what there faith really is. They talk on and on about how God is good and how they love God and Christ without ever realling envoking anything but there own ignorance.

I am a practising Catholic so there is no need to shower me with the sermon of being a heathen.

Since there is a more intelectual crowd here it is my hope that there are those of you out there that know your religion instead of just having faith in it.

So, if there are those of you out there that want to talk about the Christain religion and why and how it changed throughout the ages without getting caught up in it's fanatic trappings, feel free to do so here.
 
In a word...No.
I would say that nearly 3/4 of Christians have no Idea what the background of Bible. Most have trusted in the tradition and interpretation of the priest and haven't jumped into the details at all.

And that's a shame. Knowledge builds trust on what you know.
 
Yup

it seems that most see the historical truth as an attack and can not cope with the fact that the historical past does not take away from there faith
 
I think it's that most don't care anyway. Religion is rapidly draining away. Countries are loosing partioners as though there going extinct...and really...they are.

The others...you're correct...they're affraid of exposing their faith to a real test. Inwardly they really do know they don't understand why they do what they do...and to break the tradition would lead them to be ostracized by family.

Family sees it better that they not practice at all than to challendge tradition.
 
K.FLINT said:
it seems that most see the historical truth as an attack and can not cope with the fact that the historical past does not take away from there faith
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Very few Christians are comfortable with any sort of serious scholarship regarding the bible or Christian history/theology. Examples off the top of my head:

Most Christians aren't comfortable, for example, with the fact that large parts of the gospel of Mathew (particularly the Nativity story) were really just copied almost word-for-word from much older, non-Christian mythologies.

Also, any sort of serious examination of ancient Judaism makes Christian theology look pretty wacky. The entire idea behind Christianity is that original sin was preventing people from getting into heaven, so God sent Jesus to sacrifice himself to himself, thus paying everyone's "sin debt." They tend to get uncomfortable once they learn that Jews didn't (and indeed still don't) believe in original sin, don't use sacrifice to atone for sins, and generally didn't even believe in any sort of heaven or hell afterlife. What's more, Judaism doesn’t even have any sort of "devil" character - the devil is a Christian invention. Most Christians are taught that Christianity is a natural extension of Judaism, and get very uncomfortable when they start to learn that isn't the case at all.

Generally once people get a taste of where any sort of serious scholarship leads, they back off because they prefer what they were taught in Sunday school.
 
K.FLINT said:
Do the majority of christians know the history of there religion? Or is there only bond to christianity been created by blind faith?

If you are christian, have you learned only from the BIBLE or have you really studied the historical time line in regards to christianity?

I have done in depth research on the subject and find it really very interesting. What I find most disturbing is that the majority of the people that are vocal about religion have no clue about what there faith really is. They talk on and on about how God is good and how they love God and Christ without ever realling envoking anything but there own ignorance.

I am a practising Catholic so there is no need to shower me with the sermon of being a heathen.

Since there is a more intelectual crowd here it is my hope that there are those of you out there that know your religion instead of just having faith in it.

So, if there are those of you out there that want to talk about the Christain religion and why and how it changed throughout the ages without getting caught up in it's fanatic trappings, feel free to do so here.
Click to expand...

with all due respect, which i do think there certainly is value in understanding history, my faith does not arise from history or any other study or intellectual exercise, even reading the bible. my faith is a product of personal experience.
 
Nasor you're suffering from a lack of knowledge there aswell...what you're talking about is tradition...But you'll not find half of what is taught in the pulpit in the bible.

Modern Christianty is full of traditions that are completely false.

Everything from:

Hell Fire
Immortality of the Soul
Pagan Holidays
Worship of Idols.
Belief in Fate
Patriotism
Marriage
Purgatory???
Rapture??? No where in the bible.
Trinity
and Spiritism...

Going by the list there is not a bit of what makes a modern Christian in the Bible. And unfortunantly most of the individuals on the this forum come straight from that thinking believing this is what the bible represents...And it doesn't.

Recently in one thread a gentleman said..."according to the Bible worshiping the cross will earn Christian a hell fire too. (paraphrased) Not only is he right but he unknowing used a tradition for the understanding (hell fire) which is not biblical but based on the popular Dante's Inferno.

That's how far it's gotten.
 
Lori_7 said:
with all due respect, which i do think there certainly is value in understanding history, my faith does not arise from history or any other study or intellectual exercise, even reading the bible. my faith is a product of personal experience.
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Are you talking about objective empirical experiences, or subject internal experiences?
 
Nasor said:
Are you talking about objective empirical experiences, or subject internal experiences?
Click to expand...

Define "internal experience"...

See, I don't believe that you can separate the two. Nothing is magic and I'm not referring to imagination or subjective thought or emotions. Now whether these experiences were observed or witnessed by a third party questionable, but what I've experienced could in fact be measured somehow, regardless of whether it was in fact measured, or if we even have a means of measuring it.
 
K.Flint,

If you are christian, have you learned only from the BIBLE or have you really studied the historical time line in regards to christianity?
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What history do you mean? Are you referring to the Catholic created view of history or the factual version?

If you follow the work of Q, a 300 year research project that studied the origins of Christianity you would be left in little doubt that Christianity is basically fantasy mythology.

That you still retain a Catholic faith indicates you have chosen the Catholic version of history. What makes you think that your version has any truth?

But I would agree that most Christians seem to have little knowledge of real Christian origins. It seems that most simply follow their cultural indoctrination and do not question it or look back with a critical independent look.
 
as I see it

I am Catholic because it is expected of me.

'What makes you think that your version has any truth?'

DO NOT ASSUME YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME. feel free to ask that is why I posted but making rude comments in the face of information you lack is not constructive.

The answer to your question is simple I have no truth. but from the studies I have done in the most simple and quick format and without listing things in full or without using anything but the critical eye.

Christ, followed old prohices in order to secure his place and paid for it by the hands of his own people not the Romans.

later Rome figured out that they could no longer scare the populace into submission since they were spread thin they could not have really put up a fight without great cost to them selves anyway.

So instead they created the church The Roman Empire became the Holy Roman Empire and held sin and ones soul over there heads in order to take there money and keep the people under Roman control.

From then until the modern age in one way or another the Holy Roman Church has subjagted humanity to there own will for control of worldly power through the name of God and the fear of damnation.

However with anything there is more to the tell and though the church and in this case even GOD was a means of power control the structure of events has caused a "true" faith of good people with good ideals.

I also like to see my self as a man of science and as my personal belifes go I love the Idea of God but see God as mans ultimate expression of EGO.

I follow the basic aspects of the church because they are inherently GOOD. one could do worse in life then strive to be a good person.
 
An attempt at establishing concision/clarity (this is not a reflection or comment on any surfeit or lack of familiarity with the subject in play here):

Hell Fire: originally a pagan notion -born of the idea of a fiery "underground realm", evidenced by volcanic, geothermal activity and earthquakes. Goes back way beyond Dante, the Romans, or probably recorded history.

Immortality of the Soul: from the concepts of absolute ability, knowledge, observer status (i.e. shamanism) and animism.

Pagan Holidays: festivals that celebrate yearly events like floods, the rising of Venus, lunar phases, harvests etc.

Worship of Idols: proscribed by JC - who told his disciples not to worship any image or likeness (of him); Moses forbade idolatry and "graven images".
Belief in Fate:
Patriotism:
Marriage:
Purgatory???
Rapture??? No where in the bible.

Trinity: linked to the Occidental (Hindu) idea of Creator-Sustainer-Destroyer.

and Spiritism...do you mean Animism - perception of a "spirit which moves" - things like the wind. waves, landslides, etc.

K.FLINT said:
The Roman Empire became the Holy Roman Empire
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No. The HRE was a separate "empire" or kingdom from the Papal States (the Vatican). Barbarossa (Frederick I) declared himself the true leader of Christianity, then he and the Pope made a deal. There were a few would-be Popes, who attempted to disown the "true" one. The HRE was otherwise known as Germany (Germania).
 
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I concur.

On Hellfire:
According to my information.

In ancint Babylonian and Assyrian beliefs the "nether world...is pictured as a place full of horrors, and is presided over by gods and demons of great strength and fierceness." (The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria, Boston 1898, Morris Jastrow Jr., p581

Early evidence of the firey aspect of Christendoms' hell is found in the religion of ancient Egypt. (The book of the Deat, New hyde Park, N.Y.., 1960, with introduction by E.A Wallis Budge, pp. 144,149,151,153,161)

Budhism, which deates back to the 6th century BCE in time came to feature both hot and cold hells. ( Encyclopedia Americana, 977, Vol> 14,p.68)
 
Saquist said:
Nasor you're suffering from a lack of knowledge there aswell...what you're talking about is tradition...But you'll not find half of what is taught in the pulpit in the bible.

Modern Christianty is full of traditions that are completely false.

Everything from:

Hell Fire
Immortality of the Soul
Pagan Holidays
Worship of Idols.
Belief in Fate
Patriotism
Marriage
Purgatory???
Rapture??? No where in the bible.
Trinity
and Spiritism...

Going by the list there is not a bit of what makes a modern Christian in the Bible. And unfortunantly most of the individuals on the this forum come straight from that thinking believing this is what the bible represents...And it doesn't.

Recently in one thread a gentleman said..."according to the Bible worshiping the cross will earn Christian a hell fire too. (paraphrased) Not only is he right but he unknowing used a tradition for the understanding (hell fire) which is not biblical but based on the popular Dante's Inferno.

That's how far it's gotten.
Click to expand...

So when are you going to correct all the misconceptions of ignorant Christians. You owe it to the world to do so.
 
The Problem Facing Christians.

What does the Bible say ? It says whatever I want it to say. Everyone else lacks my insight.

The Pope, Archbishop of Canterbury, Pastor Phelps and all the other nitwits out there
 
Myles said:
The Problem Facing Christians.

What does the Bible say ? It says whatever I want it to say. Everyone else lacks my insight.

The Pope, Archbishop of Canterbury, Pastor Phelps and all the other nitwits out there
Click to expand...


Then, you mix in religion and doctrine, then you have something that Christianity isn't supposed to be. The founding fathers of Christianity debated over doctrine and interpretations of scripture. That was healthy until the converts started making religions. Paul had to tell the Corinthians to get their heads on straight. Chrisitianity should be only about following Christ, which encompasses all Christian religions, but is not bound by any religious doctrines or beliefs.

If you don't know your history, you are doomed to repeat it...Christians are not exempt from repeating early Christians' fates. And they are.

So, yes the majority of Christians do not know their history. I have barely scratched the surface, but I know enough to know the danger of Christianity of today....in fact, i've experienced it first hand.
 
No one truly understands Christianity. Think about it. They have 1000s of denominations because they have 1000s of interpretations of their Holy book because they all have a different idea of what Christianity and its teachings mean. To top it all off most of it is passed down from parents to children where many of those parents are no more qualified to teach religion to their children than they are to teach math or science. Any idiot that has a kid teaches their version of Christianity to their kids no matter how their version compares with anyone else's. Its truly an example of the blind leading the blind.
 
Jayleew is correct.

Despite these prevailing "theories" of Christianity there is no excuse for not going back to the source. Interpretation isn't required. Agenda's often interfere though.
 
Saquist said:
Jayleew is correct.

Despite these prevailing "theories" of Christianity there is no excuse for not going back to the source. Interpretation isn't required. Agenda's often interfere though.
Click to expand...

The first step must surely be to establish the veracity of the source.
Can I take it you are referring to all religious texts, rather than just the Bible?
 
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