What IS Christianity Today?

What exactly IS a Christian? I never questioned (much) what I was told in Catholic high school....until I went to movies in my junior year 3 weekends in a row......and saw 3 completely different religions in action....all called "Christianity".

In 'The Robe' (or The Chalice?) I saw Christians being killed in Rome who refused to raise a hand in defense, they were totally non-violent. We were taught that the sacrifices of those early martyrs built the foundation for Christianity to spread.

The next week I saw The Crusades, the pope and kings raising armies to go to the holy land to kill people in the name of Christ. This was a TOTALLY DIFFERENT religion than the one I saw the week before

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The next week I saw Captain From Castille, Tyrone Power fleeing Spain to escape the Inquisition. This was a 3rd TOTALLY DIFFERENT religion, still called Christianity

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So what has Christianity become today? It APPEARS to me to be a simple religion, watered down so anyone can 'be one' without being bothered too much by hard rules. Rule 1, Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and you are 'saved'. Rule 2, Support your religious leaders, hopefully with money, but at least by backing what they say. Rule 3, follow the teachings of Jesus.....as long as the teachings do not conflict with what needs to be done in the 'real world'. Heck, that's pretty easy, and you get to go to Heaven for forever for that.

Only history can say with some hindsight what Christianity is today. To me it appears to be a watered down belief system made simple for the masses who wish to 'belong and be saved'. But of course, it means something different to every single person.

OH, I did not include the thing that in my senior year I was an usher at a theater where we had a special showing of the movie Martin Luther for priests before it opened to the public. I stood there greeting all the priests, including my teachers in school, who glared at me as they passed. Need I say I got a D in religion on my report card then although I always scored 100 in all written tests?

I would not judge Christianity by these wonderful movies. When has a movie ever been accurate, let alone many of the religions. When one reads the Bible it becomes obvious that one of the major problems that God has had with mankind is their religions! In every case (that I can think of), God's true worship has been taken over by some religion of man!

Your post however, which lists the three "preceived" rules to be a Christian point out two of the major problems of the true faith.

Rule 1 is the only correct rule of the three listed!

So what has Christianity become today? It APPEARS to me to be a simple religion, watered down so anyone can 'be one' without being bothered too much by hard rules.

Rule 1, Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and you are 'saved'.

Rule 2, Support your religious leaders, hopefully with money, but at least by backing what they say.

Rule 3, follow the teachings of Jesus.....as long as the teachings do not conflict with what needs to be done in the 'real world'.

Heck, that's pretty easy, and you get to go to Heaven for forever for that.

Rule 2 - there is NO such rule in the Bible, show me anyplace where this wording is used. The closest you will come is back when the Levites were the tribe of Priests. At this time, and through the time of Solomine, the priests were chosen by God, the high priests were of the line of Aaron.

Rule 3 - Should read "follow the teachings of Jesus especially when they conflict with what needs to be done in the 'real world'.

We do not become Christians and achieve salvation by following man, not any man other then Jesus Christ. True, Jesus did spend a short time among us as a flesh man, but Jesus has always exested, from the beginning, before this world and will exist long after this is gone.

Here are some quotations to support what I have just said:

Judges 13:18
18 And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?
KJV

Strong's definition of secret:
secret: OT:6383 pil'iy (pil-ee'); or paliy' (paw-lee');
from OT:6381; remarkable:
KJV - secret, wonderful.

According to Isaiah, whose name is "wonderful"?

Isaiah 9:6
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
KJV

I can bring in another scripture from Genesis but that would take more to prove that this is Jesus, if anyone would like, I will do it, but for now lets go with Judges which was only a short time after Moses.

John 1:1-5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
KJV

John 1:14
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
KJV

I also have a translation of the Bible called the Targum which simply says "The Word" was walking in the Garden of Eden.

And I would like to add just one more thought, from the Bible, about those that follow the doctrine of man:

2 John 10-11
10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
KJV

I just wanted to let everyone know that it is not what the church says, not what the preacher says, not even what the president has to say, it is what God says that matters. No man can offer salvation so stop trying to please man! :)