Is Christianity Just a Philosophy, a Religion, or a Faith?

Before we delve into answering that question, I would like to share this weekend's Turning Point devotional message:

Weekend, December 8 and 9

Not So Familiar Christmas Scripture: Isaiah 9:6

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

Recommended Reading Isaiah 9:1-7

Each of the titles in Isaiah 9:6 describes a different attribute of the Lord Jesus. He came as a Child and identified Himself as a Son. He wonderfully counsels us, is the Father of our Faith, brings peace to our lives, and is God Himself.

Let's focus on His counseling ministry. In the Gospels, distressed parents came to Jesus for help. The sick and diseased sought Him out. Wealthy men like Nicodemus and the Rich Young Ruler asked His advice; and the poor heard Him gladly. He counseled both men and women, both young and old. He guided His disciples through emotional problems, and even gave life-changing counsel to the repentant thief on the cross.

Today He still counsels us through His Word and by His Spirit. When you don’t know what to do or need a corrective or encouraging word, open your Bible. He's still the Wonderful Counselor. As hymnist John Morison wrote in 1781: "His Name shall be the Prince of Peace, forevermore adored, the Wonderful, the Counselor, the great and mighty Lord."

Read-Thru-the-Bible
James 3:1-5:20, 1 Peter 1:1-2:25

 

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Recently, Bill O'Reilly had a debate on his show, The O'Reilly Factor, with a self-described atheist. The usual back-and-forth arguments occurred;  about Christmas displays of the Nativity, calling decorated trees "Christmas trees," and the erroneous claims of  "separation of church and state." However, O'Reilly tried to claim that "Christianity is a philosophy." Well, that is partly true and may be what some focus on entirely.   The definition for the term "philosophy" includes:

1. the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct.

3. a system of philosophical doctrine

5. a system of principles for guidance in practical affairs.
 

Those definitions can be applied towards Christianity.  However, there is more to it than just being a philosophy.

There are people who may or may not adhere to Christianity (in general) and choose to focus on everything secular about Christmas (in particular), while ignoring the truth involved in the religion and the true Reason for the season - Jesus Christ.

Most Bible-believing born-again Christians consider their own Christian faith as a personal relationship with Christ.   We would most likely apply the word origin and history definition of the term "philosophy" because of its accuracy in describing what we gain from studying the Bible:

Word Origin & History

philosophy

c.1300, from O.Fr. filosofie (12c.), from L. philosophia, from Gk. philosophia "love of knowledge, wisdom," from philo- "loving" + sophia "knowledge, wisdom," from sophis "wise, learned."

 

It was interesting to see the atheist on O'Reilly's show become all upset about the "Christianity is a philosophy" argument that Bill opined during the debate.   The atheist wanted Bill to admit that Christianity is a religion. O'Reilly stated that a "Methodist" is a religion, and if someone was trying to promote only the Methodist religion at Christmastime, he would be on the atheist's side.

What???

Sounds confusing, doesn't it?

Well, O'Reilly put up a bit of a smokescreen during the argument; perhaps in an effort to try and win the debate. People often do such things. However, I watched the interview two times (it was repeated yesterday while Laura Ingraham was subbing) and did not hear the term "faith" discussed.   For some reason, Bill left that out; probably because it would have forced him to admit that Christianity is a religion.

 O'Reilly stated that Jesus "was a man" when the atheist (who figuratively was turning blue in the face with frustration) continued to argue that Christianity is a religion.

 Of course it is!

There are self-described "Christian religionists" who have their own kind of twisted beliefs that don't match up to what the Bible teaches.  That is a huge mistake!  Jesus informs us that the Father's "Word is Truth" and he asks the Father to "sanctify them by Your truth."

Jhn 17:17

"Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Jesus asks each of us, "Who do you say that I am?"

Mat 16:15

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

How one answers that question reveals just what kind of faith one has and whether or not one has a personal, soul-saving relationship with the one true God and only Savior, Lord, and King of the universe.

Peter got it right:

Mar 8:29

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said to Him, "You are the Christ."

Hat tips:

Turning Point Devotional
Dictionary.com
Blue Letter Bible

I Have A Sad Heart Today

It is with regret that I must inform my readers of the reason why I have removed the "Little Green Footballs" link from my blog.

While visiting Lionheart's blog, [Update 1/13/08 note: the post has been deleted. At this point, I have no idea why. You can still access Lionheart's blog here.] I read this:

Regular Visitor of LGF said...
Lionheart, I support your right to speak out against Islamofascism and jihadist groups in your country and beyond but you shouldn't attack Charles Johnson, he's a Randian (Ayn Rand) centrist who does not believe anyone should stay with or adhere to the far left's or the far right's ideologies and their hatred toward certain groups of various ideologies and cultures.

Ayn Rand centrist?

A centrist who does not believe anyone should stay with or adhere to...[t]he far right's ideologies?

...and their hatred toward certain groups of various ideologies and cultures?

Well...there ya go!

Three reasons why I can't keep their website up at my blog.

1. I'm not a fan of Ayn Rand.

2. It appears that they would evaluate my blog and ideology as "far right." Since the blog owner apparently believes that my ideology is wrong, then why should I support their ideology/views any longer?

3. They (apparently) accuse all "far left and far right" groups of hatred.

Well...I've got news. Pointing out the errors of an ideology and the harm that such errors place on our culture isn't hatred.

Come to think of it, I never felt very welcomed over there. My comments were mostly ignored.

Now I know why.

Christine

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P.S. The reason why I linked to LGF in the first place was because I thought that it was a great source for up-to-the-minute news. However, now that I know what the "leader" over there thinks about Orthodox, Biblical Christianity, my conscience and spirit leads me to the decision to no longer link with them. I am not doing this to "censor" them. They have the same right to post their opinions/ideology/commentary as anyone else in the blogosphere. It just comes down to this for me. I can no longer support, or link to, a blog that (either directly or indirectly) automatically labels my opinions and ideology as "hatred."
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Update 1/13/08 @ 6:30 a.m. PT

For those who are following the firestorm of debate between the U.K. blogger Lionheart and LGF, go here [Update 1/13/08 note: the link has been deleted. At this point, I have no idea why. You can still access Lionheart's blog here.] for an update.

Can America Survive Evolutionary Humanism?

Jury duty this morning...isn't that special? But I did find a great article that all should read!

Linda Kimball asks: Can America Survive Evolutionary Humanism?

Linda writes:

Next, materialist epistemology and metaphysics dispossesses man of soul, free will, conscience, mind, and reason, thereby dehumanizing (animalizing) man and totally destroying not only the worth, dignity, and meaning of human life, but the possibility of freedom. The essence of this annihilation is captured in the following quotes:



Man is “but fish made over…” declared biologist William Etkin (Pushing the Antithesis, Greg L. Bahnsen, p. 224). And his life is but a “partial, continuous, progressive, multiform and continually interactive, self-realization of the potentialities of atomic electron states,” explained J.D. Bernal (1901-1971), past Professor of Physics at the

University of
London (The Origin of Life, Bernal, 1967, xv). Furthermore, “The universe cares nothing for us,” trumpets William Provine, Cornell University Professor of Biology, “and we have no ultimate meaning in life.” (Scientists, Face It! Science and Religion are Incompatible,” The Scientist, Sept. 1988)



Man... “must be degraded from a spiritual being to an animalistic pattern. He must think of himself as an animal, capable of only animalistic reactions. He must no longer think of himself…as capable of ‘spiritual endurance,’ or nobility.” By animalizing man his “state of mind…can be ordered and enslaved.” (Russian Textbook on Psychopolitics, “Degradation and Shock,” Chapter viii)



Finally, Evolutionary Humanism posits the notion that despite the fact that man is “but fish made over…” there are in fact, some exceptions to this rule. For it happens---by chance of course---that some lucky ‘species’ and ‘races’ of the human animal are more highly evolved (superior) and therefore enlightened than the others, who are---unluckily for them---less evolved and as a consequence, subhuman. Paired to this view is the idea that if a species or race does not continue to evolve (progress up the evolutionary ladder), it will become extinct. Together, these ideas lead logically to the deadly conclusion that in order to preserve the fittest of the species---or the spiritually evolved, as is the case with Spiritual Communism--- it is morally incumbent upon the superior to replace (via the science of eugenics and population control) and/or liquidate the subhumans. In his book, “The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex,” (1871) Charles Darwin foresaw this eventuality:



“At some future period…the civilized races of man will almost certainly exterminate, and replace, the savage races throughout the world…the anthropomorphous apes…will no doubt be exterminated.” (Descent, 2nd ed., p. 183)



In practice, the materialist worldview is a hellish recipe for catastrophe, as was amply demonstrated by the 20th century’s two most blood-soaked political movements--- pagan Nazism and atheist Communism. Both rejected God, and both were animated by Darwinism

HT: MND