Definition

In my search for a clearer picture of things, I have often done so by distinguishing between two things, i.e. religious vs. spiritual, church vs. Church, Christianity vs. Americanized Christianity. And now I come to another divide, in order to reach a greater understanding and avoid further frustration with a matter. For so much of this time I have pointed out what I like and dislike within the realm of Christendom. And now I come to what I believe could tie the rest of the knots of confusion for this discussion. There is a difference between Christianity and religion. I tried to explain this when I compared/contrasted religious and spiritual (religoin being an attempt to explain the spiritual, while failing immensely). I keep coming back to this example, but Plato had it right. He separated a person into having a body and a soul. The body (and bodily desires) was that which took away from the real purpose of man. He referenced drunkeness, debauchery, and hedonism. Sounds a little bit like Jesus, wouldn't you say? The soul consisted of the pure elements (or Forms) that we should be striving for; things that it will take a lifetime to reach, and yet so pure that our humanness cannot ever fully grasp. This disconnect is religion and Christianity. Religion is the body. Christianity is the soul. Christianity, if you extract the word parts, simply means "the state of being like Christ". Christianity is being like Christ. The religious side of Christianity, though, adds to this simple definition. Christianity is not a religion, but religion is trying to be Christianity.

Disclaimer: When I refer to religion, I am speaking of what Christians refer to when they call Christianity a religion...not religion as a reference to all the world's religions.