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Christianity is the leading religion in America because titles, by which we affiliate ourselves with a group or idea, can represent a wide range of ambiguously assumed beliefs. It is possible to believe in a invisible deity to associate with this part of Christianity and be considered included. It is possible to attend church services to be considered part of Christianity. It is possible to know the Bible's stories and accounts and be considered a part of Christianity.

In order to know what a title is truly about, it is necessary to go back to it's origins. Christianity's origins begin in the Hebrew Tanakh, which is now commonly known as the Old Testament. Israel was enslaved to Egypt and God miraculously led them to freedom and established them as a powerful nation with fertile land. He gave them laws to keep, by which they would know God's will and be saved from his anger. He promised to establish them forever.

In short, they didn't follow His laws and God destroyed them, sending them into exile. But what of God's promises? He said that he would send someone to free them of their bondage and that He would bring a time when He would make a new covenant with them, where he would pour Himself on His people and write His Word onto their hearts. This person was known as the meshiach (Heb. "Annointed One"), and various prophets spoke and wrote about his coming. In Greek, the word is Christos, the word from which we derive "Christian".

Centuries later, Jesus came and fulfilled every foretelling of who the meshiach was and what he was supposed to do. He lived a completely pure life, never breaking one of God's laws, and then died so that those who came to God through him would be found guiltless. Then, he rose from the dead as the example of what was going to happen to everyone in the end and told his followers (the first Christians) that even though he was leaving, the Holy Spirit would be given to help them.

If the common requirements of donning the title "Christian" included coming into the presense of God by the blood of Christ, made holy through the power of the Holy Spirit (as the Bible says), then I think that there would be a massive decrease in the number of people who hold on to it. As it is, I think that the only reason that it is so popular in America is because the title is ambiguous.

Learn more about this author, Tait Sougstad.
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