by Christopher Kendalls

Created on: December 10, 2007

Christianity has turned into an umbrella term to define anyone who believes in the Holy Trinity. How many countless conversations have I witnessed where people have said that Catholicism is Christianity, when it clearly isn't. Any sincere, genuine interest in Christianity should tell scholars that Catholicism and Christianity are not one in the same, there may be situations where parts of Catholicism have made their way into Christianity, such as parts of scriptures that are read in a Methodist church during Communion, but this is not to suggest that Catholicism and Christianity are one in the same.

Others would tell you that Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians; while many in Christianity could appreciate the diligence and perseverance Jehovah's Witnesses have at spreading their Gospel there is plenty about the religion that is not Christian. A lot of the confusion, is that these other religions share the same texts, mainly the Holy Bible, but they are not one in the same.

There are Christians that believe in homosexuality, Christians that believe in Unitarianism, a melding of the worlds primary religions into one faith, Christians that believe in hell through abstract terms rather than it being a literal place of torment. Some Christians have differences of opinion on the rapture itself, and exactly what that means for both Christians and the world as we know it. So you can't necessarily say that there is doctrine that is universal to all flavors and varieties of the Christian faith, because one is never quite sure where the significance of Jesus having died for our sins rests with the next person.

You even have those that want to follow the faith but do not believe in the importance of assembling yourself with one another and fellowshipping in a temple. They figure that God has called everyone to preach to everyone else, and do not see the importance in leadership among the Christian body. The irony of that is that a lot of the corporate structure that you see in religion mirrors that of the world and society in general, so being a rouge agent is no more fruitful or productive within the Church than it is on the outside. There is a lot of confusion, which isn't something that God needs to get behind to get his message across.

Yet confusion and fear is what keeps some going to church, which is rather sad, because if they are not going out of their personal relationship with God it is not going to mean anything when it is all over and done with. It is said that the gunman in today's infamous shootings hated Christians, and perhaps felt that he was doing something in his own mind; ironically a regular old security guard took him out, and at least one witness to the shooting was praying. Either the discord that exists is going to take us out, or it will create an environment where more of us want to learn more about God to get closer to the truth ...

Learn more about this author, Christopher Kendalls.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.