Introduction to Christianity, God, and Religion

Here is an introduction to Christianity, God, and religion for those who are not aware or educated enough on the topic. There are several misconceptions that non-Christian people have had over religion, God, and Christianity itself. I am going to clear up some of those misconceptions for all the people that are genuinely and openly interested in learning more about God and Christianity. I hope that this will help clear some of those misconceptions.

Introduction and definitions

Religion is described as following rules or guidelines formed by God or a "god" that someone puts their faith into. It is a belief in something or someone that attains a higher power than us human beings.

Christianity is a religion based on the belief of God. It is the belief in one God only. Christianity believes in the Holy Trinity which means that God the Father, Holy Spirit, and Jesus the Son of God are three in one. Christianity believes in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, He died on the cross, and rose again on the third day.

Relationship with God is a personal, internal, and deeper connection with God that is not solely based upon the religion of Christianity. It is more important than Christianity itself because the whole point of it is to develop a close and personal relationship with God. It is not necessarily based upon rules or guidelines although they are part of it. Christianity and a relationship with God work together as a whole and not separately.

Testimony is when you publicly share your story of your struggles, successes, and how you came to find God. It involves sharing your personal relationship with God publicly. It is an honest and open confession almost to the public and to God. It is something you do in order to declare your love for God.

Denominations

In Christianity, there are several different denominations. Denominations are different branches of Christianity. There are Reformed/Traditional Christians, Roman Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, Anglican/Episcopal Christians, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Orthodox Christians, and so many more. It can be confusing as to which one you should believe in. Each of the denominations have been tweaked or slightly changed from the Reformed/Traditional Christianity. By this I mean that they all believe in slightly different things.

Here are 5 examples:

1. Reformed Christians believe in the Holy Trinity and Jesus' resurrection.

2. Roman Catholics believe in the authority of the Pope and their religious practices. Their religious practices are more centered on the "Mass."

3. Lutherans follow Martin Luther's teachings instead. Martin Luther rejected some of the Catholics beliefs and religious practices.

4. Orthodox Christians believe in the authority of the Bible, church teachings, and they follow traditions more than religious practices. They follow rules from the Bible.

5. Methodist believe in good works based on faith too.

There are a lot of other differences between denominations but those are a couple of examples.

Faith Lost in The Church

According to a few people I have talked to in the past, there have been people who turned away from the church because of "church hurt." I do not have enough knowledge about this topic of "church hurt" but all I know is that it depends on which church you attend. If you receive some hurt from a church then you may be attending the wrong one. Another thing to remember is that churches aren't always perfect either. It depends who runs the church, their beliefs, and what they are preaching . However, even though someone may lose faith in the church I strongly say that you should try hard not to lose faith in God. God is there no matter how bad the church might have hurt you. Do not give up on God just because of a bad experience through the church or it's community.

Misconceptions About Christianity

1. If you sin you will go to hell

   
   

There are two roads. Life and death. Heaven and hell. The narrow path, the wide path, the path that is easier to travel, and the path that is harder to travel. One of the reasons that God is so great is because He forgives every single person no matter what they do. Going to heaven and hell is not based upon actions, good works, or bad works. If you believe in God, give your heart to Him, and ask for His forgiveness then you will be accepted into His Kingdom. If you decide to go against God and if you do not accept Him then you will go to hell. This is one of the harder topics that people do not want to hear or discuss. It sounds cruel but it is the truth. In other terms, if you make a mistake such as drinking, murdering someone, and so forth you will not go to hell because of it. You will go to hell if you decide not to accept God into your life or give your heart to Him.