From:  (Nigel B. Mitchell) Newsgroups:
aus.religion.christian Subject: Re: Graeme's 6 points - was The
Apocrypha Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 12:55:06 GMT


I wrote >>>>Christianity is a religion.

Graeme wrote: >>>Christianity is not a religion. Religion is the devil's
ace trump by >>>which he deceives mankind. ... etc.

The author of 1 Timothy wrote: >>(1 Timothy 3:16 NRSV)  Without any
doubt, the mystery of our >>religion is great: He [Jesus] was revealed
in flesh, vindicated >>in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among
Gentiles, believed in >>throughout the world, taken up in glory.

The author of the letter of James wrote: >>(James 1:27 NRSV)  Religion
that is pure and undefiled before >>God, the Father, is this: to care
for orphans and widows in their >>distress, and to keep oneself
unstained by the world.

Graeme: >Now, now Nigel we are enjoined not to use the Word of God
deceitfully!

Are you suggesting that I have used the word of God deceitfully? You are
getting back into your old habit of starting every post with an insult
or patronising ccomment. I enjoyed the absence of this whilst it lasted.

>The Greek word is threskeia.

The word in James is *threskia* - always translated Religion. The word
in 1 Timothy is *eusebia* - sometimes translated holiness or godliness.

>It signifies religion in its external >aspect, religious worship,
especially the ceremonial worship of >religion. It is used of the
religion of the Jews in Acts 26:5; of the >"wroshipping" of angels in
Colossians 2:18 which they themselves >repudiate (Revelation 22:8,9);
Lightfoot comments: "there was an >officious parade of humility in
selecting these l;ower beings as >intercessors rather than appealing to
the Throne of Grace; in James >1:26,27 the writer purposely uses the
word to set in contrast that >which is unreal and deceptive, and the
"pure religion" which consists >in visiting "the fatherless and widows
in their affliction," and in >keeping oneself "unspotted from the
world."

>A good Anglican (!) Bishop Trench says, He is "not herein affirming >..
these offices to be the sum total, nor the great essentials, of >true
religion, but declares them to be the body, the threskeia, of >which
godliness, or the love of God, is the informing soul."


>Christianity is not a religion, as I have outlined above.

Sorry, Graeme, but you have outlined no such thing. Have you noticed
that I am quoting scripture here, and you are quoting non- canonical
sources? You are inadvertently proving a point I have often made - we
need the work of Biblical scholars, and we need the collective tradition
of the community of faith in reading the Bible, in order to interpret
and understand the text.

1 Timothy refers to holiness or godliness of life - in other words, the
Christian religion. James refers to the Christian religion, ie. the way
that Christians are called to act. That is what "Religion" is - the sum
of what people of faith  say and do.

Christianity fits every common English definition of the word
"Religion". Unless you want to produce your own little dictionary, with
definitions of "religion" and "Christianity" and other words that fit
your beliefs, you have to accept that.

It looks like a religion. It's adherents behave like religious people.
It makes statements about God and the way the world should be. It
involves prayer, sacred stories and texts, worship, etc. It is a
religion.

You may want to say it is the best religion, or the only true religion.
From my perspective I would agree with you if you did, but to pretend
that Christianity is not a religion is semantic nonsense.

Cheers

N+

Nigel B. Mitchell