A Closer Look at Christianity by Barbara A. Brown

Introduction

Within the multitude of religions that exist in the world today are three which consider themselves to be monotheistic--that is, faiths in which belief is centered around the One God.

A closer look, at two of these religions--Judaism and Islam--will show this to be true: both Jews and Muslims worship One God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth.

The other religion, that of Christianity, presents a problem, however, when it comes to the definition of monotheism as opposed to what Christianity stands for. Instead of making God the center of their faith, the Christians have turned their focus on Jesus, who is known to them as "Jesus Christ", or "Jesus the Anointed One". To the Jews, Jesus was "a nice Jewish boy"; to the Muslims, Jesus was a human prophet; one of God's Chosen Messengers. To the Christians, however, Jesus is much more.

Christianity is focused on Jesus Christ. The religion takes its name from Jesus Christ. All Christian doctrines are centered around Jesus Christ. Major Christian holidays mark events in the life of Jesus Christ. The symbol of the Christian faith, a cross, is indicative of Jesus Christ. Prayers of the Christians are addressed to Jesus Christ, as they consider God Himself to be unapproachable by a mere man.

According to Christian author Fritz Ridenour, "the key to Christianity is that Jesus Christ really is the reason for it all and that he is holding it all together."[1]

Many Christians today are unable to comprehend the existence of God without Jesus Christ standing there in the foreground for them. Mr. Ridenour says that Christianity is " ...a relationship with a person, Jesus Christ"[2], and all too many Christians are in this position: they know God in no other way but through Jesus Christ.

The Christians say they worship God, but Jesus is also right there in the picture. As they see him-- in addition to God--as being divine, Christianity is a religion with TWO gods, not one; and a religion with more than one God is not monotheistic.

How did this situation come to be? How did the religion of Christianity turn a human prophet from God into a god himself?