INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTIANITY

Christianity is a Semitic religion, which claims to have nearly 2.1 billion adherents all over the world. Christianity owes its name to Jesus Christ (Actual name is Eesa, peace be on him). The Bible is the sacred scripture of the Christians. The current pontiff or head of Christianity is Francis ^[1]

Brief look at Christianity

• Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah.

• Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

• Christians believe that God sent his Son to earth to save humanity from the consequences of its sins.

• One of the most important concepts in Christianity is that of Jesus giving his life on the Cross (the Crucifixion) and rising from the dead on the third day (the Resurrection).

• Christians worship in churches.

• Their spiritual leaders are called priests or ministers.

• Christians believe that there is only one God, but that there are three elements to this one God:
  • 
    God the Father
  • God the Son
  • The Holy Spirit  ^[2]

Bible

The Bible is the sacred scripture of the Christians:

a)  The Bible is divided into two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is the Scripture of the Jews and Christians and contains records of all the prophets that came before Jesus (pbuh). The New Testament contains records of the life of Jesus (pbuh).

b)   The complete Bible, i.e. the Old Testament and the New Testament put together, contains 73 books. However, the Protestant Bible i.e. the King James Version, contains only  66  books as  they  consider  7 books of the Old Testament to be apocrypha, i.e. of doubtful authority.

Therefore the Old Testament of the Catholics, contains 46 books and that of the Protestants, 39 books. However the New Testament of both these sects contains 27 books. ^[1]

Basic beliefs

Christians believe that there is only one God, whom they call Father as Jesus Christ taught them.

Original sin

Original sin is an Augustine Christian doctrine that says that everyone is born sinful. In traditional Christian teaching, original sin is the result of Adam and Eve's disobedience to God when they ate a forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.

Some Christians believe that human beings can't cure themselves of original sin. The only way they can be saved from its consequences is by the grace of God. The only way people can receive God's grace is by accepting his love and forgiveness, believing that Jesus Christ died on the cross to redeem their sins, and getting baptised. ^[3]

The Trinity

Christians believe in the Trinity - that is, in God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Saints

These days, the word saint is most commonly used to refer to a Christian who has lived a particularly good and holy life on earth, and with whom miracles are claimed to have been associated after their death.

Prayers

Prayer is the means by which Christians communicate with their God. ^[4]

Festivals

• All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day

• All Hallows' Eve

• The Feast of the Annunciation

• Christmas

• Easter

• Good friday

• CandleMas  ^[5]

The Pope

The pope is the Bishop of Rome, based in the Vatican City, and head of the Roman Catholic Church. Pope comes from the Latin for 'father' (the traditional title for a bishop). The adjective for something relating to the Pope is papal.

Catholics believe that the pope is the successor to Saint Peter whom Jesus appointed as the first head of his church. The current pontiff FRANCIS is the 266th pope and succeeded Pope Benedict XVI in 2013. ^[6]

Popular Christian Denominations

• Catholic

• Protestant

• Baptist

• Methodist / Wesleyan

• Lutheran

• Presbyterian

• Pentecostal/Charismatic

• Episcopalian/Anglican

• Mormon / Latter-Day Saints

• Jehovah's Witness

• Churches of Christ

• Congregational/United Church of Christ

• Assemblies of God

• Evangelical

• Seventh-Day Adventist

• Orthodox (Eastern)

• Holiness/Holy

• Church of the Nazarene

• Disciples of Christ

• Church of the Brethren

• Mennonite

• Reformed/Dutch Reform

• Apostolic/New Apostolic

• Quaker

• Christian Science

• Full Gospel

• Christian Reform

• Independent Christian Church

• Foursquare Gospel

• Fundamentalist

• Born Again

• Salvation Army

• Amish

• Pentecostalism

• And more   ^[7]

See also

Concept of God in Christianity; FESTIVALS or HOLYDAYS OF CHRISTIANITY; PROPHECY OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD ﷺIN THE BIBLE; THE AQEEDAH OF TAWHEED

References

[1] http://irf.net/Christianity.html

[2] http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/ataglance/glance.shtml

[3] http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/beliefs/originalsin_1.shtml

[4] http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/beliefs/basics_1.shtml

[5] http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/

[6] http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/pope/pope.shtml

[7] http://undergod.procon.org/view.background-resource.php?resourceID=87