What is the definition of religion? If you ask an atheist, they will tell you that it's a belief in one or more gods. Consult a dictionary, you might get a similar definition. We'll get more into that a bit later. If you go back to the 1600s, you will get a wildly different answer. The word "religion" comes from the Latin word "religio", which means (among other things), "reverence of the gods", "moral obligation", and "holiness". And when the KJV was written, the word "religion" itself basically meant exactly that: reverence to a divine power. Something else that is interesting is how "religion" was also linked to words such as "rely" and "lecture". "Rely" is linked to faith and "lecture" is linked to reading. And "having faith" was known as having loyalty as well as trust. If we go by this definition of religion, then it applies to Christianity.
It may seem at first glance that atheism would not fit this definition, but the gods of atheism are natural selection, luck, and time. And atheists have placed their complete trust in and loyalty to such things. So atheism does count as a religion by this old definition of religion. Atheists don't like being called "religious", or atheism being called a "religion", so they attempt to use a definition that excludes atheism. So let's see how the modern definition stacks up.
If we follow the trail that Merriam-Webster lays out for the definition of "religion", we can see that the "archaic" (aka: "outdated") definition involves being very careful with doing things correctly. And we can also see that most of the definitions include the word "religious". And their definitions for "religious" also contain the word "religious". Not all that helpful. We can trace this to the term "religious group", which means a group that shares common beliefs and practices of a religion. While this is somewhat helpful, it does make the definition of "religion" a circular definition. One of the other definitions include "faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity". If we look at the only definition of "religion" that does not contain the word "religious" in it, we get this definition: "an interest, cause, belief, or activity that is intensely or passionately held to".
Now we're getting somewhere. Let's take a look at how Merriam-Webster defines "belief". It is defined as (a) having placed trust or confidence in a person or thing, (b) an opinion, or (c) a conviction based on examination of evidence. Notice that one of the definitions of "belief" is "opinion". This seems to be the common definition of "belief", and it is the one that atheists use in their attempt to divorce atheism from religion. So, by the modern, common definition of the word, a religion is "devotion to a system of opinions and practices, especially of a god or gods".
Notice that nearly every path in the definition tree that we take, religion is defined in such a way that Christianity and atheism are equally included, or defined in such a way that includes atheism while excluding Christianity. Going by what atheists want the definition of "religion" to be, and by how the word "religion" is commonly used, it's Christianity that is excluded from being considered a religion. By the same standard, atheism is a religion. And it is because of this that I unapologetically declare that Christianity is not a religion: because Christianity is grounded in truth, not in opinion. And a careful examination of the available evidence will reveal this to be the case. Yes, we are faithfully devoted to the Lord Yeshua (Jesus) as we should be. But this devotion is grounded in truth and is not mere opinion.
If Christianity isn't a religion by the modern definition, then why do some Christians insist that it's wrong to say "Christianity is not a religion"? Simply put, because the word "religion" appears in our English bibles. For example:
Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. [James 1:27; NKJV]
The definition of "religion" used in the Bible is of course the old definition involving reverence and moral obligation (morality can only come from a being that's above all other beings, by the way). The Greek words in question are "threskos" and "threskeia", which have no link whatsoever to mere opinion. Basically, all objections to the claim that Christianity is not a religion is based on the fact that ancient writings (including the Bible) get some words translated into English as "religion" or "religious". These translations are going by a different definition of religion than what is used in the modern day.
Some Christians claim that it is dangerous to state that Christianity is not a religion. Why? From what I can gather, it boils down to one word: "Tradition". That's right, the claim that "Christianity is not a religion" is a threat to tradition. Of other reasons given, one of the more rational ones is the fear that saying, "Christianity is not a religion" looks like compromise. It's not. Words tend to change their meaning over time. And the word "religion" is no different. It is simply nonsensical to use an archaic definition of a word when speaking to a modern audience if you want that modern audience to understand what you are saying. Also, in my opinion, the real compromise would be not opposing any attempt at making Christianity look like mere opinion.
There's also the fact that Christian ministries fear losing their tax-exemption status by admitting that Christianity is not a religion. In other words, they love money. Besides, legal definitions rarely match common definitions. But let's go back to the claim that "Christianity is not a religion" is a threat to tradition. What's the true implication of this claim? That Christianity not being a religion is a threat to someone's power. Specifically, it's a threat to the power of the Apologetics Industrial Complex.
In summary, Christianity is not a religion by the common use of the word "religion", because the common use of that word involves defining "belief" as merely one's opinion. And Christianity is not a matter of opinion. But by other definitions of opinions that do not hold "belief" and "opinion" as synonymous, Christianity does qualify as a religion.
Why is this important? Because the Gospel message depends on Christianity being grounded in truth. And because a major reason for someone to become a Christian is because of the fact that Christianity is grounded in truth, not in legend or myth or fairy tale. The Gospel has no power if Judgement Day or the resurrection of the dead is merely someone's opinion, or worse, a lie. There is a war against Christianity, and one of the weapons used against the faith is to make it look like it's a matter of opinion. It is our job, as those who know the truth, to refute the lie that Christianity is just an opinion. And to expose the truth that all things that are contrary to Christianity are the real lies.
