Essay/Term paper: Christianity

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Religion

Christianity

Christianity is one of the major religions of mankind. It has been the dominant religion in Europe and America, Christianity has also spread throughout the world and has a greater number of adherents then any other religion.
The Jewish teacher known as Jesus of Nazareth founded Christianity. Christianity drew on the expectations for a Messiah common in the region during these centuries. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, near Jerusalem, and grew up in the town of Nazareth. He was educated from the Pharisaic school of thought and was practicing as an observant Jew. He was not preaching to non-Jews so therefore only Jews could follow him. they started to think of him as their Messiah. As he traveled through towns in Judea he gathered small groups of followers. He chose twelve from these groups and they became known as the twelve apostles. They traveled around the world preaching. According to the gospels, he created great excitement among the people. In 30 CE Jesus traveled to Jerusalem. There he was hailed as the Messiah. Others denied that he was the messiah and regarded him as a revolutionary. The Romans feared that Jesus wanted to lead an uprising, and they considered him an enemy of the state. Jesus was tried before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. He eventually agreed to have Jesus crucified. According to the gospels, Jesus rose from his grave, and went back to his followers for forty days and preaches.
Before 45 CE a man named Peter comes along and tries to spread Christianity to Jews. In 45 CE a Jew named Saul comes along. Saul is born in Tarsus in Asia Minor. He goes to Judea and Learns with Raban Gamleael; he becomes involved in persecuting Christians. Eventually, according to a legend Saul is blinded by a vision. He goes on the road and Jesus comes to him and asks him why he is persecuting the Christians, Jesus blinds him. Jesus toells Saul to go to a certain Christian to get healed. Saul did that and then he changes his name to Paul, because Paul means healed. Paul has a great influence on spreading Christianity to non-Jews, and forming it as a separate religion. Between 45 and 65 CE, he journeyed throughout the eastern Mediterranean region, spreading the teaching of Jesus and founding Christian communities. Paul visited Rome, where, according to tradition he was put to death. Paul"s Epistles to Christian congregations form an important part of the New Testament. The New Testament was a combination of four gospels written by Paul and a book of Revolution; this is in relation to the Old Testament, which was the Torah. Paul insisted that Jesus was not just the Jewish Messiah but a savior for all human races. By following the teachings of Jesus, all people could be saved from the consequences of their sins. They could avoid damnation and instead enjoy the bliss of salvation in paradise after death.
In 100 CE Christianity was recognized as a different sect. Christians had to make a hard decision whether to keep on following, even though they were in danger or not. The Christians who defied Roman religion and law were persecuted and used as scapegoats. In 200 CE there was a civil war in the empire and many people turned to Christianity. City dwellers converted. By the end of the 200"s, the Christian church had become so big that the government couldn"t punish everyone, Roman law had accepted Christianity as a religion. The position of Christianity vastly improved when Emperor Constantine became a supporter of Christianity.
The religions of Christianity and Judaism both accept everyone and charge nothing. They welcome the poor and rich alike. They believe that the people should be good citizens and obey the laws. They both encourage them to practice charity and to care for the poor and outcast.
Christians believe that the appointed Jesus was there Messiah. They believed that all people had good in them. If they prayed to the Messiah, no matter what bad they did they would be forgiven and redeemed in the eyes of their Lord. All men could be saved from sins before and in the after life.
Christianity is now one of the major religions that can be found all over the world.