Religion is what happens when we, in the young, long isolated, ignorant 'west' (read: post-Roman Western Europe and its descendents) are loyal to the traditions and fairy tales of a belief system without understanding its philosophy.
Christianity is a great philosophy, but it is not Philosophy 101. It's advanced graduate-school-level stuff.
To understand Christianity, it's best to take extensive courses in Egyptian mythology, Greek and Medterranean culture first, in order to learn the mythological language in which Christianity is taught- and to learn it not as acedemic excercises, but as living mythology, living culture, to know ancient Mediterranean culture the way we know Thor as a Marvel hero. The way we would learn it actually living for a while in Greece or Turkey today. So that we can stare up at the Acropolis, as they do in Athens, and really feel what Jesus meant by a shining city on a hill, to mention just one example.
So that we can really feel the stories and teachings of Christianity the way we would feel a Steven Spielberg movie- and then examine that experience with reason, without rejecting the emotion, like a film student learning life philosophy from E.T.
The modern 'west' is way too adult to understand Christianity. Christianity is childlike innocence. Islam too. You want to spank your children, you will never understand true Christianity.
Islamic terrorists are the Muslims that want to spank their children because the British told them to in 1890. Forgive them; the dominant 'west' destroyed their utopia by 1890. You want to spank your children, you will never even see true Islam. Trust me; they are just a few freaks. There are lots and lots of people who still understand true Islam.
What children see on Christmas morning with stars in their eyes and visions of sugar plums in their heads, when they believe in the magic of Santa, is the true Christianity. Santa is the true Jesus. The 'west' since 1350 is way too adult to understand Christianity, and way too angry.
Religion is what an angry adult civilization does to a philosophy of childlike innocence when they are loyal to it emotionally without understanding it.
Understand Christianity. Understand Buddhism, and Vedanta, and Islam. Then it would not be 'Religion'- it would be Philosophy, for we would understand it.
Most of the 'west', save for remarkable individuals like Tolkien and Thomas Aquinas, have never truly understood Christianity.
Learn philosophy, not religion.
Seek to understand the ideas, not just be loyal to the forms and fairy tales.
Emotion guided by reason and an understanding of Mind, starting with your own, is the key.
Start with Buddhism if you don't know where to start.
Most spiritualism is hard to learn from a book without direct, person to person teaching. Buddhism isn't.
Christianity is great! It's just not Philosophy 101. It's advanced Graduate-school level stuff.
Great for a Roman Mediterranean deeply grounded in Egyptian mythology and Greek culture, deeply grounded in the teachings that best prepare the way for understanding Christianity, with extensive direct, person to person contact with the original teachers of Christianity, or a Slavic world that was deepy rooted in a mythology related to Greek and Mediterranean mythology, that had picked up Egyptian mythology and classical Greek culture extensively in Bulgaria and had very extensive direct, person to person contact with the Christians of Constantinople.
Not so great for isolated Franks on the far fringe of the world, for whom the Greek myths were academic excercises, for whom the Mediterranean culture of Athens and Jerusalem was an alien culture, with little direct contact with the world of Constantinople.
Franks who do not know the Mediterranean language in which Christianity is taught, who are distant with little direct, person to person contact with the Christians of Constantinople.
A few will realize the fundamental principle of Christianity, realize that in all the stories of Jesus, Jesus is radical kindness and love, and will understand Christianity and pass that understanding on. But that fundamental principle is hard to learn from a book. It is hard to read a book and realize just what it means for Jesus to be radical kindess and love.
You realize that, and you understand Christianity.
You understand Christianity, and it is no longer 'Religion'. It's Philosophy.
Christianity is not Philosophy 101. If you master it with emotion guided by reason, it's great philosophy.
Emotion guided by reason, understanding your own mind through observation of your own emotions, is the key.
God loves you!
Sincerely,
David S. Annderson