Dear Journal,

Today in school, a couple of my friends asked me to explain the difference between Christianity and Religion. I thought I had it all figured out, so I began to tell them that Christianity was a relationship with our Creator and Religion is basically a set of laws that are to be followed in order to please God. However, they did not seem impressed with this answer, so I began to explain it to them in more detail. I said that in religion the more regulations you follow the better your probability is of satisfying God. Maybe even pleasing him to the point that he will award you entrance to paradise after you die (Difference 1). Subsequently, they asked me why that was different from Christianity. I informed them that Christianity is a relationship between Father and son, God being our Father and we being His children, which is not based on rules and regulations, but is governed by the principle of love (Mikalee 1).

Just as I began to feel satisfied with my answer, the unthinkable happened. They started to ask me more questions, which I should have been prepared to answer, but I wasn’t! One kid stated, “If Christianity doesn’t have any rules or regulations, then why do Christians have to pray and get baptized and talk to God.” I opened my mouth, as if I was going to answer, but I realized I didn’t know what to say to him. I knew Christianity was not a religion, but I did not have the proof or the knowledge to prove the answers I was giving to them. However, God helped me out by ending the class just in time. The whole day I pondered on how to answer that question and where to find the evidence in the Bible. Finally, after many hours of excruciating mental suffering I called my youth pastor. He told me that Christianity was definitely not a religion and that we as Christians do not have to pray or talk to God in order to be saved, but all we have to do is believe that God, our father and creator, came down to the earth in the form of man to be crucified and resurrected for our sins. In other words, he paid the price for us. After our conversation was over I went straight home and wrote down everything I remembered on your back cover in order that I wouldn’t forget it.

Your devoted writer,

Frankie

Endnote for Journal Entry

I chose this genre to give the reader an explanation of the difference between Christianity and religion, though a storyline. Actually, this event actually happened to me in my English 101 class; the day we as a class had to pick our own research questions. I was confronted by one of my group members, who helped me to understand what I needed to research in order to write a convincing essay. I obtained most of my information from two Christian web sites, which are listed in the works cited page. Both of these web sites gave me information dealing with the definitions of Religion and True Christianity. I used this journal entry to answer questions the reader may have while reading this essay. I took the questions that I was asked by my fellow group member and applied the questions, as well as the answers, into this genre.

Christianity vs. Religion continued...