Is Christianity Idealistic?

[Image_of_God]

I aspire to live my life in the light of Christ. However, at times, I cannot help but feel that Christianity is idealist (though I believe it to be realistic). Seeing death and murder makes me doubt that practicality of Christianity. People “must” do abhorrent things to survive. Government, as a famous person once said, “is a necessary evil.” We live under governments that are there to establish law and order, but do evil. Yet it seems that we need certain evils performed by the government to live. Loved ones die do to illnesses or the cruelty of others. Good people are misused by the wickedness of others. People kill good people for money. What am I to do? How am I to be good without being taken advantage of?

Sometimes, to me, Christianity appears to idealistic and is practiced with the great risk of getting hurt. I believe in the power of Love Himself over all things and yet original sin at times appears much stronger. I was in a conversation and someone told me about the brutality of the real world. I felt defenseless and foolish. My Christian ideals and principles seemed like straw. I seemed out of tune with this real world.

Yet I cherish these principles because I see something beautiful in them. I see the goodness in them and the contemplation of their actualization brings me great joy. But is this goodness merely idealistic? And is this beauty only a dream? And though I hold truth to be in them, is it really there?

I have often thought that if all people were good, there would be no need for laws because they would follow the law of God in their heart. I aspire to live this law that exists in my heart (I find such a concept so beautiful) and yet there is doubt when I face my own wickedness and that of others. How can I follow this law when I myself am rebelling against it at the same time? How can I follow it when I know that people can take advantage of me if I do? What am I to do?

 

[JRKH]

Of course Christianity is Idealistic. As well it should be. We as Christians are being held up to the highest ideals ever placed before man by God.
TO LOVE. Not just our selves and our families and our neighbors, but our enemies as well.

You say that you are concerned about living like Christ and being taken advantage of. In point of fact you should expect to be taken advantage of, at least to some extent. You should recognize this and then give cheerfully to those who take advantage of you.
You should be prepared to bear crosses and sufferings for Christ.

“The world” will not change, but we must. In so doing God’s Kingdom is strengthened.
You say that the evil in the world depresses you. Well it should. It’s horrible and no matter how hard one tries, one cannot stop all of the evil. Yet a quick look at history, even recent history shows great examples of individuals making big differences. Mother Theresa of Calcutta is but one example.

The World, The news, and those entrapped by worldliness play up the violence and evils of the world. One must sometimes look hard to find the truly good things that are holding the world together but they are there. In the homeless shelters, at the St Vincent De-Paul stores and services, in the soup kitchens and the various other charities functioning in our communities.

Remember that Christ fully recognized that “the world” would not appreciate those who followed him and satan will do his best through “the world” to kill your faith if we are not careful. So be on guard.

The next time that someone tries to show you how out of touch with “the real world” you are just shrug and say, “I cannot change the whole world but I will try to change my little part of it.” Then ask them, “Do you want to help?”

Peace
James

 

[chaunceygardner]

Christianity SHOULD be idealistic; too many of us water it down in order to get by in this world. But the Kingdom of God is not of this world, so why do we try to adjust our faith to the “reality” that is not from God, rather than live our individual lives as He taught us to, steadfast in our faith?

The answer to your question about what you should do is answered in your signature quote from Mark.

 

[tonyrey]

How am I to be good without being taken advantage of?

Sometimes, to me, Christianity appears to idealistic and is practiced with the great risk of getting hurt. I believe in the power of Love Himself over all things and yet original sin at times appears much stronger. I was in a conversation and someone told me about the brutality of the real world. I felt defenseless and foolish. My Christian ideals and principles seemed like straw. I seemed out of tune with this real world.

Yet I cherish these principles because I see something beautiful in them. I see the goodness in them and the contemplation of their actualization brings me great joy. But is this goodness merely idealistic? And is this beauty only a dream? And though I hold truth to be in them, is it really there?

I have often thought that if all people were good, there would be no need for laws because they would follow the law of God in their heart. I aspire to live this law that exists in my heart (I find such a concept so beautiful) and yet there is doubt when I face my own wickedness and that of others. How can I follow this law when I myself am rebelling against it at the same time? How can I follow it when I know that people can take advantage of me if I do? What am I to do?

Christianity is idealistic but it is also realistic. Evil is bound to triumph in this world for one simple reason. If you are unscrupulous you can do anything to get what you want. If you have moral principles you cannot ignore them without descending to the level of the criminal. That is why Jesus chose to let Himself be tortured and murdered. He showed us it is necessary to be prepared to lose everything, even your life, if you are to reach heaven. But even while we are on earth when we love others and do what is right we have a peace and joy which surpasses everything else. Heaven is not a remote destination. It is within us - here and now!

 

[Aboveallbereal]

Christianity is emphatically not idealistic. The faith implicitly and explicitly accepts nd protests the essentially fallen nature of man. The Faith teaches us that we are crooked timber. The Grace of God makes of that crooked timber a thing of grace of purpose.

Christian eschatology is in no way “idealistic” it is the playing out of God’s plan.

 

[Biggie]

I am somewhat closer in perspective this last post but not quite. Would anyone care to define “idealistic”?

I think faith is close in meaning to work. In other words, Christianity argues we should get to work for the sake of God and for others. We are commanded to love, but that is not to “feel” love. God cannot command us to have a feeling since we cannot command the feelings we have. But the command to love is a command to get to work no matter how we feel about it. So to my mind, Christianity is an order to get your hands dirty, not to have thoughts and feelings.

 

[chaunceygardner]

I am somewhat closer in perspective this last post but not quite. Would anyone care to define “idealistic”?

I think faith is close in meaning to work. In other words, Christianity argues we should get to work for the sake of God and for others. We are commanded to love, but that is not to “feel” love. God cannot command us to have a feeling since we cannot command the feelings we have. But the command to love is a command to get to work no matter how we feel about it. So to my mind, Christianity is an order to get your hands dirty, not to have thoughts and feelings.

“IDEALISM: a theory that ultimate reality lies in a realm transcending phenomena;
the practice of forming ideals or living under their influence.”

This is the way I was using the term, that we were given Christian ideals or teachings (which are also expectations) and that we should live according to those ideals. It is not used in the sense of something that is unattainable, but rather something that is of and from a higher nature than ourselves, or as the 1st definition says, an ultimate reality (God) that transcends the natural world. To strive for that ideal is to approach and be in communion with Him.

 

[tonyrey]

I am somewhat closer in perspective this last post but not quite. Would anyone care to define “idealistic”?

Idealistic has the connotation of “unrealistic”!

I think faith is close in meaning to work. In other words, Christianity argues we should get to work for the sake of God and for others. We are commanded to love, but that is not to “feel” love. God cannot command us to have a feeling since we cannot command the feelings we have. But the command to love is a command to get to work no matter how we feel about it. So to my mind, Christianity is an order to get your hands dirty, not to have thoughts and feelings.

I interpret faith as the dedication of all our abilities and talents to our Christian vocation. Your reference to work reminded me of St Teresa of Avila who in spite of being a mystic was one of the most down-to-earth saints imaginable.