Christianity

With 2 billion followers, Christianity is the largest religion on earth, most popular
in America, Europe and in the South of Africa and can be considered as an
evolution of Judaism as Jesus, its founder, was a Jew and believed in Jewish texts.

In Nazareth, Mary was already engaged with Joseph when the angel Gabriel
announced to her she was going to give birth to the son of God: Jesus. Because
of a census of population, they arrived in Bethlehem where Jesus was born in a
stable. The Jews were waiting for Messiah at that time, oppressed by the Roman
invaders and neglected by their King. When he was 30, Jesus started giving
teachings to spread the words of God and accomplished many miracles: the
transformation of water to wine, the miraculous fishing, the multiplication of food
for a crowd, walking on water, making the blind see and the disabled walk. He
continued for 3 years, more and more partisans followed him. Most of these
people had committed sins and found forgiveness and goodness because Jesus
told that the Lord would always forgive his children; it was a diversion of the
strict observance of the Jewish rules. In Jerusalem, he has his last meal with his
apostles (the Cene) where he gave them the Sacrament of the Eucharist (symbol
of Jesus sacrifice for humanity), then he was delivered to the Romans by one of
his apostles, Judas, and was crucified on the Friday of Passover. Three days later,
Jesus, who was now laying in a tomb, resurrected and got out of his sepulture.
After this miracle, Christianity began and numerous festivals correspond to big
events in Jesus life: Christmas is his birthdate, Easter celebrates his resurrection
and the Assumption celebrates when he went to Heaven 40 days after he
resurrected. Christians (Christ means savior in Greek) believe in God the Father,
the eternal Creator of the sky and earth, in Jesus, his only son, in the Holy Spirit,
in the communion of saints, in the forgiveness of sins, in the resurrection and in
eternal life (as it is said in the Credo during the Mass). Christians have numerous
rituals: go to the church (worship) for the Sunday Mass celebrated by a Priest
(man who devote his life to the Lord), pray at home every day, respect 40 days
of Lent before Easter. Celebrations are also some milestones in Christian life. A
few days after birth is baptism, as Jesus has been purified by John the Baptist in
the Jordan river. At 10-12 children do Communion which confirms their faith in
God by taking part to Eucharist. Later, marriage is the occasion to renew links
with God and when they die, people get buried in a graveyard. After death,
people wait until they get judged by Jesus who decides whether they go to hell or
heaven.
Christians pray the Lord but in everyday life they pray lot of people who can
intercede. The virgin Mary was essential in Jesus life: he had to be born from a
woman to be both real man and real God. Saints are also important people: at
first, they were the first Jesus followers who has been martyrized, the 12
apostles (Peter, Andrew, Jack, John, Phillip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, Jack,
Simon, Luke and Judas) and Madeleine who were essential too as they spread the
word of God among the people of Israel. Then people with exemplar life and
whod achieved miracles become saints (St George killed a dragon, ). The most
famous saints became patrons (St Patrick patron of Ireland, ). Among them,
Luke, Matthew, John and Paul are called the four evangelists as they wrote the
New Testament (including Jesus life, Apostles lives) and which is part of the
Bible (holy texts), as well as the Ancient Testament (TaNaK for the Jews,
Covenant between God and Humans). Most of pilgrimages involve saints. For
example, Lourdes, France, is devoted to Mary, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, to
James and the Vatican, Italy to Peter.
Over time three main branches of Christianity have formed. Catholics pray only
God if they have something to ask him or if they want to thank him; they are led
by Pope Francois (currently the 266 th pope after St Peter!). This branch, as well as
Orthodox, were created in 1054 when the eastern and western Churches
separated. Orthodox are mostly located in eastern Europe and keep rituals as
they were at the ancient time. Finally, the Protestants, appeared in 1517 led by
Martin Luther, believe that they can directly pray God without Priest because the
highest religious authority is the Bible. But all the Christians follow the principles
of faith, love, charity and hope.

Hadrien Renault 783 words