Christianity and Religion

Religion is defined as a set of beliefs and practices.  Christianity is much more than religion.  It is an event.  It is a historical event because Christianity actually happened.  God came down in the form of man to share in our humanity and to redeem us.  Other religions such as Hinduism, Shintoism, paganism, etc. are not historical events but constructs of man's imagination.  It is true that there is some truth in those religions, but those truths were placed there to prepare them for the Gospel of Christ.  So, yes, Christian missionaries are there to spread the Gospel of Christ so that people of other religions would come to know Christ.    

CCC 843  The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved.  Thus, the church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as a "preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life. 

The Christian faith is not built on the foundation of natural religion, but on the foundation of Jesus Christ and His Apostles. The Catholic Church teaches that faith is a gift from God (See the Catechism of the Catholic Church 162), and Sacred Scripture also attests that faith is a gift from God (See Ephesians 2:8). 

On the other hand, religiosity is when one attends Mass out of obligation or out of fear rather than out of love.  Many, many years ago, parents (and sometimes even the clergy) told kids that if they don't go to Mass, they would go to Hell.  These kids then grow up going to Mass not because of love, but because of fear of going to Hell.  Another example, is when a disaster hits, the person runs to the Church either out of fear or in search for answers as to why the disaster occurred.  These are all religiosity.  

Sometimes, we need to ask ourselves why we attend Mass.  Sunday Mass is only one hour, and some people are leaving Church right after receiving Holy Communion.  Thus, people who have done this could not even wait until the priest gives the final blessing to the entire congregation. When one attends Mass out of obligation and leaves right after receiving Holy Communion, would that be called true worship?   

Christianity is much more than religion because it is a historical event that actually happened whereas religion was not an event.  Christianity is also unique in that God came down to redeem mankind.  The Old Testament books showed that the sacrifices of animals upon the altar did not take away sins, but serve as a reminder of our sins.  It was Christ, the perfect Lamb of God who was able take away our sins and redeem us.    

Hebrews 10:1-4 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming - not the realities themselves.  For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.  Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered?  For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.  But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.  It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 

It is mankind who needs atonement from his/her sins.  When Adam and Eve sinned, original sin was passed down to all their descendants.  So, it is not religion that needs to be redeemed, but mankind. When St. Thomas Aquinas stated, "Grace does not destroy nature, but perfects it," he was not referring to natural religiosity or religion.  He was referring to the nature of man, which was wounded by original sin.    

The mission of missionaries is to evangelize and to spread the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth so that those who have never heard of Jesus Christ will come to know Him.  Sometimes, we also need to correct our Catholic brothers who attend Mass out of obligation and those who leave Mass early, thinking that their Sunday obligation has already been met.