It goes without saying that as the majority of existing religions, Christianity includes the elements of both “this-worldliness” and “other-worldliness.” However, from a personal perspective, the statement that Christianity is a predominantly other-worldly religion reflects its core to the fullest extent. First of all, despite the existence of differences between churches, the concept of the original sin in mankind exists (Sowbhagya, 2015). In other words, every human being is hereditarily born with a lack of holiness and has a whole life in order to repent it through worshipping God and deserve salvation.
Another concept connected with salvation that supports the “other-worldliness” of Christianity is the expectation of the Last Judgement. All people, either dead or alive, regardless of their ethnicity, race, and gender will be finally judged by God, approved or penalized. That is why Christians believe that the observance of all religious rules and requirements along with the purity of thoughts and beneficence provide them a place in Heaven.
In addition, the evidence of the “other-worldliness” of Christianity is recorded as there are several passages in the New Testament that warn worshipers against the world (McGeown, 2019). For instance, church members and Christians are called “adulterers and adulteresses” for “their friendship with the world, adding that the one who will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (McGeown, 2019, para. 1). Moreover, as followers are supposed to have three main enemies, the devil, the flesh, and the world, worldliness is regarded as the church’s greatest danger that should be avoided. At the same time, the expressions of the refusal of worldliness may be directly or indirectly observed through the example of conservative or ardent followers. For instance, they may reject medicine believing that worldly elements are unnecessary as their lives are in God’s hands.
References
McGeown, M. (2019). Worldliness: A perennial danger. Protestant Reformed Churches in America. Web.
Sowbhagya, G. (2015). Exploring the differences and similarities between Christianity and Judaism. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Educational Research, 4(2), 176-191.