Is violence to genuine football fans what religion is to actual Christianity?

[truthpaste]

Surely all religions are man-made, so the whole basis of the question is flawed.

Correct, all religion is man's attempt to make himself acceptable to a Holy God.

Although many would class following Christ to also be a religion (hence your above comment) then I will explain the difference as revealed in the Bible:-

1. We are informed - "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" - in other words despite our best efforts, we will not make it, like swimming from Ireland to New York no matter how well we can swim, we will perish.
Therefore we are all guilty before God and without hope of saving ourselves. Hence religion is hopeless.

2. Christ offers to pay our fine and stand in our place, meaning He offers us the Gift of being saved from the penalty of our rebellion/ sin/ failure - whatever you wish to call it. He acheived the ability to offer us this by suffering and dying at Calvary after He had lived a sinless life and therefore needn't have died at all - ie He laid down His life for you & me.

The Bible puts it this way > "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners" (Romans 5:8).

If you have any questions on this then please fire away

[cityhammer]

Correct, all religion is man's attempt to make himself acceptable to a Holy God.

Although many would class following Christ to also be a religion (hence your above comment) then I will explain the difference as revealed in the Bible:-

1. We are informed - "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" - in other words despite our best efforts, we will not make it, like swimming from Ireland to New York no matter how well we can swim, we will perish.
Therefore we are all guilty before God and without hope of saving ourselves. Hence religion is hopeless.

2. Christ offers to pay our fine and stand in our place, meaning He offers us the Gift of being saved from the penalty of our rebellion/ sin/ failure - whatever you wish to call it. He acheived the ability to offer us this by suffering and dying at Calvary after He had lived a sinless life and therefore needn't have died at all - ie He laid down His life for you & me.

The Bible puts it this way > "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners" (Romans 5:8).

If you have any questions on this then please fire away

I think you'll actually find that all religions are man made to keep the lower classes in check and make them work harder on earth in the hope of a better afterlife. As Marx said, Religion is the opiate of the people. Religion is the drug that is used to control the masses.

I cant decide if you are being serious or ironic, but any intelligent person who believes in religion, is by definition, not that intelligent.

[truthpaste]

I think you'll actually find that all religions are man made to keep the lower classes in check and make them work harder on earth in the hope of a better afterlife. As Marx said, Religion is the opiate of the people. Religion is the drug that is used to control the masses.

I cant decide if you are being serious or ironic, but any intelligent person who believes in religion, is by definition, not that intelligent.

So only simple people have 'religion' as you put it, yet you currently don't seem to appreciate the point being made here, that what is freely offered is not dead religion at all, but a living relationship?