On the subject that Christians are no different from Epicureans in seeking pleasure, differing only in the choice of activities that one chooses to partake
You are right on one point in that we are all beings of pleasure. But to the Christian, God Himself is the pleasure not so much the Christian activities that grant us that (although a Christian should find the community of believers and the preaching of the Word pleasurable). The words from the Psalms are written in this form - "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8). The use of the language which are usually associated to the partaking of food is deliberate for us to understand this. The invitation is to taste God and his goodness.
I do not mean exactly that the Epicurean acts are futile. It is healthy for Christians to thank God for everything we have been given from music, to food, to the gift of friendships and so on. So in this we share similarities with the Epicurean. The best way of explaining this is that at one point in our childhood, our toys were our everything. But we no longer derive the same pleasure that we used to.
It is the same with God. The knowledge of Him dwarfs out every other pleasure source. You may not agree with this but I suggest two things that points towards this - the first being that one never feels fully satiated on this earth with regards to the good things that we have. All the football, music, arts, travel, and relationships are pleasure giving but never satiates fully.
The second is a bit more counter-intuitive but it is worth asking this question: how did we come to be pleasure seekers in the first place? It presupposes a lot of things. I would suggest we were built for this.
On the matter of the adoption of the Christian religion - this is a subject matter that I have a lot to say but in the interest of brevity, I will simply describe it as such. Nobody actually chooses on their own accord to be a Christian. Theologically speaking, God Himself draws each and everyone out of their own prodigality and make them know His goodness. C.S.Lewis describes his own experience this way:
"The Prodigal Son at least walked home on his own feet. But who can duly adore that Love which will open the high gates to a prodigal who is brought in kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance of escape? "
It is the reason why we cannot say Christianity is an "English" religion, nor is it an "American" religion, nor is it a "Roman" religion. We can only say at some point it was at its most influential in England and had a tremendous influence in English culture (which was true in the 17th-18th century) and now it is clearly less so although some remnant of its influence remains. So to put forth the matter, Christianity will always be independent of geography and culture. It is always the same, an awareness of who Jesus Christ really is and the things He did to die on the Cross for all of man's sins, as well as His resurrection in the 1st century. This is what will transform a person and enable him to find his way to God and obtain that relationship with which he was created to enjoy.
You are right on one point in that we are all beings of pleasure. But to the Christian, God Himself is the pleasure not so much the Christian activities that grant us that (although a Christian should find the community of believers and the preaching of the Word pleasurable). The words from the Psalms are written in this form - "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8). The use of the language which are usually associated to the partaking of food is deliberate for us to understand this. The invitation is to taste God and his goodness.
I do not mean exactly that the Epicurean acts are futile. It is healthy for Christians to thank God for everything we have been given from music, to food, to the gift of friendships and so on. So in this we share similarities with the Epicurean. The best way of explaining this is that at one point in our childhood, our toys were our everything. But we no longer derive the same pleasure that we used to.
It is the same with God. The knowledge of Him dwarfs out every other pleasure source. You may not agree with this but I suggest two things that points towards this - the first being that one never feels fully satiated on this earth with regards to the good things that we have. All the football, music, arts, travel, and relationships are pleasure giving but never satiates fully.
The second is a bit more counter-intuitive but it is worth asking this question: how did we come to be pleasure seekers in the first place? It presupposes a lot of things. I would suggest we were built for this.
On the matter of the adoption of the Christian religion - this is a subject matter that I have a lot to say but in the interest of brevity, I will simply describe it as such. Nobody actually chooses on their own accord to be a Christian. Theologically speaking, God Himself draws each and everyone out of their own prodigality and make them know His goodness. C.S.Lewis describes his own experience this way:
"The Prodigal Son at least walked home on his own feet. But who can duly adore that Love which will open the high gates to a prodigal who is brought in kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance of escape? "
It is the reason why we cannot say Christianity is an "English" religion, nor is it an "American" religion, nor is it a "Roman" religion. We can only say at some point it was at its most influential in England and had a tremendous influence in English culture (which was true in the 17th-18th century) and now it is clearly less so although some remnant of its influence remains. So to put forth the matter, Christianity will always be independent of geography and culture. It is always the same, an awareness of who Jesus Christ really is and the things He did to die on the Cross for all of man's sins, as well as His resurrection in the 1st century. This is what will transform a person and enable him to find his way to God and obtain that relationship with which he was created to enjoy.
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