Christianity is materialistic or idealistic?
This is a question that is frequently raised and answers is difficult. Today, materialism is rowing. If we claim to defend idealism sembreremmo, the eyes of many, retrograde and outdated. Furthermore, Christianity is neither explicitly idealistic nor materialistic. First, Christianity believes in God, and this is something that no materialist will ever accept. But materialism is unable to deny the existence of God, because God is Spirit and the spirit cannot be made an object of study according to the methods used for the study of matter.
Man should therefore in the worst case take on the attitude of one who ignores the question towards the Divinity. If he is not willing to believe that matter proves the existence of God, he must equally admit that matter cannot prove the non-existence of God. Stubbornly denying the existence of God means abandoning an objective academic attitude to take on a subjective one and arbitrary. It is by no means a scientific attitude and should be avoided by any sincere seeker of the truth.
Christianity is therefore something materialistic or idealistic?
The categorical answer. Christianity is not something materialistic or idealistic, but realistic. The Christian believes in the reality and objective existence of this material world; it is not, as in certain mystical religions, an illusion of the mind. We equally believe in reality and in the objective existence of the spirit and we believe that it is not simply an idea. But these two, spirit and matter, they are not in opposition or in contrast to each other. To manifest, spirit depends on matter; to be understood, the invisible depends on the visible (Colossesi 1:6; Jews 11:3; Romans 1:19, 20). At the same time matter, our body, for example, it acquires meaning only when it is given spirit and life.
Christianity therefore differs from that ancient philosophy which considered matter as naturally evil and which considered the end of life to escape material reality.. This is monasticism or escapism from reality, a misunderstanding about true Christian doctrine. Unlike, Christianity argues that man should manifest God's goodness and love in practical and material life. Christ said:
Because I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and mi da da bere; I was a foreigner, and you welcomed me I was naked, and clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and came to see me… In truth I tell you that as you did it to one of these least of my brothers, you did it to me " (Matteo 25: 35-40).
The Old Testament prophet said:
The fast of which I am pleased is not this: let the chains of wickedness break, let loose the bonds of the yoke, let the oppressed be free, and that every kind of yoke is broken? (Isaiah 58:6).
And the apostle Paul wrote:
So let it be that you eat, whether you drink, whether you do anything else, do everything for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Christianity also believes that the spirit (including God, the soul, etc.) is something real and objectively existing. We therefore affirm that the main purpose of life is not the possession of food, of clothes and many other kinds of material comforts. Even if the world's population solved food problems satisfactorily, clothing and accommodation, the higher end of life would not therefore have been achieved. Man is an immortal being; has spiritual as well as material needs.
Jesus Christ said:
Man will not live on bread alone, but of every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matteo 4:4).
This is the fundamental attitude of the Christian towards life.
Materialists declare that this world is only material in nature; first comes matter and second is mind. They claim that since the earth already existed long before there was life, the objective truth is that matter existed before the mind. Mind therefore derives from matter, it is attached to it and cannot exist alone. Such reasoning seems right and materialists find it indisputable. But on careful study it will prove unsustainable.
from "Questions concerning the faith"
