Consider ther central principles of Christianity. How do there reflect Platonic ideas - Essay Example

Similar is the philosophical notion of Platonism about God and life. Evidently Christianity was founded and nourished on the social ground where Platonism had been the key pressure. To illustrate, Christianity has a lot of similarities with the basic notions of Platonism. First of all, the Christian doctrines and Platonic principles accept the fact that spirit is superior to body and that it exists in all. In addition, Plato accepts the eternal, omnipresent and omnipotent nature of God. He also acknowledges the fact that God gives soul to human and that God created world because he is good.

Platonism shows similarity in accepting the fact that God gives laws and every soul will be rewarded or punished according to its deeds. Both Platonism and Christianity maintain the concept of heaven and hell. Christianity also is based on the belief that God created the world and he created humans in his own likeness and character. Genesis 1:26 states that God created man in his own image. And it is said that ‘he made the world good; and when he saw it he was delighted’ (Genesis 1:31). .

In addition, Jesus Christ teaches to lay up treasures in heaven where ‘neither moth nor rust corrupt them’ (Mathew 6:20). Moreover, it is said in Romans that “if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwell in you” (Romans 8:11). Similar is the belief found in Platonism. According to Plato, (Phaedo, 114 C) after death, every soul goes to a place corresponding to its deeds while alive.

If then, the wicked with curable sin nature will be left to a lower world where they shall suffer for their sins; whereas, the incurable souls will be abandoned permanently into hell. With regard to pious souls, they shall live without human bodies forever in eternal happiness with God almighty (ibid). Hence, the striking similarity between the Church and Platonism comes in the concept of heaven, hell and purgatory. Jesus says clearly that ‘it is better to pluck out your right eye if it sins because it is better to lose it than being cast into hell’ (Mathew 5:29).

He also warns that “no one who speaks against the Holy Spirit will be forgiven either in this world or in the next” (Matthew 12:32). Another agreement comes in the case of body-soul interaction. Bible says “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28) The concept that Platonism cherishes also is similar because it says that external aspects or diseases of the body can little harm the soul; whereas vice, can worsen the moral quality of