Is Christianity a religion?

If a non-religious person were to ask a Christian the above question most would say "no Christianity isn't a religion, its a relationship!" Is that a cliche' or a true statement? Many Christians look at the word religion as a bad word. Why? The reason being is that most "religious" people only look at religion as a system of do's and dont's. Their religious activity is emotionless, a mechanistic tradition passed down often from their parents and grandparents. 

Often times people are involved in religious activity without even understanding why they are doing it, and what it all means. And in that case, one needs to examine themselves and their religion. There are also numerous others that are very impassioned about their religion because they are convinced it helps them, and they believe they are hopefully appeasing the god or ideology they worship.

Then there are others that feel that what they are doing centers them - keeps their mind and body in harmony so they practice yoga as their spiritual discipline. Lastly, there are those who try to improve themselves by attending self-help seminars and read self-help books.

According to Webster's online dictionary, the word religion has several meanings and synonyms.

1. The service and worship of God or the supernatural

2. Commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance

3. A personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs or practices

Synonyms: faith, devotion, piety

Your belief system shapes your worldview which ultimately governs your thoughts, your behavior, and your life. This applies to the monotheist (those who worship one God), the polytheist (those who worship many gods), the pantheist (those who believe God is part of his creation rather than separate from it), and the atheist (the one that believes there is no God). 

I wrote the aforementioned paragraph because it is a spiritual principle. Jesus said what we speak out of our mouths comes from our hearts (Matt 15:18). These are the things that we believe and speak. 

Herein lies the marked difference between Christianity and other religions: the Lord Jesus Christ! There is no other faith on the planet other than Biblical Christ-centered Christianity that can guarantee to save the sinner's soul when they believe in the completed vicarious atonement of Christ. Only in Christ can one have their sins forgiven forever and receive eternal life. From this point, the saved has an ongoing love affair with the triune God. So absolutely yes!! Christianity is an intimate relationship between the Redeemer and his redeemed - it is most personal (Rom 8:15b;Eph 1:5)! We are adopted sons and daughters in the family of God. As a result, we live lives of obedience to God and we serve our neighbors. In the broad sense, Christianity is a religion in relation to the other religions of the world. The difference is it is a pure and undefiled religion according to James 1:27. 

It is not taboo to say that Christianity is a religion. Why? Because it is based on the faith that saves the soul. The founder of our faith was God Almighty in the flesh - the Lord Jesus. Once again, our religion is birthed out of the love of God for his sheep to come and become a substitutionary sacrifice for mankind's sins. True religion rescues the sinner since we can never rescue ourselves from our sins. No other religion or cult (a perversion of the Christian faith - LDS, Jehovah's Witnesses, Emerging Church), founder died for sin. Also, no other religion provided eternal salvation as a free gift to man. All false religions are man-centered and require that the adherent perform meritorious works to earn their salvation or their afterlife whether that be soul sleep, nirvana, a paradise earth, or a Muhammadan-heaven with unbridled sex with virgins (Islam).