After hearing bits and pieces of several interesting conversations today, I came upon the idea of comparing Christianity [More of a traditional, Catholic stance] to the classic Feudalism that was a common form of government during the dark and middle ages.
For the purpose of this discussion, I will use the "classic" view of Feudalism as my example. This would be that there is a leading Lord, at the top of the social caste. The lord owns an estate, or a large amount of land. Bishops/Priests or religious figureheads are under the Lord in social and power ranking. Beneath them are the Knights, who operate as the Lord's defense and protect his estate. Below the Knights are the Peasants, who work the Lord's land and are seemingly at the mercy of the Lord, but in return, they gain protection from the Lord's knights. Give some, get some. Take note that the Knights are kept in service by not only righteous dedication, but by fiefs given to Knights, which are Vassals receiving their own land in return.
The Lord can be of a collective of Lords under the King. Knights follow a system called Chivalry, which, to put it simply, is a code of honor. They fight for their Heavenly Lord [God], their mortal Lord, and their chosen Lady.
After examining this, I have concluded that this failed and terrible system of "Government" is similar to not only Christianity, but to the majority of worldwide, organized religion.
In Christianity, the equivalent to the Lord would be, well, the Lord; God.
Under God are the Bishops and Priests, foremost being the Pope and those in the Vatican. [Again, basing this on Catholic Christianity]. They serve God and are very "Holy" men, but are not as seen as high or mighty as the Lord, God.
Beneath the Bishops/Priests are the Knights. The equivalents to a Knight can number in many. Some are Priests themselves, reverends, and other religious leaders and preachers that follow a strict moral and religious code and in a sense "Fight" and "Protect" their Lord. The chosen lady of these men or women (In the case of Nuns and Monks) could be considered the Virgin Mary. Others that fit this description are religious devotees and acolytes of all walks of life. Privileges and moral well being accompanied by social power could be considered the Fief.
When we reach the peasants, we reach the horde of believers of Christianity. The peasants serve the Lord just as believers serve God. They give up many of their natural freedoms and will to gain protection from God by prayer and worship services. Unlike feudalism, the belief and pride in the Lord is so strong that the peasants or believers will worship it. Like peasants, the believers follow this strict code of conduct to be in the religion and even their sexual life is set forth by some doctrine or another, just as the Lord giving a couple permission to bear children.
Although peasants are at the bottom, serfs could be considered even worse or more unlucky. A serf is a peasant that is not allowed to leave the estate from which they were born. I have yet to find an equivalent to the serf.
It is peculiar that Christianity and the majority of organized religion today follows the same general pattern as Feudalism. Because so many freedoms were stripped from the individuals participating in the lower stages of Feudalism, I.E. Peasants, it failed to work in the long run and the system itself could be to blame for centuries of war in Europe. As ironic as it is, the Feudalistic setup of Christianity has also caused centuries of religious war, and eventually, the Crusades. Although it is known that the Crusades were not some righteous war by a mad Pope, but rather Christians taking up arms to defend holy sites and Europe from invading Muslims, it was still a holy war.
I am continually shocked by these similarities. Feudalism, I shall once again say, is a flawed system. Does this mean the how the Church works is just as flawed? I challenge all who may read this to post their own opinions and observations on the situation, because I can't understand how such a controversial topic will not cause debate.