My journey with religion is turning to be an interesting one: I was raised in atheist households - not outright rejecting or speaking ill of religion, but never taking it into serious consideration.

My struggle with it has been at the back of my mind for a couple of years now, since being exposed to online personalities who rationalised it for me like Dennis Prager, Cliffe and Stuart Knechtle, and Stefan Molyneux to a lesser degree.

I am still learning very much about Christianity and its theology, and it's a very different line of thinking and an approach to rationality that I'm use to, and it's honestly a pretty exciting journey.

I've always been aware of Christianity's close connection with the Greek / Hellenic world: Greek manuscripts and Socratic teachings aligned heavily with the early Christian world, and that made me think: what about Plato?

We often look to these great minds of antiquity for wisdom, depth, and structure. They built the pillars of Western thought. But what happens when you compare those pillars to the cornerstone of all Christian truth: Christ Himself?

Both Plato and Christ suffered, both were misunderstood by their societies, and both left legacies of philosophy and teaching that shaped civilisation.

But what they did with their suffering shows us everything.

Where one suffered and chose to idealise power, one chose the ultimate sacrifice.

Plato: Order Through Control

Plato’s life was marked by war, political chaos, and personal loss. He fought in the Peloponnesian War, witnessed Athens fall to tyranny, watched his beloved teacher Socrates executed by mob justice, and was even sold into slavery.

His response? To rationalise the ideal society: the Republic.

His idealised "Republic" was a society governed by philosopher-kings, where truth is known by a select few, and control is key to peace. In his utopia, families are abolished, the state raises children, breeding is controlled, censorship is law, and even infanticide is acceptable under certain rules. Hell, he even acknowledges that his system would make incest rampant.

He dreamed of a world shaped by eternal, perfect "Forms"—but tried to realise them by dominating earthly life.

He understandably reached for Heaven, but imposed it on others.

Christ: Sacrifice Through Love

Christ, too, lived under occupation, betrayal, injustice, and death.
He too taught of a higher reality—the Kingdom of Heaven.
But His response wasn’t control. It was sacrifice.

He could have called down angels. He could have ruled as king. Instead, He submitted to death, forgave His enemies, and opened Heaven not to the powerful—but to the meek, the poor, and the repentant.

He revealed Heaven—and died to bring others into it.

He didn't force His vision upon us, He invited us into it, through love, freedom, and grace.

Two Philosophies, Two Souls

Where Plato sought eternal forms to relieve his unstable life, Christ sought the Kingdom of Heaven for everyone else on earth.

Where Plato idealised the perfect form of control, Christ died for a world He knew was broken.

Where Plato wished for the select few philosopher-kings to rule on earth, Christ chose to serve through humility.

And where Plato's state would have saved the rational elite, Christ's invitation can save all.

The Problem with Plato’s Idealism

Even if we admire Plato’s brilliance, we must ask: Why did a man who longed for the good turn to control, elitism, and eugenics to find it?

Because his vision was limited by pride. He saw truth but not mercy, perfection but not forgiveness, and ideas but not people.

It's no wonder his ideals were admired by the likes of Karl Marx.

The Power of Christ’s Humanity

Christ didn’t reject suffering, He embraced it. He didn’t glorify an elite mind, He exalted the lowly heart. He didn’t just teach about goodness, He embodied it.

And this changes everything; Plato preached perfection for himself, where Christ died for the imperfect to make them whole.

If we only follow thinkers who sought Heaven, we may become obsessed with control. But if we follow the one who brought Heaven, we learn to love, even when it hurts.

Many men in history have claimed to be gods, but only one God became fully human, and willingly chose the cross.

That’s why Christianity is more than a philosophy: It’s the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

My journey's just beginning, and I'm not sure whether I'd even call myself a Christian as of now, but the journey is already a very deep one!