What is Religion?

(Authors note: This is an article that I wrote over twenty years ago during the beginning of my Christian walk. I went back and reread it just recently and was amazed at how much of this relates not only to the Christian church at that time, but how directly it points at Islam. Many of you are very familiar with Islam now, so as you read this, keep the teaching’s of Islam in your thoughts. Peace be with you…Alien)

What is Religion?

Is it what God intended it to be? Jesus came to earth to try and free people from that kind of regimented religion where people are threatened if they don’t obey rules and rituals invented by the clergy. Jesus came to teach people that they are God’s children and, as His children they are free, free to grow as human beings to become beautiful people as God intended.

That can’t be legislated. Jesus gave the apostles and the community as a support to provide help and guidance and consolation. Jesus did not envision “bosses” in the worldly sense. He wanted His apostles to guide and serve, not to dictate and legislate like those who govern the world.

Unfortunately, religious leaders model themselves after civil governments and treat people accordingly. In doing this, they fall into the same trap that the scribes and Pharisees fell into, making religion a tangible set of measurable religious observances, which is legalistic and superficial. This makes them the focus of religious observance rather than God, and it is their endless rules and rituals rather than love of God and concern for others that occupies the people’s attention. Customs, practices, and traditions then replace true service of God, and these become a serious obstacle to real growth in the love of God.

If people take religious leaders too seriously, they become rigid in their thinking and afraid to think for themselves and must always refer decisions to the clergy. Even as adults, they will still cling to the religious practices of their childhood, and even when mere ceremonies and customs change, they panic because they have been led to believe these things WERE their faith.

With that kind of mentality, all growth stops, because growth means change and holiness means an even-deepening understanding of God and what He expects from each one of us. If a person is not open to the inspirations of the Spirit, because it goes beyond what the priests will allow, then even the Holy Spirit cannot work in him and he remains stunted. What is worse, he frustrates the work that God wants to accomplish in him.

That’s why the prophets of old were such great men. They had the boldness to see beyond the limitations of human religious traditions and provide guidance to God’s people. They had the boldness to see beyond the limitations of human religious traditions and provide guidance to God’s people. They had the courage to break out of the sterile rigidness of religious forms, and incurred the wrath of religious leaders who hated them for this and persecuted them, even killing some of them in the name of religion.

Religious leaders constantly fall into this pit of wanting to control religion and peoples practice of religion and not allow people to think for themselves for fear they will lose control over them. Jesus never intended for religion to do the damage that it has. It is horrible how many religious leaders persecuted and even has people tortured or killed for their beliefs. Even God respects people’s freedom, and faith is a gift. People must believe freely.

The function of religious leaders is to set and example, to draw people to God by their own deep faith and by the beauty of their personal lives. Not intimidate people into sterile religious external observance. THAT IS NOT RELIGION! That mocks true religion. True religion comes from the heart. It is a deep relationship with God, and should bring peace, love, and joy to people. NOT fear, guilt, and meanness. Worship only has meaning when it is free. God is not honored by worship that is forced under threat of sin or penalty. Nor is God honored by subservient obedience to religious laws devoid of love.

God is pleased only be the free expression of the soul that truly loves Him. Anything less is counterfeit and serves only the short term needs of religious institutions. When you think about any subject and feel strongly about it, it is easy to express what you feel. Understanding God’s love for us is something everyone should feel strongly about, and we should not allow anyone, even religious authorities, to take that from us. I think it is important for people to realize that God’s prime concern is PEOPLE, not religious structures. “They” exist merely to channel God’s word to people.

God wants people to understand their lives and find happiness. He does not want nor needs anything from them save that they allow themselves to grow in wisdom and peacefulness. God’s law is not a code arbitrarily imposed on people to restrict their freedom unreasonably. It was intended as a guide to happiness.

Over the centuries religious leaders have twisted the law into a mandate that is irrelevant to mans nature and thereby restricts the natural freedom people should enjoy. This makes religion seem like a burden rather than something they should find joy and comfort in. This arbitrary restriction of freedom has given religion its bad name and, in fact, has given religion its name. The word “religion” comes from a root word which means “to bind up”, and is what God did not want to do! God created people to enjoy the free existence He gave them. All that God wants is that we love Him and love one another and in doing that, find happiness. It is all so very simple.

Religion in the time of Jesus was not that much different than it is today. Religious leaders may have had more power to punish people for violations of religious observances, but they have always felt that in some way, they had a special mandate from God to control people’s lives and even their thinking. When people don’t obey, they are made to feel that they are disobeying God, resisting His grace, and jeopardizing their salvation. That is not healthy. God never intended that human religious institutions should have such control over people’s lives.

It is the function of the Apostles and those that succeed them to guide the flock gently and to offer what Jesus taught. But it is not their place to dictate what people must believe or bully people into submission. Nor should they demand more of people than God Himself.

Religion is most beautiful when a person lives an ordinary life but motivated by a great love of God. Jesus was most insistent the His followers not imitate the practices of the Pharisees, who delighted in inventing elaborate practices for the people to observe and transformed religion into observance of human traditions. When religious leaders do this, they turn people away from God because people rightfully resent being forced to observe rules made by people and mandated as necessary for salvation.

That is what Jesus was referring to when He told the apostles that they should not partake of the leaven of the Pharisees, nor should they be like the pagan rulers who love to lord it over their subjects.

Look around you; many religious organizations today reflect many of these qualities. Listen to what people are saying today about the church. If it is not true, then ignore what you have read. BUT, if it is, read on.

If I have offended you, then I am sorry that you feel that way, but I will not apologize for what I have said. Many people have been taught that the “church” is the infallible voice of God. As long as fallible humans are involved, it will NEVER be infallible! God’s word IS infallible. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that the church should be done away with, but I do believe that the church needs to function as God wanted it to, as a hospital for sick people.

Right now, the church is a boat that is sinking because of all the holes. I cannot tread water long enough to point out all the holes, so I stay on the boat and help to patch up the holes and keep sailing on til I reach that shore called “Heaven”.

Grace and peace to all

Patrick McNew
(c) 1/1/2007

One final note here: A former brother in Christ helped me in the writing on a portion of this. This brother has since fallen into sin and has renounced his beliefs and has given me all permission to publish this as mine. I still want to give him credit, but he wants none of it. I do ask all of you reading this that you would pray for this brother, that he return to his first love. I will only give his name as "J".
Thank you
Alien
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"The conversion of the entire population to Islam and the extinction of every form of dissent is the ideal of the Muslim State - This is Islamic Peace"

A moderate Moslem is one who sends others blow themselves up.