Anti-Religion Nonsense, Religion v. Relationship Replaces Gospel Message.

When I was a child, religion was an okay word at church. Our religion was Christianity. Vain religion was deceiving yourself and not bridling your tongue. Pure religion was "visiting the fathers and widows in their affliction and keeping himself unspotted from the world." Then there was a crusade. The preacher said religion was man reaching out to God, but Christianity is God reaching out to man. Seemed like a point that didn't go anywhere. Maybe that was my sense of the feel of the audience, or maybe it just seemed like a weird point to me. 'Religion' pretty much means Christianity in the old Puritan writings.

Preachers used to preach Christ's suffering on the cross. If they had 'sinner's prayers' they followed Romans 10:9-10 as a means of confessing faith in the resurrection. People would be at 'altar calls' confessing they were sinners, and other aspects of the Christian faith.

Fast forward 8 or 10 years or so, and I heard a preacher say, "I don't want you to be religious. Being religious is a bad thing." I thought what a strange statement that was. A visiting unbeliever who came would probably think, 'If religion is so bad, why are you here in church? Why did you pray?"

Doing a little research with searches on Google Books, the first reference to a "Christianity is not a Religion. It is a relationship." I also found out that pan-religionist types don't like the word religion. The phrase 'Spiritual but not religious' (often used by carnal unbelievers) was used in the early 1960's. My guess is some folks in the Jesus people movement came up with the relationship not a religion saying maybe to connect with the 'spiritual and not religious' crowd or maybe some niche hippie beliefs.

But my thoughts on this is that this 'It's not a religion. It's a relationship.' talk is a smoke screen that probably just confused overwhelmed unchurched believers. Religion means 'that which has to do with God or gods' or 'activities or faith that honors God or gods' or whatever the dictionaries say in the minds of most people. It does NOT mean empty rituals. And you know what-- man reaching out to God isn't bad, since God gives grace to enable men to do it. I am guessing this whole speech on religion versus relationship was influenced by Karl Barth's writings on religion, too, before the other influences.

So basically, an unbeliever comes to church. He hears all these evangelicals talking about how 'religion' is bad. He has to learn what they mean by 'religion.' They might tell him it is man reaching out to God. Good works. people trying to be holy on their own-- some new made-up definition that does not match our Bible translations or the Christian writings before 1980 except for maybe those who said that during the Jesus movement or people who thought the comment was actually meaningful from Hal Lindsay's book.

Then, this type of thinking discourages good religious practice. I saw some young people in their 20's jumping on a trampoline who were talking about not wanting to be 'religious'. When the Bible study started, they did not come in and join. They kept jumping. I have encountered people online who did not want to be religious who thought it was not good to have a set prayer time as a discipline. The idea that 'religious ritual is bad' is too extreme. We get baptized. We have the Lord's Supper. I'm not dousing people with holy water, sniffing incense or wearing a fish hat.

Before I was born, 'personal' was added to presentations of the gospel. 'Personal' got added before Savior. Without explanation, throwing personal around like that seemed kind of strange. I think the original meaning was each of us individually has to repent. That's fine. But without explanation, "Jesus is MY Savior. I have a personal computer. It's mine, you can't use it. It's my personal property, and Jesus is my Personal Savior." Then you have preachers who say "ALL that matters is your personal relationship with God." And you wonder why people repeat a prayer and never come back to church. These messages teach people that community is not important, church is not important, and other people and their being saved is not important.

I just read this quote today:
John Wesley (1703-1791):
“Christianity is essentially a social religion; to turn it into a solitary religion is indeed to destroy it.”

He didn't consider 'religion' to be a dirty word, and this touches on the 'personal' thing as well.

I go to a Bible study and the host things this 'spoken word' rap thing is so deep, and it's about how bad religion is. Religion doesn't feed the poor. I'm thinking what are you supposed to do when you feed the fatherless. If I get a chance to teach there, which is likely, I may address the topic, if there are not more worthy things to teach.

The thing I lament is the 'It's not a religion; it's a relationship: talk replacing the Gospel. There are generations of Christians who haven't heard the preaching on the cross before the sinner's prayers. They haven't heard the sinner's prayers rooted to scripture about the resurrection. It seems typical in a lot of churches to hear a sermon on some topic not about salvation, followed by what must seem like confusing nonsense about religion being bad...in church at that!!! (putting myself in the typical unbelievers shoes). Then this is followed by some vague reference to someone named Jesus, Who can help you somehow if you accept Him, and the preacher does not explain what that means. Maybe he promises you something great, maybe eternal life. You repeat a prayer that says nothing about the cross or salvation from God's wrath, or Jesus rising from the dead. Then the preacher says if you believed that you are saved and get to be in heaven forever.

"Oh, yay! If I believe religion is bad and relationship is good and repeated some words that mentioned something about someone named Jesus, they say I get to go to heaven? Heaven sounds like good things in pop songs about intimate relationships, so that must be good. Well, that sure was a long meeting at that church place, so I might not go back, but it is good to know I am going to heaven."

When I was a child, religion was an okay word at church. Our religion was Christianity. Vain religion was deceiving yourself and not bridling your tongue. Pure religion was "visiting the fathers and widows in their affliction and keeping himself unspotted from the world." Then there was a crusade. The preacher said religion was man reaching out to God, but Christianity is God reaching out to man. Seemed like a point that didn't go anywhere. Maybe that was my sense of the feel of the audience, or maybe it just seemed like a weird point to me. 'Religion' pretty much means Christianity in the old Puritan writings. "

The problem with "religion" is that it lumps Christianity in with Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam etc. I don't recall any of the apostles telling people that Christianity is a new and better religion. Every religion has some common attributes. There is a "holy book" with lots of rules to follow and a dead founder.

Failing to preach the cross is commonplace, I agree. It's created a church full of make believers.

However, I can't see that calling Christianity a religion is going to resolve that problem.

People need to be convicted of sin and to realise that they are headed for an eternity separated from God. I am not convinced that the meeting of the church is the place for this. I used to attend a Baptist church where there was a regular Saturday night gospel message. No one was prevented from attending the Sunday meeting, but unbelievers were steered towards the gospel meeting.

All religions are man made so they are all worldly connected and not derived from any Spiritual source -------Christianity is no different ---you do not need to be a Christian to become Born Again and have a personal relationship with God ------Religion is a big FARCE in my view ------Religion keeps you in bondage to their different views and all their different traditions ------Religion is made up of Man made rules and expectations --

I dare anyone to find me a Scripture where Jesus said Follow My Religion --Where Jesus says My Religion of Christianity is the right Religion to Follow ------

Religion shows up twice in the Bible in James 1 right there towards the end of the chapter. The word comes from 'religio' in Latin, which etymologically probably came from a word that meant 'to bind' but referred to obligation, and was used for something like 'religion' in Latin. Of course, it's meaning change over time.

Since the word only shows up twice in probably every translation I've ever looked at, you are not going to find that quote. But you might find one from His brother, unless James was written by His disciple the son of Zebedee.

If you look through the Bible, you aren't going to find anyone preaching how evil religion is, and then telling people to repeat a prayer to get them saved, for believing religion is bad, either.

I think nowadays when people talk about religion they are referring to head coverings, who’s allowed to talk/teach in a church service, the church service itself, who the “worship leader” is, and many many more divisive things.

All of those things that, while harmless, actually just don’t really mean anything.

As we all know, Jesus did away with the temple and priesthood and spiritualized everything. Now your body is a temple, your worship is spirit and truth, your sacrifices are giving thanks, your priest is Jesus, you can talk directly to God in prayer, the church is a spiritual body, not a brick and mortar building, etc.

Religion shows up twice in the Bible in James 1

The word Religion in this scripture is not 'religio' -----

the word religion in this scripture is

thréskeia -----which is used in the context of external Worship

-----it has nothing to do with belonging to a Religious denominations group ----which is man made ------

The Word Christian was used by the Gentiles who called the Disciples Christians ----Jesus never --ever used this word it was used by unbelievers in a mocking way ------and Paul keep the name ------

THE WAY _____ is what Jesus Called the Disciples to do -----Follow MY Way -----not any Religion -----

James 1:26-27 ABCE

26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious (piously observant of the external duties of his faith) and does not bridle his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person’s religious service is worthless (futile, barren).

27 External [a]religious worship [[b]religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.

So this scripture is saying nothing about all Religious Denominations being OK to Follow nor does it say anything about Christianity being the right religion ---

External worship is in the category of 'religion' for people who speak regular English who have not been subjected to this forced vocabulary change that has overtaken the US evangelical subculture.

Pure religion

And you linked the same rap that I found irksome at the Bible study? I'm not going to listen to it again, but he said something about religion not feeding the poor. Might not someone with 'pure religion' who visits those widows and fatherless in their affliction feed them if they are hungry? If they read the rest of his epistle, they might.

Well said, I would change one word.

Sincere worship is in the category of 'religion' for people who speak regular English who have not been subjected to this forced vocabulary change that has overtaken the US evangelical subculture.

Religion can be good or bad in James 1. There is vain religion and pure religion.