Comments on: What’s Wrong with Religion?

By: rhett burns

rhett burns — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 02:23:05 +0000

great post andy. i love tim keller's distinction between religion and the gospel. religion says "i obey, therefore God loves and accepts me." the gospel says, "God loves and accepts me, therefore I obey." rhett burnss last blog post..Introducing WeAreSent.com

By: kenSwitzer

kenSwitzer — Fri, 30 May 2008 22:01:15 +0000

I am going to a church now for two reasons.
1. It is close to the house and I am lazy.
2. It bleives like I do, that religion is not the key to heaven.
I imagine a lot of religious people will be going to hell

I had stopped going to church because of religion. I got tired of everyone telling me that if I did not do steps 1, 2, and then 3 I would be forever lost. It is nice to realize that I do not have to BE perfect but try as hard as I can to please God and that is all that is asked of me. Like Andy stated, there are aspects of religion in Christianity. However, too many people make religion their god and and loose site of the one true God.

kenSwitzer

By: Terry Richardson

Terry Richardson — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:31:31 +0000

Good question, and, great reply.

By: Andy Wood

Andy Wood — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:21:57 +0000

Carissa – in the classic definition of the word, you’re absolutely right. Probably for each of the uses here I should have said “man made religion” or “religion without relationship.”

There are certainly “religious” elements to Christianity. I just personally prefer to use a different word for them because the word “religion” has been hijacked by so many people to mean so many different things that it has alienated itself from biblical Christianity. OR, worse, it causes people in the press to lump all passionately “religious” people together.

We’re going throug a season right now in our church where we’re focusing on a lot of those “religious” practices. I’m just calling them disciplines.

I’m absolutely with you in not wanting people to avoid church and the community of faith or accountability! That certainly wasn’t my point. My concern is in so externalizing genuine faith (which in my opinion is as much a public thing as it is a private thing) we reduce it to a legalism that is devoid of life?

Your thoughts? Others?

By: carissa

carissa — Fri, 30 May 2008 06:40:32 +0000

i agree with the sentiment, but don’t you think there are important “religious” elements to Christianity? certain rituals – like baptism and communion – and community rules – like all that ethics stuff in the New Testament – sound like religion to me. the important thing is that it’s PRECEDED by the relationship, which is foremost. but i just fear that demonizing the word “religion” gives people a reason to avoid church and the community of faith (with all its flaws but also benefits) in favor of a personalized “relationship” that’s made to order rather than held accountable.

carissas last blog post..I’m done with college!!!!