Stopping the vicious cycle of religion
Posted by admin in missional on Jul 29th, 2005 | 7 commentsWe are all infected and impure with sin. When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away (Isaiah 64:6, NLT).
I think Karl Marx may have been right when he said “religion is the opiate of the masses.” Now before you choke on your bagel or spit out your latte, let me explain.
Religion is addictive. Religion as an institution that realizes humans need to feel better about what they’ve done wrong. Protestants pay penance by attending church every Sunday, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. Catholics go to confession. Presbyterians give lots of money. Episcopalians have the best Christmas parties. No matter what their denomination or faith system, they get their conscience fixed one way or another (or not) and continue to be no different than the rest of the culture. It’s addictive. Live like you want, then numb your conscience with religious ritual. You feel good about yourself for a couple of days and then you feel the need for a fix. Do some more religion. Feel bad. Come back for more religion.
Most people have at least been exposed to the vicious cycle of religion. They’ve either experienced it first hand or they’ve seen how shallow it is from the outside. People move from religion to religion or church to church looking for the spiritual high that will last them all week. That’s why Isaiah 64:6 was written then, and that’s why it’s so applicable now.
The beginning point to stopping the vicious cycle of religion is to start a relationship with Jesus Christ. He alone can fix the core issue: sin. When we trust in Christ alone to solve our problem of repetitive damaging behavior (sin), the need for a spiritual fix goes away. It’s almost overstated in some circles, but knowing God is about a relationship and not religion. Jesus Christ makes us brand new…mind, body, and soul. “We are all infected and impure with sin.” Jesus cures our infection of sin. Religion simply numbs the pain of sin for a while.
“When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags.” Outside-in religion gets us nowhere spiritually. Doing the right thing, saying the right thing, being in the right place…all the pious things that we think will bury our real problem of sin, end up being worthless. We leave the religious gathering with an emotional high that fades quickly. Or worse, we leave with no sense of encountering God at all.
So we begin again. But this time we realize that the issue isn’t the church or religion, it’s our sin. We realize that there is no quick fix for our souls. The cure for our sin sick souls is a relationship with Jesus Christ. We realize it will take consistent work on our part. It will be an everyday, every hour, every moment commitment. And God is there, all the time…waiting to show us His love for us. He accepts us unconditionally and challenges us to change without making us feel like dirt.
We can all stop the cycle of repetitive, damaging behavior in our life. The fix is inside-out, adjusting our character as we grow in a relationship with God.
Have a great day.
7 Responses to “ “Stopping the vicious cycle of religion”
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Hi Ken,
I just wanted to see if I can better articulate my thoughts. Sometimes it takes time to get the ducks in a tighter row.
It has occured to me that our differences stem from authenticity, that is Who said what. You feel if it’s not from the Bible – it is not authentic. I say it “could” be.
In realty, does it matter?
A definition of right and wrong that I have come to embrace is that which serves could be called right. Conversely, what does not serve could be called wrong. I feel there is no other consideration as useful.
In that light, does it matter who said what? What I mean is, if a concept or belief serves man, serves him well, then it is right – no matter who promotes/authors it. Thereby, I am suggesting that the merits of a belief are of more value than the author.
Of course if God says it there is obvious value. I am just saying if a good concept comes to us after the historical Bible times – it can have value, be right – can serve us!
Gary
Gary,
If you raise the value of something written post-Bible to the level of inspired revelation, I personally have a big problem with that. Based on your past posts, you believe that other writings by a post-Bible Christ Spirit are God breathed revelation. You have me pegged… if it’s not in the Bible it’s not authoritative spiritually.
Will Rogers said some things that have value. John Lennon said some things of value. Tony Blair says things that have value. Ken Miller says some things of value. At some point most people say something of value. But nothing of what the aforementioned says should be given eternal spiritual authority and be canonized.
You are not far from eternal life Gary. Knowledge and debate, however, are not the path to eternal life.
Some how I missed my mark. I did not mean to suggest to canonize anything post Bible.
You and I have eternal life Ken. Knowlegde and debate do add to understanding, which can or at least should ease our process.
Gary
Gary,
Without going and digging up old posts, etc., I believe that earlier you said that there are many God inspired writings that are post-Bible. Has your position changed? If so, that would be very encouraging.
So how does one receive eternal life in your opinion?
No Ken, I will not say my “position” has changed, I am attempting to articulate it more effectively. I am sorry, I know you would have found it encouraging otherwise.
I think we “are” children of God, the Catholics said so, that I believe. It was, at least, in the Bible. So eternal life is not to be gained or earned, just to be used, lived forward, as opposed to backwards = devil.
Eternal life is to be realized. We just need to realize that it “is” our inheiretance.
Gary
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we are all children of God. The Catholic church may say that, but the Bible does not.
The Bible (therefore God) does say that all who believe the exclusive message of Jesus Christ, are children of God (Read Romans 8). Too many have extrapolated that to include everyone. One simply cannot read the Scripture in its context (the entire book of Romans) and come out with a different answer.
You continue to want God on your terms. That’s your perogative.
Read the narrative of the Christian worldview of eternal life I post tomorrow and consider it. Don’t expect a response to any of your comments on the post, since my weekends are a bit busy. I will be judicious in replying to you from now on.
My fear is that you will continue to seek knowledge and debate in the cover of anonymity of the Internet and let eternal life pass you by. I’ve asked God to bring a capable believer into your life to dialogue with…in person.
Peace,
Ken
Thanks Ken, I truly appreciate your position, even if I differ. I appreciate the thought. I do talk to people – not just chosen ones. I have spent more time looking into spiritual matters in the last 5 years than in the previous 50!
I do look back at the fundamentalists, as I do with you. I do use new eyes in the process. I guess it’s my scientific nature to question and observe what works. What I see is that to far too large a degree religion does not seem to work. It tries to serve man – but fails so many. I do not knock religion – I just feel it needs to charter new territory.
Religion becomes phylosophy. Religion becomes politics. Religion forms the beiefs that man uses to determine his total behavior. When looking at society with those eyes I see that something is not working – in general. Religion divides people. There are so many books of God. People have to choose the right one. If you don’t you end up in Hell. Every body feels the one they worship is the right one, and they are betting their eternal life on it. You do.
So I ask this question: If there is one true God, as I and MOST believe, why so many books? Why so many Bibles, of so many names? How could such a basic part of existence itself be so divided?
So I’ll risk looking stupid again and say – I feel that to a large degree religion has BECOME a smoke screen to blurr man’s true relationship with God. Man wants to be the dispenser of God’s law.
I recently read a book that was very telling, in my opinion. I will close here with a line(quote)
“If you do not go within,
You go without.”
Gary