What is religion? It can be the basis for answers to life’s mysteries and it can be a labyrinth of rules and regulations by which to align your lifestyle. But, what if you simply want to live a better life without getting mixed up in all the stipulations and traditions that come with getting mixed in with a certain religion, or denomination for that matter? A new friend of mine started to ask questions about Judgment and what happens when we die; do we go straight to Heaven or Hell when we die or is there a waiting period for everyone who does die until the Day of Judgment comes? After some friendly debating with a few other “religious” people, we concluded that it really comes down to one’s own beliefs and what feels right to them. Then, you can choose which church to attend depending on how well that church fits your personal interests and beliefs. Or is that the correct conclusion? I don’t believe so.
It took some effort for me not to go into a speech of how the Bible is the ultimate authority, no questions asked. Maybe I should have though because the Bible truly is the basis of all truth and the ultimate survival guide to living life according to the will of God. However, I didn’t think it was appropriate at the time to expound on that. Let’s go back to what religion is. Personally, I think that religion is a group of many different categories, a.k.a. denominations, that basically say the same thing but some with either fundamental or subtle differences. For instance, the Islam religion states one way to “salvation” and has its own explanation of what happens after we die. Christianity, on the other hand, also has a definition of salvation and what happens after we die. But what distinguishes one religion from the next? Is there a “right” religion? Is there an overarching principle that sets one apart from the others? If one believes that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God and is divinely inspired, then yes, one religion does trump the others, and whips them at their own game in the process. However, the question still arises about how do we know which religion is the “right” religion especially if someone doesn’t have as much of an understanding of the Bible as, say, a student studying to be a Bible major? What is one hugely fundamental trait that sets one religion completely apart from the rest? Consider this: Buddha was the head “prophet” per se in Buddhism. However, he’s dead. Mohammed was the prophet of Islam. He has a problem as well; he’s dead. Jesus Christ was the “prophet” of Christianity. According to the Bible, he was dead…but he rose again. He conquered death! I don’t know about you, but I would much rather have a personal relationship with someone who’s still alive and can master the powers of death rather than a dead guy who’s still getting to know his grave. That’s one hugely fundamental trait that sets one particular religion apart from the rest; the fact that we can have a personal relationship with the main character of the most important book ever written! And, who is capable of reciprocating that relationship back to those who follow him!
Back to the conversation with my friend. If only I had the time and the conviction to have taken the conversation a step farther. She and another friend who were sitting with me while we discussed religious issues were having a difficult time finding religion worth their time. They were overwhelmed a bit apprehensive at the fact that there was so much to religion (going back to the rules and regulations issue above). True, there is a LOT of background info and different quirks behind every denomination. But, the fact is the relationship between you and the one who defeated death itself for your sake is so much easier to take in and understand. The rest comes with committing your entire life to getting to know him better and to know his will for you life. May God give us the opportunity to take the conversation one step further so those completely overwhelmed by the nuances of religion can understand the reason for it all. One thing that my friend said that really struck me was, “There’s just so much to religion, I don’t think I could ever learn about it to be want to be religious”. Ouch. If that’s the only thing hindering them from possibly entering a relationship with Christ, we’ve got some clarifying to do, brothers and sisters. May we grab the chance to explain the importance between religion and relationship.
It took some effort for me not to go into a speech of how the Bible is the ultimate authority, no questions asked. Maybe I should have though because the Bible truly is the basis of all truth and the ultimate survival guide to living life according to the will of God. However, I didn’t think it was appropriate at the time to expound on that. Let’s go back to what religion is. Personally, I think that religion is a group of many different categories, a.k.a. denominations, that basically say the same thing but some with either fundamental or subtle differences. For instance, the Islam religion states one way to “salvation” and has its own explanation of what happens after we die. Christianity, on the other hand, also has a definition of salvation and what happens after we die. But what distinguishes one religion from the next? Is there a “right” religion? Is there an overarching principle that sets one apart from the others? If one believes that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God and is divinely inspired, then yes, one religion does trump the others, and whips them at their own game in the process. However, the question still arises about how do we know which religion is the “right” religion especially if someone doesn’t have as much of an understanding of the Bible as, say, a student studying to be a Bible major? What is one hugely fundamental trait that sets one religion completely apart from the rest? Consider this: Buddha was the head “prophet” per se in Buddhism. However, he’s dead. Mohammed was the prophet of Islam. He has a problem as well; he’s dead. Jesus Christ was the “prophet” of Christianity. According to the Bible, he was dead…but he rose again. He conquered death! I don’t know about you, but I would much rather have a personal relationship with someone who’s still alive and can master the powers of death rather than a dead guy who’s still getting to know his grave. That’s one hugely fundamental trait that sets one particular religion apart from the rest; the fact that we can have a personal relationship with the main character of the most important book ever written! And, who is capable of reciprocating that relationship back to those who follow him!
Back to the conversation with my friend. If only I had the time and the conviction to have taken the conversation a step farther. She and another friend who were sitting with me while we discussed religious issues were having a difficult time finding religion worth their time. They were overwhelmed a bit apprehensive at the fact that there was so much to religion (going back to the rules and regulations issue above). True, there is a LOT of background info and different quirks behind every denomination. But, the fact is the relationship between you and the one who defeated death itself for your sake is so much easier to take in and understand. The rest comes with committing your entire life to getting to know him better and to know his will for you life. May God give us the opportunity to take the conversation one step further so those completely overwhelmed by the nuances of religion can understand the reason for it all. One thing that my friend said that really struck me was, “There’s just so much to religion, I don’t think I could ever learn about it to be want to be religious”. Ouch. If that’s the only thing hindering them from possibly entering a relationship with Christ, we’ve got some clarifying to do, brothers and sisters. May we grab the chance to explain the importance between religion and relationship.
Convicting! I believe a lot of us have thought through this very same argument. How can one measure the "what makes me happy/what I personally believe will bring me into heaven" when a faulted human race is determining what is True and Right in life? So many good conversations from project 28:)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I will be praying for your friend:)