I have to confess at one point I was one of those that would agree with a statement that ignorantly said Christianity isn't a religion. However, it is important we actually think and analyze these kinds of statements, that are more like a Christianese fad than a deep theological consideration, and not them confuse our life of faith. Worshiping and being "religious" is exactly what God wants us to do and be, but religion/life according to how He defines and commands it be, not how man has often perverted it to be. Check out what Voddie has to say, I was very challenged by this and I hope you will be too.
"There is a common mantra that has been around for a while, but which seems to be picking up steam. It goes like this: “Christianity is not a religion; it’s a relationship.” We’ve all heard it before. However, how many of us have bothered to evaluate this ubiquitous saying? I believe we must do just that. We must evaluate this mantra, and the syllogism by which it is frequently accompanied:
Religion is man’s attempt to reach God
Christianity is God’s attempt to reach man
Therefore, Christianity is not a religion.
I believe this syllogism is not only invalid, but patently false..."
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4 comments:
Good article. It's scary to follow the line of logic that if we convince people that Christianity is not a religion it could be removed from world religion books and from having chaplain in the armed forces etc... that would be a tragic turn of events from a silly argument over semantics.
I'm trying to digest all of this. Mostly because I just used that phrase yesterday.
Maybe it's both. I don't know.
"Enough already with the play on words. It’s not our job to make Christianity cool."
This statement is interesting to me. Because if anything, I feel more uncomfortable when I say I have a relationship with God and yesterday even told the person I was talking to that it sounds weird. But I described it as, praying is like picking up the phone to call a friend. And reading your bible is like getting to know someone. I see the point now, where Christianity is a Religion because of our beliefs. But at the same point, I think our religion is more like a relationship. It's different than Buddhism or Mormonism. God chooses us and wants us to walk with Him. I guess I just don't see why the author thinks of using the word relationship as trying to sound cool? I think it's the truth. God calls us His children and He is our Father. That's a relationship. Our Bridegroom to the bride. A relationship.
Haha, maybe it's because I feel really stupid now after the conversation I had with my friend wondering if I said something wrong. But I still think that it's both. I admit fault in saying it's not a religion because the definintions clearly prove it is.
So my conclusion as of now is it's both. Christianity is a religion but personal in the fact that each person has their own individual relationship with God. That He can hear each of our prayers at the same time.
I'd like to hear anyone else's thoughts on what I just said...
Our relationship with God is founded on his promises- his covenant in the blood of Jesus Christ. We're called to be obedient slaves to Him. Just as Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." John 15:5.
However, he also specified that "You are my friends if you do what I command" in the verse prior. So, our relationship is truly the foundation, but it is a relationship of servant and friend.
As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12, "12The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink...21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable..."
We are knit together by the Spirit, and there is certainly nothing that limits our relationship to a 'personal' thing in Matthew 18!
Thanks for all the quotes from scripture Tim, its easy to throw our opinions out there without any biblical basis, you set a good example for us here in the blogosphere to refer to the Word wherever we're conversing.
Amanda, thanks for your honesty in sharing your thinking about what Voddie had to say about this phrase. Like I mentioned, in the past I used similar language trying to distance Christianity from anything religious, but I was not basing that thinking on a complete consideration of actual definitions of religion or on what the bible actual says. I have no doubt that many people use this phrase to be cool or relevant, maybe you didn't but I know many do. And some are like you which as Voddie put, are trying to "assure skeptics that we are not offering dead ritual and empty tradition. The goal is to paint a picture of a vibrant life with our Lord, Jesus Christ" which is understandable.
But, that doesn't make it okay to make false and ignorant statements like "Christianity isn't a religion", at least that's what I'm convicted of. Maybe the better way to make the point is to just share what it means to be a Christian, and that will include all the elements of the "religion" which includes relationship (hopefully you caught that Voddie wasn't denying the relationship element, just the personal, egocentric, narcissistic concept of relationship that has found its way into the church.
A thought I had this morning is that ironically I've heard people say that many people have been turning to something like buddhism or something else that is all encompassing of one's life. Many people have seen Christianity (as it is today) as a subscription to a belief system. Seems like many people may want more than that, and sadly they are missing out on true Christianity maybe in part because we are trying to be relevant and seem relational and not be religious, and thus neglected the true Christianity which should take over every part of our life, not just be a bunch of beliefs we claim to agree on and live out personally when and how we feel like (sorry, but the "personal relationship" thing has been in my thinking a lot and I've been seeing some of the problems it has caused in the American church).
May we as Christians be religious according to how God wants us to be, know His promises and trust Him, obey His commands, live according to the Spirit, live in community as the church, declare His praises and interact with Him personally and corporately.
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