Faith versus Religion, take 1
Sort of an answer to Kismet's great post on my first religion post...
I have a problem with organized religion as well. Religions in my mind are created by men for men. (NOTE: I use men to refer to humanity, dont read more into it than is there I follow the classic usage of the word).
Organized Religions are a function of mankind being a political and social animal. They have no bearing on Faith. Unfortunately, we as a species like to group and then define our groups with boundaries. Organized Religion is mankind setting boundaries on God and how we are relate to God.
I said earlier that I am a Christian. I am a member of the Christian Faith, which I think is more important than being of one sect or another. That is why when people ask me what religion I reply Christian. To me, in my reading and understanding it is BELIEF that makes Faith. Christ, in my interpretation, confirms this by telling the one thief that acknowledges him on the cross that they will be in paradise this day. That thief believed and thereby he was redeemed. He didnt have to have any complicated rituals or worship in anyway. So many Christians today seem to think you have to be tied to some set of rituals to make it to heaven.
Now, I do like ritual. I like the orderliness of it. I like feeling that I am following in traditions, but all of that matters less than belief.
But to get back to Kismets point, I think Faith and Belief are most important to God. After that comes living out your Faith, so others see it. At the end of the Book of John after Christ restores Peter as the leader of His followers, Peter asks about John and Christ replies that it is none of Peter's business and that Peter needs to focus on following Christ. I think more Christians need to do that. We worry about others so much that we forget we are to be Following Christ. Should we help our brother and sister, yes we must. But we must also never forget two important things. One is that all are sinners. Two is that we always have logs in our own eyes and need to deal with them before critizing someone elses twig.
I have a problem with organized religion as well. Religions in my mind are created by men for men. (NOTE: I use men to refer to humanity, dont read more into it than is there I follow the classic usage of the word).
Organized Religions are a function of mankind being a political and social animal. They have no bearing on Faith. Unfortunately, we as a species like to group and then define our groups with boundaries. Organized Religion is mankind setting boundaries on God and how we are relate to God.
I said earlier that I am a Christian. I am a member of the Christian Faith, which I think is more important than being of one sect or another. That is why when people ask me what religion I reply Christian. To me, in my reading and understanding it is BELIEF that makes Faith. Christ, in my interpretation, confirms this by telling the one thief that acknowledges him on the cross that they will be in paradise this day. That thief believed and thereby he was redeemed. He didnt have to have any complicated rituals or worship in anyway. So many Christians today seem to think you have to be tied to some set of rituals to make it to heaven.
Now, I do like ritual. I like the orderliness of it. I like feeling that I am following in traditions, but all of that matters less than belief.
But to get back to Kismets point, I think Faith and Belief are most important to God. After that comes living out your Faith, so others see it. At the end of the Book of John after Christ restores Peter as the leader of His followers, Peter asks about John and Christ replies that it is none of Peter's business and that Peter needs to focus on following Christ. I think more Christians need to do that. We worry about others so much that we forget we are to be Following Christ. Should we help our brother and sister, yes we must. But we must also never forget two important things. One is that all are sinners. Two is that we always have logs in our own eyes and need to deal with them before critizing someone elses twig.
posted by Sojourner at 10:59 AM
1 Comments:
In someways, there is that similarity. I think part of what makes Christianity different is that God became flesh. He walked in our shoes. Christ understood what it was to be a man. He had all the feelings; dreams and desires. How he acted on them was different, but they were still there. I think the Gospels show us Christ in the whole range of human emotion. I dont think a remote Spirit/Mind could relate to us without having done that.
God is much like a parent that wants their child to grow up. At first you start out by laying down the law, then as they get older you hope you have taught them enough that their own moral/ethical compass will guide them. With that in place, you now talk to them and tell them that actions have consequences. You help them by showing them how you would do things, but here is the key difference from the child...The choice is their own.
NOTE: Everyone has a different interpretation of what is moral and ethical, but God does give his waypoints on what his views are. Christ did it by his re-interpretation of the Commandments.
1. Love God with all your mind and all your heart and all your soul.
2. Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matt 22: 34-40)
Even here Christ changed the Don'ts to Do's. He didnt reiterate the old lines. Here Christ talks to adults and says, this is how God wants you to relate to him and to each other. You relate not because you have to, but as an outgrowth of love(Agape).
Long answer to your first comment. I am going to answer the 2nd in a full post, because I think it is crucial to my viewpoint.
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