Religion is defined as the belief in and/or worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a person God or God’s. Another definition of religion is a pursuit or interests to which someone describes supreme importance. The latter definition always struck me as kind of strange. It is not my intention make light of the beliefs of any sincere person, but I have never understood the anger spewed towards ones beliefs. I suppose people have a reason to believe what they believe, so where does the hostility come from. I have always found it strange to hear people say that they have found religion, but they usually have found some person, or organization to follow. They identify with the personality of the man or woman and believe they sit on some higher level than one’s self. It is my heartfelt belief that this is the reasoning behind the father not wanting the children of Israel to have a king; instead God wanted judges to handle the affairs of the people. The idea of a hierarchy system was not the intent of creation. Religion has placed distance between God and mankind. You tend to see yourself as the low person on the totem pole. God, the king, then come you with all your flaws, finding yourself at the back of the line. The term king is used in regards to having a person seated higher then yourself. For anyone who has ever read the Bible they would understand that Jesus hated religion. Religion spends time finding faults with others, while hiding their own. We can see how Jesus felt about religion in John 8 4- 10, 4 they said unto him master this woman was taken in adultery in the very act. 5 now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said to tempt him that they might have two accuse him but Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, he that is without sin let him cast a stone at her and again he stooped down and wrote on the ground and they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone in the woman standing in the midst 10 when Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw non-but the woman, he said unto her, woman where are the accusers? Have no man condemn thee? Notice how Jesus dealt with the woman and her mistake, while on other hand the religious wanted her dead! Why is that? So if Jesus decided to be merciful to her, why does it seem to be so much hostility in those who claim to be followers of Jesus? This has always been a burning question for me, but no one has been able to give me a proper answer. Let’s start with the term Christian. I find it rather strange that the actual word Christian is only used in the Bible one time. Now in the dictionary the word Christian simply means professing Christianity or its teachings. Another definition for a Christian is a person who receives Christian baptism or is a believer in Jesus Christ and his teachings. Yet people in the bible never referred to themselves a Christian. The disciples never refer to themselves as Christians nor did the apostle Paul, one of the most famous writers in the New Testament. In the book of acts 11 – 26 and when he had found him he brought him onto Antioch and he came to pass that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. Now one thing that stuck out to me like a sore thumb was the fact that my Bible teachers have always taught me to judge Scripture by of the mouth of two or three witnesses, then the word, or doctrine is established, 2 Corinthians 13:1 Paul says first one this is the third time I am coming to you in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. Also Matthew 18:16 but if he will not hear the word, then take with the one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. So this seems strange to me, that nowhere in the Bible does it validate the claim that believers should call themselves Christians, furthermore who called them Christians at Antioch if they didn’t give themselves the name. We need to look closely at ourselves, and asked ourselves the honest question. Did Jesus come to destroy religion, and Satan tricked us in to starting a new one in the name of Christ? The goal of religion is to search for God, the goal of the bible, was for God to dwell with man.
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