RELIGION VS. RELATIONSHIP

Have you ever had someone try to pull you into a debate using a fallacious presupposition that created a false dilemma? I have and I'm sure you have too (whether you realize it or not).

Let me give you an example. If someone asked me, "What's the best tasting pie in the world: Cherry or Apple?" ... I'd say, "Neither. I like blueberry."

The question creates a false dilemma, presupposing there are only two types of pie in the world (strawberry and apple) when in reality there are thousands.

These type of false dilemmas are presented daily in the church world.

Evidently, it's trendy to no longer be "religious", but "relational". Trust me, I understand the dangers of man made doctrines and the deification of church traditions and personal preferences. I do agree that a great deal of church going people have nothing more than an outward standard, a religious check-list, and almost no relationship with Jesus. Millions of people are slaves to a cold system of beliefs as opposed to being alive in Christ. It's true, if you don't have an intimate relationship with Jesus you have nothing more than religion.

A couple of years ago I watched a Youtube video a man named Jefferson Bethke uploaded. It was titled "Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus". It is essentially a poem about why religion is bad and a relationship with Jesus is good. Jefferson makes some very candid and relevant points about the church world that I wholeheartedly agree with and preach about often. The official video has been viewed nearly 33 million times. Jefferson has told tens of millions of people that Religion and Relationship are contrary to one another and all the people said, "Amen!"

This wasn't a new idea (religion vs relationship), but his video seemed to solidify it in the minds of a lot of people, particularly Millennials. It seems that Jefferson has made it trendy for some people to attack that demon called Religion!

Although Jefferson's poem is creative and well written; and although he spits some powerful truths, there are a few major problems with Jefferson's video. 

(The inspiration for this blog post wasn't Jefferson Bethke's video, I'm just using it as an illustration.)

1. A FALSE NARRATIVE

First, it creates a false narrative. He proposes that all religion is bad when in fact the Bible clearly states that is not the case. Look at what James wrote:

Jas 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's RELIGION is vain.

27 Pure RELIGION and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

According to the Bible there is a pure and undefiled religion that is useful and valuable to us. Jefferson's video doesn't distinguish between true and false religion. He doesn't distinguish between pure and corrupt religion. He simply tells the world religion is bad. In doing so, he has set himself in opposition to the Word of God. By not specifying a relationship with Jesus is better than a false, corrupted religion, he has attacked James 1:26-27. Though it is true, you can't have pure and undefiled religion without a relationship with Christ, according to Jesus, a relationship with Him will lead you into it.  (Mt 25:41-46)

You cannot separate Jesus and pure religion.

2. IT'S A LIE! EVERYONE HAS RELIGION!

Any time I hear someone say they don't want, need, or have religion--they have a relationship--I nearly throw up. All they have to do is look the definition of the word up to see that's a shallow statement. Since you may not feel like looking the definition of "religion" up, I did it for you.

RELIGION: 1) the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods; 2) a particular system of faith and worship.
 

Technically, when someone says they don't have religion they are saying they don't believe in or worship God, nor do they have a specific system of faith. Now, I know, practically speaking, most of the people that say they don't have religion actually do. They believe in God and have some system of faith. The reason this is confusing is they are trying to change the meaning of the word religion. But do not fear! No matter how grand their attempt the meaning of the word doesn't change. It's like the old man of God said, "Words mean something, dummy!" 
 

So religion is an intellectual system of belief. To have religion simply means you believe something. You could even be an atheist and tell me you don't believe in anything, but not believing in anything is actually a doctrine, therefore a religion.

Do you believe in the virgin birth? Do you believe that Jesus became a man and walked among men? Do you believe He died on the cross? Do you believe He was buried? Do you believe He was resurrected? In the Theological world those are subjects covered in the doctrine of Christ's Incarnation. The Incarnation is part of the systematic study of Christology which would be under the umbrella of Theology-all parts of a system of faith, aka ... religion.

Do you believe, through faith in Jesus (His death, burial, and resurrection), we can saved? That's the doctrine of Soteriology which is a part of a system of faith, aka ... religion. 

When someone says they are Christians, they're saying their religion is Christianity because that's what Christianity is ... a religion. It just happens that true Christianity is true religion because Christ is at the center of it.

SIDE NOTE: If you're one of those people that say you don't have "doctrine", everything I'm saying applies to you, too. You have doctrine whether you admit it or not. In fact, saying you don't have doctrine is actually part of your doctrine. SMH

2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

3. IT'S NOT RELIGION'S FAULT ... IT'S OUR FAULT!

Whose fault is it that the Catholic church killed 50 million people during the inquisition? Whose fault is it that people are ostracized and destroyed every day by church going people? Whose fault is it when a priest or pastor abuses a parishioner? Whose fault is it when church leaders fall to immorality?

Is it the Bible's fault? Is it Jesus' fault? Bible readers know that Jesus promoted holiness of life. He promoted kindness and love toward our enemies. No. It isn't the Bible or Jesus' fault.

Was it religion's fault? That's an interesting question. I suppose we could blame religion, but remember, religion is a system of doctrines. Where did we get that system of doctrine? Religion isn't some invisible, abstract force that creates itself. No. Doctrine has a source ... men. The question is: WHERE DID MEN GET THEIR DOCTRINE? 

For the true Christian, the answer to that question is ... God. God spoke to men and men wrote down what He said. Other men gathered those manuscripts and compiled them into what we know as the "Bible". True Christians, being led by the Spirit of God, motivated by the love of Jesus, will have pure doctrine. PURE DOCTRINE PRODUCES PURE AND UNDEFILED RELIGION. Contrarily, when men lead themselves, motivated by self-love, they will produce corrupt religion. 

SUMMARY

Instead of attacking "religion", attack false, self-centered religion. You should strive to have pure, undefiled, Christ-centered religion, and speak positively about it.

You are religious and have religion whether you admit it or not. Saying you don't have religion is actually part of your religion (your systematic approach to faith). 

How about we stop allowing Christian fads and trends affect our beliefs and conversations and just rely on the Scripture. 

There is no battle between RELIGION AND RELATIONSHIP. There is only a war between FALSE RELIGION AND TRUE RELIGION. 

Pure and undefiled religion requires us to have an intimate relationship with Christ. An intimate relationship with Christ will create a pure and undefiled religion.   

Peace. Love. Hope.