30. Religion as Evil

Luke 11: 46 Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.

I have had an apostate period in my life.  A combination of ego, rejection of popular doctrine, and friction with those who follow Jesus led me to seek God elsewhere.  This saw me look at a number of different faiths, and spiritual practices.

          In large part my search had to do with the divine feminine – the goddess.  I had trouble with the presentation of the Holy Trinity as a single parent family, with God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit being this ill defined sibling, or uncle.  Just to let you know, I have found much in the way of the divine feminine in Christianity and one day will comment on that discovery.

          However, that is not the point I am after with this offering.  I carefully considered paganism, and animism, Buddhism, and Daoism.  In my sojourn, I found that everywhere I went the same dynamics.  People simply creating lists of what constituted acceptable worship, morality and conduct.  What I found was an emphasis on the outward form and a lack of consideration of a contrite heart and humble disposition. – Those of you who know me know how important those are to foster within myself and my worship.

          My clearest experiences were within the pagan community. What I saw were the rudimentary components that I wrote about in describing the fall.  First, a belief that we are separate from God, and from each other.  Then, a level of judgement, in this case it rivals right wing fundamentalism along with a rigid code of morality.  Finally, and seemingly just as important is a belief that we, the participants of that belief, were significant.  There were some that I met that seemed to be of similar mind to me, but they were in the minority.  I came to understand that religion, all religion, is man (people) made.

           What is more pertinent to me, is that I came to see how I do the exact same thing, regardless of what belief I espouse.  Generally I become convinced of my own cleverness, of my specialness, which of course separates me from you, and I think ultimately from God.  And because I am so special I know what you should be doing as well.

          In that moment of clarity that was afforded me, and it was not a particularly memorable one at that, I became aware of a few things.  First, that I can never go where Jesus isn’t.  Second, that I can never be good enough to earn God’s grace – and it isn’t earned anyways it is given away.  Third, that I am not as clever or as special as I would like to make out.

          If you started reading this hoping I would lambast religion as the source of all evil, my apologies.  There has been great evil, vile acts done in the name of God by the religious creeps that have abounded in the world.  There are still horrific acts done.  But I realize that they are done by people like me.

          There have been equally as horrific acts done in the name of other ideologies.  Think – Cambodia, or Soviet Russia (especially under Stalin), or Nazi Germany, or – you get the idea.  We cannot gather together without bringing ourselves.  I see the same three factors, separation, rigid moral code, and significance, that I see in religion.

          The challenge, I believe, in Christianity is not to recognize the fallen nature of the world; although we are told that all nature groans in frustration. (Rom 8:19 – 23).  It is to recognize the fallen nature of ourselves.  The challenge for me is to see how I am fallen, to see how I bring that into all that I do.  Religion is simply what we do when we get together.

           I believe that I am called to be mindful in my worship, and in my involvement with others, I believe that I am called to support you in your walk.  I believe that I am called to not be a stumbling block in your walk of faith.  I believe that I, and you, can be the antidote to religion.

          As far as being separated from God:

Psalm 139: 7 – 12 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus

          As far as being separate from each other:

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

          As far as having a rigid moral code:

Mark 12: 32 & 33  “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

          As far as being significant:

Mark 9: 35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”