Modern day religion

Feb 04, 2008 - 14:43 PM PST

God never intended that religion become what it is today. Jesus came to earth to try to free people from that kind of regimented religion where people are threatened if they don’t obey rules and rituals invented by the clergy. Jesus came to teach people that they are God’s children and, as God’s children, they are free. Free to grow as human beings; to become beautiful people as God intended. That can’t be legislated. Jesus gave the apostles and the community as a support to provide help, guidance, and consolation. Jesus didn’t envision bosses in the worldly sense. He wanted his apostles to guide and serve not to dictate and legislate like those who govern this world.

Unfortunately, religious leaders model themselves after civil governments and treat people accordingly. In doing this, they fall into the same trap that the scribes and Pharisees fell into, making religion a tangible set of measurable religious observances, which is legalistic and superficial. In doing this they become the focus of religious observance rather than God. It is their endless rules and rituals rather than the love of God and concern for others that occupy the people’s attention.

Customs, practices, and traditions then replace the true service of God and these become a serious obstacle to real growth in the love of God. If people take religious leaders too seriously they become rigid in their thinking and afraid to think for themselves and they must always refer decisions to the clergy. Even as adults they will still cling to the religious practices of their childhood. When even ceremonies and mere customs change they panic because they have been lead to believe these things were their faith. With that kind of mentality all growth stops because growth means change and holiness means an ever-deepening understanding of God and what he expects of each one of us.

If a person is not open to the inspirations of the Spirit because it goes beyond what priests allow him then even the Holy Spirit cannot work in him and he remains stunted. What is worse, he frustrates the work that God wants to accomplish in him. That’s why the prophets of old were such great men. They had the boldness to see beyond the limitations of human religious traditions and provide guidance to God’s people. They had the courage to break out of the sterile rigidness of religious forms and incurred the wrath of religious leaders who hated them for this. They hated them for this and persecuted them, even killing some of them in the name of religion. Religious leaders constantly fall into this pitfall of wanting to control religion and peoples’ practice of religion and not allowing them to think for themselves for fear they will lose control over them.

Jesus never intended that religion do the damage to people that it has. It’s horrible how many religious leaders have persecuted and even had people tortured for their beliefs. Even God respected peoples’ freedom, and faith is a gift. People must believe freely. The function of religious leaders is to set an example, to draw people to God by their own deep faith and by the beauty of their personal lives, not intimidate people into sterile external observance. That is not religion. That mocks true religion.

True religion comes from the heart. It is a deep relationship with God and should bring peace, joy, and love to people; not fear, guilt, and meanness. Worship only has meaning when it is free. God is not honored by worship that is forced under threat of sin or penalty. Nor is God honored by subservient obedience to religious laws devoid of love. God is pleased only by the free expression of the soul that truly loves him. Anything less is counterfeit and serves only short-term needs of religious institutions.