Ben E Lou
04-09-2004, 05:29 AM
I wanted to take this to another thread, so that the other could just remain focused on the reading.
Side note- SD, you've mentioned that you work as a counselour in a youth ministry- yet I recall you saying somewhere that you lost your religious faith a while back- am I mixing stories up ?Ah. I've probably contributed to some semantics-oriented confusion on this issue. I don't consider myself to be "religious"--defining "religious" as trusting/relying on a system of ceremonies, acts, services, etc., for salvation. In fact, with every new school year, sometime early on I make a point to "shock" the kids by saying something to the effect of: "We're going to spend time this year talking about life, and the things that Jesus had to say about life. We're *NOT* going to be trying to get you to be more religious. In fact, I'm going to say something that will surprise, and maybe offend some of you. GOD HATES RELIGION! Make no mistake. He loves us passionately, and wants to have a living, active, real relationship with us, but He does *NOT* want us to be more religious." That usually gets their attention. ;) I then go on to explain what I recently explained to another FOFCer via PM:
"There is a *big* difference between religion (man's organized system of trying to do things to earn God's favor) and following Jesus Christ. The primary reason that they had him killed was for speaking out AGAINST religion. In fact, through the prophet Isaiah, God Himself spoke out harshly AGAINST religious ceremonies in the first chapter of the book of Isaiah, right before he explained that He was going to send Christ. Check it out:
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">"The multitude of your sacrifices--what are they to me?" says the Lord. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts?
Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations--I cannot bear your evil assemblies. Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them....{snip...there's a lot more...but skipping down}
"Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
This is the from the very first chapter of Isaiah. A good portion of the rest of the book is devoted to God revealing that He would be sending the Messiah.
The basic message of Isaiah, which is the real "turning point" in the Bible imho:
Religion sucks. Trust and follow Jesus.So, in answer to your question, I haven't lost what most would consider to be "religious faith." I don't put my trust and hope in religious faith though. I put it in Christ's work on the Cross.
Side note- SD, you've mentioned that you work as a counselour in a youth ministry- yet I recall you saying somewhere that you lost your religious faith a while back- am I mixing stories up ?Ah. I've probably contributed to some semantics-oriented confusion on this issue. I don't consider myself to be "religious"--defining "religious" as trusting/relying on a system of ceremonies, acts, services, etc., for salvation. In fact, with every new school year, sometime early on I make a point to "shock" the kids by saying something to the effect of: "We're going to spend time this year talking about life, and the things that Jesus had to say about life. We're *NOT* going to be trying to get you to be more religious. In fact, I'm going to say something that will surprise, and maybe offend some of you. GOD HATES RELIGION! Make no mistake. He loves us passionately, and wants to have a living, active, real relationship with us, but He does *NOT* want us to be more religious." That usually gets their attention. ;) I then go on to explain what I recently explained to another FOFCer via PM:
"There is a *big* difference between religion (man's organized system of trying to do things to earn God's favor) and following Jesus Christ. The primary reason that they had him killed was for speaking out AGAINST religion. In fact, through the prophet Isaiah, God Himself spoke out harshly AGAINST religious ceremonies in the first chapter of the book of Isaiah, right before he explained that He was going to send Christ. Check it out:
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">"The multitude of your sacrifices--what are they to me?" says the Lord. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts?
Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations--I cannot bear your evil assemblies. Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them....{snip...there's a lot more...but skipping down}
"Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
This is the from the very first chapter of Isaiah. A good portion of the rest of the book is devoted to God revealing that He would be sending the Messiah.
The basic message of Isaiah, which is the real "turning point" in the Bible imho:
Religion sucks. Trust and follow Jesus.So, in answer to your question, I haven't lost what most would consider to be "religious faith." I don't put my trust and hope in religious faith though. I put it in Christ's work on the Cross.