Sunday, July 27, 2008

My View Of Religion

Religion is a fad. It’s what the world relies on nowadays. Why do it? Maybe it’s tradition in your family and you might feel left out. Maybe it’s because you choose to have it. Maybe you feel like if you go to church, you’ll be cleansed. Religion= not my thing.
Here’s why:
Religion causes
Division
War
Broken Families
Ruined Friendships

Let’s go over one of my personal favorites: Christianity.
Christian, the child’s name, means “a follower of Jesus.”
The actual definition of Christianity is “Professing your belief in Jesus as Christ of following the life and teachings of Jesus.
If that’s really what Christianity means, then, why does all the division come in?
Here’s an example. One word= Denominations.
Let’s check out the Christian denominations.
Roman Catholic- this religion holds the most adherents in the America today.
Eastern Orthodox- this religion is prominent in Russia, Greece, and nearby areas. Not as much in our country.
Protestant- this religion embraces a wide theological spectrum.
Anglican/Episcopalian- this religion is known as a mid-way point between Catholicism and Protestantism.
Amish- this religion is especially known for separation from society and rejection of modern-day technology.
Baptists- this religion is characterized by adult baptism and encouraging religious freedom.
Lutheran- this religion is a large Protestant denomination based on Martin Luther’s teachings.
Presbyterian- this religion is based on the teachings of John Calvin.
Seventh-day Adventists- this religion is known for Sabbath observance, expectation of Christ, and emphasis on physical health.

See how separated we are in our world as we know it. Now it’s time to show you the reason why I don’t like our division and denominations.
Check out 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. I’ll break it down for you.
“The body of Christ is one unit but it has many parts. Parts that must work together to keep the body functioning. If one part suffers, they all do. Every part needs to be there. There should be NO DIVISION, for each part should have equal concern for each other.”
Isn’t that something? Wow, funny that all this division goes on with these denominations but they don’t look in their “Holy Book” because the answer is right in front of them.

Now I think I’m going to talk about one of the most important words ever spoken. L-O-V-E; Love is what everyone wants in life even though it’s calling out their name. Do you know what it says in the bible? It says “God is love.” Do you know what that means? If you love one another, God will be there. You’ll love God. I’m going to share another scripture.
1 Corinthians 13:4-13. Here’s the breakdown.
“Love is patient and kind. Love never fails.
Love is forgiving and understanding.
When you’re a child, you’ll act, speak, and think like a child. When you become a man, you’ll have to put your childish ways behind you. Now faith, hope, and love remain. Though, the greatest of these is love.”
Wow, surprising, isn’t it? Here’s something you probably didn’t know about love.
The word “Love” is used in the bible 231 times. Love is the 2nd most said word in the bible.
Guess what word is first?
“GOD”
I think God is trying to tell us something.

Have you seen his commandments?
The first and greatest commandment: “Love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”
Do you know what the second commandment is?
The second commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Seems kind of hard at times, doesn’t it?
God is telling us to love one another,

You know America’s motto, “In God We Trust” it’s printed on every penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar, dollar coin, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 dollar bill.
If we’re going to trust in God, we should trust in his word.
In God’s word, his greatest commandment is, as you saw before, “Love God, with your heart, soul, and mind.”
We’re doing that by trusting in him.
The second greatest commandment is “Love One Another.”
It’s that simple. If you trust in God, you have to trust that.
Denominations don’t matter to God. He just wants to love you and he wants you to love him back.
To end it, here’s what I think about religion’s division.
You know what else is printed there, “E Pluribus Unum,” which means, “Out of many, One,” or in other words,
“We’re all in this together.”