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Christ and Religion
I want to know what you feel about organised religion and how you view Jesus Chriist as a part of gathered Churches and Christian groups?
As we enter Lent 2010 I am reminded that Jesus Christ took the 'religious' to task over their adherence to rules and regulations and indentified himself with Temple worship but not the stringent laws surrounding Jewish religion of his day. He did of course obey the law but it was the spirit rather than the letter he related to.
In Holy week he overturns the tables of the money lenders with comments about over charging and breaking the repect of a holy place.
What had cleary happened towards the end of the period which Judaism had reached in Christ's time was a decline in the inner quality of peoples spiritual lives and their outward adherence to the rites and ceremomies surrounding worship.
It comes a a warning to each of us; on the one hand we shun each other in public worship preferring our own company or the company of those we agree with, on the other hand we indulge in religious practices of familiarity which cover up a barren spirituality far from God.
Jesus Christ indentified with Jerusalem and the Temple when he had reached the end of his patience with humanity; and he took them on by going right into the centre of organised religion and calling their bluff.
How can people come together in faith and not become so caught up in the mechanics of organised church, whether Alpha Groups or High Mass or Mattins so as to miss the point of the Passion of Christ where he bled for those who broke his body by selfishness.
PAD
Views: 4
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Phil and Margaret Brown. on -
Dear Peter,
It is impossible to generalise when discussing people`s attitude to organised Religion.There will be as many answers as people. In my opinion the only rule should be that each person`s answer takes them closer to God and other people and places no barriers to this.It was the barriers erected by people`s selfishness,greed and thoughtlesness that Christ objected to.This included those who foolishly believed that strictly following rules was enough to save them, rather than loving God and their fellow man.
When we talk about worship I personnally find it easier to approach God through an informal structure. However, I recognise that many others find beauty,reassurance and freedom within a more formal format.God needs the great variety that the Church offers so that his message reaches the greatest number of people.
Hope this helps the discussion,
Phil.
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Permalink Reply by David Crowther on -
A very important issue but I'm not sure I have the background knowledge to avoid "he doesn't know what he's talking about" criticism.
However, there is one issue surrounding Lent and Easter that I do feel passionate about and I hope it is not inappropriate to mention it here.
In the past I have noticed that Good Friday brings quite cruel criticism against the Jews. Opinions that "the Jews murdered Christ" have led to expressions from Anglican pulpits that "the Jews would not have had so much trouble in the last 2000 years if they had accepted Christ as Saviour -- it's all their own fault". I am embarrassed when this is in a sermon and think this is the dark side of Organised Church. Should I stand and denounce the preacher in church as he says this? I am a coward -- I have let it go -- I am ashamed for the Church and for my own cowardice.
I hope this is not an unacceptable place to mention this, I apologise for any offence caused, but it makes me feel bad.
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Permalink Reply by Eric Sawyer on -
Lately I have been thinking about the table of the Lord. Form in religion is something that I think should be a personal thing. Content however (the person of Jesus Christ) is foundational and the complete focus of the body of Christ. Just me.
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Permalink Reply by David Crowther on
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Just a few thoughts, totally my own opnion and open to be shot down:
I would have liked to have be a Christian soon after the Resurrection when the experience of the Risen Lord was not yet made into an organisation. The early communities seemed to be believers gathering for support in a hostile world.
If the theory of the Iron Law of Oligarchies is true then, whatever the original idealism was ( autocratic, democratic, or (in our case) Faith motivated) the organisation develops into; a governing class which acts ultimately for its own interest, and a majority who are governed. The Oligarchy is Organised and the majority not so.
This is usually summarised by:
1 Bureaucracy Happens because an organisation needs to be efficient.
2 If Bureaucracy happens then Power Rises.
3 Power Corrupts.
The dilemma for church is that the Christian Faith is very personal, yet the Church's organisation is bound to be humanly flawed. And yet the information leading to a person's developing Faith comes from the Church itself and its history.
This tension betwen the Human and the Divine is resolved in Christ. But the nitty-gritty of this process is difficult -- perhaps only possible by Prayer.
Only IMHO of course.
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Permalink Reply by Eric Sawyer on
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That is one of the big thoughts David. I like it. The reason is that I got stuck in the book of Galatians for a really long time and that part where Paul talks about them have a fresh image of Christ on the cross, really made me think. Here were Christians who had it all, and yet they got led astray by others. I guess we cannot expect too much from one another. We are kept safe together. a body in Jesus.
Peace,
Eric
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Permalink Reply by Lynda Keen on -
Thank you, David. You expressed exactly what I think about organised religion.
I also like the humility with which you express your ideas as humility seems to me an essential Christian trait but one which is sadly lacking in many of those who are representatives of any of the world's organised religions.
Lynda
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