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From: mark@altos86.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: I Hate Religion
Message-ID: <254@altos86.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 13-Jun-83 20:58:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: altos86.254
Posted: Mon Jun 13 20:58:59 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 14-Jun-83 13:23:41 EDT
Lines: 54

Religion, by my definition is a practice.  It is a form.  It is a predefined
way of doing or not doing something.

I am not criticizing any particular religion, but the part of all of us (me
included) that tends to fall back on a habitual way of doing things.  This 
results in systems of religion that cater to peoples tendency for this.

The problem with this is that then the people in these systems value the system
more than the still small voice within.  This causes us to want to "reform" the
system, when actually, a reformed system is still a system.  So when some
finally realize that they can't reform the system, they leave and start their
own religion.  Still another system.  

It seems to me from reading the four gospels, that the people that Jesus
most condemned were not those people that were sinning and breaking the Law, but
the major beef he had was with the Scribes and Pharasees. He called them viper's
brood.  He intimated that their father was the Devil.  He said they pointed out
the specks in other's eyes while neglecting the logs in their own.  In the end,
it was not the sinners and tax-gathers that put Him to death, but the Religious
System of that day.

Why didn't Jesus try to reform the Jewish religion into a better religion,
one that would please God?  Because no religion can please God!  He came to
abolish all the dead practices of religion and give us Himself instead as
the way to please God, and the way to reach God.

Religion is in our blood.  We would much rather have everything spelled out
for us; how to act, what to do, what not to do, etc., than listen to that
still small voice within.  He is perfectly willing to lead us, but we are
not always willing to follow.  If we create "Laws" and "Rules" about how
we should live, we may keep the law at the expense of God's will for us.

Religion is not only apart from God, it is against God! (How can I say that,
when it has done so many good things? You may say.)  The system of religion
gathers up almost all of the seeking ones, the ones that are looking for God
and substitutes practices and works for the real thing, subverting God's plan
to work His Life into man.

There is a story about a man named Nicodemius in the New Testament that I can
use as an example.  Nicodemius was a good man.  He followed all the commandments
(probably "went to Church every Sunday"), but still he had a sense that
something was missing.  He asked Jesus "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Because of his religious upbringing, he had the concept that if he could just
"DO" something, he would receive the reward of eternal life.  What Nicodemius
really needed, however, was not another practice.  What he needed was another
life!  This is what he sensed he was missing.  Therefore Jesus answered, 
"You must be born again."

Even after most born again Christians receive this Life, they are immediately
inDOCTRIN(E)ated with the idea that THEY must be good, that THEY must resist
temptations, and that THEY should strive to please God, never realizing that
they were given this new Life for this purpose.  This Life is already good,
It has already resisted all temptations, and It is the ONLY thing that can
please God.