Are you religious?

Some people hate organized religion. One famous Atheist, in England, has told us that all religion is a cancer. One American military leader has labelled the religion of Islam as a cancer. He believes it is a political and military movement disguised as a religion.

We can all form our own opinions, but you might want to do an Internet search with words like “religion as a cancer.” You will find many articles and videos about religious people who have the disease of cancer, but between them, you will find the topic of ‘criticism of religion.’ 

It’s a complicated topic. 

Here is one small example, if you are interested:

And here is another example, from a surprising source: 

“If you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations; “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch”  (referring to things that all perish as they are used) according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value.”  (Colossians 3: 20 to 23)

That is a description and comment about religion, at least some religious practices. Notice the last words “they are of no value.” That is clear criticism, and notice also, that these words are in a religious book, the Bible.

One research organization has studied the numbers of people, in the world, who belong to different religions. Their conclusion is that Buddhism is increasingly for older people, and the younger generation participates less, Christianity is declining, slightly, and Islam is increasing, also slightly. In a few years, Islam might be the largest religion in the world, with Christianity a close second, and other religions will be smaller, and probably less influential.

It’s an interesting picture of our future. Politics and the economy may be influenced by these trends. 

• READ: The changing face of faith: Pew report on global religious landscape 2010-2020

One interesting note is about Christianity. It is the most widely distributed religion, in the world. Communities of Christians are found everywhere. That helps to explain why Christians are described as the most persecuted religion. Majorities often persecute minorities, and Christians are often minorities.

When Believers were First Called Christians

Recently I was surprised in a Bible study group, that the word “Christian” is only used three times in the Bible, the holy book for Christians? 

In the first two examples, people who were  outsiders and probably opposed, used the word “Christian” almost like an insult. In the first example, the followers of Jesus were first given the name for their religion, probably by outsiders, in a city called Antioch (Acts 11: 26).

Later, a persecuting judge and king made a sarcastic comment “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” (Acts 26:28). Other translations leave out the question “You have almost persuaded me”

There is only one place where the religious name is used by another believer “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name ” (1 Peter 4:16). I read this as; when the sarcasm from outsiders grows to persecution, and we suffer, we can own the insulting name that they put on us.

That surprised me.

The Bible doesn’t really describe a religion that we call Christianity. We are not told to enlist in one religion, and to avoid others. We are enlisted, one at a time, in a spiritual attachment to God, who is a spirit. 

The popular notion of religion works in the opposite direction. People belong to a religion, often because their family did before them, and they learn what to believe from the expert leaders, in a community that they already belong to.

Membership and then belief, and the original Christian message was the opposite; belief and then membership. We choose who we are and then we join other people who have made the same choice. The process is similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, communities are formed by people with the same convictions, but the personal convictions come first. 

We join together as brothers and sisters.

It’s a simple formula, but the experts can miss the point. And the “cancer” name refers to one side of the division, whether it is true or not.

Comparing religions can be like an apples and oranges study. There is an important difference among the groups. Christians were told this by their founder:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7: 21 to 23)