On Being Religious

Tee shirts and bumper stickers are very good discussion starters. You've seen my use of it in at least one of my previous blogs.

Well, I've got another one – the tee shirt that says, “I'm not religious, I just love the Lord.”

For some reason we think there is an added depth of spirituality to say that we are not religious. On the contrary, that could be one of the big problems with the Church today. We want to be recognized as being Christian and be identified as being part of a particular church, but we don't want to be thought of as being religious, as if that is a bad thing.

Consider the statement: “I'm a Christian, but I am not religious about my faith.” (After all, that is what we are talking about – religion and faith.)

Now consider some dictionary definitions and synonyms of the word “religious”........
devoted; reverent; godly; concerned with sacred matters; scrupulously faithful; conscientious; disciplined; extremely scrupulous

Yep. That about sums it up. The segment of the Church that doesn't want to be called religious very often is not devoted, not reverent, not godly, not concerned with sacred matters, not conscientious, not disciplined, not scrupulously faithful, not extremely scrupulous.

Let me say it a different way. “I just love the Lord. I'm just not devoted, reverent, godly, disciplined, concerned with sacred matters, etc.” See how foolish that sounds? It is not any more foolish than saying you are not religious, but still love the Lord.

There is nothing wrong with being religious, if you are religious about the right things! Sure, Jesus criticized the Pharisees and other religious leaders of his day - not because they were religious, but because they were religious in and about the wrong things and for the wrong reasons.

Without hesitation I admit that I am religious. I am religious about prayer and Bible reading, fasting, church attendance, tithing, living a life that causes no doubt in others that I am a Christian.

I guess my tee shirt could say: I AM religious, BECAUSE I love the Lord!