Wasn't Jesus opposed to organized religion?

Question

Jesus forgave everyone of every kind of sin, except the leaders of organized religion. He called them hypocrites, blind guides, whited sepulchres, liars and sons of Satan. He told people not to pray in public, but to pray in private, where no one could see them.

He also said that after he was gone, many would come preaching in his name to deceive us.

There are those who would argue one has to belong to a particular group or denomination in order please God, but Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30) in order to show that it was not the priest, or the Levite, who pleased God, but the merciful Samaritan, whom Jews would have nothing to do with. (John 4:9)

The Good Samaritan was justified by his compassion for another human being, not by his theology. There is nothing wrong with fellowship and community, but when it comes to hierarchical organizations who claim they have the only true interpretation of God's word, wasn't Jesus warning us against them?

I appreciate all the thoughtful answers so far, but please do not forget to address why Jesus said not to pray in public, but to pray privately where no one can see you, and why that wouldn't rule out any form of communal worship or organized religion.

Answer 1

Jesus was not against organized religion exactly.

What he was against was the following of the rituals and rules of religion without sincerity of heart. He was against religious leaders who loved their position for the prestige and power it gave them, instead of seeing themselves as servants of God and others.

God himself set the rules for Judaism in the old Testament, but as people often do, the Pharisees twisted the rules he gave, added to them, and stripped the heart right out of it. They created a barrier to keep people away from God rather than using the rituals as a way to draw near.

An example is the outer court of the Temple, it was supposed to be a place where Gentiles could come to worship the True God, instead the Pharisees and priests set up tables to buy and sell there, leaving the Gentiles without a place in the Temple.

So Jesus was against religion for the sake of religion, He was not against "religion" that seeks to develop a RELATIONSHIP to Him.

The story of the Samaritan was about loving all people, and was intended to expose the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and other religious leaders.

In short, Jesus is not against people gathering together to worship. He is not against them building a church building and putting a name on it. He is not against hymns and songs being sung on a schedule. In fact the new testament urges that all things be done decently and in order. What he is against is if those rituals and schedules and buildings become more important to people than having a relationship to Him 24/7.


EDIT---EDIT----EDIT

He was also not opposed to praying in public, he urged people to pray together when he said that if two or more gathered in His name to pray, He would be there with them. What He opposed was praying for show, so that others would think you were "holy". We pray for God to hear, not man. If we pray for man to hear, we might as well be praying to the person.

Answer 2

No, that's way off base.
We only tend to think that way because we don't know much about the world that he lived in. Jesus did not condemn organized religion, human traditions, or theology. In fact, he praised those elements of his culture. The only good things he had to say about the Pharisees was to commend their religious traditions, and even told his disciples to do whatever the Pharisees commanded. His problem was with hypocrisy and injustice. He condemns people for pretending to act one way when they really act another, and he condemns people for not showing mercy to the repentant.

Another thing to consider is that the Pharisees had a very distinct way of looking at things. They advocated a complex theology that includes beliefs like an afterlife, the resurrection of the dead, angels, a literal Messiah, the Scriptures, etc. Now you say, but all the Jews believed that. No, they didn't. All of those things were rejected by the earlier Jewish sects like the Saducees. The early Church, including Jesus, were deeply Pharisaical in their theological outlook. Jesus was not condemning the Pharisees for what they believed, or how they structured their religion. He was condemning them for not living up to the standards that they set for themselves.

Oh, and the parable of the Good Samaritan was not meant to show us how we should act. The protagonist of the story is the Jew, not the Samaritan. The Jews hated Samaritans, and considered them wicked. The story was meant to point out that people of any group can be good, even the Samaritans, and that you should never judge a person based solely on the sect that they come from.

Answer 3

Yes and no. Jesus came here to say that the old way of doing things was wrong - it had become more about superstition and less about doing the work of God and becoming more Goldly (now we call it Christlike which tells you something)
Keep in mind that Jesus had a constant traveling crew of about 500 who learned from him and then went out to do His work. Is that not a church??The Great Commission tells us to GO and make disciples. How can you be a disciple if you are alone? There needs to be "a gathering place for those 2 or more of you who gather in His name."
It is another thing entirely to call out certain churches and say they are not upholding what Jesus said. The Roman Catholic church is one of those. They provide their people with a lot of order and routine as a means of comfort (remember when it was all in Latin??) but it works just like Wal-Mart. Everything is laid out the same so the newbies don't get confused. Does it glorify God or His purpose? Eh. I didn't think so so I changed denominations. I still think the concept of a Church, like the Rock that Peter was told to build on is Biblically sound because we need our brothers and sisters to learn from, pray for and unify our strength. There is safety in numbers, yes, but there is also strength. We can reach more homeless, teach more children, interpret the Word through classes, joy and grieve....all better as one house.

Answer 4

Jesus Was Against Religion

Answer 5

In His sermon, Jesus was addressing the family that was the true Royal Jewish Priesthood. This teaching was not intended for the general public, nor was it intended for Jews in general. The concept of the 'Hidden One', or the 'Hidden Imam', who was supposedly the High Priest Himself, is core to this teaching. He was to go ALONE into the Temple (which Jesus explains is the body) and make intecessory prayer for ALL THE PEOPLE. It is very difficult to achieve the proper state of mind, body, and soul ALONE, much less in a crowd of emotion-filled people. It is written that Jesus brother and successor, 'James the Just', did just that, and that James spent so much time praying that his knees were calloused as a camel's knees!
The Jewish belief in one Priest (hebrew 'Zaddik'), a saintly man that justified the people, is what Jesus was teaching... this was the true 'King' of the world, and His well-being was of paramount importance. Harm the Zaddik, and the country was doomed. Support the Zaddik, and the country prospered. (But the Zaddik had to be Holy to God to achieve this, and Jesus was giving lessons in Holiness to his successors) God supposedly judges a country, region, or institution by the treatment of His chosen (and the people's adherance to the Elect's teachings)... the very Elect of God!

Most of what people call 'religion', or any institutional behavior, for that matter, is really what the God of the bible considers blasphemous conspiracy. Although these groups may seem to prosper for a time, God eventually brings them down, to remind them that they do not rule by their own power, rather it was they who were used to judge His own people's deficiencies.

Answer 6

I don't think organized religion is that bad. What matters most is the ones running it. If an "organized religion" is teaching the Word of God to the core then there's nothing wrong with it. An organized religion must be run righteously (according to God's Word) by it's leaders. Anything other than that is just tradition and full of personal interests.

Answer 7

I believe when the term or word church was used in the bible it refered to *a called out assembly*.... as in the OT.... the *true church* is the believers, the Bride, The Body of Christ......There were few if any *churches*, as some call them today, they met in homes or some even in Temples.... the better term or word to use would be *church houses*, as the people within the building would be considered the Church ........this may not answer your question, but if people would only realize this, think how much more God would be served as He should be !!!!!! go in peace....... God bless

Answer 8

That is a well thought out question, and so are the statements.

I agree that Jesus has problems with organized religion, but not all organized churches. Revelation shows us that He recognizes some organized religion. ( I also noticed that none of them in the first part of Revelation are the Roman Catholic Church! Maybe they weren't there? ) lol ( ;

But as Revelation shows us, it seems easy for them to do something to divide themselves from the truth and incur His wrath.

So not ALL organized religion, but we may see the tendency for organized religion - even Christianity; to wander off to their own lofty importance which has no honor in the eyes of God.

Answer 9

As very for real best I understand ALL Prostitutes ALONG WiTHMALE CHEATERS where stoned to death before his time.Thiefs didn't necessarily go to prison but like Islam had there hand removed (But we just have to somehow believe one guy only whoargubaly more brutal).When & if they did prison it was beyound brutal.But we must believe one guy who had no oppostion to the old testament &Moses rule just somehow how snapped his fingers & made it all better.Okay & Santa will be coming down my chimney next year.Jesus & much of the christianity isn't necessarily bad it's like Santa Clause Conquuers the Martian no way it's real.It's like don't committ the awful sin of thinking for yourself.

Answer 10

The Blind Leading The Blind.