Can someone please explain to me...?

Question

Can somone please explain to me how some people say religion is crap and are not a Christian and everything, but say they are followers of God an dJesus Christ...it's never quite maked sense to me as a Christian. One guy where I live works with a Christian church, and with the youth and bringing them out. He speaks about God and everything. But yet, he says religion is crap, I don't believe in religion, it's fake, etc.

Is there a way to explain?

Wow, thanks for all the answers. It's really helped me get a different idea on the conecpt in general of religion. I always just believed in God and Jesus, and assumed it was a religion to do so. Hmm..it's interesting. I'll ask my youth pastor about it too. Thanks. :)


Merry Christmas!

Answer 1

Many of us believe that Christianity is not a religion. It is truth. Religion is something that is man made. There is a lot of religion in Christianity, and that is why there are so many denominations, but Christianity itself is not a religion.

Religion would be stuff like weather or not we can use the word "crap."

Answer 2

Someone who claims NOT to be a Christian but is a follower of God and Jesus is contradictory. Some Christians do not like religion, because religion is a man-made system, which means it can be imperfect. I recall reading a book 30+ years ago entitled "I am not religious; I just love the Lord." The point there is that it is about a relationship with God, not religious ritual.
I and many other Christians participate in religion by going to church regularly in order to worship the God with whom I have this wonderful relationship. Things are in the proper perspective that way.

Answer 3

Look at the life and times of Jesus. Replace the Pharasees, Saducees, and Scribes with the term “Religion”. There's a point where Jesus says, “You render me powerless” to the “holy men” of the day.

The truth is that Religion (when you break down the word) is a set order of practices. It's the basis that everything has to follow a certain formula or it won't work.

Faith is radical. Think about Noah. God says... hey, go build a boat. Noah's like... “sweet, cool... uh.. what's a boat?”

What about Rehab? She hid the soldiers so that her family would be saved by faith. Religion would've said, “Oh, Rehab, you're disobeying the law of the land, so.... you're going to hell for hiding them.” In the end, she's the great-great-great-great........great-great-grandmother of Jesus (check it... it's in there ... Matt 1:5).

Ultimately, there's something called True Religion.. but no one understands it fully (James 1:27). Keeping oneself clean from the world. How do we do that? I don't' fully understand, but the religion that most live isn't Pure/True Religion.

Answer 4

i think he means like the rules and the certain things you have to do in a religion. you can believe in God, but i think for some people... what their bible says and what others say should be done seem a little unrealistic. like there was that woman... i forget her name but, she was on CNN and all these news chanels because she was saying she was a devoted christian and she said that the soldiers at war deserve to die. she was also outside of their funerals protesting against them saying that God would not like this and blhalbhalb. im not religious either, but i can see that many people who come from the same religions have beliefs of their own. in the end... what's really the right thing to do?

Answer 5

'Religion' somet think that its the system of "following rules" made by man that become 'tradition' but not in the Bible. (Such as some religions not allowing to wear jeans, etc.) In 'religion' you can have denominations fighting about who's better which looses the whole focus of Christianity. that's why some might say they're not 'religious' but rather 'Spiritual' because they might not want to be known as one of those 'religious' people who follow the rules but don't adopt the attitude or heart that Christ sent us to have.
-Following Jesus isn't a 'religion but a Relationship with Him.

Answer 6

Religion is man's effort to please God. Christianity is a relationship where Jesus meets man on his level and takes him to heavenly places. I do worship in an organized denomination, but many Christians do not. The word 'religion' often has a negative connotation among Christians as it implies ritualistic practices and rigid, robotic, blind followers of dogma. A relationship with Jesus Christ is MUCH more than that.
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Answer 7

Organized religion is one man/woman giving you their take on the Word of God. They also seem to be more interested in my savings account than on saving my soul. I believe that as long as you live by the "golden rule" you will do fine. Do unto others as you would have done to you. OR to steal a line from Bill and Ted's Excellant Adventure, "Be excellant to each other."

Answer 8

Religion is fake.

Biblical Chriustianity isn't a religion-IT'S A PERSON!

No other "religion" has ever had a leader that did what Jesus did, said what Jesus said, & NO OTHER RELIGION EVER HAD IT'S LEADER RISE FROM THE DEAD!

Biblical Christianity, (Not methodist, lutheran, baptist, catholic,or any other Belief, is Jesus as the ONLY way to go to heaven.

Period.

Answer 9

Religion is manmade in the opinon of some people. Religion is how God's word gets corrupted. Religion makes people fight wars and tithe their sins away.

Instead of religion, these people feel that you should just follow the Bible/other holy scriptures to the best of your ability.

This, to me, is the best kind of spirituality.

Answer 10

Religion is made up of a bunch of rules and regulations...do this...don't do this. Personally, I believe in having personal relationship with Jesus but don't agree with religion in general. An example in the Bible speak of the pharisees and all their rules. Jesus did not agree with that.