Why was Jesus so harsh in his criticism of organized religion?

Answer 1

because organized religion gets in the way of knowing god

Answer 2

It wasn't the religion that he was harsh about it wa the traditions and attitudes of the Religious leaders of the Jewish System at that time. They had Added unneeded Burdens on the people based on Man Made traditions not commands from the mosaic law.

Example being that the Mosaic Law Condemned Hunting on the sabbath. However the Jewish leaders went so far as to make it a Crime deserving death to Kill a flea or Fly that was biting you because it was "Hunting".

It was the People not the religion that was Condemned. this is evident by the fact he repeatedly said"Woe to you scribes and Pharisees" not to the system. In Fact he regularly Visited and Worshiped at the temple in Jerusalem

Answer 3

I don't know if it was "organized religion" so much as false religion. I mean, every time a group of like minded people get together there is going to be some of that dreaded organization, like it or not. I don't see what the problem is with the idea of an organization.

Answer 4

Jesus had no objection to organized religion.
He was a member of an organized Jewish religion
and founded the organized religion of the Church

Jesus criticized religious people who treated others mercilessly and harshly

Answer 5

Could you provide an example of what you're talking about? Because Jesus taught in the synagogues often, not criticized, but taught. If you are speaking of His harshness to the pharisees and sadducees, He was harsh on them because they were hypocrites, teaching one thing but doing another

Answer 6

Jesus wasn't being harsh of organized religion, he was not happy with the religion that had his Father's truth and was being hypocritical with it and overlooking the true meaning of God's laws.

Answer 7

There may be two important things to consider if you like to decide for yourself how to see this.

1. Jesus was essentially Jewish.

He still is Jewish. And everything about Him still promotes a very Jewish approach to God, virtue, and holiness in life of one kind or another in general.

2. The one thing that Jesus and, Christianity istelf, brings to Judaism is that (there's expanding beyond blood-heritage, but I'm skipping that part), what Christianity brings is focus on the essence of Judaism, resisting getting lost in the perfecting of details. (Not that detail is not important, but Jesus seems to remind us that there are ways of sometimes getting lost in detail without "heart" to it.)

The main message of Jesus (or I should say the particular e m p h a s i s) of Jesus's message
seems
to be that God gives not only a Law-of-God but also that there is also "heart" to God's-Law that we have been given.

Jewish people, of course, have known this. But it is Jesus's particular journey which is to emphasize that, or so it seems to me.

Answer 8

He wasn't.
We've been through this before. Preachers who are opposed to Organized Religion (usually because they didn't go to seminary) believe that Jesus shared their views, and it has become a popular myth in Protestant circles. But Jesus was most certainly not opposed to organized religion.

Answer 9

Where does the Bible say He was against "organized religion"?

It doesn't.

He was against religious hypocrites and those who put religious rules before loving one's neighbor, i.e., refusing to help someone on the Sabbath because it broke the rule of working on the Sabbath.

I think you're trying to make the Bible say something it doesn't to validate your own opinions.

Answer 10

"...Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you saying, This people draw near to Me with their mouth, and respect with Me their lips, but their heart is far from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as teachings the commandments of men." - Matthew 15:6-9; Isaiah 29:13; Mark 7:7-8; 2nd Kings 17:19

"Many shall say to Me in that day, Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name? And then I shall declare to them, I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work lawlessness!" - Matthew 7:22-23; 13:41-42

A serious warning to State-incorporated "Christianity!" As well as to those who are adding to and deleting from the commandments.

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