Not One Religion
Attracts Me At All
In
2012 I jotted down all the reasons I could think of why I am a Christian. I
found 26 so I decided to serialise them in a blog every fortnight for a year.
I
covered themes from the realms of science, philosophy and theology before
looking at five different facets of Jesus. Then I looked at the inspiration,
invincibility and influence of the Bible. Finally, there were six posts about
experiences, mostly personal to me. Taken together, those first 23 reasons make
the case for why I am a Christian and they are based on (a) what I think and
(b) what I have experienced.
The
Christmas that followed my conversion in the summer of 1979, my sister offered
me a book called The Lion Handbook of The World’s Religions. Written
inside the front cover was a short message saying “…because you can never be
too sure if you’ve chosen the right one.” It was a nice gesture and I still
have the book on my shelf.
It
was thoughtful of her to offer me that gift and the fact I still have it is
testament to how useful it has proved over the years. How many Christmas
presents have you received in your life that you still have three and a half
decades later?
But,
that said, I think my sister’s little note betrays a fateful error in the way
people often think of Christianity.
You
see, I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in belonging to
a religion. I never have done. It might seem weird to some as I have been a
Christian for 35 years but I have never once considered myself “religious.” I
have been a missionary and church leader since 1990 and yet I correct people
when they say I like religion. I really don’t. I hate it. I am
not at all a religious person.
Nothing
about religion attracts me or interests me. And yet I pray regularly, read the
Bible and believe its message is true. There is a vast chasm between belonging
to a religion and belonging to Jesus Christ.
How
can I put it succinctly?
Religion
is about the ways people try to reach God. There are many ways.
Christianity
is about the way God has reached people. It is unique.
Religion
is about people trying hard to become acceptable to God.
Christianity is about how, through faith, Jesus Christ has already made us acceptable to God.
Christianity is about how, through faith, Jesus Christ has already made us acceptable to God.
Religion
is about performance and good works and trying harder.
Christianity
is about giving up and admitting that Jesus’ good work is enough.
Religion
says “Sit down God, I can do it.”
Christianity
says “I surrender, Lord save me.”
Religion
repeats dutiful rituals, pious observances and correct procedures.
In
Christianity all this just gets in the way.
It
might surprise people to know that God doesn’t like religion either. This is
what he says in the Old Testament:
Stop
bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me…
I cannot bear your worthless assemblies (Isaiah 1.13).
Your incense is detestable to me…
I cannot bear your worthless assemblies (Isaiah 1.13).
Ah
yes, even God really loathes ritualistic religion because it seems
to blind people to the truth that is in Jesus Christ and makes no real
difference to people’s battle to live a good life. It doesn’t help people
weighed down by addiction. It doesn’t change hearts.
The
New Testament rejection of religion is even starker.
Do
not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a
religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow
of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ… Why,
as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules:
‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’? These rules, which have to
do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely
human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance
of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their
harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual
indulgence (from
Colossians 2.16-23).
Sadly,
Christians often drift away from the straightforward simplicity of a
relationship with God through Jesus Christ to spending a small fortune on
worthless 'Jesus tat' and fussing about with otherworldly religiosity. Yuck.
Religion
says “you have got to bathe in this particular river.” It says “you mustn’t eat
this or that food or drink any alcohol.” It says “you’ve got to fast for a
month.” It says “you males have to be circumcised.” It says “you mustn’t cut
your hair.” It says “you must cut your hair.” It says “you’ve
got to face east to pray.” It says “wear a turban,” “wear a skull cap”, “wear a
full-length robe that covers everything but your eyes.”
But
Jesus came and said “Love God and love your neighbour as yourself.” That’s it.
I don’t want to be disrespectful, but I just think that’s better.
But
is there nothing about other religions at all that might be useful in any way?
Can people not be good Sikhs, Hindus, Jews, Buddhists and Muslims? Can nothing
good come from religion at all?
Of
course, like everyone else, I know people who are devout believers from other
religious communities. They appear to live upright lives, bring up their
children well, be at peace and give something back to society.
I
am not so naive – or narrow-minded – to imagine that all non-Christian
religions and sects have nothing good about them at all. Heavens above! No, of
course I agree with Sikhs that sin is real and serious. I agree with Hindus
that marriage is between one man and one woman. I agree with Jews that God
created the heavens and the earth. I agree with Buddhists that indulging in
pleasure is not the route to true fulfilment. I agree with Muslims that God
will one day judge the living and the dead.
There
is truth in all religions – otherwise I don’t think anyone would be stupid
enough to follow them. So I honour all that is good in religion. I make it my
aim to get along with everyone and see the good in them.
I
just don’t think all the religious practices and rituals and observances and
duties and icons and trinkets and rules make God more accessible. I think Jesus makes
God more accessible.
I
haven’t got space here to go through each religion and explain why I have
rejected each one. I could write about how Hinduism has not only failed to
challenge the caste system but is in fact responsible for it. I could write
about why I think Islam is not good news for women. And so on and so on.
But
the bottom line is that I know that it will look highly selective and I admit
that Christianity has its failings too. (In my view though, Christianity only
goes wrong when its members go against the teachings of its founder).
What
I want to do instead is end this whole series of posts by looking at Jesus
again. Many other religions think well of Jesus. But none, not one, worships
him as God incarnate or proclaims him Lord of lords.
That’s
the problem. I just don’t want to be an adherent of any movement that
declines to give Jesus honour in proportion to his greatness.
In
the James Stewart film “It's a Wonderful Life” the main character gets to see
what his town would have been like if he had never been born. What I know is that
our world would be much worse if Jesus had never been born.
This
thought might come as something of a surprise to many because it seems that
whenever the merits or otherwise of Christianity are debated on the radio or
TV, someone says that religion just leads to more hatred and war. I'm amazed at
how few people challenge this.
If
the First and Second World Wars had been started by the Pope and the Archbishop
of Canterbury I'd understand it. The fact is that the world was torn apart many
times by wars before Jesus was born. Most wars since he was born had nothing
whatever to do with him. The one blot on the landscape, the Crusades 800 years
ago, were executed in direct defiance of Jesus’ own teaching to “love your
enemies."
If
Jesus had never been born, this would not be 2013 AD because AD means the year
of our Lord.
Places
we know as El Salvador, St. Albans, St. Petersburg, Sao Paolo, San Francisco,
Christchurch, Corpus Christi, Santa Cruz, Asunción and Bishop Auckland would
all have a different name.
Everybody
you know called Christine, Christian, or Christopher would have been named
something else.
Many
idioms would never have entered our every day speech; Good Samaritan, prodigal
son, wolf in sheep’s clothing, love your neighbour, go the second mile, do unto
others as you would have them do to you, turn the other cheek and salt of the
earth; all of which were coined by Jesus.
We
would never have heard of Santa Claus. The fat, bearded bloke in a red velvet
suit from the North Pole is based on a real person; a generous
Christian bishop from Turkey who gave impoverished girls’ dowries so that they
would not have to become prostitutes.
We
would never have heard “Amazing Grace”, Handel’s “Halleluiah Chorus” or “Hark
the Herald Angels Sing.”
We
might have never heard of Martin Luther King or Mother Teresa. Blacks in
America might still be second class citizens and the poor of Calcutta would
still have no one to love them.
Organizations
such as the Samaritans, Christian Aid, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army
would never have been founded. Life for the suicidal, the sick, the hungry and
the world’s poor would be much, much worse.
The
first free hospital, 1,700 years before the NHS and 1,770 years before
“Obamacare”, would never have been built – and nor would tens of thousands
after it.
The
slave trade might still be here, since it was opposed almost single-handedly on
Christian principles by a Christian politician - William Wilberforce.
Thousands
of schools around the world would never have opened their doors, including all
church schools in Britain today, most of them with long waiting lists and for
good reason.
Oxford,
Cambridge, Paris Sorbonne, Princeton, Harvard and Yale Universities would not
have been founded.
We
wouldn’t have much priceless classical art including Michelangelo’s Sistine
Chapel ceiling.
We
would have no films such as It’s a Wonderful Life, Ben Hur, Chariots of Fire,
the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, and scores of others.
We
would have no Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, no Dickens’s Christmas
Carol, and no Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables.
The
United Kingdom would never have had a national anthem which addresses God and
asks him to save; it would probably be a pagan nation worshipping the sun and
the moon as fertility symbols.
The
flags of Denmark, England, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Scotland would
not have a cross on them.
We
would never swear on the Bible in court or say that anything is “gospel truth.”
The
net flow of immigration in the world today would not be from non-Christian
countries to Christianised ones – because they would be no more desirable
places to live.
The
Auca Indians of Ecuador would still be spearing white men to death instead of
baptizing their children. The Arawakan natives of the Caribbean would still be
cannibals. Descendants of the Maya in Mexico would still sacrifice their
children instead of teaching them to praise their Creator.
If
Jesus had never been born, hundreds of Old Testament prophecies would have
remained unfulfilled. Death would not have been conquered. God would be a liar.
There
would be no mediator between God and man, for the only one able to bring God
and man together, Jesus, would have been as fictitious as the tooth fairy, fat
men getting down chimneys or flying reindeer. We would still have no hope of
eternal life.
What
a difference Jesus makes! No other religious figure comes close to impacting
the world for good like he has. No other religion recognises him as the Saviour
of the world. That’s why none of them appeal to me - and it’s the 26th reason
I am a Christian.
Why
I am a Christian Index
1.
The Origins of the Universe Hint at the Work of a Creator
2.
The Fine Tuning of the Universe Suggests High Level Engineering, not Complete
Randomness
3.
The Dimensions, Properties, Proportions and Situation of the Earth Appear
Wisely Chosen
4.
The Unlikely Story of the Appearance of Life on Earth Points to an Author
5.
The Yearning for Meaning in the Human Heart Points to God
6.
The Innate Sense of Right and Wrong in Human Beings Points to a Moral Universe
Governed by a Good God
7.
Sin Offers the Best Explanation There Is of What’s Wrong with the World
8.
Providence Means That Even Life’s Tragedies Are Redeemable
9.
Hell, If Real, Is an Irrevocable Eternity of Anguished Regret – Big Gamble
10.
Jesus’ Birth, Life, Death and Resurrection Were Accurately Predicted Years
Before the Events
11.
Jesus’ Persona Is Absolutely Compelling
12.
Jesus’ Teaching is Unique and Unmatched
13.
Jesus’ Death Solves the Problem of Sin and Changes History Forever
14.
Evidence for Christ’s Resurrection is So Good
15.
The Bible’s Message Is Incredibly Consistent with a Striking Running Theme
16.
The Bible Has Withstood and Overcome Centuries of Unparalleled Attack
17.
The Message of the Bible Touches and Changes Lives
18.
Watching Christians Die Confident and Unafraid Is Inspirational
19.
Revivals Around the World Attest to the Continuing Power of the Gospel
20.
Christian Fellowship Offers a Depth of Relationship I Have Not Enjoyed
Elsewhere
21.
Foretastes of Heaven in Worship Are Unlike Any Other Earthly Experience
22.
Deliverance Ministry Convinces Me That Evil Is Real and That Christ Is Stronger
23.
Near Death Experiences Suggest that Death Is Not the End
24.
Agnostics Sound Fair-Minded but I Can't Be One
25.
Atheism Offers Nothing, Transforms No One and Leads Nowhere
2 comments:
I am 69 years old, I was a Christian for 40 years. I was bought up to believe that Christianity was the ONLY way and got married to someone who thought so too. Now I am older and wiser. This article is your experience but to me it is a very bigoted way of looking at the subject. I am the other way around. Actually it was Jesus who was supposed to have said that If you shall know the truth you shall,be free indeed. Well my life has changed totally for the better since I freed myself up from the narrow bigoted Christiany that I hated from when I was child. I won't argue with anything you say on here because there are many ways of looking at these things. But all I can say is that the last 29years of my life has certainly been the happiest, since I became free, in mind body and spirit. No one can argue with that!
I am sorry you had that experience Patricia. It sounds like you dislike narrow, churchy religion just as much as I do and I am not surprised that you feel happier and freer without it. Grace and peace.
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