I can't recall if I have written a blog on this topic yet or not. I have written countless blogs and it is difficult to recall all of them. So since I am unsure if I have written about this I will write about it now.
The bad word in charismatic circles is religion. I don't understand why this word has become a negative word. I guess I want someone to define what religion actually means to them. Why is it so hated? In the past I doubt the word religion carried the same considerations as it does now. Wikipedia defines religion this way:
A religion is a set of beliefs and practices, often centered upon specific supernatural and moral claims about reality, the cosmos, and human nature, and often codified as prayer, ritual, and religious law. Religion also encompasses ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, and mythology as well as personal faith and mystical experience. The term "religion" refers to both the personal practices related to communal faith and to group rituals and communication stemming from shared conviction.
Excluding the mythology part religion's definition seems to be a rather docile description of spiritual practice. For those of you who have found yourself asking people to not be religious please explain to me your reasoning. Actually the Bible defines undefiled religion as taking care of widows and orphans. So I assume people speaking negatively about religion are addressing the defiled kind of religion. I assume. But, I think that our culture might be scared of the word religion because we are appeasing the masses. So many people have grown tired of dull tradition and therefore we lash out at a word, like religion, to draw in the bewildered soul. I am not convinced that beating up a word and tarnishing it's once good standing will have any effect on a person's soul. I guess I find it a bit foolish.
2 comments:
I once heard someone say "don't become religious about not being religious". That was a good word for me to hear at the time I needed to hear it. I also read once in a book by Rick Joyner about what exactly the "religious" spirit is. If I recall correctly it was a very biblical explanation. I will have to find that book again and read over it and share it with you if I think it worth sharing.
I actually think I have seen that book. I think it is called Unmasking the Jezebel Spirit or something like that. I think I read part of it awhile ago. But, I am not one to retain information. I will try to refresh my memory by picking it up again. Thanks
Post a Comment