When I first saw this video pop up on my newsfeed I thought I would agree with it. After watching it, I only partially agree. I was going to simply repost the video on Facebook but I have much to say about it.
First, Jesus did not come to abolish religion. He came to fulfill the law laid down in the Old Testament. We no longer need to sacrifice animals, keep Kosher or ritually wash ourselves. All of these things were put in place to show us how powerless we are to achieve our own salvation. Just read through the laws in your Old Testament. There's NO way I could keep all of those. When Christ came, He fulfilled all of those. He gave us our salvation and a bridge to His father should we care to accept either one. Nowhere did He abolish religion. He challenged it time and again but never abolished it. That brings me to my second point.
Religion is not separate from Jesus. The man in the video is right about one thing--going to church is not enough to make you a Christian. I don't attend mass every Sunday because I believe that will make me a Christian or earn my salvation. I attend mass as an extension of my faith. If you're friends with someone and they have a dinner party once a week would you go? Of course! So why is doing the same thing with God any different? Going to a house of worship, be it Catholic or Protestant, is simply a way to celebrate our relationship with Christ. Yes religion is flawed. It's flawed because it's been left in the hands of human beings. Human beings mess up and sin. That's kind of what we do best. It's possible to have the kind of relationship with Christ discussed in the video AND be religious. The problem comes when religion becomes a substitute for Christ, which it was never ever meant to be. The man in the video makes many good points; it's his statements that Jesus came to abolish religion & that religion is completely separate from Jesus that I take issue with. His opinion of religion is based on the popular secular idea of religion. In popular thinking religion is seen as tea partiers and a lack of tolerance. But that's simply not accurate. That's not even the majority. No it's just a very vocal minority and unfortunately it's the minority that society has latched on to as the definition of Christian religion. You simply can't lump in all of us with that vocal minority.
There's one other thing that bothers me: the idea that religion is about man searching for God while Jesus is about God searching for man and that that somehow makes Jesus better than religion. What's wrong with both?? If we're not searching for Him in some way how can we hear what He has to say? In a dating relationship both partners have to strive for each other in order for the relationship to work. Our relationship with Christ is the same. Yes He has sought us out. But we have to seek Him as well. Remember the whole "ask seek knock" thing? Jesus also encourages us to seek Him multiple times. So I'm sorry but that particular statement just isn't sound. Now it could be argued that what he meant to say was that religion is about man trying to earn salvation whereas Jesus is about God giving salvation to men. But that goes back to the vocal minority I was discussing earlier. Moreover that's simply not what was stated in the video. It takes some mental work to reach that point.
This individual has some wonderful points concerning that vocal minority but the way the video is phrased is dangerous. It lumps in all religion with that minority and condemns all of it. And don't tell me "well that's what he meant." To quote Dr. Seuss, "I meant what I said and I said what I meant." Horton had it right--say what you mean. Heck, even Jesus said to just say what you really mean.
And yes, if Jesus came to my church we would let Him in.
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