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The Greatest Perversion
Written by Nathan Thurber on February 19, 2010Critics of religion often point to the many wars, killing and strife caused in the name of religion both today and throughout history to deride its very essence and purpose. Much has been made of this point. If you haven’t heard these arguments make your way to a local bookstore and go to the religious section. And, yes, the blame goes in many directions. No religion is off the hook.
That criticism has also been pointed closer to home, within the ranks of our “Christian” community. How about the fact that we kill our own? No, maybe not physically, but in every other way. When a believer sins, or God forbid a minister, they are publicly humiliated in the name of Christianity. Often the hands of those who do this sacred spiritual exercise are more soiled than the hands of those they are “purifying” to ease their self righteous piety.
Giving any amount of thought to these troublesome, yet true realities, causes ones mind to trend towards unbelief. The facts are real. This goes on every day. So what is the point of religion? Is God a fairy tale as those looking in would have us believe? How does one explain these two very disturbing realities? Is this the kind of God one would want to serve, let alone give their life to?
While pondering this very query, it suddenly dawned on me. Satan has been defeated. I think we can all agree on that, at least in principle from what we read in the Bible. Ok, and the only weapon he has left is deception. Are we together so far? Also, we can all agree that Satan is not more powerful or creative than God, right?
We see that Satan is merely a shadow of what God is. He does not create, he imitates. What God does for good, the devil does for evil. Jesus brings life, the devil death. Jesus heals, Satan destroys. The list could go on.
May I ask what the greatest gift to mankind from God is? Isn’t it forgiveness of sin, new life, and subsequent personal fellowship with Him through the Holy Spirit? I know that is the one thread that makes it next to impossible to ever reject my faith in Jesus. There is no greater fellowship and love than that of the Father through the Holy Spirit. It is so sweet, so kind, so accepting, so loving, so motivating; should I go on?
Doesn’t it make sense that the greatest gift, forgiveness of sin, new life and fellowship with the Father, would be perverted by the devil into perhaps the greatest evil known to mankind, RELIGION… THE GREATEST PERVERSION.
David described one day in right standing and fellowship with the Father as a far better experience than 1,000 days in the courts of a king. What God intended to be sweeter than life itself, Satan has perverted through deception into perhaps the most destructive force on earth.
Sadly, many non-believers site religion as the very reason why they want nothing to do with God. So much hurt, death and rejection has been caused in the name of religion. I have experienced this both personally and seen it in so many others. I know a wonderfully kind lady who made a bad decision as a young girl. She was so belittled and derided by the church for her wrong choice. She has since hardened her heart to God. As an adult, she fortifies her claims of God’s uselessness by citing further examples of friends and ministers she knows who were also mercilessly thrown to the curb as useless garbage.
I cannot believe religion or it’s adherents represent God. Not from my own personal experience with God, and not from reading the pages of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Jesus was nothing like religion. He was a friend of sinners, and told the least likely, a prostitute, “I do not condemn you, go and sin no more.” Those are not the words of a murderer; not in word or in action.
Perhaps you have given this subject some thought?
-Nathan Thurber
Hagere
~ Toronto
Since religion and religious people are mean and cruel they came up with ideology called ” Hell” to control masses… Can you imagine that, this loving, caring, gracious God would burn one for ignorance and stupidity in hell fire FOREVER?. Saying that God will send the man in the bush of Africa who never heard the gospel or even the name Jesus for that matter to hell and burn him FOREVER and eternity it is cruel, mean and selfish. It is about time we Re- think what we have been taught . Nope.. I don’t subscribe to Universalism But I have come to realize that some people have an extreme FIXATION with condemnation and they have nothing but, preach hell day in day out. Maybe they need some psychiatric evaluations
Andrew
~ Ottawa, ON
My opinion is nothing, I go to the scriptures of Matthew 5:21. Jesus does speak of consequences. By the way, you do not have to be a christian to be a psychiatrist.
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Teaching about Anger
21 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’* 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone,* you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot,* you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone,* you are in danger of the fires of hell.*
Grace
~ Toronto, ON
Have you sometimes wonder if religion has the power to take people’s sanity away ? I have! B/c we sound ridiculous and it is like public admission saying that we are stupid when we contradict ourselves by saying ” God is loving , caring, gracious, and He is merciFUL and we turn around and say ” There is a hell to shun” ( means He is going to burn you in endless tormenting fire if you don’t believe in Him) No wonder people think Christians are crazy
Hagere
~ Toronto, ON
Andrew Freedom is free of the need to be free.
There are several highly respected commentaries which prove that the King James translators intentionally changed a few words around to make it seem that the Church is a hierarchy. And there are several words which are translated “Hell” which could have other meanings like “the grave”, or the “garbage dump”, etc. Do your own investigations ” The lake of fire” means is totally different than the one that you have been taught all your life. If I invite you over to my house to socialize, I want you to come over because you want to, not because you are going to suffer if you don’t.
As for “talking about anger ” if you read the passage in context the following verse this what it says. “But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother WITH OUT A CAUSE shall be in ... on the Mount later on that if you don’t forgive your brother,” Also I suggest you read the passage with ” Grace Glass”
No one has said that you have to be a christian to be a psychiatrist.
Cam
~ Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
They say that one can prove life after death ,heaven,hell,so on.i feel i have plenty evidenceon these thing ,but proofe no .i think some believe pro..,&evi; are synonymous.proof requires no faith or diologue.thomas received evidence by testimony about jesus but didn’t beleive.then he met jesus in person.( now,that,s prooooof!)
Rhea
~ Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
I know my lord my God wants to take us out of bondage.
Don’t the legalists realize that religion is a form of bondage.
Adley
~ Islamabad, Pakistan
Thankyou peter for all youe do for us
Ryan
~ Arnprior, Ontario, Canada
I am very much oppressed by the “church” that it has got so bogged down in the law. Yet in all this my faith in Christ is stronger. The more a Pastor gets stuck in religon the more they have control issues. It leaks into the personal lives of the members of their leadership and congregation untill the church or people that attend the building resemble that of a cult. To find the freedom that is in the grace of the gospel is the freedom we all have in this world delivered to us by Jesus Christ Himself. Not through a pastor or any other person on this planet. When we interpret the bible in our own words we deplete the message of the gospel. The truth of the gospel speaks for itself. Therefore we can rest in the gospel.
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Comments:
Dan
~ Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Great stuff Peter!
I just wrote a post on my blog a couple of days ago entitled “God is not a religion.”
Religion led me away from God for many years. I had the wrong perception of who God really was. This false image of God was created by Satan, through worldly interpretations of God’s character. Even though I fully believed in God (and was born again at age 15), for most of my late teens and twenties I lived at odds with Him, because I thought He was oppressive. But once He revealed His true nature to me, I realized it wasn’t Him that I had a problem with, it was Satan who maskaraded as God, he was the problem. Ironically it was not inside the walls of a church building where I really got to know the true God, it was in my bedroom, in my car, at work, in the gym, and like you said, in the gospel (good news) message of Jesus Chirst.