Thursday, September 29, 2011

Pure religion

If I were to ask you to define the word religion, what would you come up with?

I have to be honest with you; religion has gotten such a bad name that I have caught myself saying "no, no, I am not religious, I am a Christian..." Needless to say that doesn't mean a thing to the sceptic I am having the conversation with. I decided to look it up in my Penguin English dictionary:

[Rilijon] n belief in and worship of God or gods; specified system of theology, ritual and morality based on this; outlook and way of life based on this...

Way of life... that caught my attention. Religion is not a system, a theory or even a set of rituals, it is a way of life.  It is not a bad word if we allow it to jump off the page and become alive, if we choose it as a way of life. This week I was reading James 1:27 and was surprised at the simplicity of his description, Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James shares two principles that define the content of true and pure religion (genuine devotion to God):

  1. benevolent love for the people in need, and
  2. a holy life
I wonder how difficult we have made 'our' religion sometimes...

24 comments:

  1. Lorrie12:19 PM

    I think we have made it very difficult. I like being reminded of the simple and pure..

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  2. Love your "simple" definition. It says it all! :O)

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  3. Lorrie, I am with you... we have made it often too complicated, I need reminders like this on a daily basis!

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  4. The Bible for dummies Diana :)

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  5. This is interesting, Marja. Like you, I have often avoided the term. This gives it another angle that I hadn't thought of. Thanks for sharing this!

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  6. Marja, I can completely relate... I have always disliked the word religion. But now, after reading your post, I am understanding the true meaning of it.. Very insightful...

    http://ladyonaroof.blogspot.com/

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  7. To be hinest with you karen, I didn't even realize the term was used in a positive sense in the Bible... eye opener for me too!

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  8. Hey, welcome back Carolyne, thanks for your comment. I always hope to share a fresh look on things.

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  9. Religion is indeed a way of life but the Christian lives that way in honour of our Lord and Saviour.

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  10. That's the problem. Religion/religious has been abused, kicked around by those who see some believers as being hypocritical or following a set of rules to be religious. And because of this, the true meaning gets stomped in the mud. Today, the words *Christ follower* are much more useful. Great post, Marja!

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  11. You bring up a lot of good points here, Marja! It's true that there's nothing wrong with the term 'religion.' Funny I think of religion as ritual rather than relationship. Our beliefs should affect the way we live, and the description in James 1:27 is beautiful. Thanks for sharing! Hugs and God bless!

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  12. Wyn, yes! A life style that honors our Father!

    Lynn, thanks for your comment, `the true meaning gets stomped in the mud ` that is so true, I am glad the Bible gives a clear definition.

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  13. Maria, I always appreciate your input! We can talk )or write, for that matter' all we want, but if we don´t SHOW it, we miss the point.
    Thank you my dear, have a great weekend.

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  14. Well put, Marja! Sometimes reading the dictionary can be such an eye-opening experience.

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  15. Yes Dana, I do that often! If only for improving my English :)

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  16. Hi Marja!
    Excellent post! It's so true that we (meaning a societal "we") mis-use that word "religion." When we see its true meaning, both in the dictionary and as James instructs, it is indeed our way of life. The problem is when people's ways of life are just ritual and no relationship. They go through the motions and are like an empty shed snakeskin. Looks like the real thing but is missing the life. Hmmm - you've got me thinking - a blogpost coming on! I was feeling empty myself, but you inspired me once again. Thanks!!!
    Blessings,
    Susan

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  17. Oh yes, I love that verse in James! I too try to ignore the religious word, but only because I don't want to get caught up in its difficulty. Good post!

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  18. Susan, you wrote an excellent post! Thanks for spreading the word.

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  19. Hey Jessica, thanks for stopping by. I don't want to get caught in the difficulty of religion either, because when that happens we miss the true maning and purpose!

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  20. Hi Marja -

    I always like to go to the Word for definitions.

    Blessings,
    Susan :)

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  21. Me too Susan, it really clarifies things :)

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  22. Anonymous8:35 AM

    Hi again, Marja, came back after visiting Susan's Eternity Cafe and she linked this post. You're right, to the sceptic it means nothing when we attempt to clarify such details. I came back because the words you used, "way of life," is what I've used for a very long time to define worship. To me worship is a way of life, a conduit to His presence and a natural result from relationship--like breathing. I think it's neat that you used the same words to describe this relationship of ours with our Father.

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  23. Hi Marcia, thanks for your words. Worship is not a song, it is a way of life! I have often called it lifestyle evangelism!

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  24. Marja:
    Like anything else, mankind has given the term religion a bad reputation. We(all of society) have done things to cast a black cloud over the word. Someone who claims to be religious might also be judgmental or legalistic.

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Thanks for your visit, it is my hope and prayer that this post was an encouragement to you! Feel free to leave a comment.