How can organized religion, with its human flaws...guide us through today's society.
"Whereas our vices are a trap, they are artificially created needs and sources of pleasure that come from: the media, fake life styles, corporations, your peers and your physical desires. They create an addiction to something that cannot fulfill you, something that will leave you wanting more and a lifestyle that causes your happiness to fluctuate based on whether or not you have it or you don’t."
From the ebook 'WE ARE ALL SLAVES TO SOMETHING' A Millenials Guide to Morality in Today's World. Part 3
When it comes to religion, many of us view it as a fairy tale that works for some, but not for all. Or it is viewed as a corrupt and hypocritical way of thinking due to the long history of violence and wrongdoing associated with major world religions. For many however, we want to believe in God and even say that we do, but do not follow his teaching because we are unaware of what he truly wants or we believe it’s too difficult to follow his way to the letter of the law. For others it’s simply unrealistic in today’s society and it takes the ‘fun’ out of life. Even worse, there are those of us who think we can get by without knowing what our actual purpose and expectations are from God.
In many cases organized religion can actually be a form of control or system for brainwashing. Many people use it to incite terror, control through fear or turn people’s faith and need to have hope into profit. So how can we decipher between a relationship with God that frees us from the hold society has on us from religion that controls us? By knowing the text that our beliefs are based on and developing a personal relationship with God. Here are some additional things to look for in a good Christian Church:
Leaders who are servants as opposed to some form of royalty.
Community outreach and community service
Evangelism that does not involve ‘fire & brimstone’ preaching (telling people that they need to accept God or else).
Small group meetings that make being Christian more than a once per week experience.
Calls for offering to support the Church rather than ‘give money to be saved/blessed’.
Belief system and teachings can be found and are supported by the Bible. Nothing can be added and nothing can be removed unless it was done so by Jesus himself (the laws of Moses for the Israelites in the Old Testament).
Jesus himself makes his feelings about those who use organized religion for their own personal gain clear: “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” Matthew 23:5-12
Many people I know who say they believe in God don’t actually know what it is they believe in, or they don’t realize that simply believing that he exists is not enough for salvation. This is in no way different than someone who is adamant in their belief of evolution but doesn’t know enough about it to defend their stance or create an argument in support of their beliefs. Self-proclaimed Christians who do not pursue knowledge from the Bible or a relationship with Christ can easily be presented as hypocrites, can easily be persuaded and even worse, believe the Bible is open to being interpreted however one chooses.
18 "...Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.' James 2:18-19. Simply believing God exists is not enough
The argument that I would like to present to you is this: What Christ has to offer is salvation, knowledge of your purpose in life and a reason for your creation. The so called do’s and don’ts of the Bible are no different than a parent putting restrictions on their child because they know what will harm them and not make them happy despite the fact that they may want it. Or the parents know that what the child desires will only result in temporary satisfaction, at best it will be a waste of time and it could possibly be harmful. When we lose our way and become wrapped up in seeking pleasure in what is marketed to us as a source of happiness our relationship with God is similar to: a parent losing their child in public, the child believes they are ok, but they don’t realize what kind of danger they’re in without their parent’s guidance because they don’t understand the world the way an adult does. The writings of the Bible are inspired by God and are meant to lead to a better quality of life filled with joy. Whereas our vices are a trap, they are artificially created needs and sources of pleasure that come from: the media, fake life styles, corporations, your peers and your physical desires. They create an addiction to something that cannot fulfill you, something that will leave you wanting more and a lifestyle that causes your happiness to fluctuate based on whether or not you have it or you don’t.
“The so called do’s and don’ts of the Bible are no different than a parent putting restrictions on their child....”
I’ll present this argument in terms a millennial may be sympathetic to:
Men- when you go out with your boys and you’re single, it’s completely possible to have a great night with just your male friends. If this is not possible then you and your friends may not be very compatible and should seek friendship elsewhere. However…society tells us that young men who successfully have a good time do so by meeting attractive women. The level of success is determined by whether or not they secure a follow up or ‘hook up’ with a female that night. In movies, media and amongst our friends we revere men who are able to find women on a regular basis when out with friends and hold them in high regard. But in theory when thinking about friends like these, the truth is that they enjoy the company of someone of the opposite sex they barely know more than you. As a result men will go home from outing’s feeling empty and unsuccessful if they don’t find someone. I tell young men on a regular basis that one way in which they can enjoy themselves is to not create expectations of meeting someone. These expectations are based on what we’re told is a great night out, but having expectations leads to disappointment. If you have expectations as to how the night should go or how a girl you like should react then you will open yourself up for disappointment.
Women- how often do we see women in relationships with men that bring them down or they are abusive. Now there are many psychological underlying reasons for this, for this argument however the one I would like to point out is the need (and this does not just go for just women, this is simply a contrasting cultural argument based on societal pressure) for some women to be in a relationship with a man because they fear being alone. There is nothing wrong with being single as a woman, a woman should seek fulfillment in their lives whether they are with someone or not because no human being should rely solely on someone else for their happiness.
End of Part 3
