Growth Is Religion the Worst Enemy of Mankind?

[Sandy Zalecki]

A great philosopher named Bill Murray (yes the actor) was quoted saying, “Religion is the worst enemy of mankind. NO single war in the history of humanity has killed as many people as religion has.” I saw this on a facebook post and the person that posted it wanted me to agree with it. Not only do I question the wisdom of using an actor as a person possessing great philosophical wisdom, but I most certainly do not agree with his statement.

Because of the fallen nature of man we think up all kinds of reasons to kill each other. We use politics, power, money, the quest for precious natural resources, and many other reasons to kill. The ethnic cleansing in Rwanda was over the size of people’s noses. So we don’t need a particular reason to kill each other.

Religion has been used over the years, as a reason to kill that is true. The infidel needs to be killed to preserve the purity of the religion. I say all religion is bad. I don’t care if it is Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or New Age. It is bad because religion is mans attempt to reach God. Guess what folks, we can’t. We need relationship. That’s where Jesus comes in. He died on the cross to repair our broken relationship with God. Only He is capable of restoring relationship, and giving us a love for mankind so we can restore relationship with our brothers and sisters.

Remember the great commandment, “You shall love the Lord you God with all you heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39 NKJ

Unless you can achieve that first commandment of loving the Lord you cannot attain the second of loving your neighbor. Only a restored relationship with the Lord can allow you to love Him the way you should. He has to show you that kind of love. Then you can love your neighbor and wars and killing will cease. If Christianity is done like it is intended it is about relationship not religion.

I like this quote better, “Gods’ love in the human heart makes God’s power available to human hands.”

 

[Danacovert82]

I don't agree with what Bill said. I don't know what god he believes in if any. But that's not the point. The point is saying religion has killed more people than war. Wrong. War has killed more people. It may have been over religious views, political views, etc. but how can religion kill? Of you don't believe in something someone says, should you kill them? No. You should stand up for what you believe in and be able to defend it.

 

[jasoncran]

Christianity is a religion. always is and always was. if its not then the first amendement doesn't apply to it. we need to be careful with these fallacies.

 

[Sandy Zalecki]

Christianity is a religion. always is and always was. if its not then the first amendement doesn't apply to it. we need to be careful with these fallacies.

I don't think of my relationship with Jesus as a religion. It is a relationship. Is your relationship with your spouse, your mother, your siblings, or your friends a religion? Your relationship with Jesus should be the closest one you have. The Body of Christ isn't a religion it is a living organism. Those things don't need first amendment protection, the Lord protects them. If you are talking about a ritual that takes place on Sunday morning then you are talking about a religion that needs 1st amendment protection.

 

[Christ_empowered]

I don't like it when actors and actresses get all philosophical and political, either. I mean, OK: you're famous. You have a platform. Does that mean I'm obligated to listen to what you have to say?

Anyway, I used to think Christianity was just another religion...it just happened to be closer to the truth and better for society. Something like that. Long story, but basically, I tried to be Christian instead of trying to love Jesus and have a proper, loving relationship with Him. That changed when Christ called me to repentance.

Now, even though I'm a Baby Christian and all that, I see where your post is coming from. Even though church is important for Christians, you can be in right relationship without going to church, under exceptional circumstances. Go to the wrong church and church might actually get in the way of your relationship with Christ.

I think one thing that I love about Christianity is that, in some respects, its a very individualistic religion. I mean, yes; Church and community are important. Absolutely. But the individual's walk with The Lord is of utmost importance, and everything and everyone (the believer included) has to come second (at best) to that. I love Jesus enough to, if the need arises, quit being friends with certain people. I love Jesus enough to try to crucify self daily. Religion could never make me love a Carpenter+Rabbi from 2,000 years ago that much. A loving relationship with Jesus Christ, however, has transformed me inside and out, so now I'm willing and increasingly able to do what The Bible says to do so I can be in a right relationship with Him.

Kinda rambling, so...good post!

 

[Knotical]

I think Mr Murray may have been on the right track, but did not take the thought all the way to its logical conclusion. It is not religion that is the enemy of mankind, it is prideful men who are the enemy of mankind. It is they who use things like religion as a tool to get what they think they deserve, whether it be by covert means, or as an excuse for war. It still always boils down to pride.

 

[Sandy Zalecki]

I think Mr Murray may have been on the right track, but did not take the thought all the way to its logical conclusion. It is not religion that is the enemy of mankind, it is prideful men who are the enemy of mankind. It is they who use things like religion as a tool to get what they think they deserve, whether it be by covert means, or as an excuse for war. It still always boils down to pride.

So true. Religion is just an excuse.

 

[Free]

Christianity is a religion. always is and always was. if its not then the first amendement doesn't apply to it. we need to be careful with these fallacies.

Agreed. It is a religion by almost every definition of "religion" one can find. One of the central tenets of the religion is that people can have a personal relationship with Jesus.

 

[jasoncran]

I don't think of my relationship with Jesus as a religion. It is a relationship. Is your relationship with your spouse, your mother, your siblings, or your friends a religion? Your relationship with Jesus should be the closest one you have. The Body of Christ isn't a religion it is a living organism. Those things don't need first amendment protection, the Lord protects them. If you are talking about a ritual that takes place on Sunday morning then you are talking about a religion that needs 1st amendment protection.

uhm the founders of America seem to disagree, read the preamble to the declaration of independence then the us constitution. since you went there. if the men and women like me didn't fight to secure said right, you wouldn't be able to post just what you said. and even in Judaism one could pray and talk to god and know him. otherwise, moses, hanniah, Daniel and others wouldn't pray to a god they couldn't talk to.

 

[jasoncran]

uhm the definition of a ritual, and communion by definition is one and so is baptism.

rit·u·al (rch-l)
n.
1.
a. The prescribed order of a religious ceremony.

b. The body of ceremonies or rites used in a place of worship.

2.
a. The prescribed form of conducting a formal secular ceremony: the ritual of an inauguration.

b. The body of ceremonies used by a fraternal organization.

3. A book of rites or ceremonial forms

while Christianity doesn't have a lot of this in general, some churches do this. ie the catholics, the protestants who have rituals, ie Anglican, Methodist and Episcopalian.etc. these are Christian churches when they do teach the gospel truth they do proclaim the gospel. while they aren't my cup of tea, I cant and will not refuse to call them my brethren. my pastor says this and also he has a ritualistic way of doing tithing.
1) first he mentions a joke about money
2) a song is played, and the members give to the plates and greet.
3) prays over the tithes and offering.

that is by definition a ritual. do I really need to go into baptism?

 

[Sandy Zalecki]

uhm the definition of a ritual, and communion by definition is one and so is baptism.



while Christianity doesn't have a lot of this in general, some churches do this. ie the catholics, the protestants who have rituals, ie Anglican, Methodist and Episcopalian.etc. these are Christian churches when they do teach the gospel truth they do proclaim the gospel. while they aren't my cup of tea, I cant and will not refuse to call them my brethren. my pastor says this and also he has a ritualistic way of doing tithing.
1) first he mentions a joke about money
2) a song is played, and the members give to the plates and greet.
3) prays over the tithes and offering.

that is by definition a ritual. do I really need to go into baptism?

"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." James 1:27 NKJ Yes, I agree with you the Christianity is like a religion in that it has a deity involved and it has ritual. True Christianity is a religion and a relationship with our deity. True religion or this world is man's attempt to reach God by works. Christianity can break down to that, and it can be just as dangerous as other religions when it does. True Christianity is relationship with Jesus. He reached down to us, because we can't reach Him. It is impossible for man to reach God. We want to do good works because of our love for our Lord and our desire to serve Him. That's the difference between other religions of the world and true Christianity.

 

[farouk]

"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." James 1:27 NKJ Yes, I agree with you the Christianity is like a religion in that it has a deity involved and it has ritual. True Christianity is a religion and a relationship with our deity. True religion or this world is man's attempt to reach God by works. Christianity can break down to that, and it can be just as dangerous as other religions when it does. True Christianity is relationship with Jesus. He reached down to us, because we can't reach Him. It is impossible for man to reach God. We want to do good works because of our love for our Lord and our desire to serve Him. That's the difference between other religions of the world and true Christianity.

I guess the question is, what is its character? when we speak generally of religion.

Sometimes ppl speak of 'churchianity', which is vastly different from clear, Biblical Christianity.

Blessings.

 

[The Light]

I will give Mr. Murray the benefit of the doubt and concede that he could be on to something when he paints religion as a negative. What I wish he would have said instead of religion is that labels that serve to divide us whether they be based in religion, nationalism, or be they political, are often enemies to our greater good.

One distinction we as beleivers must be careful to be mindful of is that religion and truth are not often synonomous and if we are introspective and forthright, we may come to realize that Christianity is in fact just a religion or betteryet, sets of varying individual religious practices that sprung up from our attempts of living based on our primary source of faith, the Bible. Because of this, a good case can be made that some religious practices and convictions are better than others because those better practices and beliefs lay more closely aligned with scripture.

A troubling thing to me is how subjective the faith has become as time has progressed. As a poster above said about Christianity, it is in far too many respects a very individualistic religion. Think about what that can imply for a moment. What can be gathered from this reality is that many believers make God into a subjective entity limited to the prism of the individual's perceptions, situations, and desires. Going down this path if we are not careful, we will perhaps unconsciously use OUR faith in God in a manner that elevates our own personal ideals and beliefs to the level of Godly mandate.

 

[farouk]

I will give Mr. Murray the benefit of the doubt and concede that he could be on to something when he paints religion as a negative. What I wish he would have said instead of religion is that labels that serve to divide us whether they be based in religion, nationalism, or be they political, are often enemies to our greater good.

One distinction we as beleivers must be careful to be mindful of is that religion and truth are not often synonomous and if we are introspective and forthright, we may come to realize that Christianity is in fact just a religion or betteryet, sets of varying individual religious practices that sprung up from our attempts of living based on our primary source of faith, the Bible. Because of this, a good case can be made that some religious practices and convictions are better than others because those better practices and beliefs lay more closely aligned with scripture.

A troubling thing to me is how subjective the faith has become as time has progressed. As a poster above said about Christianity, it is in far too many respects a very individualistic religion. Think about what that can imply for a moment. What can be gathered from this reality is that many believers make God into a subjective entity limited to the prism of the individual's perceptions, situations, and desires. Going down this path if we are not careful, we will perhaps unconsciously use OUR faith in God in a manner that elevates our own personal ideals and beliefs to the level of Godly mandate.

I would also say that just because some straight lines are drawn by crooked sticks, doesn't mean therefore that all straight lines are bad...

 

[jasoncran]

"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." James 1:27 NKJ Yes, I agree with you the Christianity is like a religion in that it has a deity involved and it has ritual. True Christianity is a religion and a relationship with our deity. True religion or this world is man's attempt to reach God by works. Christianity can break down to that, and it can be just as dangerous as other religions when it does. True Christianity is relationship with Jesus. He reached down to us, because we can't reach Him. It is impossible for man to reach God. We want to do good works because of our love for our Lord and our desire to serve Him. That's the difference between other religions of the world and true Christianity.

that is what you say it is not what the dictionary says it is. im not saying you are wrong but that it is a religion none the less otherwise let then redefine the first admendment to mean that the congress can enforce a law that forces one to go to church, have a relationship with jesus. after all its not a religion.see what I am getting at. besides what james said is really what the jews should have been doing and he was talking to jewish believers. funny how the torah was always about doing but few would do it.

 

[farouk]

that is what you say it is not what the dictionary says it is. im not saying you are wrong but that it is a religion none the less otherwise let then redefine the first admendment to mean that the congress can enforce a law that forces one to go to church, have a relationship with jesus. after all its not a religion.see what I am getting at. besides what james said is really what the jews should have been doing and he was talking to jewish believers. funny how the torah was always about doing but few would do it.

Walking the walk as well as talking the talk, right?

Blesings.

 

[jasoncran]

yes that does apply to Christians and can be said that way, but really MOST Christians see judiasm as what the Pharisee did not what the sages and the actually bible says what they were to do.

 

[farouk]

yes that does apply to Christians and can be said that way, but really MOST Christians see judiasm as what the Pharisee did not what the sages and the actually bible says what they were to do.

Well, Phariseeism is also unfortunately alive and well in professedly Christian circles...

 

[jasoncran]

Well, Phariseeism is also unfortunately alive and well in professedly Christian circles...

I never said we didn't do that. just that we think we are better then the Pharisees and the protestants think that they don't do what catholics do with rites.

 

[Sandy Zalecki]

that is what you say it is not what the dictionary says it is. im not saying you are wrong but that it is a religion none the less otherwise let then redefine the first admendment to mean that the congress can enforce a law that forces one to go to church, have a relationship with jesus. after all its not a religion.see what I am getting at. besides what james said is really what the jews should have been doing and he was talking to jewish believers. funny how the torah was always about doing but few would do it.

I was quoting from the Bible, not what I say. James applies to all Christians, Jew and non-Jew. No matter what our background we are now called "The Body of Christ." The 1st amendment has nothing to do with the Body of Christ. That is totally under Jesus' control. He is the head of the Body, not the U.S. Government.