"Why I Hate Religion....?"

In the 1960’s, there was religious trend which used as its rally cry, “The Man — Not the Plan.” In 2000, there was a book written by a Christian entitled, “A Church That Flies: A New Call to Restoration in the Churches of Christ.” In 2012, a YouTube video was posted by a young man entitled, “Why I hate Religion, But Love Jesus” has gone viral (over 22 million hits currently).

They all have the same basis. They are critical of “legalistic Christianity.” And legalism is due criticism. That was certainly the target of most of Jesus’ criticism (cf. Matthew 23). He was passionate about the abuses, the manipulative motivation and the hypocrisy of legalistic religion. He viewed it as something from which people needed to be free! I think this was/is the basic motivation behind each of these efforts and as such, I agree with the intention.

However, they also share the same flaw — they choose a brush which paints too broad a stroke. They use terms which condemn legitimate vital truths! Labeling something as “traditional” does not make it wrong. Saying something with a snarl doesn’t make it evil. There is a “plan” which God designed and worked throughout history to bring to fruition. The young man in the video assures listeners that he “attends church.” He then overstates the truth by saying that “Jesus hates religion.”

Jesus did not hate religion; he hated self-righteousness in religion (Matthew 23:1-33). He hated false religion.

Beloved, in our desire to purge hypocrisy from religion, let’s not spray the crowd with bullets! In our haste to condemn the judgmental Pharisees, let us be careful not to join them! —Ken Stegall, Woodland Oaks church of Christ

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets

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