Say No To Religion

The following article was originally on the Christian Metal Network web site. The site is now off-line and the domain has expired so I'm unable to credit the author. Reproduced here for posterity and most importantly because it’s true.

What? No religion? Doesn't a belief in God mean a person is religious? You mean there is something other than religion?

Frankly, yes. God is not religious. Religion is something people made up. Acting or looking a certain way. Doing or not doing certain things and rituals. History is full of bloody acts and wars in the name of religion. From the Inquisition to Hitler, religion has always played a part in misery and murder in the history of the world.

But hasn't Christianity been a big part of this misery?

Religions calling themselves Christians have, sure. Hitler used religious rhetoric to cause the holocost to eliminate the Jewish race. The Spanish Inquisition used religious rhetoric to tourture and terrorize. There are countless examples of this, yet throughout history there are those who continued to seek real Truth. Some of those were killed because of it in the name of religion. But there is something more and more people are realizing. And those in history who were killed for it realized it then - the difference is that religion requires you to believe a certain way. God requires you to receive. Believe in religion as opposed to receiving Christ. That's the difference. If you are seeking and really want to find the truth about life, then,you will find it. Religion seeks to make us comfortable, ignorant and oblivious. When we are born physically in this world, we all have an empty void that seeks to be filled. God made a way for us to truely fill that void. That's what the term Christian really means, to have Christ in us.

Wait a second! To be a Christian I would have to believe in Jesus, right?

The bible actually says you must receive Christ into your heart. It referes to that as being "born again" spiritually. An analogy of being born physically. And as far as believing in Jesus, the bible says that satan believes in Jesus, but that doesn't make him a Christian - so why would just believing work for anyone else?

Oh, the Bible, huh? There's a lot of books out there about God. There's even lots of books interperating the bible. What's the difference in that ? And besides, I've heard a lot of stuff about how the bible says one thing in one place and the opposite in another place.

Yes, there are lots of books out there and people who will tell you what the bible says. One aspect of religion is people who have a certain belief and then go to the bible to find scripture that appears to support what they want to make it say. That is when the bible appears to contradict itself. But it isn't the bible doing the contradiction.
In 2nd Peter 1:20 it says, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of the Scripture is of a private interperatation." You read it for yourself. It speaks to you. The bible is full of stories about love, war, passion, hate, lies, pleasure and everything that happens to people then and now. It also has wisdom, knowlege, truth and the key to life here and beyond.
The bible also says we can have a personal relationship with God. We don't go through a superior person or have to perform certain rituals to achieve this relationship. Being good doesn't work. We can never be completely perfect no matter who we are. In fact, there is nothing we can do as far as acts or rituals to have the Spirit live in us. We simply agree to allow Christ to come into our hearts. When this happens, we begin to really see and understand because our spiritual eyes become open. Then the real fun begins!

It can't be that simple!

But it is that simple. Religion says it is not simple. Religion tells you to be something you're not. But God wants us to be what we really are and Christ empowers us to be just that.
I was raised in a religious atmosphere when I was a kid. Religion never did anything for me and like most people, I wandered around trying this and that but never finding real happiness or satisfaction. I was seeking and finally began to read the Bible for myself. I finally saw the difference between religion and God's plan for me. I finally learned to say no to religion and yes to God. Over time my life has become wonderful because of it. My zits didn't suddenly go away and there were still bad things that would happen sometimes. But because I now had the Spirit of God living in me, I had a source of knowlege and power that helped me to overcome everything and see the best way to go.
Go get a copy of the Bible. There is a short book called Mark that tells the whole story about who and what Jesus is and what he did so we could receive the free gift of God's spirit. If you can get a copy of an N.I.V. bible, that's best because it was painstakingly translated into plain english from the most original copies of the Bible. Just honestly ask Jesus to come into your heart. Just like you would talk to a friend. Do it right now. Say that you want Jesus to come into your heart and be born again. Start reading the bible with your newly openned spiritual eyes and it will speak to you. Ask God to help you meet other real people like yourself. Look for others who read the bible. You will meet others like yourself and it's great to make real friendships. It's amazing how God helps us in life when all we do is receive his Spirit. Most of all, keep saying no to religion and yes to God.

Christ is not a religion

• Religion is our attempt to reach God while Christ is God's attempt to reach us
• You can have a personal relationship with God through Christ
• Religion requires you to be something you are not
• Following religion makes hippocrates out of everyone
• Religion makes a hard life even harder
• Religion seeks to hide truth
• Religion makes it easy to deceive ourselves
• Religion makes a lot out of very little
• Religion seeks to be approved of men instead of God
• Religion seeks to enslave us through rules and rituals
• God gave us Christ as a free gift to set us free