Why I Hate "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus"

There has been this video floating around the internets the last few days of a guy reading a poem that he wrote about how he hates religion because Jesus hates religion and how the truth of the love of Jesus is so much better. It's been shared 10 times by my Facebook friends and has actually even found its way on to reddit. If you haven't seen it, I've embedded it at the bottom of the post if you really want to watch a silly misleading gospel presentation. This video is just a little more creative expression of the famous Christian cliche "It's not a religion, it's a relationship."

These Christian cliche is unhelpful at best and harmful at worst. What does it mean that Christianity isn't a religion? By every dictionary definition Christianity is absolutely a religion - it has a set of beliefs about God, a belief in the supernatural, an institutionalized system of religious beliefs, etc. Maybe it means that Christianity doesn't have rules and laws like the other religions do? But then why is it a sin to lie or to commit adultery or to kill people? Aren't those rules that hold people down? Every which way you look at it, Christianity IS a religion.

But of course I know the good intentions behind the video and the cliche - Christianity isn't just about rules but it's about a relationship with Jesus. Now I agree with this totally and completely, but we need to think seriously about how people who aren't gospel-saavy will hear and understand "It's not a religion, but a relationship."

To the skeptic, it's nonsensical.

"How stupid must Christians be to try and convince anyone that their religion isn't a religion? This just smells like a wolf trying to put on sheep's clothing. How can Christians say that Christianity isn't a religion if they have a ginormous multi-billion industry called the Catholic Church, historical atrocities like the Crusades, rules that tell people that they can't be gay or lesbian, pastors that try to lead the sheeple in the direction that they want, and followers that try to push their ideas on other people? This whole "it's not a religion, but a relationship" business is just another of the ploys of Christians to try and dress up their silly little religion to make it more appealing and to try and shed the injustices and the oppression caused by Christians over the centuries."

To the agnostic, it's misleading.

"Wait so are you telling me that Christianity isn't a religion but is just a relationship with Jesus? That's great! I'm tired of religions trying to push their rules on me and keep me from having fun and enjoying myself! I'm so glad that Christianity isn't about rules! So if I was to accept the love of Jesus and a relationship with Jesus that you are talking about, this means that I don't need to go to church on Sundays right? ...Wait what? I thought Christianity wasn't about rules, but I guess going to church isn't too bad...Can I still keep sleeping with my girlfriend at least? No?! Why not?! I thought Christianity wasn't about the rules that are meant to hold people down..."

To the Christian, it's a source of arrogance.

"I'm a Christian and I don't believe in religion. Unlike people of other faiths, I don't do things because I have to, but because I want to. I understand what it means to have genuine faith unlike the Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and all of all of those other people that don't understand what it means to have a genuine faith. I bet they've all been forced to go to synagogue and mosque as kids. I bet their parents forced their religion on them. Not for me! I chose to go to church as a child. I chose to believe in Jesus on my own accord. I'm not even like those other Christians that don't love Jesus as much as I do. I know the church isn't perfect, but it's not because of me! If I was there during the Crusades, I would have spoken up and kept people from doing that horrible stuff! I was there during the civil rights movement, I would have been one of the first people to support MLK! I don't understand why all of those other Christians failed to do the obviously Christian thing to do like I would have. All the other people in the church that are ruining the church should stop being greedy and hateful and need to just love people. Unlike all the other 'religious' people I know, I'm not a hypocrite!!"


Now I know I may have exaggerated a little bit, but the problems we face when advertising Christianity not as a religion but only a relationship are obvious. In the end, we need to do as the guy in the video says to do (and what the Bible says to do) and to "boast in our weakness" and instead of distancing ourselves from the brokenness of the church, take ownership of the church's flaws and to use it to point people to Jesus. Instead of denying that Christianity has rules and regulations that people don't like, showing that those rules, kept by Christ's power, bring life to the full. Instead of pointing fingers to tear apart the body, we need to "encourage one another and build one another up."

Wake up, Christians! Your words matter! Christianity is a religion, and despite the flaws in its followers and in the church, it is the only true religion! But Christianity is still a religion...

Matthew 5:17 - "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."

James 1:27 - "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows and their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."