K VIVEKANANDAN


TRUE RELIGION AND WORSHIP

Purpose of Life

God has not made the creation for a sport but with a great purpose. We were not created merely for a short term life but for eternity. All of us humans, angels, Jinns are destined to live eternally. No one will be spared from eternal life. We humans are here on the earth only for a passing life which is only a trial period to qualify ourselves either for eternal bliss or eternal doom. God, the merciful and benevolent did not impose this trial on us but we, humans only did choose the trial. Though we chose the trial in the beginning of creation, out of his infinite mercy, God promised us to give his guidance to emerge victorious from the trial as we need God’s guidance and protection at all times since the evil force(Satan/Mara/Angra Mainyu) who is one of the creatures of God and who revolted against God the Almighty, is always trying with his hosts to make humans go astray and deviate from the right path. After all, the evil force and his hosts could be able to revolt against God with the free will given by God to his creatures.

Guidance from God

As promised in the beginning, God sent his guidance by choosing some of the righteous men as his prophets(Rishi/Nabi) from among the peoples that lived in various parts of the world in all ages right from the period of the first man Adam to the last prophet Muhammad(Muhammad is the last one in the line of prophets), and giving them books by revelation(Sruthi/Sroasha/Wahi). Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Zoroaster, Laotzu, Manu, Krishna, Mahavir, Gautama Buddha, Socrates, Jesus, Muhammad who are well known personalities are only prophets of God, but not gods, semi-gods, God’s incarnations or partners to God. There are many more prophets, most of them are unknown to us today because of loss of the books revealed to them or any records or even a hint about them in the written human history.

What is religion

Books revealed to prophets are of two types, ie 1. Books containing laws and ordinances regarding rituals, criminal as well civil procedures inter alia, prophecies, and other teachings and 2. Books containing only prophecies and other teachings. The first type of books institute a new religion ie a religion to a people/nation like Vedas(Hinduism), Gathas(Zoroastrianism) Torah(Judaism), ), Tao Tehking(Taoism), Qur’an(Islam) and the second type of books do not institute a new religion but append to the existing religion like Gospel and old testament books(Judaism), Upanishads, books given to Mahavir, Buddha, etc(Hinduism). Only God revealed books containing laws and ordinances only institute a religion or in other words, God’s religion is based only on the authority of the books revealed by God and any religion based on other than God’s books is not accepted by God.

Worship God Alone

God is one, only one, not two or three…. No one but God is God or can become God in any sense. God is self existing and unborn. He never takes birth either as humans or any other creatures. God taking birth ie incarnation is inappropriate to his nature, might and attributes. The notion of incarnation of God is only a human invention and there is nothing true in that. All the prophets were ordained by God to preach worship of God alone. God has very clearly and strictly ordained all humans in his books to worship him alone and has warned us against worshiping other than him or associating partner to him. God has made it very clear that worshiping other than God or ascribing partner to him is the greatest of all sins.

What is Worship

All acts like praying, praising, bowing, kneeling, saluting, prostrating, calling to help and other acts done in reverence is tantamount to worship. There is a difference between worship and merely showing respect to living humans. The afore-mentioned acts done just as a gesture of respect to living humans do not amount to worship but if the same acts are done before a statue, idol, any picture or any other articles and calling or praying to the dead persons, the acts become worship other than God.

Two Forms of Worship

1.Worship by praises, songs, bowing down, kneeling, prostrating, meditation or any other acts like saying “ In the name of God, If God will, invoking God’s blessings” etc, before starting any work.

2. Worship by rituals ordained by God. There are many rituals ordained by God in his law making books, to be performed by all humans. Among these rituals is a compulsory worship to be performed daily by every human being. This compulsory ritual worship has was ordained by God in all religions instituted by him. All prophets, their immediate followers and some generations after them performed this compulsory ritual worship. But, miserably this compulsory ritual worship has vanished from the practice of existing religions except in Hinduism and Zoroastrianism. This compulsory ritual worship is none other than Yajna(Yagna/Yaga) in Hinduism and Yasna in Zoroastrianism. But peoples have distorted the pure form of performing Yajna/Yasna. It has to be purged of human distortions and restored to its originality and should become a part of day to day household and public practice. We all who believe in God should strive for this cause and serve God.

 

Derek Dashwood


Antique religion books tell us Confucius felt there was no after life. Jesus and Buddha did. Since 1949, China has been a nation that is officially of no religion.

Yet modern China now is experiencing a rebirth of interest of a deeper sense of meaning in life. And this is happening in the more sophisticated cities on the coast where the new more wealthy people with more education and learning are incorporating Buddhism into their lives.

While the officially Communist government now ensures that a member of state corporations is a partner with each foreign corporation, thus taking the known ways of capitalism directly into their system. And soon automobiles that look very identical to a name brand American car is being sold for less with a cute twist on the American name model.

And the people that work in the factories and the people building new factories and power plants every week are working hard and earning more than they might ever have thought possible a decade or two ago.

And a fascinating series of events are occurring and the government and the system seem relaxed about this, in contrast to their previous persecution of a dreaded meditative group they saw as a danger.

Now the China that persecuted followers of Christ but began to accept followers of Buddha around the time of Christ,is seeing Buddha being discovered again. Many on the richer coast have security and steady jobs.

They also have more freedom and time to reflect. And many are finding they feel empty somehow, and are finding the meditative nature of Buddha as a calming way to feel at peace.

This is good news as the natural peaceful natures of Jesus Christ and Gautama Buddha were both recognized as far back as the Mighty Khan. Mighty Khan had given a scroll for the Pope to Marco Polo. Marco knew the wish of the Khan was to have the Pope send one hundred missionaries.

Mighty Khan had heard that this holy man Jesus was known as the Prince of Peace. His people were restive under a Mongol ruler and needed a calming, passive religion that would allow them to put their faith in an after life so they could get on with their duties in this life with less complaint.

Alas, the old Pope was dying, it took the new Pope time to consider. His advise was to strike a committee, which they did: they met annually, for several years. Until news came that the Mighty Khan had tired of waiting and instead receive one hundred missionaries of Buddha, who the Khan knew also promised a passive faith.

And now this simmering faith that shows thin Buddha of India as a emperor sized belly who is fully of China. What matters is that those who find this inner spiritual process of meditation are less likely to take up arms, for now.

That must be a comfort for those inside the Forbidden Palace: so far no people of Buddha have taken up the sword to force others to their faith or slay them, as other faiths have done.

History has an amazing capacity to allow events to unfold in ways that Marco Polo would fully understand.

Ernie Fitzpatrick


Come on in folks and take a seat. The how is about to begin. You won’t be disappointed because there is a story to tell that defies all logic (tongue in cheek). Listen up and pay attention because what you’re about to behold is how you can escape this hellish life on earth and live forever eternally with God in the sweet bye-n-bye. Take a seat as the show is about to begin.   

I just read the book, Jim and Casper Go To Church. It’s quite a muse about how America’s religion has put Madison Avenue to shame with it’s awesome sales pitch!

While you might not know it but you were DOOMED before you were ever born as you were an ORIGINAL SIN(er) and there’s no way out unless you quickly see your unworthiness and make amends. And you can accomplish eternal bliss today, at the end of the service, by simply saying YES to JAY-ZUS!

But first, let us tell you how rotten you really are how you can GIVE to His church. No, this is not some sort of Dark Ages indulgences. This is mdoern-day reality. Give and you will be saved! Give and you will be accepted. Give and your condo in heaven will have a down payment made in your name. One substitution does it all. One confession on your part buys the whole package. Say YES to JAY-ZUS now and you will receive the following.

>All sins forgiven

>Prosperity, success, and a fabulous job

>The perfect wife (or husband) if you’re not married

>The healing of all your sicknesses

>A Sunday home where you can always find love

Thus, if you DO NOT say YES to JAY-ZUS then you’re going to spend eternity in hell because God is sick and tired of those who do not give Him the respect of bowing their knee before Him. Rememebr the God of the Old Testament who meted out plagues, pestilence, and genocidal tirades for misdemeanors? Remember Him? He’s still here!

So, much for Madison Avenue religion. You don’t even have to go to church on Sunday to get these benefits. Just put your hand on the TV set and send in the biggest check that you can and they will pray for you and send you a beautiful genuine leather bound Bible- not to mention a request for more money every month!

Aren’t you glad this really isn’t the true God of Jesus, the Christ! Abba Father is love and His love is unconditional. There’s nothing you can do that will cause Him to stop loving you. You are His creation and you will be forever!

Konstantin Volegna


For every practice or thought, there is an opposite viewpoint. This is true with religious beliefs, political beliefs, and even opinions and studies of the environment. As humans, we both consciously and unconsciously choose to believe a side. There are many, many individuals who can see the reasoning on both sides of the proverbial fence, but there are also those that are staunchly devoted and will see no side other than their own. Medical treatments are no exception to this rule.

There are religious groups through out the world, including some who believe that a transfusion of blood is sacrilegious and would never take someone else’s blood into their body, as it makes them “impure”. There are some who do not believe in modern medicine and still, to this day, practice holistic medicine. However, most religions do not have a prejudice against Western medicine in whole, but may be against particular things, such as prescriptions for depression. Many Eastern religions have given birth to medical practices of their own. An example of this would be Taoism. Taoism believes in studying nature and its influences upon man. From this belief and observation rose the practice of acupuncture, which has to do with the flow of energy, Qi (pronounced chee), and how those affect areas of the body.

Passages from bibles, scriptures and a religion’s written word tend to be used by devout followers to discount the possibility of acupuncture as being a good thing. Many people will manipulate subjective – and even not so subjective – text from their spiritual writings to show that certain procedures and actions are nothing more than hocus-pocus or the “Devil’s work.” Certainly, once someone has taken a side and holds a firm opinion, they tend to feel that they have basis for their views and feel that others who argue with them have the wrong set of beliefs, no matter which religion they consider themselves a part of.

Quick fact: The traditional Chinese explanation of the effectiveness of acupuncture is based on the Taoist philosophy according to which good health depends on a free circulation of chi or life-force energy throughout all the organs of the body

However, for the most part, acupuncture is receiving a positive welcome in communities around the globe. Perhaps this is because of exercise programs, such as Yoga and Pilates, which have become so popular. Asian culture has exploded into the main stream in fashion, thought, spirituality, technology, and medicine. Years ago, such things as acupuncture and Yoga were only for the “beatniks”. The regular Joe did not practice such things and would not have heard the positive benefits, but nowadays, people around the globe want different choices when it comes to their bodies. Many individuals want to try to live a life with minimal medication and invasive procedures, turning to nature to help with illness and pain. Acupuncture is a good alternative.

Did you know that most experts would say that acupuncture is at least 2000 years old. The exact age is less important than the fact that Oriental Medicine is the most widely utilized healing system on this planet

Acupuncture, as mentioned before, has to do with the flow of energy in the body. The energy flows along pathways, fourteen to be precise, which are called meridians. All along the meridian, there are points within that can become blocked. Acupuncture is used to unblock the meridian and allow the energy to flow. This is done with the use of long, thin, solid needles, but most people report that the procedure is painless, so do not worry.

The medical field and the health-care services we choose to receive fall into our set of values and beliefs, be they moral or religious. Certainly, the ultimate decision to accept acupuncture or consider it nothing more than psychological smoke and mirrors remains yours alone, depending much on your personal group of beliefs and your opinion.

Ernie Fitzpatrick asked:


To the best of my “self-deceived” psyche, I have abandoned the lifestyle of fear based religion. I’ve found that while more and more are finding the joy and peace of such, there are few who have the courage or proclivity to go against the crowd of status quo maintainers. The church which is to represent God (who is love) manifest something quite the contrary when some major doctrine is even questioned, let alone challenged.

Fear based religion usually goes hand in glove with a heaven-earning religion.

At the core, but little understood is the Old Testament “works oriented” paradigm that has carried over into the New Testament. Faith without works is dead; however, such an over emphasis can lead one into leaving the courts of grace before knowing it. And the club that’s most often used to enforce church conformity and control is the threat of HELL! For way too long I believed in an eteranl hell. Now, hell is just a “cleansing gate” outside the confines of eternal life with our Creator (what most call heaven).

I simply believe that God’s grace does not end with the grave.

Man’s condemnation of other men is simply a egoic paradigm that has enormous control over us, justifies us, and leads us into areas unlike Jesus walked. When we reduce religion to an institution to control society (as Constantine did), we too often create people with little self control: the opposite of the intended goal.

James Mulholland put it this way, “The problem with controlling religion is that it is so convinced of the depravity of humanity that it cannot believe anyone could live a good life without manipulation or coercion.” Listen, whoever created this world is not going to give us a pass wherein we don’t have to experience life on our own terms and conditions. Without free will, there can be no love. As hard as that is to embrace, it’s still true and the longer we live and experience life, the more we begin to understand the incredible wisdom of God- and the folly of man’s ego: especially organized religion.

There is more to life “outside the gates” as Jesus said.

Be sheep only in regards to the Creator, not to the institutional church!

Royston Fernandes asked:


“Did God create all these religions?” Doesn’t this sound a rather unusual question? But its something, which has kept me, busy for quite sometime now.

If there’s only one God why do we have so many religions!

Doesn’t the word religion invoke a sense of unity between a particular community, hatred towards another, misunderstandings and discrimination between the society as a whole? So do we really need a religion?

Well, this question has say two answers, many may say YES, few others NO. But let’s just discuss about this and then come to a conclusion.

On Christmas eve, on Ramzan or any other festival for that matter, people hug each other, exchange gifts, dance, sing and so on. All this only shows one thing, people unite and celebrate that occasion as one family. What unites them? Their religion ofcourse! Doesn’t it look great?

On the other hand, we see extremists especially Islamic, using religion as a tool to create differences among people, resulting in conflicts. Why go far away, we can see inter religious groups disrupting peace and creating a lot of tension, very often. If we go to Great Britain we had the Irish (the Catholics) and the English (the Anglicans) fighting since a really long time. And then we have Darfur, where there is ethnic cleansing on the high. The list is endless. This fight in the name of religion is going on everywhere on earth, right from your own neighbourhood.

But if we all say, ” THERE’S ONLY ONE GOD”, then for whom are we fighting for? Or are we just spoiling his name, by fighting for our own selfish needs? So does God want so many religions?

That’s one aspect of this debate. The second one is about marriages. We see the amount of problems created when two people of two different communities unite in matrimony. We hear everyday how newly wedded couples are slaughtered because they wandered out of their communities! The government does encourage inter religious, inter caste marriages, but in vain. When we proudly proclaim, God is one and all are equal, why do we create a big fuss about these marriages? Is marriage a unification of two souls or a contract!

Are the bride and the groom going to live together of their parents?

Aren’t we creating all problems unnecessarily, and thus spoiling God’s name?



SO DID GOD CREATE RELIGIONS? AND DO WE NEED THEM?



Well I say, we do not need any religions, if the basics of all religions-”Love one another”aren’t followed. If we can follow these basics, then I think we need not even worship God, because He will be very much pleased with our behaviour and attitude. Religions were basically created not to divide people into groups and make them fight! But instead to make them realise that there is a supreme power (love) and to teach them to love one another as they love themselves. So I appeal to all people, of all religions to stop discriminating and fighting in the name of religion, but instead to unite and make this earth a true heave for everyone. Lets make this world a better place for you, everyone and me.

 

 

Nawaz asked:


Religion is as old as the rise of self consciousness in men but its origin, as that of man is shrouded in obscurity. A man has probably lived on earth for about a million years. During the greater part of this period, he had no civilization and has not left his impress on any durable material. All we know about him is based on his fossilized remains and while they tell us a good deal about his physical shape and structure, they tell us little about the man in him. Men acquired some rudiments of civilization when he began to work on stone and metal and to shape for himself tools, which hitherto he had taken ready made from nature. The remains of his artifacts, however shed valuable light on his developing needs and beliefs.

Religion can be traced back to the dawn of human civilization. The caverns of primitive men, wherein dead bodies were laid with a provision of food and weapons, suggest beliefs and practices which are unmistakably religious in character. It would seem that no sooner had man attained the stage of mental development, represented by self consciousness and started on the road to civilization than his breathless wonder at the world around him gave way to speculation on his origin and destiny and on the power which created the world and sustains it. His thinking took the form of myth-making and his tools of thought were not concepts but symbols. He felt vaguely but intensely an infinite power at work in the world around him. This dimly sensed power evoked in him the responses of fear and reverence or worship. The urge to worship appears to have always been there, but man can worship only that which he believes to be both good and powerful, because of his own helplessness. Primitive man was slowly and painfully groping his way to the idea of religion. He was seeking with his scanty resources, for an object which he could appease or revere and worship. No doubt, he worshipped crude objects or simple natural phenomena, but we must not forget that for him they only symbolized the supreme power at work in the universe. Worship is a characteristic religious activity and the anthropologists have amassed ample evidence to prove that primitive man did worship something or other. It has also been proved that primitive tribes, even now living cherish beliefs and engage in practices which are undeniably religious in character in as much as they refer to some deity or deities and to life after death.

In the light of these findings one can safely affirm that religion is a universal phenomenon (for the simple reason that, as explained in the Introduction, the instinct of self-preservation is inherent in man).

In the modern age, religion is visible in many different aspects, sometimes it is looked upon as a natural phenomenon and as such it falls within the sphere of science. But as the experience of individual man, it falls within the purview of psychology, while as a social fact, it is the concern of the sociologist. The sociologist is however interested only in the function of religion as a cohesive force in society.

Rose Ariadne asked:


The Encyclopedia of Religion defines a religion as “the organization of life around the depth dimensions of experience – varied in form, completeness and clarity in accordance with the environment of the culture”.

Practitioners of Wicca are believed to be descendants of the Ancient Druids who were priests and healers who created an environment where people celebrated nature and believed that everything in nature including humans were sacred and powerful.

This practice began in earlier times when human beings were hunter-gatherers. Their rituals were associated with Fire, hunting, breeding of animals, preserving nature and healing.

Wiccans are believed to have originated from the Celtic region (Western Europe and British Isles). They were persecuted by many cultures for their Witchcraft or Magickal traditions which included celebrations such as Esbats and Sabbats which are centered on lunar and solar cycles.

Many millions were persecuted by the Roman, Saxon and Norman invasions or killed by massive genocides (Witch hunts) by Christians in the dark ages.

The Wiccan Rede is the rule that governs the behavior of the practitioners. It is usually summarized in one line; “An’ it harm none, Do what ye will.”.

One other rule of behavior refers to the Threefold Law, which states that everything we do is returned three fold. This generally dissuades the practitioners of Wicca to do nothing that hurts another. It is similar to the Law of Karma.

Most religions teach specific rules of behavior to its followers. In contrast, Wiccans are given the freedom to practice and adapt their religion to their lifestyles. The main focus of the Wiccan religion is the existence of the spirit in all of us. Every animate and inanimate thing is connected to each other by this unifying spirit that exists in us all. So there is no worship of any Gods or spiritual entities.

However, Wiccans use their magickal incantations to create or manifest their wishes with the help of spirit guides. Wiccans believe that spirit guides exist in everything including the celestial objects such as stars and planets. The spirit of the Moon is held in high esteem and represents the Goddess. The Sun is the male entity that is invited to help with the manifestations. These spirits are powerful and their energies help us achieve our dreams. They are not worshipped, but respected and revered for their guidance and assistance.

The Earth is revered as the highest source of power and the four elements Fire, Water, Air and Earth are assumed to be powers that create our future in accordance with the spirit’s manifesting requirements (incantations). Wiccans also believe in negative energies that may thwart us in our manifestations.

Before any ceremony, a sacred circle is cast which keeps out the negative energies that may dilute or negate the efficacy or our incantations. All negative energies are commanded to return to their origins and stay away until we complete our rituals in the belief that our thoughts and visualizations become manifest most effectively when the all the surrounding energies cooperate and guide our spirit.

Neil Turgene asked:


 

Computer programmer Brad Parfield sits at his computer feverishly typing responses to comments on a recent poll by the Harris-Decima survey. It asks the question ‘Do you believe in God?’ More than a quarter of the one thousand respondents surveyed (28%) said they did not believe while the majority (72%) said they do believe. Parfield’s typed responses are almost all identical. They consist of precise quotes taken from the Bible right down to the numbered passage. “I feel bad for people who can’t accept God into their lives,” he says. “He has the power to save.”

Parfield is a part of the population that has taken old-time religion into the 21st century. His is almost a revival of the dutiful exuberance reminiscent of the early 20th century. Yet, at the same time, an equally passionate non-religious movement has risen across the country and the religious are finding it harder and harder to justify age-old traditional conventions of faith.



The struggle to believe



This summer, supporters of ‘creationism’ across the nation, are eyeing a new strategy that some say undermines the scientific argument of Darwinian Theory. It injects the phrase “strengths and weaknesses” into the study of evolution. Critics of the strategy say it is just a way for opponents of evolution to hear and discuss religious objections under the guise of scientific debate. The phrase was tacked onto the curriculum standards in Texas to satisfy creationists when the State Board of Education mandated the teaching of evolution in the late 1980s.

In July 2001, a poll taken by ABC News indicated eighty-three percent of Americans identify themselves as Christians. Most of the rest, thirteen percent, have no religion. But since the rise of the Christian right in the United States and, perhaps more significantly, since the world saw how religious fanaticism brutally wiped out three thousand people on September 11 that same year, some atheists have said their profile has increased.



The rise of new-found non-belief



Although atheism is still a minority belief around the world, some say it is experiencing a growth surge. “Over the last 20 years,” says Alan Wolfe of Boston College, “the number of people willing to tell people in surveys that they don’t believe in God have pretty much doubled.” A large atheist convention held in Virginia in late September of 2007 quickly sold out and had a waiting list of 600 people. At that convention, men, women and children eagerly proclaimed their belief God does not exist. Elsewhere, atheist summer camps for children have sprouted up.

“A lot of respectable people are coming out and saying they are very happy to dispel the myths of the Bible,” said Margaret Downey of Atheist Alliance International. For many people debating a switch from religion to non-religion, it’s not so much a rejection of traditional values rather than a realization that you can’t close your mind to other possibilities—and that includes there being no God at all.

Today, evidence of alternative, non-religious belief systems is everywhere. Nowhere is it more prevalent than in today’s pop culture. Without question, the biggest blockbuster novel of the 21st century so far was a simple chase story about the intimate relationships of Jesus called the DaVinci Code. Soon after, other books denying God’s existence emerged, most of which topped bestseller lists and created celebrity atheist authors like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins.

Fiction that would’ve been aggressively targeted by special interest groups in print just a few years ago is exploding on the web with nary an eyebrow raised. One of the most popular is Darrin Wilson’s webseries, wraithsandworlds. It gleefully twists stately religious conventions and now boasts a worldwide cult following. Among the heady themes present in the story is the suggestion all religions are facades to hide the fact a handful of female priests control the direction of humankind in secret.

All of these developments have eased the climate for non-religious beliefs to such an extent, even politicians feel it is safe to come out of the non-believer’s closet: Congress has its first self-proclaimed atheist, Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif.

But while the stigma associated with atheism may be diminishing, the majority of Americans still say they would not vote for an atheist for president. Curiously, apart from a belief in Godlessness, many non-religious and atheists share one very strong and common belief: that there are many more of them than any poll would indicate. Writes one blogger in response to a September 2007 ABC news story titled The Rise of Atheism, “I think a lot of people would be surprised to know that there are many, many people in this country who are pretty sceptical that a God exists. They just don’t tell anyone. It’s unpopular and against the grain. And they don’t want to be labelled as an atheist, which conjures up negative images. They are the silent majority of non-believers.”

Despite the growing momentum of the non-religious movement, religious views are in no danger petering out. They may just be in for a rough ride in the coming years as more people are latching onto the simple idea that perhaps it is we the people who are in charge of our own destinies. But then again if Malcolm Gladwell’s bestseller ‘The Tipping Point’ is to be believed, religion’s heyday may be just that.

Gary Kurz asked:


A little boy pushed his tiny hand into the Pastor’s and said “morning pastor, can I ask you a question?” The Pastor, with his usual warm smile said “Sure Billy, what is it?” “Well” said Billy, “I was wondering what it means to be a Christian”?

“Well Billy” responded the Pastor, “I talk about that every Sunday. I will be explaining it again this morning, but just so you don’t have to wait, a Christian is just someone who has given up their sin to the Lord and accepted him as their savior”.

Billy looked puzzled for a moment, and asked “so a Christian is someone who shouldn’t sin anymore right”? “That’s right”, acknowledged the Pastor, “and when they don’t sin, you can see their joy. They are kind and helpful to others. They stand out in a crowd. They are the kind of people you would like to be around Billy. Do you understand?”

Billy, obviously wrestling with his response, hesitatingly nodded his head and said “uh huh, I think so, but, but, but can you tell me, have I ever seen one?”

While this is a humorous story as most stories about children are, Billy’s question brings attention to an alarming trend in Christianity. Today we have so many different ideas floating around about what it means to be a “Christian” that we too are tempted to ask the question “have I ever seen one”? One cannot help but wonder how some who claim to be believers can act like those who do not believe.

Many centuries ago, in a world much smaller than today, it was a crime to be a Christian. In fact, it was a crime just to be accused of being a Christian. It took only an unsubstantiated accusation to bring an end to one’s freedom. If a business competitor wanted you out of the picture, all they needed to do was to make an official complaint that they heard you praying to the Christian God and the authorities moved swiftly against you.

For a short period of time under Roman rule, if you were found guilty of such a heinous crime as believing in the Son of God, the person who filed the complaint was awarded your property. One had no recourse. They either admitted their guilt and suffered or denied their guilt and suffered. For evil-minded people, this legislative blunder gave them a new way to cheat and steal. You can imagine how quickly this got out of hand.

Then there was a period in history when almost the opposite was true. The Emperor Constantine, after reportedly seeing the sign of a cross in the sky with the words “In this sign conquer”, proclaimed himself to be a Christian. It immediately became socially beneficial to declare one’s self a Christian. Never mind that there was no actual conversion or regeneration; it was socially expedient to be labeled a Christian.

Sadly, the same thing can be said about many today who name that blessed name. Certain social advantages have manifested themselves for those who give the appearance that they are religious. This is especially true with celebrities. From the rock star who prays with their group before a performance to the professional athlete who points to heaven after scoring in a gesture aimed at making you think they know God; it is popular to come across as religious. This spiritual mentality has manifested itself at all levels of society and is has ecumenically transcended denominational creeds and beliefs. If you appear “religious” you are accepted by all.

But this religion is not fueled by faith and without faith there can be no true religion. There is no evidence of conversion, no thirst for the Word, and no reverence for the one they claim to know. In fact, there is a total disregard for the holiness of God. These are new age Christians. They do not exercise their faith, they sport it on irreverent t-shirts that say “This blood is for you” or “Jesus gym”, which depicts a long-haired Jesus as a weight-lifter.

Let us not forget the ever-popular acronym “WWJD” or “What Would Jesus Do” slogan. Theologically, there is nothing wrong with asking ourselves this question. Indeed, we are encouraged to consider what Jesus would do if confronted with the same circumstances? We should ask ourselves “What would Jesus do? How can I honor my Lord in this thing?”

Pragmatically, if we listen to the new age crowd’s answer, it seems that Jesus would do a lot of things that traditional Christians would find questionable, and that are in conflict with Jesus’ own words. Somehow, I just cannot envision the Son of God blowing up an abortion clinic. I can’t see him blasting out an ungodly heavy metal noise from an electric guitar to “bless” a congregation. And there are a hundred other things I know he would not do that others do “in his name”.

The problem is that people unskilled and even unfamiliar with the Word of God are gathering large followings and spewing out their humanistic, erroneous views of God. It is the old “if it feels good, it must be right” mentality. There are little, if any, doctrinal stands, and any mention of traditional Christian values are scorned. The consequences are grave. It gives false hope to a faithless religion.

This rapidly growing shift towards religious zeal without foundational understanding of Bible doctrine is no nuance. It is a major change in philosophy that uses religion to make humanism and pluralism more palatable. Worse yet, many of those strong in traditional faith are starting to think maybe this new brand of faithless religion isn’t really that bad after all.

True Christians must be vigilant. Jesus warned there would come a falling away from the faith. He said there would be wolves in sheep’s clothing and we are seeing that today. Charles Spurgeon warned of this slippery slope that Christendom was on well over 120 years ago. He said that entertainment would find its way into our churches and eventually people would come to be entertained, not to worship.

The question needs to be asked, “Are we to feed the sheep or entertain goats”?