The seperation of Christ and religion

[Drich]

In my other active thread If not Hell then what? the topic has somehow turned from alternitives to Hell to speaking about my desision to leave my old Church, When I would not shun my wife before the congergation for her struggle with Drug use.

One question was asked Who was right? The church who asked me to stand up and publically denounce my wife's 'sins.' -or- me who went up rooted my family and went to another church. I answered that is was not a matter of right and wrong. It was a matter of deciding to stay with in the rules of a religous social club, or moving on. I identified this conflict as a matter of following the rules of a religious social club, and not the actions of a Biblically centered Church because there wasn't any direct scriptural command to do what they insisted I do. Matter of fact they asked me to put the club before my wife which is in direct violation of 1 tim 5:8 where tim basically says a man should take care of his family first, or he is worse off than an unbeliever. By ratting my wife out to the congergation, it would have made it all but impossiable for her to have attended there. Meaning she would have lost the foundation of the belief in God that has since seen her through to recovery.

I know this is all hind sight now, and I can say I made the right desision, but then I was a very difficult desision to make. What made the desision easier was the scriptural violation the Church leadership had to press through in order to tell me to ignore my primary oblgation to my wife in favor of up holding tradition and appearences. what it might look like if other members found out that the former Singles Minister wife was a Heavy use Herion addict, and he has not come forth to share this trial with the whole church.

Now because of this violation and appeal to tradition/appearances over scripture i was able to discern the actions of the church leadership as those of men who were protecting a social setting, rather than those of spiritual medics who are looking to triage a mortally wounded member of the Body. After all it is Christ who tells us it is the Sinful who need the 'Doctors.' Making the Chruch a hospitle for the sinful, and not a showcase for self proclaimed 'saints.'

Which brought me back to a very basic desision. Did I want to worship God in a place who strived to model worship after the example out lined in the bible, or did I want to be apart of a God centered social group that I help build? In essence did I want to worship God, or did i want to worship the Method of worshiping God? In the end I chose to worship God, and not the confortable way I had always worshiped God.

I believe we in this life will be asked this basic question in many different ways. We will worship, ourselves (our want a desires to sin) or God. Will we worship our culture or God. Will we worship money or God, Will we worship our comforts and habbits or God? Will we worship our religious practices, or God...

I that last question I have found 'religion' to be a doubled edged sword. It cuts both ways. In the beginning it can cut you an easy path to find and worship God through it's grandure and traditions, but at the same time there will come a point where the need to maintain that grandure and tradition will ulitmatly keep you from growing any further, or as in most of your experiences it will cut you off from God completely. Why? Because most of you have not learned to seperate Religion from a personal relationship with God. For most of you (From what you all have told me of your experiences) your personal relationships with God was only ever developed or worked on in Church. Meaning your religious activities was your only outreach to God. Making your religion the only link you had to God. and when that religion failed you, it meant God failed you. In reality the only thing that fail is man's traditions and understandings of worship.

The only difference between me and most of you is I sought God beyond the bounds of my religion. Because I did not want some 'man' to talk to God for me, nor did i want some 'man' to tell me how to talk to God. I wanted God to tell me and God to show me. Through the fire and heart ache of life He did. Seeking God beyond the confines of religion is not something everyone need do. In fact one should only do this if he/she has found their religion lacking in someway.

[Godscreated]

Many kudos Drich, thank you for sharing God with us as He truly is, personal and ever loving. You have shown God in His true light. I will be praying for your wife and you and anyone else effected by this, I hope you find a church were God is put first, in today's society that can be hard. Keep up the true worship and walk with the One who sees into the future and is waiting on you to arrive to lead you through life.

God Bless You and Your Family,

Godschild

PM if you have specific prayer or need someone to listen to you.

[goodnews]

This is Gods way of calling you out Revelation 18:4 . This is a very good thing, for both you and your wife , Matthew 18:20 makes you both your own "fellowship" this is confirmed by 1 Corinthians 3:16 , God is not found in the churches/temples Acts 7:48 and Acts 17:24. I have never belonged to any man made religion or submitted to any man made doctrins "christiandom" teaches, as I have found through diligent research, they are blasphemous and un-Scriptural heresy , ps: The separation of Christ and religion, is a decree of God , I salute this thread, and wish you God speed.

[Kayenneh]

You know my stance on religion, so I'm not going to comment on that. All I can say is that you made the right choice, your wife should be more important to you than any church.

[Rev. Rye]

Okay, exactly how are you defining "religion?" I mean, in my experience, one's relationship with one's understanding of the divine is one's religion.

[Drich]

Many kudos Drich, thank you for sharing God with us as He truly is, personal and ever loving. You have shown God in His true light. I will be praying for your wife and you and anyone else effected by this, I hope you find a church were God is put first, in today's society that can be hard. Keep up the true worship and walk with the One who sees into the future and is waiting on you to arrive to lead you through life.

God Bless You and Your Family,

Godschild

PM if you have specific prayer or need someone to listen to you.

This was all 10 years ago. In some aspects it seems like yesterday, while in others it seems like a life time ago. (As far as the east is from the west.)Even so Prayers are always welcome.

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Okay, exactly how are you defining "religion?" I mean, in my experience, one's relationship with one's understanding of the divine is one's religion.

As per Merrium webster:


1
b (1): the service and worship of God or the supernatural
(2): commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance

2: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices

3: archaic: scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness

4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith

[Faith No More]

So, Drich, did they actually try to back up what they were doing with scripture, or was it more of a "this is how it is done" type of thing?

Also, do you require a church, or is it more of a personal desire to have one?

[Drich]

So, Drich, did they actually try to back up what they were doing with scripture, or was it more of a "this is how it is done" type of thing?

Also, do you require a church, or is it more of a personal desire to have one?

The only thing they had was james 5:16 "confess your sins one to another." When I confronted them with the contextual meaning of the verse their only response was, this is how we do it here, and then proceeded to establish themselves as a direct line to God. (What we say is what God wants.)

It was at that point I was able to seperate the biblical worship of Christ from the religious traditions and ceremonies found at that church.

I personally need a church. I get far too complacent/lukewarm without the checks and balances found in a fellowship of like minded believers.

[Tonus]

When I confronted them with the contextual meaning of the verse their only response was, this is how we do it here, and then proceeded to establish themselves as a direct line to God. (What we say is what God wants.)

Sounds just like the Watchtower Society. The notion that there is some higher class of believer and that only they can instruct the masses runs counter to the example of the Bereans.

[Drich]

When I confronted them with the contextual meaning of the verse their only response was, this is how we do it here, and then proceeded to establish themselves as a direct line to God. (What we say is what God wants.)

Sounds just like the Watchtower Society. The notion that there is some higher class of believer and that only they can instruct the masses runs counter to the example of the Bereans.

I have found when most religious expressions of whatever faith are confronted with a traditional teaching coondraticting a 'holy book' decree, the practishioners often default to simply knowing the will of God. This is not limited to the mormons or the JWs. Catholosim, and just about every single branch of Christianity based in ritual and strict tradition have to default to this position at some point when push comes to shove.

It is just easier to identify the JWs and mormons because of how far some of their decrees fall short of what the bible actually says.