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

  

   There is a video that has recently attracted a great deal of attention entitled, “Why I hate religion, but love Jesus.”  It is a slickly produced, thought provoking video that presents some challenging views.  There are some good points and some understandable frustrations that are presented, however the overall thrust of the presentation is misguided.  The shock value of the presentation has distracted many from the inconsistencies of the actual message.  I thought there might be some value in stripping away the presentation and evaluating the text of what is being said to see if there is any merit to it.

What if I told you Jesus came to abolish religion.

Then you would be greatly mistaken.  Jesus did stand in opposition to hypocrisy.  He opposed the Pharisees in their manipulation of religion.  However, it is pretty absurd to suggest that Jesus came to abolish religion in general.  He, himself, was a deeply religious man who perfectly kept the old Law.  He was devoted to the Word and to prayer.  He promised in Matthew 16:18 to build his church.  His teachings are almost exclusively religious in nature.  It is safe to say that the first statement of this poem is erroneous. 

Jesus did not come to abolish religion, but rather to proclaim true religion.  We read in James 1:27 (NKJV) Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. Who would have a problem with the religion described there?   

What if I told you voting republican really wasn’t his mission.
What if I told you republican doesn’t automatically mean Christian.

These statements are obviously true, but also sort of beside the point.

 
And just because you call some people blind.
Doesn’t automatically give you vision.

This statement is also true.  But remember that it cuts both ways.  Calling “religion” wrong, doesn’t automatically mean that you are enlightened. 

I mean if religion is so great, why has it started so many wars.

The greatest fault of the video is that it fails to differentiate between “religion” and “religious people.”  Many religious people are hypocrites.  All religious people are flawed (aside from Jesus).  The weakness lies with people, not religion.  Has religion been used by some as an excuse for selfish ambition?  Yes, of course.  But that doesn’t necessarily mean that all religion is wrong. 

This lyric also assumes that all war is inherently wrong.  War is often times a great atrocity, but there are sometimes good things that result.  Despots that oppress and mistreat their own people have been overthrown.  Freedom has been gained and upheld.  War gained the right to free speech that allowed this video to be made without fear of legal oppression.  Of course many wars have also been fought simply for the sake of broadening boarders and increasing power.  My point is that many fallacies are made by painting with too broad a brush – which this video does repeatedly.

Why does it build huge churches, but fails to feed the poor.    

I agree that all churches do not always use their funds in the best possible way.  Again, this is a fault of people, not religion itself.  On the other hand, I rather suspect that the vast majority of charity that occurs in the world is done in the name of some religion or another.  I don’t know of very many churches at all that do not have some form of benevolence program, although for many it probably should be an even higher priority.

Tells single moms God doesn’t love them if they’ve ever had a divorce.

I don’t know of a single religion that does that.  If they did, then that religion would be wrong – not religion itself.

But in the old testament God actually calls religious people whores.
Religion might preach grace, but another thing they practice.

Tend to ridicule God’s people, they did it to John The Baptist.
            Religion is the system of beliefs.  It cannot practice anything.  The actual charge that I suspect the video intends to levy is that religious people are too judgmental.  That charge is true of a lot of religious people, but not all.  We must also separate the failures of the adherents of a religion from the teachings of the religion itself.  And as far as ridiculing God’s people… isn’t this video doing just that?

They can’t fix their problems, and so they just mask it.
Not realizing religions like spraying perfume on a casket.(…)

Like lets dress up the outside make look nice and neat.
But it’s funny that’s what they use to do to mummies.
While the corps rots underneath.
            This criticism can be fairly brought to religious hypocrites.  Jesus said similarly to the Pharisees in Matthew 23:25-28 (NKJV) ²⁵ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. ²⁷ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. ²⁸ Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Yet Jesus never criticizes religion itself, only the Pharisees’ twisted form of it.  No claim is made that ALL religions are correct, but that doesn’t mean that NO religion is correct.

See the problem with religion, is it never gets to the core.
It’s just behavior modification, like a long list of chores.

            Now I think we come to the core appeal of this way of thinking.  If we can separate Jesus from organized religion, then we are free to reshape Jesus into our own image – disregarding anything we find demanding or inconvenient. 

            Repentance is a change of thinking that leads to a change in behavior.  The change does have to start at the core – the internal heart of a man.  But when that change takes place, then it will be visible in the way that we live.  Like John said in Luke 3:8, “bear fruits in keeping with repentance”.     There are certain behavioral expectations of a Christian, and you won’t read very much of Jesus’ teachings without coming across some.  Jesus would say in Matthew 7:21 (NKJV) "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Doing something is required.  We are saved by grace, but that doesn’t mean that Jesus has no expectations of how we should act.

Now I ain’t judgin.
I’m just saying quit putting on a fake look, Cause there’s a problem.
If people only know you’re a Christian by your Facebook.
I mean in every other aspect of life, you know that logic’s unworthy.
It’s like saying you play for the Lakers just because you bought a jersey.

I agree.  Of course that isn’t a criticism of religion, but rather of hypocritical individuals. 

You see this was me too, but no one seemed to be on to me.
Acting like a church kid, while addicted to pornography.
See on Sunday I’d go to church, but Saturday getting faded.
Acting if I was simply created just to have sex and get wasted.
See I spent my whole life building this facade of neatness.
But now that I know Jesus, I boast in my weakness.

If he is implying that he has made changes since that time to bring his life more in harmony with the teachings of Jesus, then I rejoice for him.  I’m not sure how this is a criticism of religion though.  It was religion that introduced him to Jesus, and exposed him to the Scriptures.  Without religion, then he likely would continue wasting his life in riotous living.

If on the other hand he is implying that he has not changed those behaviors because they don’t matter – they are simply weaknesses to be boasted it – then I would point out Paul’s words in Romans 6:1-2 (NKJV) ¹ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? ² Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

Because if grace is water, then the church should be an ocean.
It’s not a museum for good people, it’s a hospital for the broken.
            I heartily agree with this.

Which means I don’t have to hide my failure, I don’t have to hide my sin.
Because it doesn’t depend on me it depends on him.
See because when I was God’s enemy and certainly not a fan.
He looked down and said I want, that, man.

I’m pretty sure these are the teachings of some religions.  Romans 5:8 (NKJV) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Which is why Jesus hated religion, and for it he called them fools.
Don’t you see so much better than just following some rules.

Jesus called the Pharisees fools because of their twisted religious teachings, but he didn’t hate religion itself.  Jesus, himself, practiced and taught religion.

As far as rules go, Christianity is more than a list of rules, but there are some rules involved.  Jesus said in John 12:48 (NKJV) He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.  Sounds like there are some things for which we’ll be responsible.

Now let me clarify, I love the church, I love the bible, and yes I believe in sin.
            That is just a contradiction.  The church is religion.  The Bible teaches religion.  A system of beliefs that acknowledges the existence of sin is religion.  I would like better clarification.

But if Jesus came to your church would they actually let him in.

Yes.  Yes, they would.

See remember he was called a glutton, and a drunkard by religious men.
But the son of God never supports self righteousness not now, not then.

These statements are true.  But they are not indictments of religion.  He was maligned by men wearing sandals.  Does that mean that wearing sandals is wrong?  No, of course not!  Jesus was probably wearing sandals too.  Jesus was a religious man, insulted by other religious men.  The fault was not in religion itself, but in those men and their erroneous version of it. 

Self righteousness is not God’s righteousness.  It is wrong whether it comes from someone who believes in religion or from someone who doesn’t.

Now back to the point, one thing is vital to mention.
How Jesus and religion are on opposite spectrum’s.
See one’s the work of God, but one’s a man made invention.
See one is the cure, but the other’s the infection.
See because religion says do, Jesus says done.
Religion says slave, Jesus says son.
Religion puts you in bondage, while Jesus sets you free.
Religion makes you blind, but Jesus makes you see.

            This creates a false and dangerous dichotomy.  It is nothing more than a series of unsupported, inflammatory statements.  Jesus and the church are not at odds with one another.  The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is the head of the church, and the church is his body – Ephesians 1:22, Ephesians 5:23, and Colossians 1:18.  The idea that we could love Christ while hating his church is ridiculous.  The church is the bride of Christ.  He loves it and bought it with his blood (Acts 20:28).  To reject Christ’s church and to reject his teachings (religion) is to reject him.  Jesus said in John 14:15 (NKJV) "If you love Me, keep My commandments”.

And that’s why religion and Jesus are two different clans.
Religion is man searching for God, Christianity is God searching for man.

First of all, Christianity is a religion.  Secondly, what’s wrong with man searching for God?  Hebrews 11:6 says that God “is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”  Jesus, himself, said in Matthew 6:33 to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” 

Which is why salvation is freely mine, and forgiveness is my own.
Not based on my merits but Jesus’s obedience alone.
Because he took the crown of thorns, and the blood dripped down his face.
He took what we all deserved, I guess that’s why you call it grace.
And while being murdered he yelled. “Father forgive them they know not what they do.”
Because when he was dangling on that cross, he was thinking of you.
And he absorbed all of your sin, and buried it in the tomb.
Which is why I’m kneeling at the cross, saying come on there’s room.

Again, this is all religious teaching

So for religion, no I hate it, in fact I literally resent it.
Because when Jesus said it is finished, I believe he meant it.

            When Jesus said “It is finished,” he did mean it, but he wasn’t talking about religion being finished.  His mission was finished.  His redemptive work was finished.  Our debt of sin had been paid.

             I think that the maker of this video has some legitimate frustrations with organized religions; however he allows his frustrations to take him to places that aren’t logically supportable.  There are people who do things in the name of Christ that are not very Christ-like, but that does not invalidate the teachings of Christ.  We should be on guard against hypocrisy and self-righteousness in ourselves – this is a fair challenge.  But let us also be on guard against overreactions.  Jesus loves his church, and so should we.