Religion from the depths of hell?

[RomanRyan1088]

At least thats what my friends pastor said. He said " You don’t believe in Religion, you believe in God". He gave me no biblical support for such a statement. I told him about when Jesus established his CHURCH on peter. He said " Well in the origional writings of the Bible, that doesn’t necessarily mean a organized church, a church is a group of believers, which is all us Christians."

So my question is:

Biblical support for an organized Religion.

And

Is their spose to be an organized Religion.

 

[Antonio_B]

RomanRyan1088:

At least thats what my friends pastor said. He said " You don’t believe in Religion, you believe in God". He gave me no biblical support for such a statement. I told him about when Jesus established his CHURCH on peter. He said " Well in the origional writings of the Bible, that doesn’t necessarily mean a organized church, a church is a group of believers, which is all us Christians."

So my question is:

Biblical support for an organized Religion.

And

Is their spose to be an organized Religion.

I would love to give you a reply but since so many times you post something, several of us give you a reply, and you never bothered to acknowledge it, I won’t waste my time anymore!

Antonio

 

[RomanRyan1088]

Antonio B:

I would love to give you a reply but since so many times you post something, several of us give you a reply, and you never bothered to acknowledge it, I won’t waste my time anymore!

Antonio

What are you refering to? Please tell me, i’m sorry if i did anything to make you feel that way. Don’t think i just looked over any of your replies as if their nothing. I really consider everything everyone tells me. Im sorry if i didn’t comment on something you said. I just assumed ya’ll didn’t mind the fact that i didn’t reply to each and everyone of ya’ll’s post. So again, my apoligies (Sp?)

 

[csr]

:bigyikes:

Your friend needs to run away from his pastor.

Religion is the sum total of all we do and all we believe. Ecclesiastical traditions are part of the gifts God’s Church has given us, together with dogmas–the truths that we believe and grow to understand more and more deeply, leading us to God, where our happiness lies. To say we don’t worship religion is like saying we don’t eat the food store–it’s true but it’s not the point. We need to buy food in order to eat. (Or if you want to transpose the example to a more bucolic one: it’s like saying we don’t eat the farm–true but not the point: we need to grow the food before we can eat it). Religion is not random. But, we are free to ignore it. Alas, this is happening–i.e., true religion is being ignored and thwarted and undermined. Biblical support? Our holy religion is comprised of facts that are indeed found in Scripture. Recall that tradition came first; there would have been nothing to write were there no tradition, no actions and no beliefs, to pass on and enforce.

 

[RomanRyan1088]

Your friend needs to run away from his pastor.

Religion is the sum total of all we do and all we believe. Ecclesiastical traditions are part of the gifts God’s Church has given us, together with dogmas–the truths that we believe and grow to understand more and more deeply, leading us to God, where our happiness lies. To say we don’t worship religion is like saying we don’t eat the food store–it’s true but it’s not the point. We need to buy food in order to eat. (Or if you want to transpose the example to a more bucolic one: it’s like saying we don’t eat the farm–true but not the point: we need to grow the food before we can eat it). Religion is not random. But, we are free to ignore it. Alas, this is happening–i.e., true religion is being ignored and thwarted and undermined. Biblical support? Our holy religion is comprised of facts that are indeed found in Scripture. Recall that tradition came first; there would have been nothing to write were there no tradition, no actions and no beliefs, to pass on and enforce.
[/quote]

Thank you, ill have to tell him that

 

[Spunky]

Antonio B:

I would love to give you a reply but since so many times you post something, several of us give you a reply, and you never bothered to acknowledge it, I won’t waste my time anymore!

Antonio

As messengers, aren’t we supposed to deliver the message? I don’t recall having to wait for a reply or a thank you as a prerequisite for delivering the message. We are simply to deliver the message and we seldom know how the message was received.

Spunky

 

[Fidelis]

RomanRyan1088:

At least thats what my friends pastor said. He said " You don’t believe in Religion, you believe in God". He gave me no biblical support for such a statement.

Because there isn’t any. It’s a common catch-phrase among fundamentalists and less sophisticated Evangelicals and Pentecostals. Like meany vague, unsubstantiated catch-phrases, t’s supposed to be one of those things that speaks for itself nad to question it in their circle would bring derision upon yourself.

I told him about when Jesus established his CHURCH on peter. He said " Well in the origional writings of the Bible, that doesn’t necessarily mean a organized church, a church is a group of believers, which is all us Christians." So my question is: Biblical support for an organized Religion. And Is their spose to be an organized Religion.

Since he is the way making the statement, make HIM prove it. Until he does you can say, “I think that’s a meaningless statement. Prove it.” Ask him a series of questions: What do you mean by religion? Give me some examples." I can bet that everything he brings up you can find scriptural support for. If you aren’t good at answering off the cuff, have him make you a list and get back with him. Don’t settle for unsubstantiated answers like the one he gave you about the Jesus not establishing a Church – how can he prove what he says? His saying so doesn’t make it so.

Part of being an apologist is not just being on the defensive and giving answers, but asking questions that help others examine their own erroneous thinking.

 

[Fidelis]

RomanRyan1088:

At least thats what my friends pastor said. He said " You don’t believe in Religion, you believe in God". He gave me no biblical support for such a statement.

Because there isn’t any. It’s a common catch-phrase among fundamentalists and less sophisticated Evangelicals and Pentecostals. Like meany vague, unsubstantiated catch-phrases, t’s supposed to be one of those things that speaks for itself nad to question it in their circle would bring derision upon yourself.

I told him about when Jesus established his CHURCH on peter. He said " Well in the origional writings of the Bible, that doesn’t necessarily mean a organized church, a church is a group of believers, which is all us Christians." So my question is: Biblical support for an organized Religion. And Is their spose to be an organized Religion.

Since he is the way making the statement, make HIM prove it. Until he does you can say, “I think that’s a meaningless statement. Prove it.” Ask him a series of questions: What do you mean by religion? Give me some examples." I can bet that everything he brings up you can find scriptural support for. If you aren’t good at answering off the cuff, have him make you a list and get back with him. Don’t settle for unsubstantiated answers like the one he gave you about the Jesus not establishing a Church – how can he prove what he says? His saying so doesn’t make it so.

Part of being an apologist is not just being on the defensive and giving answers, but asking questions that help others examine their own erroneous thinking.

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

RomanRyan1088:

At least thats what my friends pastor said. He said " You don’t believe in Religion, you believe in God". He gave me no biblical support for such a statement. I told him about when Jesus established his CHURCH on peter. He said " Well in the origional writings of the Bible, that doesn’t necessarily mean a organized church, a church is a group of believers, which is all us Christians."

So my question is:

Biblical support for an organized Religion.

And

Is their spose to be an organized Religion.

First, what does the pastor mean by “religion” ?​

Some people dislike “religion” - meaning by that, man’s unaided attempts to find his own way to God.

Some people dislike “religion” - meaning by it, mere superficial outward worship with no inner sincerity

And so on. Don’t let’s defend something that is not being attacked, or something that is being rightly attacked - let us see first of all what it is that is being objected to. To do that, we need to understand what other people mean by their words - it may be not be what we think they mean. We may even find they are rejecting what we reject. ##