Religion Vs. Relationship

[po18guy]

He is speaking in true separatist fashion. Where does the Lord demand that it must be one or the other? If it is not both, if that relationship does not lead one to perform certain things religiously (like to have faith, hope and love and act on them), then the relationship is one of mere selfish possession. This selfishness is reflected in the simplistic “me and Jesus” claim of so many today. And yet, ask this person to explain just how their relationship with Christ is personal. Do they actually do anything at all, or is it simply a thought process? The response will likely rely upon simple, unsubstantiated feelings - like the Mormon ‘burning in the bosom.’

Now, if you love someone, you desire to spend time with them. Catholics, and all who love Jesus, can spend time in His physical presence at adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Love demands that we desire the good of the Other. Thus, as has been mentioned, we keep Christ’s commands religiously as a foundational aspect of our relationship with Him. This relationship must be personal? Ha! At mass, we eat His Body and drink His Blood. We are partakers of the divine nature. Calvary is made present. We stand in the presence of the holy angels. We remain in Him and He in us. We are tabernacles of the Holy Spirit. There is no more profound and incomprehensible relationship of love on this earth.

If they only knew.

 

[novusCatholic]

Religion or relationship?

When I was Protestant, it was either/or. It was about a personal relationship for me, as I did not understand how there could be one God, but so many different denominations (all with their own rules and teachings).

But that’s before I learned about the Catholic Church…

Now it’s a both/and for me. I still have the “personal relationship”, but now have it IN the Church where the fullness of the faith resides.

My faith has grown and that personal relationship is even better, now that I’m Catholic!

 

[po18guy]

Religion or relationship?

When I was Protestant, it was either/or. It was about a personal relationship for me, as I did not understand how there could be one God, but so many different denominations (all with their own rules and teachings).

But that’s before I learned about the Catholic Church…

Now it’s a both/and for me. I still have the “personal relationship”, but now have it IN the Church where the fullness of the faith resides.

My faith has grown and that personal relationship is even better, now that I’m Catholic!

Amen! Welcome home.

 

[fred_conty]

I often hear a lot of Pentecostals speak of their “relationship” with Christ - and refer to Catholicism as religious - rules, expectations, religious bondage, etc. So then what is religion? Everything I found so far defines it like this :

Religion
a : the state of a religious
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.

So when they say that Christianity isn’t a religion, its a relationship - Cant we also say that our religion is just as well a personal relationship and devotion to God?

I’ve always had a personal relationship with my father, but he did lay down some house rules.

The two are not at odds with one another…relationship and rules, but reinforce one another.
For a son shows his love for his dad by keeping dad’s rules that keep peace and harmony in the family.

Just a thought.