QUESTION ON THE NECESSITY OF RELIGION AND CHURCH

 

AnonymousJan 20, 2012 11:03 PM

hello father!

i would like to ask, isn't it that religion and church are 2 different things? or are they one and the same? accdg to different dictionaries, religion is worship or set of beliefs while church is a congregation or body of believers or the whole Christian body. when jesus built the "church", was he talking about "religion?" medyo nalilito kasi ako pag sinabing religion or church. may mga born again kasi na nagsasabi na "religion divides" kaya wala daw silang religion. Christian daw sila. ang fidelity daw nila ay kay Christ hindi sa institution. actually kadebate ko sila. and i wanted to be sure sa mga sagot ko. Thanks po.

Fr. Abe, CRS Jan 22, 2012 02:41 AM

DEAR ANONYMOUS,

THE CLAIMS OF THE BORN AGAIN THAT THEY DON'T HAVE RELIGION BUT THEY ARE CHRISTIAN IS HILARIOUS AND PATHETIC AT BEST. THEY FORGET THE FACT THAT CHRISTIANITY IS A RELIGION AND BY SAYING THAT THEY ARE CHRISTIANS THEY BELONG TO A RELIGION.

THE MIRRIAM-WEBSTER DICTIONARY GAVE THE FOLLOWING DEFINITION OF RELIGION:

1. The service and worship of God.

SEE, IF THEY CLAIM THAT THEY DON'T HAVE RELIGION THEN IT MEANS THEY DO NOT WORSHIP GOD AND DO NOT HAVE WORSHIP SERVICES. YOU KNOW THAT THEY DO SO AND THEREFORE THEY BELONG TO A RELIGION.

2. Devotion to a religious faith.

THESE BORN AGAIN ARE VERY SHOWY OF THEIR RELIGIOUS FAITH. THEY PROCLAIM IT TO THE TOP OF THEIR VOICES LIKE THE DRUNK YET THEY ARE DENYING SUCH A DEVOTION TO A RELIGIOUS FAITH IN CHRIST.

3. A personal set or institutionalized system of religious beliefs, attitudes and practices.

IT IS IN THIS ASPECT THAT RELIGION IS ALMOST SIMILAR TO THE CHURCH BECAUSE THE CHURCH IS A LIVING ORGANIZATION COMPOSED OF HUMAN BELIEVERS WITH SYSTEM OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS SUCH AS CREEDS AND COMMANDMENTS, THEY HAVE COMMON ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES SUCH AS THE MANNER OF WORSHIPS, ETC.

IN ALL ITS MEANING CHRISTIANITY IS A RELIGION. WE MUST NOT REJECT RELIGION THEN BUT RATHER WE HAVE TO MAKE IT SURE THAT WE ARE IN THE CORRECT RELIGION AND IN THE TRUE CHURCH FOUNDED BY THE LORD JESUS.

HERE IS WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT RELIGION:

1 Timothy 3:16 No one can deny how great is the secret of OUR RELIGION: He appeared in human form, was shown to be right by the Spirit, and was seen by angels. He was preached among the nations, was believed in throughout the world, and was taken up to heaven. [Today's English Version/Good News Bible]

1 Timothy 3:16 Here is the great mystery of OUR RELIGION: Christ came as a human. The Spirit proved that he pleased God, and he was seen by angels. Christ was preached to the nations. People in this world put their faith in him, and he was taken up to glory. [Contemporary English Version]

"OUR RELIGION!" THE APOSTLES HAVE RELIGION... UNLIKE THE BORN AGAIN WHO DO NOT HAVE RELIGION. THAT IS WHY THEY DO NOT BELONG TO THE RELIGION OF THE APOSTLES BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY RELIGION. IT IS USELESS FOR THEM. DO YOU SEE THE CONTRAST BETWEEN YOUR BELIEF AND THAT OF THE APOSTLES?

AS SHOWN IN THE FOLLOWING VERSES AFTER ST. PAUL ANNOUNCED THE MYSTERY OF OUR RELIGION HE WENT ON TO DECLARE THE SUBSTANCE OF CHRISTIAN FAITH: The Incarnation of Jesus, His Divinity being of the Spirit, Jesus supremacy over the angels and His proclamation all over the world.

WHAT DOES THAT SIGNIFY? OUR RELIGION LEADS US TO THE CORRECT UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE FAITH. IF YOUR RELIGION IS WRONG THEN YOUR FAITH IS WRONG. FOR INSTANCE, IF ONE'S RELIGION IS SATANISM HIS WORSHIP WILL NOT BE DIRECTED TO THE LORD JESUS BUT TO THE DEVIL.

THUS, THE CLAIM OF THE BORN AGAIN THAT RELIGION IS NOT NECESSARY AND THAT THEY DON'T HAVE RELIGION SHOWS THAT THEY BELONG TO THE DEVIL BECAUSE THE TRUE CHRISTIANS HAVE RELIGION. IT IS NOWHERE DECLARED IN THE BIBLE THAT RELIGION MUST BE REJECTED. IT IS TRUE THAT JESUS IS OUR SAVIOR BUT OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST DIDN'T ASK US TO REJECT RELIGION.

THERE IS ANOTHER ASPECT OF RELIGION THAT YOU MUST CONSIDER:

James 1:27 What God the Father considers to be PURE AND GENUINE RELIGION is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world.

THE APOSTLE ST. JAMES AGREES WITH ST. PAUL THAT THERE IS A PURE AND GENUINE RELIGION. THIS RELIGION IS INSTRUMENTAL IN OUR WORKS OF CHARITIES AND IN KEEPING ONESELF FROM CORRUPTION OF THE WORLD. IT MEANS THAT THE ABSENCE OF THIS TRUE AND PURE RELIGION IS DANGEROUS FOR ONE'S SOUL. YOU ARE MAKING YOURSELF VULNERABLE TO THE CORRUPTION OF THIS WORLD.

AS CHRISTIANS OUR FIDELITY IS GIVEN TO CHRIST OUR KING AND TO THE CHURCH THAT HE BUILT AND TO THE SET OF BELIEFS [CREEDS] THAT HE HANDED ON TO US THROUGH THAT ONE AND ONLY CHURCH:

1 Tim 6:20 [English Standard Version] O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,”

2 Tim 1:14 [English Standard Version] By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS THE GUARDIAN AND PROTECTOR OF THAT DEPOSIT OF THE FAITH HANDED ON BY THE LORD JESUS TO HIS APOSTLES AND IN TURN THE APOSTLES ENTRUSTED TO THEIR SUCCESSORS.