Thursday, April 16, 1998
Line between spirituality,
religion not easily drawn
HOLY SPIRIT: Institutionalized worship repels society in need of
discovering Truth
By Connie Cho
Are you religious? Do you consider yourself a spiritual person?
I don’t like these questions very much because I don’t know how the
person doing the asking defines "religion" and "spirituality." What
exactly do these divine terms mean (if you can even restrict them
to one definition)? If being religious means practicing a religion
(i.e. going to a church, Mass, mosque, temple or what have you) and
performing all the rituals one’s religion involves, then sure, I’d
say I was religious. I go to church, I’ve been baptized and
confirmed, I say the Lord’s Prayer every Sunday. But what does that
say about my "spirituality"? Going to church doesn’t make someone a
Christian just as going to McDonald’s doesn’t make someone a
hamburger.
One definition Mr. Webster gives for "spirituality" is
"sensitivity or attachment to religious values." This definition
only blurs the two – religion and spirituality – making their
distinction very vague. Another definition Webster’s New Collegiate
Dictionary gives is "the quality or state of being spiritual." But
what does "being spiritual" mean?
I believe "spirituality" is defined as "a state of being filled
with the Holy Spirit." I’m not talking about having tao or the
force that Luke Skywalker had, but the Spirit of God. In Acts 2:38,
Apostle Peter says, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in
the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you
will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (NIV). My answer to the
question, "Do you consider yourself a spiritual person?" would be,
then, yes, because the Holy Spirit lives in me. (Romans 8:11 – "And
if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in
you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your
mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.")
There is a major difference between religion and spirituality.
Religion is ruining the name of God. It sounds like an impossible
statement to make, but there is some truth in it. Many people have
turned away from God because of the church itself – the very
institution that should be drawing people to God instead of
repelling them! I know many people who are "turned off"
Christianity by church-going hypocrites.
Religion has institutionalized Christianity and reduced church,
for some, to a place for mere social gatherings and business
transactions. I am in no way saying, or even implying, that
churches should no longer exist. They are necessary for fellowship
and encouragement to the body of believers. I am only challenging
those who judge Christianity by the actions of others, not to draw
conclusions about God based on people, but to read the Bible, the
never-changing Word of God, and find the ultimate Truth in
there.
Christianity is not a religion – it is a relationship with God.
I believe that God created this earth and everything in it for the
purpose of worshipping and glorifying Him. (See 1 Corinthians 10:31
– "Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.") I believe He
loves me and wants me to love Him, too. The moment I admitted I was
a sinner and believed Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from
the grave for my sins, I entered into a relationship with God. He
speaks to me through His Word, the Bible, and I can speak to Him
through prayer.
What role does religion and spirituality play in society? Well,
this all depends on the individuals that make up society. If a
person is truly devoted to God, his or her decisions and actions
will be influenced and governed by a desire to please Him. If
someone does not believe in God, then perhaps there are other
motivations that drive him or her to make certain decisions. The
way society runs is determined by the results of these individuals’
decisions and actions. I want to challenge whoever reads this
article (if you can call it that) to re-evaluate Christianity by
reading the Bible and talking to solid Christians, if you don’t
agree with me. And if you are a believer, I encourage you to deepen
your relationship with Christ daily and truly fall in love with Him
over and over again.