For years I have been ambivalent about churches and my place in them. But a few months ago I read a wonderful novel that helped to solidify my somewhat vague thoughts on religion: The Shack, by Wm. Paul Young. I won't reiterate the story -- don't want to spoil your enjoyment in reading it -- but I would like to discuss the points I got out of it that helped coalesce my thoughts on religion.
First, and perhaps foremost, religions by their nature are exclusive. Each religion only includes those individuals who adhere to its unique set of beliefs. Being exclusive religions are, also by their nature, divisive. They tend to divide, rather than unite, people. Muslims vs Hindus. Jews vs Christians. Catholics vs Protestants. Baptists vs Presbyterians. And on and on. The exclusiveness and divisiveness of religion inhibit people from forming deep brotherly/sisterly relationships with each other and with our common God.
The Old Testament God did have a chosen people, the Israelites, but Christ brought a new covenant in which all people became equals as children of God. The new covenant did not (does not) establish a new religion, or any religion for that matter. If you follow Christ's teachings and actions in the New Testament, it is quite clear that although he was a Jew and followed Jewish pracices, he didn't think highly of religion. The 'church' that he established is a relationship that, through him, all people can have with each other and with a common God. The church Christ envisioned is not a building or an organization with ministers, deacons and Wednesday night pitch in dinners. Christ said "when two or three are gathered in my name I am there also", or words to that effect (I don't have a Bible handy for an exact quote.). But he most definitely didn't say, where two or three are gathered in a church. The bottom line is that when it comes to living in harmony with your brothers and sisters of God and following the teachings of Jesus, churches are not at all necessary, and can, in fact, get in the way.
But what about redemption, salvation and all that? Don't you need a church, or at least an ordained minister for those things? According to the Gnostic scriptures of Christianity, no you don't. Redemption and salvation are achieved by each individual knowing themselves (gnosis -- to know) and how they relate to God, and one discovers these things by searching for them on your own "seek and ye shall find". No 'middle man', priest, preacher, rabbi, whoever, can bestow them upon you or exclusively guide you toward them from the pulpit.
Three of the main characters in "The Shack" are the Father (God), the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Ghost (the trinity of Christianity). Throughout the book, these characters, both individually and collectively, place a high premium on following your feelings and your own sense of your place in the world -- listening to the voice inside. In doing so, one must be cautious about acting strictly through obligation, responsibility or social expectations. In other words, know yourself and act accordingly.
But does this mean that it is OK to do whatever I want no matter what the consequences to others? No, not at all. The central theme in living, discussed multiple times by the holy trilogy of characters in "The Shack", is love. If you establish a truly loving relationship with thy neighbor, which means everyone, as Christ did, then your dominant character will be that of a child of God and you will, of your nature, not purposely harm others. It just won't be in you to do so.
How do I go about knowing myself? And how do I establish loving relationships with others? The answer to the first question is fairly straight forward, but is not easy to accomplish. You have to do a lot of thinking and soul searching wherever it is you can best do these. For me it is the solitude of nature, particularly hikes in wilderness areas. Then act on what the voice inside is telling you. This takes a lot of time, effort and patience.
Establishing relationships is natural for outgoing types, such as my older sister who never met a stranger, but not for folks like me. My basic nature is that of a quiet loner who is suspicious of strangers. Making friends doesn't come easy, but the ones I do have, few in number though they may be, are deep relationships established over years of sharing common interests and values. Accordingly, when it comes to establishing personal relationships, like a lot of folks I am limited and struggle with what Christ's marching order to "love thy neighbor" really means. So for me, both knowing myself and establishing personal relationships with others are works in progress.
So, here are the bottom lines as I see them:
Religion tends to be selective and divisive and inhibitory to establishing a brotherhood/sisterhood of human beings.
To be a Christian is to follow Christ's teachings; in particular loving your neighbor. And all people are your neighbors.
Redemption and salvation entail a personal relationship with God which each individual must achieve for themselves by knowing yourself and how you relate to God.
You can only do this for yourself (Seek and ye shall find). No church, priest or preacher can bestow them upon you.
Churches and the clergy that run them can be helpful in bringing people together and serving the community. And their guidance can be helpful in establishing a personal relationship with God, but they can not intervene for you with God. Only you can do that.
Knowing yourself, seeking God and loving others are evolutionary works in progress that will continue throughout your entire life, and are deserving of priority in your day-to-day to do lists.