Once people know I am a Christian they often refer to me as being ‘religious’. You have no idea how much I hate that. I despise religion and religiosity. I want no part of religious people or institutions. 

I guess this doesn’t make a lot of sense to many of those reading this. How can I call myself a Christian and hate religion? Isn’t christianity a religion?

Well I don’t know what others define Christianity as but for me being a Christian is about following christ. In other words I want to wherever possible mimic the attitudes and behaviours of Jesus of Nazareth. 

Whether you believe that Jesus was God or not, there is no doubting that he was quite an amazing individual. In fact I would say that by many definitions he is probably the most significant and influential person to ever walk the planet. There is no doubt that the “religion” that grew up around him has shaped the world more than any other. 

However this is massively ironic because Jesus constantly rejected and spoke out against religious organisations. In fact his opposition to the religious institutions of the time was a major contributing factor in his eventual execution. 

I firmly believe that were Jesus to turn up today he would have very little time for the religious institutions we see today and that includes the church which supposedly represents him. That is why I say I reject religion. I follow the teachings and examples of Jesus and so if he rejects religion so do I. 

Religion is insidious and I believe exists well beyond religious institutions. In fact I believe that many atheists are just as capable of being “religious” as those who believe in God. Religion is dogmatic, unsympathetic, uncaring and condescending. Religion says that I am better than you. That I have all of the answers. Religion leaves no room for doubt and certainly no room for mistakes. 

Religion imposes rules. It constrains people. Jesus didn’t do that. He said he came to set people free and part of that was from the religiosity of his day. He accused religious leaders of his time of imprisoning people in rules and regulations that existed only to raise up those leaders at the expense of everybody else. 

Jesus spent most of his life breaking religious rules. He picked corn on the sabbath, he touched people who were considered unclean and he ate and drank with the worst of society. 

Religion judges. Jesus commanded us not to judge. Religion condemns, while Jesus forgave. 

Religion demands that people say the right thing, wear the right mask and behave in the right way. Jesus accepted people with all their frailties, weaknesses, screw ups and ‘sin’. 

Jesus wouldn’t stand outside abortion clinics screaming at women in distress. Jesus wouldn’t condemn somebody for their sexuality. Jesus wouldn’t think less of somebody because they hung out with the wrong sort of people or behaved in less than a religious way. 

Jesus loved, encouraged, inspired and accepted people just as he found them. I want to be like Jesus. I want to follow him.