Right from the outset Jesus identified certain religious trends and behavior and taught against it.

The Pharisees were a very religious group whom Jesus frequently disagreed with where it came to the foundational concepts they held about 'what was characteristic of true religion and what identified the false'.

On the 'religious' scene today these same characteristic identifiers can be seen in abundance. Learning how to identify the false and recognize the true is an exercise in spiritual discernment and of key importance to 'new' believers. (Mat. 7:15, 16:6, Matt. 16:12, Mk. 12:38,)

What do you see as an identifying feature of true or false religion.

My offering is this.

False religion tends to glorify it's own leaders or organization, by the promotion of their teaching and the programs and initiatives of the organization or denomination. It is generally easy to see where the actual emphasis is and estimate the underlying objective, (usually increased numbers of followers resulting in increasing revenues).

True Religion tends to glorify God through promoting obedience to the teaching of Jesus Christ. The emphasis is primarily on developing harmonious communities wherein the love of God and neighbor can be experienced, practiced and perfected. It is often difficult to see any major 'organizational objective' other than providing a 'loving and understanding' community wherein 'sinners' can comfortably become 'saints', who then influence others by their Christ-like character and their allegiance to Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

There are many more: What do you think?

Regards Chris.

Chris, this is an absolutely MARVELOUS post, and I pray it will generate a great discussion.

Would you please start at the beginning by defining "religion". I believe your definition may be different than mine. :)
Blessings ~ Sarah

I wholeheartedly agree with what you are saying Chris. Unfortunately we see in the Christian community many "false" religions and may even see some promoted on this site. I choose not to identify myself with any religion for that reason. If anyone asks "I am a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ". I also believe Jesus did not establish any churches (religious organizations) but calls out followers. I believe where the New Testament refers to "church" it is talking about the Body of Believers NOT a religious organization. I believe the religious organizations we know today were established by men and for the most part would fall under your definition of "false religions".

Sarah : Chaplainbob :

Would you please start at the beginning by defining "religion". I believe your definition may be different than mine. :)

The Dictionary definition of ‘religion’ would have to define the word with reference to how it is understood and commonly used in standard English. So I guess that would mean any system of belief which has followers and adherents. That would cover pretty well any of what we normally term 'religions'.

The question really centres around what God's definition of 'religion' might be. I.E. what 'belief system' would God prefer we hold to?

Since presumably God want’s human beings to “Seek after Him and perhaps to find Him”, God must have views on how that should be properly done. God took the initiative with Abram. From Abraham to Jesus Christ was a long process of many people trying to get it right with God, (some not trying very hard), until Jesus of Nazareth revealed to us the detail of the kind of ‘worship’ God requires of us.

‘To Love God wholeheartedly and our neighbor as ourselves.’

I believe where the New Testament refers to "church" it is talking about the Body of Believers NOT a religious organization. I believe the religious organizations we know today were established by men and for the most part would fall under your definition of "false religions".

I agree, but it is very difficult to follow Jesus ‘on your own’ without the support or fellowship of like minded disciples. As soon as disciples get together you inevitably have a ‘community’ and communities tend to grow into ‘organizations’, which tend to coalesce into Denominations. Any community, even a Christian community, needs structure and leadership of the right kind. I agree though that Jesus does not seem to have envisaged 'Church' as large organized institutions with political and social influence. He did point out though that the Kingdom would eventually grow very large from very small beginnings but it's growth would be imperceptible.

A striking feature of the Large Congregations as found in the USA are that they are anything but 'imperceptible' in their 'growth'. Indeed it would seem that imperceptibility is the very attribute they most seek to avoid. Publicity seems to be for them, the normal 'name of the game'.

I’m fairly ‘cross denominational’ and accept and associate with anyone who demonstrates a love for Jesus and his teachings. I do however have personal preferences regarding style of worship, music, certain procedural conventions etc. which cause me to gravitate more to some denominations than to others. I recognize this as deriving from my own personal preferences though and do not therefore label Denominations which adopt worship styles, hymns, music and theological assumptions which are not necessarily to my taste, or in agreement with my ‘beliefs’, necessarily as ‘false religions’.

There are ‘many mansions’ in God’s house. He can cater for anybody’s taste. What God seems to want above all is an overflowing of ‘peace, justice and compassion’ from His church. If a church in any location has those, they have God in their midst, in my opinion. If they do not have those, they are just an organization like any other, with perhaps some believers in it.

Regards Chris.

Hi Chris and Sarah.

Chris you wrote:

"False religion tends to glorify it's own leaders or organization, by the promotion of their teaching and the programs and initiatives of the organization or denomination. It is generally easy to see where the actual emphasis is and estimate the underlying objective, (usually increased numbers of followers resulting in increasing revenues)."

This sounds like a lot of popular religions. Catholicism. Islam. A few evangelical sects. Would you call these false religions? How much money and power do the United Methodists, for instance, need? How about the Mormons? Are they a false religion or are they bad people in general?

And write then:

"True Religion tends to glorify God through promoting obedience to the teaching of Jesus Christ. The emphasis is primarily on developing harmonious communities wherein the love of God and neighbor can be experienced, practiced and perfected. It is often difficult to see any major 'organizational objective' other than providing a 'loving and understanding' community wherein 'sinners' can comfortably become 'saints', who then influence others by their Christ-like character and their allegiance to Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. "

I suspect that many of the popular religions truly believe that this is exactly what is occurring whether Jesus enters into their religion or not. In fact, except for the God and Jesus stuff, there may well be secular organizations and communities based around such that follow these ideas.

How can a religion be labeled bad/false or good/true, except by evidence of its "by-laws" and actions....words and deeds? And..here I am speaking of the pure religion. What do we say about the religions that become tainted from the original?

Sarah, would that be the difference between deity belief and religion for you?

-Jeanne
"The Ox is slow, but the Earth is patient."

Sorry again. My first opening of this page only gave Chris's and Sarah's initial posts...who knows, it is very windy here today. :)

So...Hello Bob.

And now to read more. Will get back to you later on this thread. Must check on chickens now.

-Jeanne
"The Ox is slow, but the Earth is patient."

Hi:Greetings in Jesus
Good relates to anything with a positive makeup
bad of course would be the opposite.
About the fourth night that I was in the hospital a couple of weeks ago a tech came into see me a few minutes early for my vitals and i looked at her and saw immediately that she was down(emotionally). I ask her if there something wrong and she replied NO! So I ask her to just listen and told her about the fact that Jesus lived and I believed that he was who he said he was and was and is a problem solver. So if she had any problems he could solve them after she prayed.
She asked what if she wasn't a Christian ? NO PROBLEM I REPLIED!! I asked if she wanted to meet him and she asked here? I said sure!! He's not chosey !!! We prayed and she became a Christian that night and i didn't have to get up or move to move (good thing the guys from the blood lab were there for their supply)
We prayed later concerning her problem and soon after she woke me again to tell me the door had opened for an answer to her problem.
So about a 4:45 am I got some sleep.
Point being religion is basically an activity you practice regularly in hopes of change in your direction,the change you want defines your direction.
This young lady found a very positive change in her life,because Christianity involves life change at the cross through Jesus Christ.
Your directions are determined by your desires.
This is my experience so I am not gonna change ;ya know why cause he works!!!
I didn't write this for Jeanne but the next vacant space was after her!!!
m7th--circle of revival

Chris, on rereading your post, I came up with a couple of "observations":

1. The question really centres around what God's definition of 'religion' might be. I.E. what 'belief system' would God prefer we hold to?

2. What God seems to want above all is an overflowing of ‘peace, justice and compassion’ from His church. If a church in any location has those, they have God in their midst, in my opinion.

1. I'm not sure that God would have us hold to a "belief system". I believe he would want us to hold to the trinity; three in one. That, to me, would be his "belief system".

2. Peace, justice, and compassion are simply outward signs of inward Love, which is God. I think you left out "God is Love".

But you know I don't debate. :) Just a couple of observations. lol
Blessings ~ Sarah

Jim!!! So good to "see" you! Hugs, hugs, hugs and a kiss on the cheek!

You, Jim, or any individual is what makes any particular religion a good one or a bad one. That is because you have an intimate and humanity-positive relationship with the best part of Christianity, that is, Jesus.

If a person's beliefs are the most personal thing about them, then the path that they follow based on those beliefs will be good if the relationship is humanity-positive and bad if the relationship is humanity-negative.

I just made that up (humanity-positive and humanity-negative) in a feeble attempt to understand what I feel at my core and to try to convey that to you.

Which is why I have always stated that if a person truly has a relationship with Jesus, they simply cannot stray from a good path unless acted upon mightily by that which is evil and only in extreme situations. That is, bad behavior simply cannot be a habit with the goodness of the strength of belief in Jesus within you.

Even if it is only a belief, only a faith in something that doesn't really exist. I know full well that faith is that strong, even the faith of atheists in what they believe is good and honorable to hold to in life.

Well...this is a convoluted mess. :)

I hope somehow that you, Jim and you, Sarah and you, Chris can feel my love for you, my friends. And Jim...so glad Deb has you home again. Hugs to her too.

-Jeanne

p.s. Jim, thanks for not writing that for me. I am grateful for friends who think of me when not writing for me. Hugs again.
"The Ox is slow, but the Earth is patient."