SBNR. Spritual, but not religious. I've noticed growing up, that this seems to be a prominent trend in our society today. Chesterton put it perfectly when he said "He who marries the spirit of the times will soon be a widow." Today on Facebook I noticed a video going around called "Why I hate Religion, But Love Jesus." My reaction was one of irritation (there's no heresy filter option on facebook, apparently) but I was happy to see
this rebuttal as well. I highly recommend it.
I am eternally grateful for our Holy Religion, the Catholic Faith. Religion is virtuous, and it is not the
legalism shown by the pharisees. And I am not sure which is worse, the pharisees' legalism or today's subjectivism. But I digress...
Religion is a set of beliefs and practices followed by those committed to the service and worship of God. The first commandment requires us to believe in God, to worship and serve him, as the first duty of the virtue of Religion (CCC 2084,2135).
Irreligion is a vice!!
It is a vice contrary by defect to the virtue of religion. Irreligion directs us away from rendering to God what we as creatures owe him in justice. (CCC 2095,2110).
If you truly know, love, and serve the Lord Jesus Christ, then you are religious.
While this young man's video is misguided and uses inaccurate terms, the video's very existence should remind us of the 2nd commandment, which forbids blasphemy. Blasphemy utters against God -inwardly or outwardly- words of hatred, reproach, or defiance; in speaking ill of God; in failing in respect toward him in one's speech; in misusing God's name. The prohibition of blasphemy extends to language against Christ's Church, the saints, and sacred things.
It is also blasphemous to make use of God's name to cover up criminal practices to reduce peoples to servitude, to torture persons or put them to death. The misuse of God's name to commit a crime
can provoke others to repudiate religion (CCC 2148)
And so sadly, because some sin against religion, others are scandalized to the point of repudiating religion. I believe abandonment of "organized religion" leads to subjective religion, which in time leads to relativism, which leads ultimately to atheism. A culture that rejects religion will at least partially reject Christ, often filtering their faith through the culture in which they live instead of vice versa (pop-pyschology "Christianity", "Feminist" "Christianity", humanitarian "Christianity", feel-good "Christianity", American "Christianity", partisan political "Christianity", cafeteria "Christianity"... and so on...), and eventually reject Him totally.
Me on the day of my Baptism, my true birthday.
My brother and I (2 yrs old) at the Grotto.
Me with my mother, at the Grotto.
My daughter and I at the Grotto.
I LOVE Jesus. And I LOVE all the expressions of RELIGION that have been a part of my relationship with HIM throughout my life. I love His Bride: The Holy Catholic Church, Her Sacred Liturgy, Her Sacred Scripture, Her Sacred Tradition, Her Teaching Office: The Magisterium, The Sacraments, the communion of saints, sacramentals, prayers, devotions, and pilgrimages. Thank God for our Holy Religion.
