RE: Why I hate Religion But Love Jesus

Did Jesus come to abolish religion? Should we hate religion? In a video posted to youtube last week titled "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus" Jefferson Bethke argues Jesus did come to abolish religion and that we are justified to hate religion. But is that true? A close look at the life of Jesus says something very different.

To view Bethke's video, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqY

Category:

Education

Tags:

• religion
• jesus
• hate
• love
• enemies
• sermon
• on
• mount
• jefferson
• bethke
• gospel

[gsixty]

"Hate infects us. We can not control hatred."

Help ma out with this one... What is your understanding of hate used in these passages?

Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil:

&

Amos 5:15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate

[raventelevision]

@gsixty Great question. Jesus critiques our justifications for hate - even our religious justifications. "You have heard it said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you love your enemies." In the resurrection, he does not hate the evil that killed him, rather, her offers peace and forgiveness.

[gsixty]

@raventelevision

Are you saying that (If the fear of the Lord is to hate evil) we don't have to fear the Lord b/c He no longer hates that evil that killed Him? I'm a little lost as to how your question directly answers that text. Thanks.

[raventelevision]

@gsixty Is it clear that Jesus hated the evil that killed him? It seems to me that he didn't hate it, he forgave it. Bethke points to this in his video when he quotes Jesus as saying "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." In the resurrection, Jesus has no signs of hate - rather he is consistent with that forgiveness as he offers peace to those who betrayed him. John picks this up in his letter when he write that perfect love (God in Jesus) casts out fear.

[raventelevision]

@gsixty Yes. Great point. Paul is a fascinating figure. Thank you for the comment.

[gsixty]

I want to be religious about religion!!!!!

[gsixty]

Jesus does call them fools but not for being religious.

A fool says in his heart, "there is no God"

God/Love does in fact bond us together in Himself & when we bond ourselves to a set of doctrine that excludes people our understanding of religion is foolish b/c in itself it denies Gods ability and demonstration of Love on the cross to neutralize the union of opposites or the us VS them game. IF your religion isn't His LOVE alone then it is foolishness.

[gsixty]

@raventelevision

Well said. True religion as James puts it does bind again. The disenfranchised, the outcasts and the lower class are all brought together in LOVE as it is the bond of perfection. Now Paul says that people that refused to be apart of this movement will never be perfect (as God/Jesus) b/c they LOVE their doctrines more than other people so their beliefs/religion cause division which is the opposite of (re)ligare.

[cbmuzik]

@raventelevision

True. But another aspect of religion is this: according to the Bible, there is no equivalent of the word "religion" because in early times there was no distinguishing between religious, national, racial, or ethnic identities. So it makes you think where does all of the dividing of man and religions come from. just thinking in text. =]

[raventelevision]

@cbmuzik Hi. Indeed. I have. "Religion" comes from the Latin word ligare, which means "to bind." The prefix "re" means "again." So, "religion" seeks to bind us once again to God and to one another. Now, people often feel bound together through hate, which is why hatred gets mixed with religion. Hatred can feel good, and even lead us to hate religion itself. Jesus, on the other hand, said the religion (law and prophets in Mt 5) of Judaism was about binding to God and others thru love.