For an interesting read (and maybe you're already in the know) check out William Lobdell's 'Losing My Religion: How I Lost My Faith Reporting on Religion in America-and Found Unexpected Peace'

For an interesting read (and maybe you're already in the know) check out William Lobdell's 'Losing My Religion: How I Lost My Faith Reporting on Religion in America-and Found Unexpected Peace'

relatedly, i have a real pet peeve when i hear christians disown other christians with the verdict “well, they're not real/christ-like/living christians.” i think it's time to take responsibility for our church with all its faults instead of constantly trying to pare down to something in the name of authenticity or sincerity. instead of distancing ourselves from misbehaviors of our members, the failings of our religion, what would it look like if we as a church to acknowledged our relationship with it and allowed ourselves to be wounded by it? i'm not sure there's been a “weeping over jerusalem” in the american church, a real grieving over our lack or health and unity. thoughts?

I LOVE your third point. I have grown so much in this way (and by seeing people more this way) in the past few years. I'm still working on it.

Your second point is humbling and critical. Even though I'm not writing sermons, I can easily apply the heart of that to aspects of my own life.

But I'm still wondering about your first point. I get it, but I'm just wondering how you work at *doing* it. I'm not trying to be a pain, but maybe you can elaborate on that next?

That said, I have a few counterpoints: I hear you saying that the driving force behind religion, at least properly practiced religion, is worshiping God in a communal setting. Totally agree. My whole purpose in “losing my religion” is that it actually repels people from community! I have seen the dark side of religion far too often.

However, I also see your perspective in that religion practiced rightly actually bonds those practicing into tighter bonds of community. This is religion practiced rightly.

One need not throw the baby out with the bathwater. That's what I hear you saying, yes?

sorry, my field is anthropology after all…

Isn't it funny how we talk about trusting Jesus with our money, with our relationships, with our time, with fill in the blank. However, we rarely talk about trusting Jesus fully with our spiritual journey (or development or “walk” or whatever you want to call it). He is FULLY trustworthy, the Father has FULLY trusted Him to redeem humanity. And I have a hard time trusting Him to lead “MY quiet time”…sheesh.

for example, the above verse seems to be criticizing people's practice of religion and not religion itself. what we have to keep in mind is that judaism, according to tradition, was prescribed by God. all those rituals and high holy days and cleanliness codes were God's living word to them. it's like the builders over looking the chief cornerstone verse. the verse doesn't say that the practice of building is bad, or even that the building was not up to code. it was that the practice went wrong somewhere. all of those kinds of verses (and the vocation of prophets) are calls to practice religion better, not stop practicing all together.

i completely understand and sympathize with your concern. i also appreciate you raising the issue, but i think as americans in particular we are too quick to dispense with community in favor of lone-wolf style expression (not that i'm accusing you of being the next una-bomber or anything). community is messy and slow, but the church is a community which requires structure and stability, that is to say religion. the real trick in practice, i think, is to keep religion vibrant and responsive while protecting its constancy and ability to bring disparate peoples together under the same gospel. as far as theology is concerned, i think we need to regroup around the idea of religion, arrive at an idea of what exactly its best used for. i have some ideas about that, but i'll save them for later….