What Is Your Religion?

If you ask someone, “What is your religion?” chances are they’ll respond with a, “I’m Catholic”, “I’m Baptist”, “I’m Lutheran” or name some other denomination. And there’s the problem.

We identify individual religions with a name. But the name does not tell what your religion is, does, or believes in. The name is just a label that doesn’t really define the religion, but rather only identifies the religion. Think about it. Define and explain your religion. What are its doctrinal positions? What does that religion believe in and practice? What do the ceremonies and sacraments mean? How is one religion different from another? What is your religion’s history and how did it come into existence?

So think about it; what is your religion? What do you know of your religion? Or of other religions? Why are there different, faiths, denominations and religions?

Have you ever asked your religion who, what, when, why, where and how (the 5W’s and a 1H)?

Have you ever compared the 5W’s and a 1H of your religion to the 5W’s and a 1H of another?

What about essence and purpose of your religion?

When asking “What is your religion” we are really asking what is true. Truth is universal. Anything true can never be untrue or it wouldn’t be true to begin with.  God is the truth, immutable, unchangeable and incapable of untruth.

If your religion is true, and another religion is true, how then, do you reconcile any disparities of truth between the two? How can there even be a disparity if all are true?

This can be reduced further down to the Church. The Church has its own set of  beliefs, standards, doctrines and ceremonies. One Church in a religion can vary greatly from another Church of the same religion. Why?

Finally, be it the religion or the Church, how much of it is of God and how much of it is of man? How do you know? Why don’t you inquire? We were made to do so.

God said, “Come now, and let us reason together” (Isaiah 1:18). God made us thinking, rational beings. Why aren’t we looking at and into our religion and Church?

When Paul and Silas preached in Berea, the men “received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)

Zacharias questioned Gabriel in doubt and was made dumb. Mary questioned him because she was confused and wanted to understand and “found favour with God”. (Luke 1: 20&30).

Why aren’t we investigating, learning and growing about religion and Church, and of course, the word!? Why are we content to receive what is fed us unquestionably and unawares?

Bill Hitchcock