Golden Hills Blog

"I have come to suspect that when people complain about 'organized' religion, what they are really saying is they can't stand other people."~ Kathleen Norris


I found this quote while reading Alden Thompson's new book, Beyond Common Ground: Why Liberals and Conservatives Need Each Other, and found it to ring true.

Usually when someone says they don't believe or like "organized religion" my response has been: "as opposed to DISorganized religion"? But I find this quote moves me in a better direction.

Whenever I had had a conversation with someone who no longer attends church or something as simple as a Bible Study, most of the time the driving issue is that someone said something or did something nasty to them. Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hills Church in Grand Rapids MI, always says his first response to the anti-organized religion comment is "what was the name of the person who hurt you?"

It is so easy to label an entire organization and anyone in it because one insensitive jerk or well meaning critic torqued us off one Sabbath or Sunday morning. It is much easier to sit at home alone with our Bible or watch something spiritual on television than deal with people. But I think there are deeper issues at work than random church jerks.

Most people have had an awkward moment with their parents or a sibling or a cousin etc. But how many of us after such a confrontation simply walk out the front door and subsequently label "organized families" as a joke...okay some people may but not a lot of people find that to be rational.

Or think of you favorite clothing store or restaurant chain. You may occasionally get a bad experience, but you dont write off the entire company as destructive and uncaring and never speak to anyone who works for them ever again.
Someone who made a habit of this would find themselves very lonely. To expect any organization with people in it to behave itself flawlessly is an unrealistic expectation. Much less the church that is FOR broken and hurting people.

Now in some cases the hurts run deep--there have been some awful abuses in religious organizations--and the one retreating has a reason to be concerned. But Im not talking about the extreme cases. Im talking about the people who look for opportunities to be offended so they have an excuse to bolt.

It suggest, number one, that perhaps they have not understood that Jesus requires us to love unlovable people [Mark 2:17, Romans 5:8] by His grace. It also suggests someone who avoids conflict--another unrealistic expectation in life. Jesus says the peaceMAKERS not the peace KEEPERS will be blessed [Matt 5:9].

A lot of people want to find God on their own, and certainly there is room for individuality and solitude in the Christian experience. But God made people to live in community and develop character in community. And to think that you can walk the Christian path--and avoid dealing with people--is a self deception. Just think if God decided to abandon His mission to earth because He ran into unpleasant people. We are called to emulate Christ--and Christ lived in community with others--even if they treated Him poorly.


PSP