religions2

So what should you do?

Let's agree for the moment that religions are really quite different from each other. Given this difference, what's a person to do?

Alternative 1: Follow your religion-of-choice
One alternative is to follow whatever religion you choose. If you want to be Buddhist, go ahead and be a Buddhist. If you want to follow Oprah, follow Oprah. You're free to do so in this country and others -- thank God!

But here's the thing. I strongly suggest that you not follow a religion based on how much you like it. Remember the analogy of the two doctors? I personally liked the advice of the bad doctor, because I love some really unhealthy foods -- and going to the gym is often a pain. But if I follow the advice that appeals to my comfort and pleasure, I�ll wind up dead. So the key to choosing a religion is to choose the one that is true -- not the one that places the least demands on your or is most in synch with what you already think.

Alternative 2: Make up your own
Another alternative is to make up your own religion. This is actually what most people -- including, I would argue, most so-called "Christians" -- actually do. They select a few things Jesus said and a few things they heard on the History Channel and mix it up with some of their own opinions and the wise-sounding things they heard here and there and put it in a blender and -- voila -- they have a belief system.

Again, you're free to take this route. If you think you're smarter or have greater spiritual insight than Jesus or the Buddha, then go the way you want to go. Just don't pretend that your belief system doesn't have at its foundation astounding personal arrogance -- because it does. Maybe you should write some holy scriptures yourself if you know something that isn't in the Bible or the Bhagavad-Gita! We could all benefit from your divine revalation of the truth, I/m sure!

Alternative 3: Remain uncertain
A third alternative -- which is also quite popular -- is to simply say "I'm not sure." I actually have great respect and appreciation for this position. A lot of people look at all the different religions in the world and sort of throw up their hands over the whole mess. They see how people fight* and argue over the subject, and they want nothing to do with it.

But I have two cautions for you if this is where you're at. First, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. People fight over love and money, too. Does that mean you don't want either one of those? I doubt it. So don't give up on God just because He is so poorly represented by some of His less competent and/or self-appointed PR people.

Second, if you're going to take the position that you're currently not certain of the real nature of religious truth, then don't close your heart to the message of Jesus Christ. It may be that He was right. And when I share His message with you, please don't tell me I�m a judgmental close-minded self-righteous religious nut. I�m none of those things. Well, OK, I�m a nut -- but that�s not the point.

Listen! If your position truly is that you're not sure of what the deep fundamental truths of the cosmos are, then when I say you have sin in your life and you're going to hell**, the appropriate response on your part is: "You might be right. Can you explain this to me a little more?"

If you respond in any other way -- with anger, virulent disagreement or mockery -- then you clearly have religious beliefs that you hold as deeply as I hold mine. You yourself are a close-minded follower of either some other religion or -- even worse -- a religion you made up. So you're in no position to judge me, because at least I got mine from the most acknowledged truth-teller in all of history.

Alternative 4: Jesus
Of course, there is a fourth alternative. Get a Bible and read it. Attend a church where the people are loving and the preacher preaches Jesus. May I suggest RBCC? Give it some time. You can always go back to one of the three alternatives above. But I would suggest that to go through your entire life without having at least given Jesus a good, solid try for a few years is the single biggest mistake any human being can make. Of course, I'm prejudiced, because He is a personal friend of mine. But He became my friend because He really is the wisest, most loving friend I've ever had. And He is on very, very good terms with God -- so I really try to stay as close to Him as I can.

Thanks for reading this far! I'm done. If you want to get in touch with me to talk or exchange emails about this topic, please feel free to do so. My contact information is here on the site. Even better, come out this Sunday. Jesus has some other friends you might want to talk to, too.