Recovering from Religion

          I'm sitting in Kaldi's, staring upon a wall filled with fliers advertising events seemingly tailored for a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop. One invites me to participate in English Country Dance; one beckons me to join the Chess Club; one describes a film festival featuring "world-renown" documentaries. And yet, the one that catches my eye, commanding the bulk of my attention, is an informational brochure about a group titled, "Recovering from Religion". This harmless sheet of paper thrusts me through several stages of emotions including: anger, compassion, courage, and confusion. I study the words, trying to understand the viewpoint of its author- a viewpoint which completely contradicts my entire lifestyle... I am not angry toward the people of this group; rather, I am angry toward the source of their pain- the American Church. Recovering from Religion, as if it's a fatal disease, pressed upon its victims. And isn't it? Isn't religion fatal to the work of Christ Himself? Religion without spiritual fruit is a killer of souls. The country of America is plagued by the hypocrisy that is religion, but fleeing from Christ is not the cure. The Love of God expressed through action is the antidote, and we as Christians are the means by which this antidote is administered. How can the Love of God spread when it has no median through which to travel? Imagine we as Christians are syringes and Christ's love is the cure. Without a cure, syringes are just weapons which cause injury with the false hope of bringing healing. After so many effective-less injections, the church has caused more hurt than it has hope. No wonder people are searching for healing from religion...