I hate organized religion!
July 8, 2004
I love surprising people. Last month, as I waited for my shuttle from the Burbank airport to downtown Pasadena, I had a wonderful conversation with a woman. The more we talked, the more she began to share about her life, her children and some of her religious upbringing. I had already mentioned I was Presbyterian and starting seminary in the fall. As we started talking more and more about religion, she finally said, “And you know, I just hate organized religion.” And I responded, “So do I…”
Her response was priceless…it totally caught her off off guard. “Wait…you…I thought…what?” It was wonderful. And it totally helped keep our conversation going. I’m just reminded of the scene of the Confession booth in Donald Miller’s “Blue Like Jazz” - a confession booth set up at a very “pagan” festival at Reed College, where the *CHRISTIANS* did the confessing. I think as Christians we do need to be confessing our heritage’s sins. I think we need to do more actual apologizing, rather than focus on learning bullet-proof apologetics. For me to agree with this woman on something she felt so passionate about, enabled us to continue the conversation in a spirit of unity on at least something. She didn’t like organized religion, and thus never wanted to go to a church again. I don’t like what religion has done to the church, and thus am deciding to commit the next 3-4 years of my life studying the church in preparation to become a part of the church (if God directs that way).
So while we didn’t necessarily mean the exact same thing - the fact that I was able to agree with her, kept her intrigued and interested in our conversation. No I didn’t convert her (and that wasn’t even the point of the conversation, or my interest in pursuing it)…but she was able to meet her first Christian who also hated organized religion and we were able to learn from one another.
Tags: Organized-Religion, religion
Posted in 
Adam Walker Cleaveland: 
July 8th, 2004 at 8:30 pm
That… is truly awesome.
July 9th, 2004 at 6:40 pm
It’s awesome that you were able to connect with the lady even if you did shock her a bit.
Going into ministry is great for someone like you. After all, the best way to change something is from the inside out.
I hate organized religion as well. I had issues with how the church I worked at in Atlanta argued over things that had nothing to do with God, so I decided that Christianity as an organization sucked. In fact, when I transferred up to U of I this was confirmed (due to a VERY unfriendly church…they went out of their way to avoid me just because I didn’t look like your “typical” Christian…I had blue hair and a bright green coat) and it took me a while to actually get involved in a church.
Recently, however, God has been showing me more and more how the most effective way to change what I don’t agree with is to get involved in it.
The church as an organitzation has fallen away from God. Many of the people are still faithful, but the organization doesn’t care about God as much as it does petty things that have nothing to do with him (your eyebrow ring, lasagne (sp?), candles on tables etc.). However God is using people like you, who realize this, to bring it back to him again. Keep letting God use you Adam!
You Rock!
July 11th, 2004 at 7:14 pm
Remember me?? God’s child and “blond”. LOL. The more I read about your “blogging”s, the more I find we truly are on the same page (aside from the Roxburgh’s msgs). Was a great surprise to meet you Friday night.
I agree with the msgs about “organized” religion. I too have strayed away from “church-going” because of the rules of the people there (I’m a single mom and was pg out of wedlock. My own mom made me feel unwelcomed–). They would really “cringe” if my latest boyfriend came.. He’s covered almost neck to toes in tattoos. Plus has been in just about every jail in cali.(mentioned him briefly Friday night meeting you), But he’s since reformed and come to the light (his light– not “organized” .LOL) I am inline more with the way “Sister Act” moved in bringing the church to the community. Stay with the traditional/foundational values/teaching… but bring them into the way the 21st Century would embrace them)… Just as Jesus embrased the Leppers- I imagine that most of your “typical” -traditinal Christian’s might view anyone a-typical today as such. But after all… whom is the Church for if not for those who’ve lost their way and are “sinners”?
Plus if we ARE to follow the teachings/ways of Jesus.. then all the better to welcome those whom the “typical” Christians’ might shun.
Let your LIGHT shine Adam…As I have seen those few whose lives you have briefly touched and brought closer to the Lord– while still accepting them for their “uniqueness” God created in them.
Many missionaries/prophets of both our time and Jesus’ were viewed as “untraditional” and “dis-organized” from the Church. As long as you let people “be” whom they are and show/teach them God’s love for them no matter what they look/live like or how-ever they have sinned, you will give them the opportunity to reach out to God’s Grace and become a child of the Lord.
God Bless you and May he keep you ever journeying (sp) closer to Him.
Gerri T.
July 14th, 2004 at 11:57 am
i was encouraged yesterday in a strange way. a friend in austin told me about her friend who had to deliver a still-born baby boy on july 4th. her entire church cancelled services so they could spend the day with her and the rest of her family. i was amazed - that would never happen at my church. my pastor would be too concerned with missing walk-ins. it makes me sad that we can’t give up the things that don’t matter to be with the ones who do.
make waves adam, typhoons even. blessings.
March 14th, 2005 at 12:06 pm
I don’t believe in God. I don’t believe Jesus was “our personal savior.” If anything Jesus was a hero who stood up for what he believed in. He didn’t like what was going on around him. So he tried to do something about it. And, guess what. It got his ass crucified. and that was two thousand years ago. By the ruling government. Now, we have a great religious based government(that’s bullshit), religous freedom(also bullshit), freedom of speech(be careful what you say), separation of church and state(more bullshit, our schools are run by “good”, “moral”, “christian folks”. No atheist schoolboard members or principles or teachers. At least not openly. Saying you don’t believe in god will get your ass fired.) What it all boils down to is that religion, all religions, stem from humans need to free themselves from the “human condition”. People throughout history, have used religion as a way to say “Hey, even though my country is invading your country, and killing your people, my god said I could, and he’ll forgive me, because I’m righteous.” That is so much bullshit. Religion is a way for people to shield themselves from their own inequities. When a rapist goes to prison, or a molestor, or a bank robber, they turn to religion to try and explain to themselves why they did what they did. I have an answer for them. They are HUMAN. Humans are an evil lot. We are a war like species. No amount of breeding, genetics, or religion can change that fact. We became the top dogs on this planet, not because ALMIGHTY GOD said so, but because we KILLED and murdered everything and everybody who stood in our way. Don’t that just make you feel peachy? Truth is what everyone searches for through religion and faith. Yet we, all of us, have a very hard time seeing truth when it is in our face! Look around you. Look at the new “Crusades” in the middle east, led by our “God Fearing” president. Look at the principles and teachers having sex with our kids in school. Catholic priest, and their unnatural celibacy, have raped thousands, perhaps millions of children throughout history. Religion, especially Christian religions, have been responsible for more death and destruction than all the natural disasters throughout time. If you believe in God, Allah, Buddah, etc., you have not “seen” the truth. Religion is never a substitute for morality. That’s the truth.