Isn't Jesus about relationship not religion?

Some Evangelicals say that Jesus is about relationship not religion. Catholics fully agree that Jesus is about relationship. Catholics don't think that this personal relationship negates the need for religion. In James 1:26-27 we read the following:

"If any one thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this man's religion is vain. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this . . ."

Religion is cool. The Bible says so. Catholics don't feel that religion and relationship are mutually exclusive.

Catholics don't think God is against the use of ritual as part of the way he ministers to his people. He is only against empty rituals that are performed with no heart behind them. By the way, I think Evangelicals have rituals too, like lifting their hands when they sing praise music. This is totally cool with me - I do it too, so does my priest! And I love it when Evangelicals turn their chairs around, and facing the chair, kneel on the floor, resting their elbows on the chair. The first time I saw that at a conference of Evangelical pastors, I though to myself, "it would be a lot easy for them to just get kneelers." Of course, I got down on my knees and prayed with everyone using these makeshift kneelers. I felt very much at home in this traditional Catholic prayer position.

Isn't a religious system man made?

The dictionary says religion is a "belief or a particular system of religious belief and worship." I think the offending term to some Evangelicals is the word "system." They feel that any system of belief is man made. Catholics think God is a God of order and therefore is capable of giving us a system of belief. Catholics believe God created the solar "system." God created the "eco-system."  He created the human immune "system."  Catholics don't think that God is afraid of organization and systemization. Catholics think this is how God is unfolding his plan that is laid out in his Holy Word, the Bible. Catholics think this "system" is how he guards against thousands of conflicting interpretations of Scripture.

Another complaint against Catholicism is that it is a complicated system. Catholics don't think God is afraid of complex systems. If I watch a dragonfly, I'll soon see how awesomely complicated God is. A quick read through the book of Revelation will also spin my head around. God is wonderfully complex. The fact that the Church is a "complicated system" is not a testimony against it. Catholics believe the complexity is a testimony for in favour of it. The eco-system is complicated and it is totally of God. (Gen 1:1). I think this complexity could be translated to "rich in depth and width, time and space." The Catholic Church stretches across the entire world and reaches back to the time of Christ.

Yet a Catholic's relationship with Jesus is intensely simple. This is a great paradox of Catholicism. For the lay person, the Catholic faith is easy to access:  surrender and pray to Jesus, read the Bible, go to Mass, and follow the directions of the Church. Evangelicals would say "pray to Jesus, read the Bible, meet with other Christians, and join a body of like minded Christians."

Evangelical book stores have thousands of books written about Jesus, the faith, relationships and every other topic under the sun. I like many of the books but some of them conflict with each other. In reading all these books I have trouble understanding the Evangelical claim that Catholics are too complicated. Some of this stuff is just as "deep, heady, and complicated."  Evangelicals have quite long preaching sessions at most worship services. These are often quite complicated, and sometimes quite systematic also. Evangelical universities are full of complexity, history, tradition and academia. This is also religion.

My experience in the Evangelical community is that most Churches have a "Mission Statement" or "Statement of Belief." Some people would say "my Church is just about the Bible and Jesus and nothing else." That may be true until someone comes in and says they interpret the Bible in a way that conflicts with the rest of the people in the Church. In fact most Evangelicals I know have left a few Evangelical fellowships for that very reason.

I encourage anyone who thinks their Church has no Mission Statement to ask their pastor. They may be surprised. Any Evangelical church (or brethren) that has a mission statement has, in a sense, accepted a system of belief - a religion. I expect if I asked them where the Mission Statement came from, they would say "God." So they are saying God gave them a system of belief and a plan to carry that belief into the world. That is religion. And that is what the Catholic Church has done under God's grace. It doesn't mean that there is no personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is simply an action plan, revealed by God. Catholics who "get it" have an intense personal relationship with Jesus and hand their lives over to this King of kings.

If I wanted to be in relationship with a great artist, I would not only spend time with him, I would also study some of the beautiful works of art he has done. Catholics believe Jesus is a great artist and one of his greatest works of art is the historical body of Christ - the Church. See also "Are Catholics Born Again?"

Hierarchical authority

Authority and hierarchy are hard concepts to sell these days. Businesses are adopting horizontal organizational charts. Kids are swearing at their school teaches and beating them up. The public is pulling apart politicians. Perhaps these are all progressive ideas, but Catholics think this age has authority-phobia.

I heard a sermon on the radio by a gifted Evangelical minister Dr. Tony Evans. He took us on a biblical tour or the hierarchical and structural authority in the heavens among the angels and heavenly creatures (Archangels, Cherubim, Seraphim etc). He quoted the Bible chapter and verse to show that Angels only activate under authority, when they are told what to do by their superior. (Job, 38:7, Gen 3:24, 19, 21:17, 22:11, Acts 7:53, Ex 23:20-23, Judg 13, 6:11-24, Isa 6:5, 1 Kgs 19:5, Jude 1:9, Rev 12:7 etc.) I found Dr. Evans' had a powerful testimony to the Catholic approach to Church, although he perhaps didn't intend it. Dr. Evans showed that God is not at all afraid of structural authority. Angels have an intense personal relationship with God but they are totally into hierarchy. Catholics think the Hierarchical Structure of the Church was divinely inspired by God and revealed to those who formed it in the early centuries of Christianity.

Isn't Jesus all about the Heart - Isn't the Intellect Useless?

I often hear from Evangelicals that a personal relationship with Jesus as "all about the heart" and has nothing to do with the intellect. However, when I think of the most influential "born again" Christian in history, I have to question that position. The Apostle Paul was authentically "born again" on the road to Damascus. Jesus could have chosen anybody. He chose a supreme intellect. Even secular scholars would agree that Paul was one of the greatest intellects in the history of mankind.

Paul did no throw out his intellect after his encounter with Jesus. He used it. He went to Athens to dispute with the Greeks in Greek. He went to Rome and argued with the Romans in Latin as a Roman citizen. He always spoke with groups in the context of their socio/political framework. He used his intellect to win souls. He used his supreme knowledge of the law. I don't believe it was "all about the heart" for him. He used his powers of reasoning to convert pagans and to lay down the foundation of our Faith. 

It is true that he let Jesus speak through him. But Jesus chose one of the greatest intellects of all time through which to speak. God is not at all afraid of the intellect. The Bible is full of powerful demonstrations of how God uses human intellect to win souls. The Catholic Church places value on the human reasoning that was given to us by God. God invented the intellect. It plays a role in our surrender to God. There are many circumstances where an intellectual argument is presented to a non-believer. Their intellectual defenses drop and they surrender to Jesus.  Paul used human intellect to help build the kingdom. Let's not throw theological scholarship away. I don't think Paul would want us to do that, nor does God.

Lord Jesus, let Your prayer of unity for Christians
become a reality, in Your way
we have absolute confidence
that you can bring your people together
we give you absolute permission to move
Amen

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