In Response to "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus"

With twelve-and-a-half-million hits since Jan. 10, we can safely say the YouTube video below has gone "viral." A Seattle-Tacoma area man made "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus" in a captivating, spoken-word style. His intentions were good. He loves Jesus. That's a great a foundation. But I would argue that a relationship without religion misses some vital elements of what Jesus taught.
Let's start by watching the video below. I may not fully agree, but I would say it's poetic and very well done. No wonder so many people have watched it. Just promise me that you’ll keep reading if you watch it…

What he says may seem to make sense. Religion has, after all, been invoked in many wars and painful experiences for individuals and even entire countries. There are humongous, expensive cathedrals for worshiping God, yet the hungry, sick, poor, and naked still ache in all places. Jesus criticized the hypocritical religious leaders of His day, so isn’t religion guilty by association?

These thoughts are leading, meaning you are guided to a conclusion just by listening. They make false assumptions and pit two things (for instance, church buildings versus charity) in competition when they aren’t opposed. Although I don’t want to get into a line-by-line breakdown of the video, some points should be expressed.

• Wars are started for political or individual gain, not religious motivation. Typically people cite the Crusades as an exception, but the Church initiated the Crusades because Christians and Jews were oppressed in the Holy Land.
• The Catholic Church is the largest charitable organization in the world (by far!), feeding, clothing, housing, and caring for more people every day than any other organization could dream of doing. And its beautiful church doors are open to all.
• Jesus did criticize hypocritical leaders of his day, but he also established the Church, gave the keys to Simon Peter (Matthew 16), and continued to build it in the Acts of the Apostles.
• Plus, when we say “religion,” that’s an impossibly undefined and broad grouping. Generalizing and demonizing “religion,” the “religious,” and anything associated seems uncharitable and irresponsible. It’s like saying we shouldn’t listen to music because it hurts our long-term hearing.

When I get to thinking, I wonder why the author chose to make this video. Was it to teach? To critique other denominations? To be countercultural? To show why he doesn’t like large church organizations? What is his motivation?

The conclusion I reach is that the downfall doesn’t have to do with intention. The author wants to be close to Jesus and sees a man in his savior who broke societal norms and religious conventions. This is true.

Life Teen’s Bible Geek Mark Hart helped me realize the video fails in its execution. It’s shortsighted, dismissing the many, many millions of people who have been trying to get this religion thing right ever since Jesus died. Isn’t there value in the institution that compiled the Bible, taught it to the people, established the school and health care systems, and brought Jesus to the people in bread and wine, among other things? All this is forgotten in the video.

Certainly the Catholic Church has flaws. Popes aren’t perfect. Priests aren’t incorruptible. The people in the pews may not live as vibrantly as we should. That doesn’t negate the value of the Church, and like Mark Hart says, “Religion is the lived expression of the Church’s beliefs.”

Christ worked to fulfill the Old Covenant and make it into the New. It wasn’t just that he died. “If all that is necessary for our redemption was for Christ to die, He could have been slaughtered for our sins in Bethlehem as a child,” Hart says. Further, he says, why have a three-year public mission? Why give the keys to the Kingdom to Peter (Matthew 16, Isaiah 22)? Why train, bestow the ability to forgive sins (John 20:21-23), and commission the Apostles? Why send the Holy Spirit to be with the people in the Acts of the Apostles?

The Catholic Church came about from the life and teachings of Jesus. The Church has taught and safeguarded the Truth for 2,000 years. The Church continues to be the house where God comes to meet us in the Eucharist and Sacraments. The Bible comes from the Church, not churches from the Bible. The roots of every Christian denomination come from the Church. Our faith and everything we share comes from the Church. When lived fully, the religion our Church teaches teaches us how to be more like Christ. That’s why I need religion with my Jesus.

I don’t love religion; I love the Lord, and the Lord directs me to the religion taught by the Catholic Church, which was founded by Jesus and is preserved by the Holy Spirit, and which I need to guide me.

What do you think? This video ignited conversation. Good. Now where do we go? What do we learn? As well-made and searchingly thoughtful as some viral videos can be, there is a difference between a person’s opinion and time-tested, Holy-Spirit-inspired Truth. I hope we can continue that Truth with the help of religion. Ad majorem Dei gloriam.

Here are couple more responses to read and ponder:

http://catholicyouthministry.com/watching-youtube-religiously/

http://jimmyakin.com/2012/01/why-i-hate-people-hating-on-religion.html