Goodbye Religion, Hello God

By Carol Harper

I spent the first thirty years of my life as an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon church). I loved that religion with every fiber of my being, and as I said in my book, I have no regrets being raised in Mormonism.

Then I entered the world of [mainstream] Christianity, and, off and on over the past 13 years, I had been a part of three churches – a conservative Baptist church in California, a non-denom church in CA’s gold country, and most recently, the music minister of a Southern Baptist church in here in Nashville, TN. I became the President of the Nashville Christian Writers Association, the founder and editor of the Nashville Christian Times, a member of the Nashville Christian Business Network, on the Advisory Council of REST Ministries, and the PR/Media Director for Tennessee’s National Day of Prayer 2010 campaign.

My dear readers…after much prayer, pain, anguish and spiritual wrestling…today, July 19, 2010, the day of my grand-daughter’s birth…I declare myself religion- and denomination-free. I denounce religion and such components that have ever divided humanity. I denounce all money-changing and those who profit (or desire to profit) in the name of Christ under the guise of “ministry”. I denounce ministers, priests, bishops, and so-called “apostles/prophets”…the middle, meddling men that stand at the pulpits spouting their prideful, hypocritical lip service. I denounce those who willingly listen to such venomous falsehoods that these preachers preach. I denounce any religious authoritative hierarchies and “powers” claiming what they do in the name of God, Jesus, Allah, Buddha, etc. and those of self-proclaimed “deity” or “prophetic” privilege (Matthew 24).

I denounce the religion of Christianity. In fact, today I denounce any “–ity” or “-ism” ever formed or created. Nothing and no one will ever come between me and my God ever again. With religion gone and my innate faith preserved, I am finally, truly at peace.

I have my grand-daughter, Alivia, to thank for this. As I look at her tender, tiny hands and feet, her fragile eyes, nose, ears, mouth, I think: Oh, what pure faith! What pure reliance upon those greater than her own self. How can we raise our children, our grand-children in a world that has perpetuated such hate and division? How can we hope for our future generations when we have nearly destroyed all hope with a multitude of past generations riddled with greed, division and selfishness? How can we have peace when so many refuse to love and forgive, lay down their weapons, lay down their biases and judgments?

The day before Alivia was born – Sunday, July 18, 2010 – I had suffered the worst day of a 3-week bout of bursitis in my left shoulder. In tears, I endured an excruciating pain and sleep-deprived exhaustion, with no relief but cold packs and prayers. But what had pained me even more was what I had been reading and observing as to the terrible division and partisanship that has ripped this beautiful nation of America apart at the seams. I’ve watched news reports, read social network postings and blogs, observed the campaigns of those vying for political distinction. I have seen racial tensions breaking, gulf water life being destroyed, unaffordable product marketing to gluttonous lemming populaces, commercialism at its sickening best…and our troops dying and caught in the middle of peace-keeping and terrorist-seeking ventures.

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled

for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you:

and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”

Matthew 24: 4-12

Is there anything left for my grand-daughter? Is there anything for her to really hold on to that won’t be stripped from her delicate grasp? What kind of world are we leaving her to live in?

I read a bumper sticker the other day (apparently, an infamous quote ala Sarah Palin): “How’s that ‘hopey changey’ thing working out for ya?”

And all I could think was: “It’s been 2000 years…how’s that ‘love God, love your neighbor, love your enemies’ thing working out for us?” You’d think we would’ve mastered something like love and peace by now. Loving our enemies…are you kidding? Love our planet? Not even a chance in…well, you know where. Drill deep enough, and I think we might find it.

After 2000 years? I have read/heard venom spewed from all sides - left, right, liberal and conservative. I have witnessed the hypocrisy, self-righteousness and attitudes of the so-called “good Christian folks”. I have seen the money-changing in the temple courts (and other courts, I might add) alive and well. And please, I’m in Nashville, TN. Don’t think that the Christian music industry hasn’t sold out for a lot less than 30 pieces of silver. I myself have experienced and survived domestic violence and abuse. I have witnessed racial and ethnic intolerance since I was a child. I have observed the destruction of hope, joy and any kind of true, unadulterated peace.

Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked,

"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders?

They don't wash their hands before they eat!"

Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?

Matthew 15: 1-3

And what is the command of God?

"Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,

and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Matthew 22: 36-40

Needless to say, I’ve left the “blind guides” (Matt: 15: 12-14). And I must say, I am truly ashamed to say I took part of any religion, Mormonism or Christianity. To me, both are one in the same, but I do not condemn them. That is not what God did to me, so I will not taint such an ultimate, sacred sacrifice given to the entire world.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

John 3:16-17

I hope there are many out there who can read this passage with new eyes and ears to hear…and not through Christianity’s conditional filters. I hope you hear that God…a God that cannot be contained by any religion, concept or idea…loves you. I hope you hear that God made a personal appearance through Jesus Christ, for you. Not in some fantastical, “Santa Claus-Easter Bunny-fairytale” type religious explanation, but through a very real love that comes from an Infinite, inexplicable, unpackageable and uncontainable God that neither you nor I can ever in our entire lives comprehend. You know this love; I know you do. It is in all of us, no matter how hard we try to suppress or deny it. I hope you hear that this loving God does not condemn you, but wants to save you from this polluted, tainted, near-destroyed planet to which mankind has nearly condemned us all. I hope you hear and know that you have eternal life simply because you believe in Him.

That’s all He asks. Just believe.

As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out,

"Have mercy on us, Son of David!"

When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them,

"Do you believe that I am able to do this?"
"Yes, Lord," they replied.

Then he touched their eyes and said,

"According to your faith, will it be done to you";

and their sight was restored.”

Matthew 9: 27-30, underline added

According to their faith…wow! Today, and for the rest of my life, I am simply, solely and happily a believer in Jesus Christ. My eyes have been opened, and I stick to the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The rest of the Bible has no meaning to me unless and until the world has learned to love each other – to love God, love neighbors, and love enemies. I could care less what Paul’s epistles said, and Old Testament/Judaic law is irrelevant. Prove to me that the world is on the course of love, and I might reconsider. For the love of God surpasses all.

No, I’m not a “New Ager”, “Universal Unitarian”, “Jesus freak”, scientologist, “one size fits all”, a joiner, or whatever other warm fuzzy alternatives are offered. I’m simply a believer in Jesus as the way, truth and life. That’s it. Period. End of story. Sure, this might make me a boring sell job, and I’m sure you’ll want to move on to greener pastures where the sheep are prime and more likely to be enticed. That’s okay; I’d rather buy the Ginsu knife set on late night TV than give a “love offering” to a den of thieves. Bottom line, don’t bother marketing religion, idea, politics, dreams, prophecies or vision to me (Matthew 24). Keep your sermons, rituals, ceremonies, idols, temples, traditions, scriptures, campaigns, etc. to yourselves. I’m done. I’m sticking with the Real Thing. I’m poor in spirit, and I’m happy. It’s working for me, I’m good.

I realize that some might pity me, look down on me as pathetic and apathetic. They might think: C’mon, Carol…quit walking along the narrow road, kicking the rocks, drawing in the sand. Get on one bandwagon or the other. Life is black and white; good vs. evil. There is no color; there are no shades of grey. That’s the way things are, the way it’s always been…

To those I say:

How’s that “love God, love your neighbor, love your enemies” thing coming along?

Yeah, get back to me on that. Heck, I know you mean well, but I’m actually good on the road I am now on. Going a bit slower; seeing more, hearing more…learning more. And as I look at my new grand-daughter, I am reminded of the day I myself was born again, became new so many years ago. I want to take Alivia’s tiny hand and let her know that God is love, and that same love comes from my heart into that little warm hand that clasps around my finger…a hand that clasps in faith. A hand relying on Something Greater than her own self, reaching out to the unknown. Much like the Hand I now hold…

Goodbye, religion. Hello, God. I’m home.