It is Saturday night - I am sitting in a coffeehouse going over my notes for preaching tomorrow at Santa Cruz Bible Church. It's fun to be heading back there for a Sunday. They are the church who planted us (Vintage Faith Church) in 2004.
But as I am sitting here... I just overheard the term "organized religion" used by someone. I am also writing a chapter on organized religion in terms of Christianity. So if you can take a minute - seriously looking for a sentence or two - and let me know how would you define "organized religion"? Christianity is often accused of being organized religion in a negative way (like this t-shirt I found on Google images does). Don't let the way this shirt defines organized religion shape your response, if you have a different way of thinking about it. I'd like to hear your gut reaction to that term as it is used in reference to the church and Christianity.
I would love to read some quick thoughts of some specifics on what people think of with the church when it is accused of being "organized religion". If it is "cultivated ignorance" like this t-shirt says, what does that mean? Ignorance of what? (I would ask the t-shirt designer to help me understand what he/she thinks with how they would respond to the question).
In the book I am writing, I actually show why I believe the church needs to be organized in a healthy way - as hospitals are organized, the One Campaign was organized - and we should be organized to help people. But for the amount of times the church and Christians are accused of being "organized religion" can you post here (or on Facebook) what you believe people mean when they say that about the church?
A quick sentence or two would be great and helpful to me! What comes to your mind the first about the term "organized religion" in reference to church/Christianity?
Thank you!!
