The Discussion Material for Tuesday, July 9th, 2024

 

 

Exploring What It Means to Be Religious
The Wired Word for the Week of June 9, 2024

In the News

What does it mean to be "religious"? That's a question put before us this past week by Ryan Burge, who is an associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University. He has been described by 60 Minutes as "one of the country's leading data analysts on religion and politics." He is also a pastor in the mainstream American Baptist Churches in the USA.

Burge's approach is not to do surveys himself, but to analyze data found in existing studies to find answers to various questions in the field of religion. As already mentioned, his latest analysis, posted last week in his Substack Graphs About Religion, is in pursuit of what it means to be "religious." 

Responding to the News

Related to what it means to be religious, a few years ago, Canon Andrew Gerns, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Easton, Pennsylvania, shared his list of 20 religious resolutions for the new year. Read his list and consider which ones you might want to adopt for yourself. You might also want to identify any that you think should not be on this list, and explain to yourself why.

1. I will allow my religion to change me.

1. 1. How has your religion changed you, or has it?
   2. Have you seen religion change other people?
   3. Does religion change us, or does God change us?
   4. What is a Bible verse that relates to religion (or God) changing us?

1. I will resist telling other people how to change.

1. 1. Have you ever told someone how they should change in their religious practices?
   2. How do you think people like to be told how they should change?
   3. Has anyone ever told you how you should change in regards to your religion?
   4. Why do we think we know a better way?
   5. What Bible verse relates to “minding our own business” (religiously)
      
      

1. I will seek to make my religion a channel for gratitude and appreciation.?

1. How does religion make us more appreciative and thankful?  Or, does it?
2. What Bible verse helps us be thankful and appreciative?
3. If someone has done something nice for you, and you believe that they have done that because they wanted to (not because they were forced to), does that heighten your sense of gratitude toward that person and what they have done?
4. Someone has said “ Gratitude helps us see God. Gratitude opens our spiritual eyes. There’s a beautiful cycle in giving God thanks: the more we thank Him, the more we see Him working in us and around us. Gratitude helps us sense God’s presence, His personal care and His perfect timing. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.”  Do you think the more gratitude we have, the more thankful we become?

 

1. I will avoid using my religion as a channel for my anger.

1. Have you ever used your religion as a channel for your anger?
2. Did Jesus ever get angry for religious reasons?
3. Think about “In your anger do not sin”[d]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,  and do not give the devil a foothold. “ What do you think is behind our anger?  (the motives of our heart being wrong)
   
   

1. I will expect my faith to challenge me to live ethically.

1. How can our faith help us to live ethically?  What can our church (or any church) do to encourage us to live ethically?
2. What responsibility do we have as individuals to encourage others to live ethically?
   
   

1. I will give up needing to be certain about everything.

1. Why do we have this big urge to always be right?
2. Why is our way always the right way?
3. How easy (or hard) is it to live with uncertainty?
4. See Matthew 24, and II Timothy 3
   
   

1. I will allow my religion to both care for and challenge my insecurities.

1. What are your insecurities (you may want to keep these to yourself?)
2. What does it mean to “care for” an insecurity?
3. How does your religion challenge you to address your insecurities?
   
   

1. I will pay attention when my culture and faith are in conflict.

1. What is an example of our culture and our faith being in conflict?
   b.  Why do you think this question was phrased as “pay attention”?  What does that mean?
   
   

1. I will be wary of leaders who use religion to sow hatred, fear or division.
   a) Have you ever seen a religious/political/business
       leader sow hatred, fear, or division?
   
   10. I will allow my religion to temper my passion with humility.
   a. How important is humility in all that we do?
   b. Are there times when we should not be humble? 
       When is humility a bad thing?
   c. What does the Bible say about humility?
   
   

11.I will work for something good even when it is easier to be against something bad.
a. What are some examples of things where we could work for good, but we would rather do something to hurt (like cast blame on others, criticize others, try to punish others, etc.)

12.I will not allow my religion to become a fad or a trend.
a. Have you ever seen religion become a fad, a trend, or something that becomes popular, then unpopular?  If so, what were the circumstances of that?
b. How does our culture influence religious fads?

13.I will allow my religion to keep pace with my maturity.
a) Do we ever feel like our faith is not as mature as we have become?  In other words, can we out-grow our faith?  If so, how do you think this can happen?

14.I will remember that my religion is for the benefit of the people and world around me.
a) Where in the Bible are we commanded to do this?
b) Can I help others and help myself at the same time?

15. I will avoid holding on too tightly to my religion as a personal possession.
    a. What does this mean?
    b. What is an example of how we might hold onto our religion too tightly?
    
    
16. I will give up punishment and shame as a tool for religious persuasion.
    a. How many people do you think you can persuade to you religious point of view by using punishment or shame?
    b.  What other (negative) methods might we use to persuade people to our religious point of view?
    c. What other (positive) methods might we use to persuade people to our religious point of view?
    d.  See point #2.  Contradictory?
    
    

17.When I fail, I will expect my religion to challenge me to be responsible.
a. For many of us, what is ouir first inclination to do when we fail at something?
b.  How hard is it to accept responsibility for our failures?

18.I will not let the fact that I am an imperfect practitioner of my religion deter me from living my faith.
a. What does it mean to live our faith?
b. What does the Bible say about failure?
c. Who determines whether we have failed, or not?

19.I will not let the imperfection of other people's faith deter me from having faith.
a.  Why is it that others peoples imperfect faith is more obvious than our own.  For example, how often is the term “hypocrite” used to describe someone else and their faith?

20.I will accept beauty, fun, spontaneity and companionship as signs of God at work.
a. Can having fun be considered God’s work?
b. What kind of fun is godly fun?
c. What does the Bible say about having fun?
d. Does “rejoice in the Lord” mean to have fun?

Prayer

O God, help all the peoples of our world, in whatever religion they hold, to pursue the highest ideals of their faith and not to use religion as a justification for unholy acts. Heal our world, we pray, and help us to never tire in seeking to do the right thing. In Jesus' name. Amen.