True Religion

The most dangerous thing in the world is religion. In Ireland you can kill a Catholic for Jesus. In the Middle East you can bomb a church in the name of God. In India you can worship a cow, while a child dies of starvation. In the Sudan you can create a slave for Allah. In America you can kill a baby, blaspheme in the name of freedom, or hate a homosexual in the name of Christ.

Peter Berger has said that the Swedes are the most atheistic unreligious people in the world. And in India we find the most religions of all nations. He said, "In America we are a nation ruled by Swedes and we're a bunch of Indians. The problem is that the Swedes bow in the name of God as a mantra to get votes."

The prayer of the little boy makes the point. "Lord can you make all the bad people good and could you please make all the good people nice?"

It's very hard to be right and nice at the same time. That's why I pray that you be wrong --a lot. It's very hard to be righteous and real at the same time. That's why I pray you see your sin and any righteousness you have you will be unaware of it. It's very hard to be successful and godly at the same time. That's why I sometimes pray that you fail -- a lot. 

Garrison Keillor tells about a man in Lake Woebegon who was a drunk. Everybody liked him OK. He was a nice drunk and he went to AA. When he got sober they found out he was a jerk. And there was no 12-step program for jerks.

It's very hard to be known as a Christian at work, or in the pulpit, the classroom, and at a church meeting, and be poor in spirit at the same time. That's why I pray that you sometimes make a fool of yourselves -- a lot. It's more dangerous to be right than to be wrong because the downside of truth is truth's perversion. 

There is an observable and inverse correlation between true religion and necessary repentance.

But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. -- Matthew 23: 11-12

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Copyright 2002 Key Life Network. Today's Daily Wisdom is from Steve Brown. His Bible teaching is heard daily on hundreds of radio stations through the Key Life Network. For the frequency of a station near you go to www.keylife.org

Today's Daily Wisdom post was edited by Keith Todd, moderator of theSermon Fodder list which offers Christian humor and modern day parables forenjoyment and for use as sermon illustration material. To subscribe go to http://www.sermonfodder.com or drop an email note to Sermon_Fodder-subscribe@yahoogroups.com