The Spirit of Religion

Introduction

Writing this book has been a difficult endeavor.  It was birthed at an incredibly transitional, even pivotal time in God’s election for my life.  The topics I have chosen to address are very close to my heart and I have strong personal feelings attached to them.  As a result, when I began writing two years ago, many of the chapters initially came off like a strong reproof from God through one of his Old Testament prophets.  I recognized at that time that much of this book could be received negatively, especially if the reader did not understand where I, as the author, was coming from.  So although there is still a strong address of issues in this book, I felt God instructing me to go back and reword some things so that it is understood that these subjects are addressed from a loving perspective. 

With this in mind, I have also decided to release this book under two titles, “The Spirit of Religion” and “Love thy Neighbor…?  When a Spirit of Religion Opposes the Heart of God.”  The two have nearly identical content, but I felt that the titles and covers would appeal to different types of people and chose to release the book dual titled.  When I began writing this book initially, I felt that it would be directed and marketed mainly toward people who were not Christians and simply turned off by Christianity in general.  However, as the book matured I found that the content seemed to be as applicable, if not more, to Christians as to those who were not, if they were willing to apply it to their lives.  When I realized this, the book seemed to take a different turn than originally purposed. My desire for this book is that it would be easily applicable but not overly complicated for any one on any spiritual level. As a result, writing it was a very difficult process. 

Not too long ago, I was speaking with one of my Pastors about this very subject and writing this book.  She asked me, “What is your win?”  At first I was confused about what she was asking, so she rephrased the question by saying, “Define your win for writing this book…What do you want this book to accomplish when someone reads it?”  I have replayed this question over and over in my mind.  When I do, I resort back to an experience that I had during this writing process…

A few years ago, while hanging out in a tattoo shop, I got to know an artist named Vic.  Vic asked me what I did for a living and I explained to him that I was a cop and a minister.  Like most, Vic found this to be a bizarre combination and told me that I was not like any cop or minister that he had ever met. Vic began to speak openly about his life and experiences.Eventually, the conversation turned to religion.  Vic asked me many questions about God and explained to me that he believed in God but was ultimately turned off by “God’s people.”  He explained that he did not feel comfortable going to church or even pursuing Christianity because he felt that he would be judged instead of embraced by Christians.  I have probably met hundreds over the years who have relayed this same story to me.  Like Vic, they feel that something about them makes them an unacceptable candidate for Christianity.  It may be because of a negative experience in church or just that they do not feel that they are worthy of any relationship with God because of their past.  Whatever the reason, it is how they feel and as Christians, we should be concerned with what is keeping them from coming to know God.  When I explained to Vic that I was writing a book addressing many of the issues that we were discussing, he told me that he wanted to read it when it was completed.  His desire to read a book about these issues spoke volumes to me about the importance of this books message. 

Over the course of my life and nearly 15 years of ministry I have seen many, many, people hurt by those who call themselves “Christians.”  Some claim to be “saved” but do not display the nature of Christ, whom they say they love and follow.  I came to realize that this inconsistent lifestyle coupled with blatant judgment has produced a stench in the nostrils of those who remain unloved and unmoved by the Christian church and its followers.  The fact is that many people hate Christians for what we believe.  The problem with that is that not all that we “believe” is biblical.  This book addresses these issues directly and is intended to confront these inconsistencies from a loving and instructional perspective. 

For those reading this book who have been let down, hurt, discredited or discarded by a church or its followers…know th