As of late, I've been reading A.W. Tozer. There are several short sermon/chapters - so poignant and relative. The one I read today was about organized religion.
One of my biggest peeves in the world is the "I don't believe in organized religion" statement. Don't get me wrong ... I understand where it comes from. Much horror has been committed in the name of religion. In fact, the ones in my life who have caused me the most harm and had the worst intentions for me were very "religious" people. But shunning all organized religion in response to crimes against humanity performed under the flag of religion is a dangerous overreaction.
Nevermind Red Cross and over 95% of all worldwide poverty relief. Forget the clear historical roots of women's liberation and the anti-slavery movement. Forget the very foundation of the United States of America. Let's just blame all our ailments on "organized" religion. Murder, war, discrimination ... what do they all have in common? Religion of course! NO!!! What do they truly have in common? HUMANS!
People will use whatever excuse they can find and will fly whatever banner they need to in order to steal, kill, claim, and destroy. Doing away with organized religion will NEVER do away with our global, national, and community ailments (* please see history: Soviet Union, China, and every other state that banned organized religions). You think the U.S. is bad? Please note the violence, rape, murder, degrading women and children, sex trafficking, and government corruption of atheist countries. Removing organized religion only removes a key adversary of ORGANIZED human corruption.
Anyways (post rant), Tozer has a way of dissecting issues and bringing them in plain sight:
"A certain amount of organization is necessary everywhere throughout the created universe and in all human society. Life requires organization. Life ... cannot exist as a thing in itself independent of any organized body. Where there is body and form there is organization. When, for any cause, the parts become disorganized life departs and the man dies.
"The man who would oppose all organization in the church must be ignorant of the facts of life. Art is organized beauty; music is organized sound; philosophy is organized thought; science is organized knowledge; government is merely society organized. And what is the true church of Christ but organized mystery?
"Without substance, form and order this divine life would have no dwelling place, and no way to express itself to the community."
