Faith, Religion, Church
My last post got a little (ok a lot) sidetracked in the comments about some nitty-gritty details of Christian interpretation, and there is one important distinction I want to make.
I believe there are significant differences between faith, a religion, and a church.
Faith has secular and religious connotations that are slightly different. A dictionary definition might be trust or confidence in a person or thing, or belief that is not based on proof, or even just a system of religious belief. From a Christian perspective it is a little more than that, it includes the idea of a secure belief in God, and a trusting acceptance of God's Will. For a Catholic (I don't know the nuances of all Christian denominations) it is also a gift of the Holy Spirit. In other words, you cannot derive "faith" intellectually. A person cannot examine the evidence, and "find" faith on their own. It is a gift from God that you receive or you don't.
A religion is a set of beliefs and practices. I suppose it can be considered a specific type of ideology, or maybe more akin to a culture.
A church is a community. I expect though that the idea of a religious building is what first pops to mind when people hear the word, I think the really signifiant definition though is it is a community of (presumably) the faithful.
When people debate the subject of religion, I think these three concepts are key to keep in mind, as they are very different and serve specific functions. I know a lot of people like the idea of being "spiritual" for example, but eschew (sometimes violently) the idea of "organized religion."
I bring this up because I will often admit that I have some concerns and issues on the state of the Catholic Church. However, I am loathe to just say "screw that" and just chart my own course with a Bible and my mind. That seems like an awful lot of hubris, for one. That I, alone, am going to discern the /actual/ truth that 2000 years of geniuses missed :-p. Also, and more importantly the Church is the community. The Body of Christ, the people of God connected spatially and temporally through Jesus. From that perspective I am also unconvinced that breaking from the community is warranted. Now, since any community is comprised of, well, people, and people are inherently flawed, then it stands to reason every community is likewise flawed.
I believe there are significant differences between faith, a religion, and a church.
Faith has secular and religious connotations that are slightly different. A dictionary definition might be trust or confidence in a person or thing, or belief that is not based on proof, or even just a system of religious belief. From a Christian perspective it is a little more than that, it includes the idea of a secure belief in God, and a trusting acceptance of God's Will. For a Catholic (I don't know the nuances of all Christian denominations) it is also a gift of the Holy Spirit. In other words, you cannot derive "faith" intellectually. A person cannot examine the evidence, and "find" faith on their own. It is a gift from God that you receive or you don't.
A religion is a set of beliefs and practices. I suppose it can be considered a specific type of ideology, or maybe more akin to a culture.
A church is a community. I expect though that the idea of a religious building is what first pops to mind when people hear the word, I think the really signifiant definition though is it is a community of (presumably) the faithful.
When people debate the subject of religion, I think these three concepts are key to keep in mind, as they are very different and serve specific functions. I know a lot of people like the idea of being "spiritual" for example, but eschew (sometimes violently) the idea of "organized religion."
I bring this up because I will often admit that I have some concerns and issues on the state of the Catholic Church. However, I am loathe to just say "screw that" and just chart my own course with a Bible and my mind. That seems like an awful lot of hubris, for one. That I, alone, am going to discern the /actual/ truth that 2000 years of geniuses missed :-p. Also, and more importantly the Church is the community. The Body of Christ, the people of God connected spatially and temporally through Jesus. From that perspective I am also unconvinced that breaking from the community is warranted. Now, since any community is comprised of, well, people, and people are inherently flawed, then it stands to reason every community is likewise flawed.