Jesus vs. Religion?

[hardblue]

A Christian rap video by Jefferson Bethke, "Jesus > Religion", has been enjoying some Internet buzz.

Click to view

It is an affective message, but it only makes sense for Christians to come together to deepen their understanding and to be a stronger force in the community. It is a good point, though, that one's church is not the final word. Churches stray,

Comments

[amergina]

FYI, this video was posted before, but I chose to moderate this post through since we've had a lot of new folks and it's bound to come up again. I figure another round of discussion couldn't hurt.

Here are the links to the previous discussions, so that everyone can catch up:

The first posting of this video:
http://christianity.livejournal.com/4109635.html

Some responses:
http://christianity.livejournal.com/4113633.html

[hardblue]

That's actually very recent. I don't know how I missed it; I must have scrolled too fast. I can see letting it go.

[pastorlenny]

I find it silly. And the rhymes are whack.

[hardblue]

Well, I imagine it is harder to do this type of art when it comes to the sacred sublime. It's a more natural medium for drugs and sex and wasting people.

[pastorlenny]

I'm sure the problem has much more to do with being a poser. To wit:

[siberianfox]

I read the comments for when it was posted previously, and I think a lot of people are being harsh. I think it is a beautiful message. Who cares if you agree, or if it's about semantics? It's a beautifully said theological perspective, and I'm glad I heard it.

[hardblue]

Heh, there did seem to be a lot of defensiveness. It's not a learned tome, nor the final word, but it is a nice message that is well presented. I find it a little stirring, myself.

[log_junkie]

Don't know if anyone else posted this response video in the last round, but <3
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/badcatholic/2012/01/i-was-waiting-for-the-perfect-video.html

There was also this reply at Bad Catholic. Also <3

[siberianfox]

This is a good video, but I don't think he is directly refuting the first guy's point. I don't think that he was arguing against the existence of churches - he was simply arguing against institutionalized religion.

[log_junkie]

The priest meant big C Church, as in the institution of the Church, when he says "church", although rolled up in that is also the love of physical churches. He is arguing for institutionalized religion.

[hardblue]

Yes, I am inclined to take a key point of the Christian story to be the primacy of the relationship between the individual and the divine, and while churches may be significant institutions, they are really secondary to that.

[pastorlenny]

Except there is absolutely no scriptural basis for this belief.

[hardblue]

I wouldn't be a candidate to build the case, but I think a case could be made. Doesn't Jesus say that it is what you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth, along with ideas that prayer in private mean more than those made in public? And is not our Western heritage founded pridefully on its individualism, which itself is attributed to our Christianity, because of the idea that Christianity establishes the idea that the individual enjoys a personal relationship with God - direct and not through a church (or a state).

I wouldn't go so far as to try to argue that those who do not belong and strive in a church are better than those who do, but only that the church is not an essential mediator between us and God.