In this talk I want to speak about the subject of religion in the following way.
Sometimes Christians will knock on doors and try to speak, about God, to the householder. They get many different reactions but one of the most common is this: "No thanks, I'm not religious". And then the person may add "And how do I know which one is true anyway?"
Well it is those two responses that I want to talk about this afternoon. A statement - "I'm not religious" - and a question "Which religion is true any way?"
So let's start with this word "religious". What does our doorstep householder mean when she says "I'm not religious?" Let me try to describe the main features of "begin religious" under four headings. Please note that I'm not trying to give a dictionary definition nor a comprehensive one. Rather I'm trying to describe some of the mains characteristics an ordinary person means by "being religious"
Firstly, I think it means a person who has a set of beliefs which explain where the world comes from and how the world operates. For one religious person that may mean belief in a god. For another it may mean believing in a world which constantly recycles itself. But whatever the idea, a religious person is someone who has some explanation for the world.
Secondly, a religious person is normally someone who draws these ideas from an authority figure or figures, whether alive or dead. There will be a prophet or a guru, and maybe a book, who is the source of their ideas.
Thirdly, a religious person normally has a set of moral guidelines which tell them how to behave. Those rules may differ greatly between people but there will be this set of rules for conduct in society.
Fourthly a religious person has their life shaped not only by beliefs but by a pattern of life which marks them out. They will have special activities such as worship or pilgrimages. They will also have day-to-day practices such as wearing particular clothes and jewellery, or eating particular foods.
So when somebody says "I'm not religious" then I think it is things like these four I've mentioned, which are in the mind of the person.
Now let's move on to ask this: how many of us are like this? On the basis of these characteristics, how many of us are religious?
Firstly, I said that a religious person is somebody who holds a set of beliefs which explain where the world comes from and how the world operates. But wherever you go, you discover that virtually all people like to have a set of beliefs in this area: telling stories about the source of the world and how the world works. So you can go deep into a jungle and find a little tribe of people, untouched by the outside world, and you will find that they have a story about the world. And you can go and visit a university professor and he will also tell you about how the world began, and how it works. These two views will be utterly different from one another. But the point is this: both people want to have some explanation.
Admittedly, not everyone needs it to be worked out in fine detail. But even those who claim to be less bothered, like to have something to believe. You can meet an ordinary person who may not have the faintest idea what the professor in his study thinks. But she'll tell you that we all came from a big bang.
But why are we all like this? Why can't we just be satisfied with the information that we need right now? Information like "Where is my food coming from? Where shall I live?" That's what the animals of our world are concerned with. Yet this is what we're like: we ask questions which don't bother our cats or dogs.
Secondly, I said that a religious person generally learns his or her beliefs from some authority figure. But, again, wherever you go you find that people are like this - they need their experts. In my imaginary tribe, there is a witchdoctor. In our society we have various experts - whether scientists or agony aunts – explaining life to us.
Human beings like their experts to tell them what to believe. And our experts like playing this role and it's amazing how aggressive or dismissive they can become, if anyone dares to suggest they might be wrong. They know they're right!
Some experts have more power than others; some experts are conmen. All I'm saying is this: human beings all over the world like having these authorities. We don't just go on intuition. We like to have others telling us what to think.
Thirdly, I spoke about the moral rules that shape a religious person. It's true in my jungle tribe and it's just as true in our society. Indeed in some ways we are obsessed with making rules about the behaviour of other people. "You can say this but you can't say that. You can do this but you can't do that."
Human beings are just like this. We aren't simply creatures of random behaviour. Nor are we creatures of pure selfish concern. We insist on having these moral guidelines which we feel we must abide by.
It is true amongst all types of people. As the saying goes: there is even honour amongst thieves. A gang of violent lads will have a set of rules amongst themselves. They may respect nobody else's rules, but amongst themselves, there are certain things you can do and certain things you can't do. This is the way that human beings are made.
Fourthly, I spoke about how a religious person is shaped by a pattern of life which marks them out: special activities; special clothes; special symbols and so on.
But aren't most people like this? Look at football fans. Look at teenagers. People like having a common lifestyle.
Sure, we don't all like each other's lifestyles. Often we are quite contemptuous of others. But you see my main point. Human beings are just made this way. We like to have something in common with others which marks us out; which makes us feel that we belong.
So, thus far, I've described characteristics of being religious and I've tried to show you that these are, in fact, just characteristics of being human. A religion is just something which tries to meet all these needs in a tidy scheme.
But why are we like this? Why aren't we creatures that just graze on our food, make our little homes, reproduce and then die. I want to give you the Bible's explanation.
Firstly, we are people who look for an explanation of the the world for this reason: it is because we were made to know the ultimate explanation for the world. We were made to know God, our creator. In the book of Genesis in chapter one, we have a description of God making the human race and he describes the process in these terms: Let us make man in our image. Mankind was designed to be like God and therefore to know God. As one preacher in the Bible says, What God has done he has done so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him
However, the Bible also explains that we have rejected our creator. We don't like him and we don't want him. But even so, we can't get this basic instinct out of our system. We know that there is something or rather someone who can explain everything. But since we won't have God to satisfy this instinct we've come up with countless numbers of our own explanations. That's the source of the religions of the world and all the other explanations we're given for the way things are. People want this longing inside of them satisfied. But true satisfaction only comes in knowing your creator.
Secondly, we are people who like to have experts telling us what to believe. Why is this? Because God made us to be people who would learn from him. God is personal. He's the speaking who has spoken through a book – the Bible and more spoken through a person – his Son, Jesus Christ. As one verse in the Bible says In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son
We have a longing for our experts because God has made us to learn from him. But in our rebellion we've replaced him with human experts. You see we can't get rid of the instinct inside. Still we need to have that expert voice but since we won't have God, we have any number of human alternatives to fill the gap.
Thirdly, we are people who like to have our moral guidelines. Why? It's because God made us to be like himself and he is a God who judges between things. He loves what is good and hates what is evil. As God says at one point in the Bible, Seek good, not evil, that you may live ... Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. God is moral and he has made us to be moral.
And we can't get rid of that instinct. Each of us has a conscience which tells us that there is right and wrong. We constantly judge other people and condemn those who are wrong. Now having rejected God we often do that according to our own made-up rules. We've become the source of our own moral guidelines and what a mess we've made as a result! But the instinct is there and we can't get rid of it.
Fourthly, I said that we are people who like to have a pattern to our lives which marks us out as belonging to some particular group. Why is that? Because we were designed as a single race, to be members of God's family. We were supposed to be his children. As one preacher says to a crowd, in the Bible: 'We are God's offspring.'
Now we have rejected being a part of God's family but the instinct he gave us remains. We want come together with others and have markers which show that we belong. So we've done that our own way but the result has been horrible. Our single race has broken up into smaller groups and then we've turned to hatred of other groups – whether because of nationality, skin colour, social status or whatever. The instinct has been distorted. But it is still there. We need to belong with others.
Why have I told you all this? Because I want you see that the Bible's analysis of us is true to life. It speaks about us as we are and then it provides answers which truly satisfy these deepest longings within us. Doesn't that show us where the truth lies? It lies in the real, satisfying, true-to-life answers which you find as you listen to the Bible.
So I'd say this. If you are searching for these instincts within you to be met, then don't chase around after man-made religions of every sort. Go to the Bible and especially go to Jesus Christ. And if you really listen then I believe you'll find something and someone who truly understands you and can meet these deepest needs.