Do you have to be religious to follow Jesus?

I have been told, when I was younger, that the definition of Christian is "Christ-in", so I've always believed that anyone who has Jesus in their hearts is a Christian. Such a simplistic definition does allow for a wide range of people to be called "Christian". Through the church, we have been bombarded with religious images of Christ and other events in biblical history, and sometimes our own biblical studies, analysis and conclusions are marred by a preacher's rigid interpretation. The word "Christian" is now completely associated with this certain religion, and a certain set of viewpoints and affiliations. This presents a problem to me when someone asks me if I am a Christian, or what religion I am. The problem that I find in calling myself Christian is that the religion that the word currently associates with contrasts many of the things I believe about God, and Jesus Christ. For instance, I do not believe that The Bible is the "word of God", but I do believe the writings that we have available to us do hold many truths, and were inspired by the presence of God (I've already been over this in my other blog post). I do believe that religion itself does serve some spiritual purpose. But religion is something man made, and so it is imperfect and corruptible. Both the religion and its religious writings been manipulated to make money, control people and gain power. So in an effort not to be associated with the negative connotations of the word "Christian", I sometimes just call myself a "follower of Christ".

What would a person see in The Bible if one was to read it without any outside interpretation?! What if a person had only read the words of Jesus? Would he then be free of associating the Christ with a God in the Bible that is said to have killed, burned and banished people from their homelands on this earth? For a person who seeks Jesus by reading through scripture, praying and implementing the teachings of Jesus in his life, has that person joined a religion? No, this person has become a Christian in the purest sense of the word, and has received Jesus into his heart.

I remember a book now called "How To Be A Christian Without Being Religious" that I was introduced to in high school. I haven't read all of it, but the title alone said it all to me at the time. I like the book's description on Amazon too...

Since the days of the Early Church, Christians have struggled to find a way to be 'good'-to please God by their own efforts. They end up carrying a burden God never intended them to bear. And what's more, their brand of Christianity ends up looking like any other religion of the world-bound by joyless rules and rituals. Fritz Ridenour's study of the book of Romans provides an antidote to the pharisaical spirit and shows that Christianity is not a religion but a relationship. It is not man reaching up, but God reaching down. Every Christian can enjoy his or her birthright when they realize who they are in Christ. The result is a life full of hope, joy, power and potential.

My favorite line from this description is "Christianity is not a religion but a relationship". I feel that it is important to see that Jesus transcends religion, and that Jesus is not owned by Christians or any other religion. It is not required of a person to do all of the things that the church seeks of its members to have a relationship with him. Certainly a good fellowship can guide you to Jesus and along a path that increases the strength of your faith. But all too often, whether trying to help or not, religious leaders and common teachings become obstacles for a true understanding that comes from searching within. I have studied many different religions and philosophies. But my own personal journey led me away from religion, and back to Jesus. Actually Jesus never left me, and really that is why I still believe in him now.

So back to the original question. Do you have to be religious to follow Jesus? NO! In fact, I'd go as far as to say you can be a Christian without being religious. I do think a person can find a great fellowship to be a part of, can gain spiritual understanding through The Bible and live the life of a Christian with or without the Christian religion. But I do think that the fundamentalism of the current state of the religion "Christianity" has brought about an industry, this religion, that encourages actions that opposite of the teachings of Christ. So I think it is important for Christians to examine what they have been taught, weigh for themselves the truths presented to them, and to not be afraid to discard certain parts of the 'religion' that do not fit into your search for God, and do not represent the views of Christ.