Relationship vs. Religion

I have never said "I have a relationship not a religion." However the attitudes behind that phrase and attitudes that I have had and seen in others are the same. Chris Munroe in an article at the Next Wave Ezine writes:

Many people claim that ‘their’ faith is Christian, when in fact, it is a syncretistic blend of Christianity plus their own personalized, self-authorized theology and ecclesiology. Many brag about having a personal relationship with Jesus, who is their ‘friend,’ their ‘bud,’ their ‘home boy.’ And that’s all good, right? Yet while repeatedly singing of their personal relationship with Jesus, they increasingly lose sight of the corporate and historical implications of their faith.

The Christian faith has spanned 2000 years and had millions of adherants. We can learn from the struggles of other Christians and gain from the wisdom that they learned.