Personal Relationships with Who?

You know when I discuss religion with people and before you even say it I know you are thinking "oh Jesus he isn't gonna talk about religion again is he" and it is of course followed with "oh Jesus I am sorry for taking your name in vain" but when I bring it up one of the biggest points of contention I get is me calling Christianity a "religion" they prefer to call it a relationship with god. Its almost as if they are saying hey what Muslims worship is a religion but what we do man that's just something special. It really just makes me think about the concept of personal relationships, hell the way Christians would have you believe going to church is really just a more spiritual form of couples therapy.

Yeah I just don't think the Good Lord listens that well

The thing that gets me all the time is really the idea of saying you have a personal relationship with someone you never met. And before you bitch at me for say that you may have not have met God but you have felt him, guess what? It doesn't count. You know why because you can really only form interpersonal relationships with people you have had contact with. Clasping your hands together and talking to the sky doesn't count. Furthermore you really need to have a conversation with the person you are claiming you have this great relationship with.

Let me ask you this my superstitious friend, how many times has god called you in the last week? How many times has he sent an e-mail to you? Has he sent you any Christmas time family photos with a family newsletter? If you answered yes to any of these then please I have a excellent therapist you have to call now. Really though relationships are built through mutual understanding and through working out differences and forming bonds through things you share in common. I have a relationship with my girlfriend built through an almost year of being together. I have a relationship with fellow bloggers David Hollingsworth and David Zafra due to years of mutual interest. Also helps that I can see them and know that they are real.

At the end of the day really when you say that you have a personal relationship with god you are trying to push away the label of religion. You want what you believe to be so much more then a system of beliefs but really its no different then when I say I have a personal relationship with Batman.

Batman on his way to my house

Its nice to say and its a nice concept to think about but really what we are doing is making ourselves feel better about our beliefs making them bigger then they should be. It goes with out saying that its hard to have a personal relationship with someone that can't be bothered to show up when you really need it. Unless of course you got money then he always seems to be on line one.