In Defense of Organized Religion

I lived in Oregon for a time and attended Portland State University (go Viks!) where from time to time I found myself in conversations about religion where I, as a practicing Christian and member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was in the minority.  Most people were open minded about individual choice as far as spirituality and belief systems, but even so, I encountered a great number of people who considered themselves spiritual but professed a disgust for "organized religion" (I add the quotation marks to indicate the somewhat sneering tone used by these folks).  They described the spiritual feelings they experienced in nature as far superior to any provided by going to a church meeting.

On one level, I had to agree.  I have spent many blissful days camping, backpacking, hiking, kayaking, swimming, etc. I have appreciated the experience of a strenuous hike to the top of a mountain where the views took my breath away. The expanse of forest and river laid far below and the dome of sky arching overhead, as Shakespeare would say "fretted with golden fire," infused my whole being with grateful admiration for God's creations and  power.  I consider these experiences some of the most spiritual of my life. Yet this has never been able to replace my Sunday church attendance, but I could not explain why in any way that convinced my anti-organized religion friends.

When I explained that I needed to participate in the ordinance of the Sacrament, also called Communion in Catholicism, this held no weight because my friends did not acknowledge the efficacy of religious rituals. When I reasoned that meeting with others of the same faith could comfort and strengthen, they wanted to know how that was different than like-minded individuals getting together for lunch or a camping trip. The excuse that it provided a means to study doctrine left them wondering why I couldn't substitute personal scripture study and prayer at home. The explanation that church could teach a valuable set of morals ignited a firestorm of opinion that Christians were hypocritical and judgmental and that such teaching amounted to brainwashing. I hate to be caught in conversation without explanation or answer, but I let it go for another day.

I was reading the New Testament some time later when I had an epiphany.  I was reading Matthew, chapter 7, which is the conclusion of Christ's Sermon on the Mount.  Verse 21 reads "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven:  but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven."  Jesus continues in verse 24:  "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock."  These verses reminded me of a similar charge, in the second chapter of James, verses 14 and 17:  "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?. . .Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." The key doctrine in these Biblical passages is that the gospel of salvation, the gospel of Jesus Christ, requires ACTION!

In my mind, I realized that the purpose of organized religion is not in getting people together so that they feel superior to everyone else (although sadly this can happen) or even in providing rich spiritual experiences and feelings (although gladly this can happen).  The primary purpose of the organization of religion, in this case Christianity, is to provide a structure for ACTION.  We begin by acting on our faith by participating in the Sacrament or Communion to remind us of Christ's sacrifice and our dependence on Him.  The remainder of our time is spent on reviewing the doctrines of the gospel, enjoying the company of other believers, and exhorting to good works. All of these things support and provide motivation for us to spend the other 6 days of the week actually living the gospel of Jesus Christ by doing good.

A perfect example of the beauty of organized religion is the last 6 months of my life. At the end of December I was diagnosed with cancer and lost the ability to walk.  Who would care for my family?  Who would clean the home or cook the meals?  Who would do the shopping?  Who would care for me, bedridden as I was? My husband, who works over 40 hours a week every week, could handle some of these responsibilities, but not all.  My extended family could also pitch in, but even then the workload was overwhelming in addition to their own families.  Who stepped in to provide meals, cleaning, groceries, and even financial assistance?  My church congregation.  Who got the word out to the surrounding community to organize fundraisers and other charitable events to help my family?  Members of my church congregation.  Who bore the expense of providing a wig and donating their own hair to create the wig?  Members of my church congregation.

But what if I hadn't been a member of my church, part of that organization?  You may be thinking, "well, you'd probably be on your own!"  You would be wrong.  My church congregation came to my aid because I needed them and, secondarily, because they knew and loved me.  But they would have done the same thing even had I not been a member of their church.  In fact, I have watched these same people provide assistance to individuals and families in the community, other churches, local charity organizations, and international charity groups.  When need arises, these people, already organized within their religion to act, can act swiftly and compassionately to help.

Again, some may argue that we can do this kind of thing individually, but that is not the case.  The concept of "many hands make light work" does not only describe sharing a burden but being able to get more done, on a larger scale, for more people.  Another good example would be a church group getting together to build a house for someone in poverty.  The recipient gets a warm and safe place to live in a matter of days in this scenario, but if waiting for an individual to build it, would be waiting for months. I have been lucky to have organized and/or participated in many such church groups to provide desperately needed aid.  Organized congregations also get the word out, make efficient connections between needy individuals and those who can help, broadcast opportunities for service, and keep up with long-term assistance.  In short, the organized group can do more and do it faster - they can help individuals obey Christ's commandment to act, to do good.

So I'll keep enjoying the sublime feelings I get from nature.  I'll keep going to lunch with like-minded friends. I'll keep going camping with my family.  I'll keep reading my scriptures and engaging in fervent prayer at home.  I'll keep partaking of the saving ordinances of religion on an individual level.  In short, I'll keep doing all the things that enrich my spiritual life, but I will also keep attending church each and every Sunday so that ACTION can become the hallmark of my devotion to Christ.