Sometimes it seems like religion gets a really bad rap. Whether it’s the intensifying persecution Christians face in places like North Korea, Somalia, Eritrea, and Nigeria, the spike in antisemitic incidents around the world, or even the rising hostility toward the American church.
But maybe the real issue isn’t religion itself. Maybe the problem is that many of us have forgotten what religion actually is—and how different it is from faith.
My sense is that we tend to take the word religion and define it only by its most common meaning…
religion | rəˈlij(ə)n | n. – the belief in and worship of a superhuman power or powers, especially a God or gods.
But embedded in almost every definition of the word is another meaning — and arguably one that is just as accurate, if not more relevant…
religion | rəˈlij(ə)n | n. – a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance.
In other words, to be religious about something is to treat it as ultimate — to give it our attention, our loyalty, our energy. It’s something we return to again and again. Something that organizes our lives. I can be religious about my exercise routine or about eating my vegetables.
So the real question becomes: what are the things to which we ascribe supreme importance. For example (and certainly not an exhaustive list)…
Our politics…
For some, political ideology or national identity becomes the highest good—something worth defending at all costs. Loyalty to ideas like Liberalism, Nationalism, or Socialism can shape a person’s entire worldview and sense of purpose.
Our wealth, status, or economic success…
Money, career advancement, or financial security can easily become the central pursuit that structures someone’s life. Success and accumulation become the measures by which everything else is judged. I mean zero judgment here—I simply wonder what the relationships are like for someone whose religion is economic status.
Social causes…
People often devote enormous emotional energy and moral conviction to movements, organizations, or causes they see as ultimate priorities. That can be admirable. The challenge comes when the pursuit becomes so religious—so narrow—that it becomes impossible to see any good in another perspective.
Knowledge or intellectual authority…
For some, the pursuit of knowledge or the authority of expert consensus becomes the highest guiding principle—something trusted to explain reality and determine what is true. I understand the impulse; a zealous pursuit of knowledge can have great benefits. But it’s also clear there are some things we simply cannot know without divine revelation.
Pleasure…
Modern culture often elevates personal happiness or self-expression as the ultimate goal of life. What makes us happy? Just because something makes us happy doesn’t necessarily make us good. Sometimes religion can actually get in the way.
And lastly, for this non-exhaustive list…
Community and belonging…
In some cases, loyalty to a group—whether cultural, national, or even recreational—can become the central organizing commitment in a person’s life. It can at times cause us to lose sight of other things that are equally worthy.
Most of us organize our lives around something we consider ultimate. So the real question isn’t whether we’re religious. The real question is what our religion actually is.
Religion and faith simply aren’t the same thing.
Respectfully…
AR