Faith and Religion

It has been stated that 'religion' is man's creation to support his deeper feelings of 'faith.' Of course, the 'faith' I reference is that personal conviction of a God who created and designed a universe and everything in it. Christians believe that God sent His son, Jesus-Christ to die for our sins, which provides a pathway to our eternal life should we acknowledge Christ as our Savior. Faith is that simple. Religion is not so simple. If religion was simple we'd have but one religion. Since man cannot agree on how we should interpret and live our faith, he must subscribe to a doctrine that offers guidelines and since man cannot agree on many things we note the emergence of many religious doctrines and even see some religions that claim they are not religions but 'non- denominational.' Man tends to find  a 'doctrine,' which fits his own perceptions and views on life.

Most often, I find people, as myself, who grew up in a religion's doctrine and stuck with it. That religious doctrine was instilled in me and I thus felt comfortable. In other circumstances, I note a gravitation to a religious doctrine resulting from inter-religion marriages or social issues, which  enter the Church for debate. It is this latter point that in many ways has contaminated religion...note, I said it contaminated religion not faith. It is my humble opinion that when we invite politics into our churches we run the risk of corrupting that religion. Corruption occurs because social issue debates requires picking  sides and picking sides begs a judgement. Political party's placate religions as the  manipulate certain social beliefs known to be hot button church issues all for the purpose of being  elected to office. Oh, I well know the next comment from my Church brothers and sisters, 'follow biblical scripture and you will be on the side of righteousness.' If that's the case, why then do we have so many different religions? Could it be there arises conflict of biblical scripture interpretation? I think so! And that said, the one scripture passage I've never found is the one where Christ charges His followers to judge one-another until he returns. Since I am a sinner, I want sinners sitting next to me in church...not pure Holy people because those are ghosts and ghosts frighten me.

Regarding 'faith,' religion and a church, I often wonder if a simple Chapel could do?
(Touch)
The Chapel