Monday, September 19, 2016

Five Stages of Religious Violence - Greg Albrecht


"It all begins with the religious delusion to which humans so easily fall for: the glorification of human performance."

Stage One — Acceptance:

Acceptance of the belief that keeping rules, regulations and rituals determines our standing before God is the first stage that actually lays the groundwork for religious violence. Within Christendom, Christ-less religion is the belief that our performance of prescribed rules and rituals is the only way to please or appease God, and that our standing with God is dependent upon the quality of our performance. The idea that what we do enhances or improves our standing with God, so that he will love us more because of our performance (more than he would have had we not put forth the effort) is the un-grace of religion. This “philosophy” by definition involves no grace, no relationship, and therefore no Jesus. This “philosophy” is religion—rules and performance. Performance-based religion itself is the foundation that can lead to violence and bloodshed.

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