by Doy Moyer

The question, "What is religion?" is meaningful because it gets to the heart of why people view the world as they do. Not only does everyone have a philosophy on religion, but everyone has a religion. Some insist that "religion" can only be applied to those who believe in God. However, "religion" is not confined only to those who believe in a transcendent deity. To go a step further, though not all people believe in God, everyone has a god.

Just because some deny that they are religious does not mean that they do not have a "religion"; just because some deny that they have a "god" does not mean that they do not have one. A naturalist will defend, with ardor and zeal, faith in the idea that macroevolution is true. To him, "man is the measure of all things." He denies religion and the concept of God, but then defends his position as if it were a religious faith with man as the ultimate being (god). All of the earmarks of "faith" and "religion" are there; they just don’t use the terms. "I don’t believe anything," said one man to me, "I just think certain things." He wanted to avoid the "religious" term (believe) and use the "natural" term (think). However, one would be hard-pressed, in this context, to show much of a difference in the use of the terms. Whether or not he wanted to call what he defended a "belief" or a "faith," these terms express exactly what he has.

In the primary sense, "religion" involves faith in a divine power that gives the adherents their own practices and beliefs. Christians believe that God has given His will so that we may do what He desires by faith (Rom. 10:17; 1 Cor. 2:10-13). In this way, we can practice "pure and undefiled religion before God" (Jas. 1:27). Here, though, let’s consider the secondary sense of "religion." In today’s society wherein there are so many different belief systems and practices, the secondary and newer usages of the term deserve more attention. This is because the idea of "religion," in the secondary sense, helps to account for why people believe and act as they do, even when they reject God. This understanding may help us to deal with others who insist that science is opposed to religion, or that religion is not for them. They already have some form of a religion; the question is, which "religion" is the right one?

Virtually every source I checked has, at least in a secondary sense, a definition of religion that involves an adherence to anything that elicits devotion, zeal and dedication. Webster’s unabridged dictionary has the definition: "any specific system of belief, worship, conduct, etc., often involving a code of ethics and a philosophy ... loosely, any system of beliefs, practices, ethical values, etc. resembling, suggestive of, or likened to such a system" (1527). In this "loose" sense, it is a cause for which one stands, a world view, outlook, and bias through which one sees all of life. This is pretty inclusive of everyone who thinks.

The problem with defining religion so that those without a personal "God" are eliminated, is that this introduces an entirely different debate about what is meant by "God." The Bible uses the term "god" to refer to things other than the personal God (Yahweh). For example, the Bible speaks of the "god of this age" (2 Cor. 4:4). It refers to some "whose god is their belly" (Phil. 3:19). A person’s "god" (little g) is whatever comes first in that one’s life. Since everyone has a world view and life philosophy that affects every avenue of that person’s life, then to this extent every person has a religious view. Even the first Humanist Manifesto defended what it called "religious humanism." The term is not present in the Humanist Manifesto II, apparently to avoid the connotations of the term "religion." Nevertheless, the defense of naturalism still takes on a "religious" form.

The Nature of Faith

Some have the mistaken idea that faith is opposed to reason and fact; that faith is "blind." Some define faith as "believing something in spite of the facts." This might describe the "faith" of some, but it is not a fair, valid, or complete understanding of faith. True faith is based upon evidence; it is not believing something in spite of the evidence (cf. Luke 1:1-4; John 20:30-31; Acts 1:2-4).

The basic idea of faith is trust. Biblically, when one accepts the evidence of God and submits to the Scriptures, then faith is demonstrated (Jas. 2:14ff). This does not mean that one can scientifically prove God’s existence, but it does mean that one is convinced that there is a God due to the available evidence. This is what we do in our justice system. We put faith in the evidence presented as to the guilt or innocence of one on trial. We put our faith in the jury, whom we trust will reach a just and reasonable verdict. None of this suggests that we have "faith" in these things even though there is evidence to the contrary. When one puts trust in some system of ideas and actions, then "faith" or "trust" is involved, whether or not God is a part of this system. When a person puts "trust" in a particular world view, then to this extent that person is exercising "faith."

The point is that whatever world view is chosen becomes the person’s faith and religion. This affects every aspect of life. A person makes life choices and puts all trust in the foundational questions of life: who are we, where did we come from, why are we here, and where are we going?

For the Christian, "faith" should be reasonable, not irrational. This does not mean that we can explain every facet of God and life. It does mean that we have solid reasons for believing and acting as we do. We should reject an anti-intellectual approach to faith. At the same time, the Christian tries not to rely completely upon human reasoning, for one does not want to reject a command of God simply because it does not make "sense" to a modern mind.

The Question of God

Humanists deny that there is a god, while most of those involved in traditional religions affirm the existence of God or a god. Even among theists, there is widespread disagreement over the nature of deity. Is there one God or many? Is God personal and transcendent, or is he tied to the world? These are points that Paul addressed to the Athenians (Acts 17), and we would do well to begin where Paul did when teaching others in this secular age: "God who made the world..."

Humanism has its own god, though it is not called "god." The Humanist Manifesto II argues that "humans are responsible for what we are or will become. No deity will save us; we must save ourselves." This claim is a "divine" claim, for it is a tacit assertion that man is the ultimate power and being. In the Bible, the devil told Adam and Eve not to be afraid to eat of the forbidden fruit, because "you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:5). This is the humanist message: "you can be your own god; you don’t need any deity telling you what to do. You are responsible for your own destiny. No god will save you; you must save yourself." Humanism is an old philosophy that deifies man. It is not an entirely non-religious philosophy.

Conclusion

All world views, including humanism, argue from basic assumptions about the nature of truth and reality. Again, this is why the idea of "religion" can be extended to non-theistic world views. Philosophies that seek to explain the meaning of life — where we came from, who we are, why we are here, and where we are going — are, in essence, religious views. Whatever paradigm one chooses to explain the meaning and purpose of life is this person’s religious world view. As Christians, we need to be teaching that only the true and living God gives the right answers to those basic questions of life.

There are two fundamental ideas that seem to be prevalent in the concept of religion:

1. Religion is a system of beliefs and practices (including worship) that are claimed by its adherents to have come from a supernatural source. This is the more traditional understanding of the term.

2. Religion is a world view and philosophy to which one clings with ardor and zeal. This is the definition that broadens the concept and application of religion.

The battle lines are being sharply drawn in this secular age. Christians need to pick up the Sword, God’s Word, and fight for what is true and righteous (Eph. 6:12, 17). We are in a serious battle for the mind, and if our minds are not ready for action (1 Pet. 1:13), we will be in eternal trouble.