Are You Religious?

Recently Fox News reported the results of a survey, "More Americans Say They Have No Religion." Since a religion is a system of values that give human beings meaning, purpose and direction for their lives, what does it mean for a person to say they have no religion. Is it possible to have no religion? It takes a system of values of some kind to make a judgment that one has no religion. It may mean that the one answering the survey is saying, "I no longer practice the moral standards of my traditional religion," or it may mean "I am not active in any type of religious institution, such as a United Methodist Church, or the Roman Catholic Church, or a fellowship of believers in practicing a special activity that gives meaning and purpose for my life."

If you no longer consider yourself religious, how can you get some insight into what your new religion is? Begin by making a list of the following: List the activities you practice daily or weekly. Rate these activities on a one to ten basis; first as to how much time each requires; secondly based on which ones, in a crisis, you would definitely keep.

Then make a list of the different ways you spend your money. Then circle the items that you would definitely not give up if your income was suddenly cut in half. Write a brief paragraph as to what these exercises reveal about what is most important. Then make a list of persons you spend most of your time with. List some of the values of each of these persons, and underline the values of each you consider most attractive. Make a "to do" list. If your doctor told you that you have less than a year to live, what would be on your list? Circle the activities you consider most important and make a note by each, stating why you have circled each.

Another test I would ask you to do is to open the Bible to Exodus 20 and make a copy of the Ten Commandments. Then rate each one of these commandments on a one to ten scale, with number one meaning "definitely not important to me" and number ten meaning "very important to me." Then write a brief paragraph about what your ratings of the commandments reveal about you. The final test I would ask you to make is to go and buy a paperback New Testament. Then open your new Bible to the Gospel of John. Read one chapter a day, and use a yellow highlighter to mark each verse or saying that is something with which you totally agree. In other words, do not focus on the sayings that you disagree with or that are questionable to you. Focus only on the teachings, that from your own experience, you have no problem saying, "This is true!" Then conclude this exercise by asking a person, for whom you have great respect, to sit down with you, looking at your Bible and discussing with you verses you have highlighted. After the conversation with your friend, take the copy of your highlighted Bible and use it to write a letter to God which you will keep in your Bible as a future faith builder.