Re: Tis the season
That's a different kind of religion. We are talking about religion by dictionary definition which is "a belief system".
Taking care of orphans and widows is not a "belief system" - James is talking about something else.
countmeworthy is correct that we do not convert to a belief system (aka a religion) but to a person Jesus Christ.
God hates religion because it substitutes the person Jesus Christ for a belief system.
A substitute for the true God is an idol, therefore the belief system of Christianity is an idol.
The festival occasions of that idol is also an idol - Christmas is an idol.
Consider how much the world and Christianity loves Christmas. There are denominations that rarely celebrate communion but would never dare to miss the Christmas celebration. It is a clear sign of degradation when the world and Christianity agree on something - that thing being Christmas. If the world which hates Jesus loves Christmas, that tells us something about the nature of the occasion.
As Spurgeon said "The Catholics and high Church Episcopalians may have their Christmas one day in 365, but we have a Christ gift the entire year.""
The world and Christianity reveres Christmas as one day of the year to remember Christ, because that is all the time they are willing to give Him. That is why churches of only 30 people swell to over 200 at Christmas, churches of 500 swell to over 2000. The only instruction the Bible gives us about remembering Christ is the regular Lord's Table meeting.
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