Pure Religion

Every religion claims, "We are the true religion". When you talk to anyone of them, they would attack this and that religion. If you go to this religion, they would say with confidence that they're the ones who will be saved in the end of times. If you go to that religion they would bitterly speak against others belief.  If you go to the other, you would hear clamorous and gossipy stories against personalities in different sects.

James 1:26-27 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceive his heart, his religion is vain. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphan and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

But at the end of the day, religion has nothing to do with our character but it's our character that will give justice and define our religion.

What's really the true religion? Whatever denomination we are in would be better without any claim as the right religion. Why? Because when we try to visit each own backyards, everyone is aware that each religion has its own version of immorality, indecency, disrespect, lies which defile religiosity. This means that the religion cannot force anyone to be holy because it's always a personal decision to be pure. Yes, religion is very much essential because it's the one that guides us the importance of love, law and justice which is substantial towards benevolence, but should not be the source of strife, conflict, and division. 

Matthew 12:33-37 Either declare the tree good and its fruit is good, or declare the tree rotten and its fruit is rotten, for a tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you say good things when you are evil? For from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. A good person brings forth good out of a store of goodness, but an evil person brings forth evil out of a store of evil. I tell you, on the Day of Judgment people will render an account for every careless word they speak. By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.

No one can ever say that, “I'm in a pure religion" if he could not respect each one's individuality and imperfection. No one can ever claim he's in a perfect religion if he could not spare his time, treasures and talents for the benefit of others who are in need. Nobody could ever say, "I'm in a good religion" if he is pretentious and make lies when needed. No one can defend he's in a true religion if he is choosy on loving his neighbor. Anyone cannot claim, “I'm on the right religion" when he's impatient on the gradual reforms and stubbornness of his neighbor. No one could claim "I'm in a pure religion" if he/she uses the Bible to put his/her neighbor in shame and in dispute.

2 Timothy 13:16-17 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 2:14-17 Remind people of these things and charge them before God to stop disputing about words. This serves no useful purpose since it harms those who listen. Be eager to present yourself as acceptable to God, a workman who causes no disgrace, imparting the word of truth w/o deviation. Avoid profane, idle talk, for such people will become more & more godless, and their teaching will spread like gangrene.

Pure religion speaks about love whose concerns are for the common good believing love, hope, justice and charity as prime values. Pure religion is not about emotion which destroys relationship but about heart, mind and soul which has compassion to understand, accept and correct imperfection not through the harshness of the tongue but through the gentleness of the heart. True religion speaks about unified forces that harmonize people towards creativity and dependability which build up the strong foundation of the community. Pure religion is simply all about perfection and holiness.

2 Timothy 9:10 He saves us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made manifest through the appearance of our Savior Christ Jesus Who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.

Matthew 5:48 So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

2 Timothy 2:23-26 So turn form youthful desires and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along wiht those who call on the Lord with purity of heart. Avoid foolish and ignorant debates. A slave of the Lord should not quarrel, but should be gentle with everyone, able to teach, tolerant, correcting opponents with kindness. It may be that God will grant them repentance that leads to knowledge of the truth, and that they may return to their senses out of the devil's snare, where they are entrapped by him, for his will.

All men are bound to seek the truth, especially in what concerns God and his Church, and to embrace it and hold on to it as they come to know it."This duty derives from "the very dignity of the human person." It does not contradict a "sincere respect" for different religions which frequently "reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men," nor the requirement of charity, which urges Christians "to treat with love, prudence and patience those who are in error or ignorance with regard to the faith."

The duty of offering God genuine worship concerns man both individually and socially. This is "the traditional Catholic teaching on the moral duty of individuals and societies toward the true religion and the one Church of Christ."By constantly evangelizing men, the Church works toward enabling them "to infuse the Christian spirit into the mentality and mores, laws and structures of the communities in which they live." The social duty of Christians is to respect and awaken in each man the love of the true and the good. It requires them to make known the worship of the one true religion which subsists in the Catholic and apostolic Church. Christians are called to be the light of the world. Thus, the Church shows forth the kingship of Christ over all creation and in particular over human societies.

"Nobody may be forced to act against his convictions, nor is anyone to be restrained from acting in accordance with his conscience in religious matters in private or in public, alone or in association with others, within due limits."This right is based on the very nature of the human person, whose dignity enables him freely to assent to the divine truth which transcends the temporal order. For this reason it "continues to exist even in those who do not live up to their obligation of seeking the truth and adhering to it."

"If because of the circumstances of a particular people special civil recognition is given to one religious community in the constitutional organization of a state, the right of all citizens and religious communities to religious freedom must be recognized and respected as well."

The right to religious liberty is neither a moral license to adhere to error, nor a supposed right to error, but rather a natural right of the human person to civil liberty, i.e., immunity, within just limits, from external constraint in religious matters by political authorities. This natural right ought to be acknowledged in the juridical order of society in such a way that it constitutes a civil right.

Our moral life has its source in faith in God who reveals his love to us. St. Paul speaks of the "obedience of faith" as our first obligation. He shows that "ignorance of God" is the principle and explanation of all moral deviations. Our duty toward God is to believe in him and to bear witness to him.

Romans 1:5 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh, but established as Son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles.

Romans 16:26 But now manifested through the prophetic writings and, according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith

The first commandment requires us to nourish and protect our faith with prudence and vigilance, and to reject everything that is opposed to it. There are various ways of sinning against faith: 

When God reveals Himself and calls him, man cannot fully respond to the divine love by his own powers. He must hope that God will give him the capacity to love Him in return and to act in conformity with the commandments of charity. Hope is the confident expectation of divine blessing and the beatific vision of God; it is also the fear of offending God's love and of incurring punishment.

The first commandment is also concerned with sins against hope, namely, despair and presumption:

By despair, man ceases to hope for his personal salvation from God, for help in attaining it or for the forgiveness of his sins. Despair is contrary to God's goodness, to his justice - for the Lord is faithful to his promises - and to his mercy.

There are two kinds of presumption. Either man presumes upon his own capacities (hoping to be able to save himself without help from on high), or he presumes upon God's almighty power or his mercy (hoping to obtain his forgiveness without conversion and glory without merit).

Faith in God's love encompasses the call and the obligation to respond with sincere love to divine charity. The first commandment enjoins us to love God above everything and all creatures for him and because of him.

One can sin against God's love in various ways:

- indifference neglects or refuses to reflect on divine charity; it fails to consider its prevenient goodness and denies its power.

- ingratitude fails or refuses to acknowledge divine charity and to return him love for love.

- lukewarmness is hesitation or negligence in responding to divine love; it can imply refusal to give oneself over to the prompting of charity.

- acedia or spiritual sloth goes so far as to refuse the joy that comes from God and to be repelled by divine goodness.

- hatred of God comes from pride. It is contrary to love of God, whose goodness it denies, and whom it presumes to curse as the one who forbids sins and inflicts punishments.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.