Imagine No Religion

Yesterday I was listening to “Imagine” by John Lennon. I love that song. But then I thought; What kind of bass-ack-wards religion has Christianity become, that lines like this were even written?

“Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky”

To me, this isn't a good thing. After all, as a Christian, I love the idea of heaven. If it weren’t for that line, this would be my favorite song. And I like the "no religion" part just fine, because religion makes us do stupid things. Even Jesus said so. (Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. Matthew 23:13)
But the line is there, like it or not, and it keeps bothering me.

Instead of being seen as the people of peace and love, Christians (and other monotheistic religions) are seen as people of hatred and judgment. Yes, the Bible talks about judgment; but God’s judgment, not ours. (Do not judge, or you too will be judged. Matthew 7:1) Leave the judgment up to God. He knows what He’s doing.

Try this on for size:
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11

Hey, Christians, here’s an idea: Let’s be the dreamers. Let’s be people of grace. Let’s lovingly invite people to join us... so the world will live as one.

Peace, love, dreams