As many of you know already, I grew up as a little boy in Japan. What you might not know is that while I was living there, my parents didn’t put me in a traditional Japanese school. Instead, they put me in an international, and also Catholic, school. Even though the school was founded by Canadian Catholic brothers, the school welcomed students from all faith backgrounds. While I was there, in addition to the usual English, Math, Science, History, French or Japanese, and Computer Science classes, my friends and I also had to take a class called Religion. The hour was divided among three classes. Those who were Catholic went to the Catholic class. Those who were Protestant Christian went to the Protestant class (I was enrolled in this class). Then, there was a class called World Faiths for those who did not identify themselves either as Catholic, or Protestant.
Back then, my classmates and I took Religion classes because, well, we had to. The word, “religion” meant “religion”. It was just a word to me. It didn’t mean anything positive. But it also didn’t mean anything negative either. I cannot remember if the word, “religious” meant anything to me either. It was also neither a positive nor a negative word.
What about in 2026? What do you think about the word, “religious”? When someone says “religious”, does it sound positive or negative to you?
To some people in the world, the word, “religious” is a neutral word to them. In other words, it is neither a positive nor a negative word. When they hear someone refer to himself or herself as “religious” in the Christian context, they understand it to mean here was someone who was devout, pious, and strictly followed the practices of the Christian faith. He or she religiously attends a local church service on Sundays, reads the Bible, prays, gives money to support the church, and participates in other faith activities. Some may say they feel positively about the word. But to others in the world, the word, “religious” is a negative word. When they say so and so is “religious”, they say it to mock or poke fun at them. They mean to say these “because the Bible says so” people are rigid, narrow-minded, brainwashed, illogical, and out of touch with reality. “Religious” to them is a negative word.
When you say the word, “religious”, how do you say it? When someone says you are religious, how do you hear them saying it? Do you hear it as a compliment or an insult? When you hear someone say, “I am religious,” what do you hear? When you hear someone say, “I follow Jesus, but I am not religious,” what do you hear? If you are a Christ follower, should you not be religious? Or must you be also religious if you are a Christ follower?
So far, we have not talked about whether or not the word, “religion” appears in the Bible. I remembered that James 1.27 says, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” I thought to myself if the word, “religion” is there in the Bible, how bad can the word be? And then I did a bit more research, and I discovered there are more verses in the Bible that contain the word, “religion” or “religious” besides James 1.27. I didn’t know that.
Acts 25.19
but they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive.
Acts 26.5
since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion.
Colossians 2.23
These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
Acts 17.22
So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects.
James 1.26–27
If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Today, people may use the words, “religious” or “religion” to mock or even insult Christ followers, but they are not negative words in themselves. Nowhere in the Bible does it try to use the words to say something negative. They sound negative only because our world made them that way. I still think we should be wise when people of the world say, “religious” or “religion” to us, but the words are not bad words, and it is perfectly acceptable for us to use them.