Positive
Only logged in members can reply and interact with the post.
Join SimilarWorlds for FREE »

What Does Freedom Of Religion Mean To You?

What it means to me is that we are free to worship God any way as we please as long as we do not stray from the Truth. Christianity is not a religion made by man regardless of what some may think. Our 'religion,' if you will, is acceptable to God.

27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. James 1:27

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, [d]“Take, eat; this is My body which is [e]broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-25

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” John 6:29

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins ]and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Hebrews 8:10-12

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-39

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3

This is what Christianity is all about, a close relationship with God and with one another. It is not a stiff-necked religion as some would think it is. There are those stiff-necked religious people who call themselves Christians but their hearts are far from Him. Then there is us who True Believers in Christ whose hearts are after God's own heart. God has established this covenant with us before the foundations of the earth. This is what freedom of religion means to me.
This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »
Freedom of religion means people can practice any religion they want (as long as they’re still within the law. Can’t do illegal things and then say it’s part of religion), and they won’t be persecuted by the law for it.
I do agree that Christianity is supposed to be about that actual personal relationship with the Lord and not a bunch of rules you have to follow (or else). But I didn’t understand that till recently. It’s not something that makes sense until it’s actually happening.
@Colonelmustardseed yes, I found out too in my life, long ago, that there's nothing confining about Christianity or the Christian way of life. When you love the Lord, you want to do things for him, and salvation frees us from the consequences and condemnation of sin.
@LadyGrace Exactly. Trying to keep all the laws and follow the rules is disheartening. But following the Lord leads to that anyway, except it’s no longer some impossible and oppressive-seeming task; it becomes natural and joyful.