Not Particularly Religious
I was reading an article, "The Son I Never Knew," by Robert Nore in the June/July 2019 edition of the Guideposts magazine this morning and was struck by a comment from the author. He had been a soldier in Vietnam and forty-some years later took a DNA test and found he had a son, he never knew about, who had been conceived in his time oversees. At the end of the article, his son notes about finding his dad, "This is nothing short of a miracle." Nore writes, "Even though I'm not particularly religious, I have to agree."
I wondered what he meant by saying he was, "not particularly religious." I've heard others use the same or similar statements about "not being real spiritual" or "I have my own form of religion." But terms like these make me think about the comment that you can't be "a little bit pregnant." You either are pregnant or you are not. You either are religious or you are not.
Let's look at the definitions of the words in this phrase: "particularly" is an adverb meaning "to an exceptional degree...individually...in detail" where as "religious" is an adjective relating to one being "scrupulously faithful...devout...godly," (according to Dictionary.com). So the phrase could be rewritten as not "to an exceptional degree"..."scrupulously faithful." Or possibly not "individually devout," or not "in detail"... "godly." Hmmm...I am a Christian and yet at times...based upon these definitions, I am "not particularly religious."
After examining the meaning behind the phrase, "not particularly religious," it can be said that at times I do not feel nor act, "scrupulously faithful to an exceptional degree," but not because I am not religious, rather instead because I am human. Being human causes one to be frail, weak, and subject to emotions and circumstances.
So yes, sometimes I act, "not particularly religious," but one thing I am is a believer in Jesus Christ. I am not perfect, but due to His death on the cross, where He shouldered all my sins, so I could one day live eternally in heaven, I am "to an exceptional degree...scrupulously faithful" to Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord.
I wondered what he meant by saying he was, "not particularly religious." I've heard others use the same or similar statements about "not being real spiritual" or "I have my own form of religion." But terms like these make me think about the comment that you can't be "a little bit pregnant." You either are pregnant or you are not. You either are religious or you are not.
Let's look at the definitions of the words in this phrase: "particularly" is an adverb meaning "to an exceptional degree...individually...in detail" where as "religious" is an adjective relating to one being "scrupulously faithful...devout...godly," (according to Dictionary.com). So the phrase could be rewritten as not "to an exceptional degree"..."scrupulously faithful." Or possibly not "individually devout," or not "in detail"... "godly." Hmmm...I am a Christian and yet at times...based upon these definitions, I am "not particularly religious."
After examining the meaning behind the phrase, "not particularly religious," it can be said that at times I do not feel nor act, "scrupulously faithful to an exceptional degree," but not because I am not religious, rather instead because I am human. Being human causes one to be frail, weak, and subject to emotions and circumstances.
So yes, sometimes I act, "not particularly religious," but one thing I am is a believer in Jesus Christ. I am not perfect, but due to His death on the cross, where He shouldered all my sins, so I could one day live eternally in heaven, I am "to an exceptional degree...scrupulously faithful" to Jesus Christ, my Savior and Lord.
James 1:26
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
This is very thought provoking!!!
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