I'm Not Religious But

I am not a fan of religion - not religion of any kind, including Christianity as it is most frequently promoted and practised.
Religions operate under formulas like:

Do this list of things and don't do this list of things and you will be happy here and rewarded in the future.
But if you don't follow those lists, you will .....

Clearly such religious formulas offer benefits and bliss, but actually produce control and fear, often breaking people.

I remember shifting into a new neighbourhood several years ago and meeting my next door neighbours. In our discussion, after discovering that I attended church, my neighbour quickly retorted with "I'm not religious" hoping to create a safe distance between us.
My response was "Neither am I; but I have a great relationship with God", which led to several interesting conversations over the following years.

My great relationship with God is the result of Jesus Christ freeing the whole creation from its slavery to sin through his death and resurrection about 2000 years ago.

God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.
[2 Cor 5: 19  NIV]
God had Christ, who was sinless, take our sin so that we might receive God’s approval through him.
[2 Corinthians 5 : 21  GW]

As I have become aware of my relationship with God, I am able to be free from religious formulas and enjoy Christ's leading and provision in my life and be assured of my future, not matter what.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
[Galatians 5 : 1  NIV]

This was St Paul's advice to those who discovered their new relationship with God and encouraged them not to go back to their previous Jewish religion, calling it a yoke of slavery.

Although this new relationship with God is a universal truth for all of God's creation due to the achievement of Jesus, not too many currently know about it. But we all will, eventually, as Jesus fufils his promise to bring us all into intimate relationship with him, and therefore to know him and to appreciate what he has achieved for all of us.

When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to me.
[John 12 : 32  GNT]
God did what he had purposed, and made known to us the secret plan he had already decided to complete by means of Christ. This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head.
[Ephesians 1 : 9 - 10  GNT]

Yes, one day, we're all going to know and experience the freedom that Christ has given us, and to enjoy that relationship face-to-face - and there won't be a religion anywhere in sight.

Blessings, Barry