Whats Wrong with Religion: 9 Things No One Told You about Faith
2017 by Skye Jethani
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from Skypilot Media, Wheaton, IL. www.skypilot.media
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture is taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV Permanent Text Edition (2016). Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
The New Testament in Modern English by J. B. Phillips copyright 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops Council of the Church of England. Used by permission.
Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
ISBN 978-1-94429-823-4
Cover and interior design by Niddy Griddy Design, Inc.
LCCN 2017938933
Printed in the United States of America
1 23 4 56 7 89 10 Printing/Year 21 20 1918 17
Skye Jethani has written a clear, lucid, accessible guide to barriers that obstruct peoples faith. Whatever your convictions about religion might be, if you are interested in ultimate questions these words will be a welcome help.
J OHN O RTBERG
B EST - SELLING A UTHOR AND S ENIOR P ASTOR OF M ENLO P ARK P RESBYTERIAN C HURCH
Speaking to both the religious and irreligious, Skye cuts through the stereotypes to talk with hope, humor, and honesty about whats wrong with religion and whats right about faith. If youre disillusioned about religion you must read this book!
B OB G OFF
A UTHOR OF L OVE D OES
If you are serious about the religious quest and unsatisfied with the cookie-cutter institutions, give this book a fair hearing. But, dont let the clear images and the clever expressions get in the way of the seriousness of Whats Wrong with Religion? The slower you read this book the better it gets.
S COT M C K NIGHT
P ROFESSOR OF N EW T ESTAMENT
Skye is a storyteller of ideas, with the rare ability to grip my imagination, sharpen my mind, and awaken my spirit. In Whats Wrong with Religion? Skye tells the story of our conflicted relationship with faith, deftly deconstructing religion before giving us something better to believe in. Highly recommended to challenge the curious and the Christian alike.
P AUL J. P ASTOR
A UTHOR OF T HE L ISTENING D AY : M EDITATIONS ON THE W AY
Every page in Whats Wrong with Religion? offers fresh insights for your life and faith. Skye uncovers the well-intentioned but toxic misunderstandings we have about Jesus and shines a powerful light on the WAY better life Jesus offers us all.
K ARA P OWELL
P H D, E XECUTIVE D IRECTOR OF THE F ULLER Y OUTH I NSTITUTE AND CO -A UTHOR OF G ROWING Y OUNG
Refreshing, accessible, meaningful, and a helpful religious corrective for those swamped in a culture of cynicism, confusion and certitudes. Id put this book into the hands of everyone at Mars Hill Bible Church.
A.J. S HERRILL
P ASTOR OF M ARS H ILL B IBLE C HURCH
Skeptical about God? Exhausted by religion? If either statement describes you, Skye Jethanis latest book will feel like a cup of cool water. In Whats Wrong with Religion? diagnoses the defective ways we approach God, whether it comes in the form of Pharisaic austerity or cosmic bribery, and gently points to a better way. Ultimately, the book will help you exchange false burdens for Jesus easy yoke. Ill be recommending this book to both jaded skeptics and worn-out believers.
D REW D YCK IS AN E DITOR AT M OODY P UBLISHERS , CTP ASTORS.COM AND THE A UTHOR OF G ENERATION E X -C HRISTIAN
This book is absolutely fantastic. Skye takes you through a lightning fast overview of religionwhy we love it, hate it, and just cant escape it no matter how secular we become as a society. Yet you never feel rushed or ripped off. Its engaging, smart, down to earth, funny, and above all, helpful for life. Long time follower of Jesus, or ardent hater of all things religious, and the many somewhere in betweenread this book.
J OHN M ARK C OMER , P ASTOR FOR T EACHING AND V ISION AT B RIDGETOWN C HURCH AND THE A UTHOR OF G OD H AS A N AME
for Billu
Have mercy on those who doubt.
Jude 1:22
C ONTENTS
Its not polite to talk about religion, so lets ease into the subject by talking about sports. Most people play sports for fun and many more watch it for entertainment. We want our children to at least try a sport and we sacrifice our weekends so they can, but we know most probably wont become professional athletes as adults. And thats ok. For most of us, sports has a place in our lives but it probably isnt a central one.
Religion functions the same way. We may have played with religion as kids, but now we just attend the big games or cheer for the home team in the playoffs. Some see religion as childish; a distraction from the serious business of life. Theyve outgrown it. But like sports, sometimes religion just cannot be ignored.
Thats because some fans take it very, very seriously even if you do not. They identify intensely with their religious team and view all others as opponents. For them religion is more than a gameit is a battle. There was a time when entire communities or countries shared a single religion. It united people as they all cheered for the same team. Now, as people move and mix and morph, religion divides us more than it unites us, and sometimes it triggers conflicts and culture wars. Thats why its not polite to talk about it, and why some people stop playing the game all together.
Consider my family. In my diverse clan there are Hindus and humanists, evangelicals and atheists, Catholics and Cubs fans (yes, its a religion too), Sikhs and skeptics. There were so many teams on the field, and so many conflicts between them, as a young man I was ready to abandon the game. It all seemed silly at best and dangerously toxic at worst.
Maybe you can relate.
Thats when someone unexpected walked on to the field. He didnt come to play the game. In fact, he ignored it entirely. That is when I discovered the teaching and person of Jesus. I found him both incredibly offensive and outrageously attractive, and very different from the cultural and institutional teams that claimed his name.
This book outlines nine surprising things Ive learned since I stopped playing the religion game and started following Jesus.
Lets begin...
I was 19 in Mumbai, India, when I found a tree with a shrine built around it. There were the usual assortment of animal-headed, multi-limbed Hindu gods represented, but I was surprised to see it included a verse from the Quran, the scriptures of Islam, an image of Moses holding the 10 Commandments, and another of Jesus.
