It's just my opinion

Usually I don't tell people my opinion. I am quiet, but I do have opinions.

I think about "being religious." What does it really mean? I think it depends on who defines it.

A few years ago my son wanted to go to a concert of a certain group. The name represents something opposite from God. I don't think a lot of people know the meaning of the name, but I happened to know it because I saw a scary picture of that name in my English-Japanese dictionary over 35 years ago. I was amazed that I remembered it the minute I heard the name. When my son mentioned the name, my face must have changed because he asked me if everything was okay. He loved God then just like he does now. I don't want anyone to be drawn into something that looks like something harmless, when actually it may well be, and the name concerned me. It was deceiving, I thought. So I explained the reason why I don't like it.

He said, "Mom, Christianity is not a religion. I can go to the concert and still love God, don't worry," or something like that. I said, "If Christianity is a relationship with God and not a religion, why do you want to go to that concert of that group with that name?"  Being religious or choosing out of love for God?  Am I being religious? I must have looked like a religious mom, but I believed I was guiding him into the position where he could choose a path because of love; love for God, and not because he was a good Christian. 

I feel the same about some cute fortune-telling items. There are so many of them! I ignore them as much as I can because I used to depend on those things to guide my happiness. After Jesus became my Lord, I do my best to ignore them all, because if I open myself up to those things, my heart will think about it. Jesus is my Lord and God. I totally ignore some popular movies, too.. People say those movies remind them of righteousness and evil, God and evil. They maybe right, and they may cause you to think of God more, but I don't want them in my heart because I tend to dwell in the image for a long time. Just like former alcoholics don't want to have a drop once in awhile, it is better for me to stay out of those things. : ) I stay quiet when my friends and family (except my own children) are open to it, though, because this is my opinion! I am not trying to change them.

Many years ago a theology came to my mind. I named it "a neighbor's underwear theology." My kids used to run away when I use this theology to explain my thought.  My theory is like this:

If I just have my neighbor's underwear in my husband's and my room for no reason, would it be okay? Of course not. But I can say to my husband, "I have no feeling for it, nor does it do anything to me. It's totally harmless. It doesn't have any power over me, so why is it wrong? I still love you."

The underwear has no business being in my room.  That is exactly my point! Fortune telling items and movies have no business being in my life. I don't want their help to cause me to think of God. God says he is a jealous God. Lord, may you be the only one in my life!