The word "religion" comes from "religio," meaning "right worship." The problem throughout the years has been to identify and to discover what is "right worship." From the beginning of time, worship has meant sacrifice --- to placate and please the gods with some sort of sacrifice. And the more it costs the worshipper, the better the sacrifice. The near-Eastern tribes into which the Israelites merged were known for child sacrifice; not only did the sacrifice cost the parent, but it cost the child. A molten statue with brazen arms was heated to red or white-hot temperature before the child was cast into the outstretched arms. The Incan tribes, among others, offered their young and beautiful girls to the gods, along with the losing team of their yearly games. Typically, the priests slashed themselves in cultic worship times, drawing blood to draw the approval of their gods for good weather and avoidance of disaster.
The Greeks and Romans built beautiful and elaborate temples wherein they offered incense and kept vestal virgins to please their gods. In most religions, it has been all about pleasing the gods -- or at least keeping them from being angry. Buddhism is not considered a religion because there is no god to please or to displease; there is only Buddha, a role-model whose way of life produced peace by shutting out all suffering. Buddhism is thus a philosophy rather than a religion. For those who cannot overcome their fear or their baser instincts, there is little help.
Although there are still some who practice Christianity as a baser religion -- obeying God out of fear of punishment, without any real communication or relationship, the history of Judaism begins with God's initiative, rather than man's:
The Lord said to Abram.....I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
And later: Do not be afraid, Abraham. I am your shield and your very great reward.
The goal of Christianity, coming out of Judaism, is not servitude, but relationship, friendship, with God. Jesus deliberately went after those who had the most to fear from God, that is, sinners. His parables tell us the kingdom of God is filled with those searched out from the highways and byways, since those invited to wedding feast failed to accept the invitation.
Jesus is the perfect union of man with God. If we accept his invitation to "Come and See," despite our unworthiness/ sinfulness, He unites us with Himself and thus with the Father. "These are my friends," He says to the Father; "They are with Me." After His Resurrection from death, He said to Mary Magdalene: Go and tell my brothers, "I go to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."
It's no longer about us fulfilling the law or making the right sacrifice; the Sacrifice has been made. Now it's about us sitting down to the table of the Lord and enjoying the communion of fellowship with God.
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