Angered By Misuse

As a Christian, there's one word that bugs me more than any other word that comes to mind, and this is it: Religion, or religious. It carries a connotation that most in the world see as a bad thing.

"Oh, he's one of those religious people...you know, holier than thou art, condemning, close minded."

"She used to be fun, then she 'got religion.' "





"I believe in God, I just don't belive in organized religion."

My favorite: "I'm not religious, I just love the Lord."

Somehow, religion has gotten associated with the way one acts, and usually in a bad way, in concordance with their faith. Unfortunately, it seems that many even within the church seem to forget, what the Bible says about religion in James 1:27:
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

SINCE WHEN IS THAT A BAD THING???

I'd love to know people think I'm religious for taking care of those in need.

By that definition, wouldn't organized religion be homeless shelters and orphanages? How could you believe in God and not believe in The Salvation Army?

Not to mention, according to that definition, how do you love the Lord and not be religious?

I'm not trying to be snarky or sarcastic, I just wish other people, Christians included, to know what religion really is before they use the word. Because, honestly, sounds like we all could stand to have a little more religion in our lives....