Doesn't Deserve to be Called a Religion

Imagine early Christians talking to their neighbors in the Roman Empire. "Ah," the neighbor says, "I hear you are religious! Great! Religion is a good thing. Where is your temple or holy place?" "We don't have a temple," replies the Christian. "Jesus is our temple."

"No temple? But where do your priests work and do their rituals?" "We don't have priests to mediate the presence of God," replies the Christian. "Jesus is our priest."

"No priests? But where do you offer your sacrifices to acquire the favor of your God?" "We don't need a sacrifice," replies the Christian. "Jesus is our sacrifice."

"What kind of religion IS this?" sputters the pagan neighbor. And the answer is, this Christian faith is so utterly different than how every other religion works that it doesn't really deserve to be called a "religion." [from Gospel in Life by Tim Keller]