Tozer on Religion

I am a fan of this old fellow from another era. See if you agree with his summation;

Millions of men and women refuse to face up to the fact that religion, in and of itself, is not enough for the sinner's need. It is amazing how many things religious people want to do to you. They can start with infant baptism and end up with the last rites when you are 108 years old-and all of that time they will manipulate you, maul you and sweet-message your soul. When it is all done you are just what you were. You are just a decorated and massaged sinner-a sinner who did not eat meat, or on the other hand, a sinner who did eat fish! When religion has done all it can, you are still a sinner who either went to church or did not go to church. Religion can put us on the roll and educate us and train us and instruct us. But after all that, there is still something within our beings that cries, "Eternity is in my heart and I have not found anything to satisfy it!" Only our Lord Jesus Christ is enough to satisfy the eternal longing in our souls.
A. W. Tozer Sermon: Failure of Religion

Religion, in and of itself, can be a good thing or a bad thing.

Religion vs. spirituality is, in my opinion, a false dichotomy.

Oh, I like this discussion.
My experience has let me to arrive at a simple observation of the topic of religion and spirituality. They can be mutually exclusive or synonymous, depending on the individual.

I think where the conflict starts generally among the faithful in Christ is when we try to do as a Christian what is impossible to accomplish as a human. And it is that frustration that then leads us to eventually question ourselves as to whether or not we really are thus and so as pertains to being what we think it means to be in Christ.

Religion at its worst is a system of do’s and dont’s, at it’s best is a group with a passion for the welfare of others.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Tozer was indirectly referring to False Christianity. Catholicism has much religion -- rites, rituals, sacraments, etc.

But there is such a thing as "pure religion" in the sight of God: If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:26,27)

Amen! I think the “fluff” in much of religion is a distraction at the very least, and a poor substitute in the worst case.

Just wonder if Tozer was a catholic, or referring to it as when people say 'religion' they usually have in their mind catholicsm. Which often doesnt bear any resemblence to a life lived out spiritually.

He could have meant by religion islam, which also has rituals, but I dont think there were many adherents in his country at the time of writing his sermons.

He was no Catholic, and even the Methodist Church initially refused him a Pastorate. He spent over 40 years as a Pastor with the “Christian and Missionary Alliance.” He was a critic of what most consider “Main stream Protestantism,” mainly for their Luke warm attitudes.

Of course Christianity is not a religion but a way of life. Unfortunately that can only be proven as a person goes deeper into the spiritual man. It takes much effort and a lot time to see Christianity is a way of life. If there is no spiritual growth, it becomes a burden to carry that cross.