[hatradiowigwam]

Churches are fine - there are endless letters and instructions to them in the scripture you mention. "Religion" is not the same word as church. If you feel compelled to "demonstrate why almost every claim you said..." etc, feel free - it's ok! Christianity is about mercy and compassion, and you mention "emotion" - that's absolutely true. I'm very emotional about it, because my message is an emotional one, and emotions were high when it was given to me. It's not going to end my little universe if you disagree, or make fun of, or try to embarrass me about it. My sincere hope is that you are happy, and that through "emotion" or any other medium, you make others around you happy.

[cozyman]

So Jesus: 1. Founded a church 2. told the apostles to make all nations disciplines and baptize them, bringing them into that church 3. The apostles wrote letters to those churches instructing the people on how to live a christian life 4. The successors of those apostles carried on their teachings, spreading more churches all over the world and convening councils to clarify doctrine

sounds a lot like a religion, how do you define religion?

[hatradiowigwam]

Religion (to me) is defined as a codified subset [or even superset] of beliefs, rituals, and culture.

The letters you speak of (penned by apostles of Jesus) are exactly as you describe. They were humans, trying to do what a divine being told them to do. It appears they went about it(at least partially) by writing letters. The passage I believe you are referring to, where Jesus instructs his disciples is:

> Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

This doesn't say to "spread religion", it literally tells them to teach and baptize all nations. They went and wrote letters, and here we are thousands of years later calling that "religion".

What is important to you? I see this conversation as attempting to make disciples of all nation. If it's successful for anyone(not you necessarily, maybe someone reading)...then hoo-ah! That's a win! If not, the instructions that preceded the passage you refer to say that I should "shake the dust from my feet", and leave the metaphorical house(s) that will not listen.

I don't know how we got from 0-50 A.D. to where we are now, regarding "religion", but I don't see even the most remote connection from the behavior of Jesus' disciples and their letter writing, to whatever the heck is going on in modern day.