Return to Bondage

The word &quote;bondage&quote; can be defined as &quote;the state of being a slave.&quote; The thesaurus gives synonyms for the word &quote;bondage&quote; to include: slavery, enslavement, servitude, subjugation, subjection, oppression, domination, exploitation... In the context of this manuscript, both the definition and the synonyms certainly strike a resounding chord. It is not common knowledge that Webster's Collegiate Dictionary traces the etymology of the word &quote;religion&quote; back to the old Latin word religio meaning &quote;taboo, restraint.&quote; An even deeper study of the word reveals that &quote;religion&quote; is derived from the two words, re and ligare. Re is a prefix meaning &quote;return,&quote; and ligare means &quote;to bind;&quote; in other words, &quote;return to bondage.&quote;Religion equals bondage? With thousands of forms of religion in the world today, it is impossible to think that billions of humans are being enslaved by their respective religions. Could scores of people be deceived into believing that being a part of a religion will ultimately gain them an afterlife or eternal life in their version of Heaven? With so many different views and paths, which one is accurate? This book will set out to investigate if being a part of a religion is pleasing to God, the almighty Creator of the Universe. We will examine many crucial subjects that may require you to truly evaluate your own beliefs and spiritual motives. Some questions will include: What does the Bible say about religion and religious people? Why does being a part of a religion make people feel good about themselves and their eternal standing with God? What truly pleases God? From where should we gather our beliefs? Can a person earn something from God by good works and exemplary behavior? Will devoted religious people go to Heaven upon death? Can dedicated religious people go to Hell?