I’m in Champaign, Illinois this week visiting my oldest son who attends school out here.  You think Jersey is cold?  It was -17 the other day.  My legs became numb walking from the parking lot into the admin building.   A discussion in his Literature of the Western World class morphed from Walt Whitman into a discussion of the destructive influence of religion on society.   He was put off by the blind acknowledgement of this premise.  I thought about it and have to acknowledge that religion has been responsible for some detestable actions throughout history.  When I talk about religion I'm speaking of the human institutions representing various belief systems, including Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.  The follower of Christ, at least this follower of Christ, believes religion is an anathema to be avoided.  True Christianity is not a religion but a relationship.  That statement is nearly a cliché, but it’s true.  However, I wondered what responsibility do we bear in fostering the hostile attitude towards God held by many people?    Somewhat ironically I was reading through Romans 2 as my devotional.  Paul quotes Isaiah 52 saying   “As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (Rom 2:24)  He was referring to Jews who, while judging others, bragged about following the law, yet failed.  In the passage Paul tells us that God’s law is written in every person’s heart.  In Romans 1 he tells us that knowledge of God is instinctive for all people.  So it’s a real disconnect to non believers when those who claim to follow God, who claim to obey God, live in such a way that contradicts what they say they believe.  The non believer can sense hypocrisy a mile away without ever having been taught God's commands.  In Romans 1 Paul lists some of the areas in which people sin. They include “big” sins such as murder and perversion.  But the list also includes “respectable sins” such as gossip, envy and divisiveness.  These kinds of sin seem to be tolerated in the church to a wide degree.  How often has the witness of the church led people to blaspheme the name of God?  How often have we, have I, allowed the “respectable sins” to be a barrier to someone coming to Christ?