Religion vs Relationship

Many think that religion is outdated today. We look at religion as merely a set of cultural norms, and rightly so. Any religion can be broken down into a set of myths, rituals, and specific belief in a divine being(s) / supernatural force(s). With communication and tolerance held in high esteem, we are better educated in what others believe, and we naturally fail to see the importance of a distinct religion. And so we hear Christians all the time say it's about a relationship with Jesus Christ, not a religion. Yet they still go to church, pray, study sacred stories from the Bible, and have a distinct doctrine about God. So how is Christianity not a religion? That sounds like ritual, myth, and belief in a god(s) to me. The truth is Christianity is a religion. And that is not a bad thing. But the misconception about Christianity among the world today is the notion that religion can somehow grant salvation. And that simply isn't biblical. Jesus is the only way. It's through living out his teachings (fueled by our love for God) that we enter the kingdom of heaven. It's not merely having a relationship with a man we have never met who lived 2000 years ago, it's having a positively intimate relationship with the lifestyle he modeled for us. And that's why it's so okay that Christianity is a religion; it is symbolically modeled after Christ's life and teachings. We need Godly cultural norms to be present in the world. We need a community to help spread the love we have witnessed. The important thing is to distinguish the man made religion from our commitment to living the life God wants us to live. Christianity is not the same thing as Christ. Because no establishment can grant salvation, even if they represent Jesus beautifully. So yes, I am a Christian by religion. But that doesn't mean too much. Anyone can be a Christian, from the humble homeless man to the bloodthirsty tyrant. Religion is just a tool, we are its operators. What really matters is that we strive to follow the example Christ gave us, that we let love be our motivation and act on it in selfless ways.