"What do you think about that, you're religious?"

That's what I seem to get quite often, when people ask me for my opinion.

I really hope I'm not though. 

By religious, they refer to the fact that I go to church on occassion other than Christmas and Christenings. But strangley enough, unbeknown to them, being called religious is a bit of an insult really. 

Jesus viewed the 'religious' of his day as tight-knitted, narrow-minded, closed-fisted, opinionated rule-keepers; who arrogantly kept laws that suited them, while ruling with an iron rod over everyone else who couldn't jump through the million and one faith-hoops that they enforced. They were the people that he spent most of his life debating with, and who would ultimately murder him on a cross. Their grasp of grace was small; their hope for healing was distant. When the Saviour stood right in front of them, they were too caught up in time-lines, rules and habits to even recognise him.

I really, really hope I'm not 'religious'.