This Is a Catholic Priest Rapping His Response to the ‘Hate Religion, But Love Jesus’ Video

Hat-tip: Courageous Priest

Quote from The Blaze:

“As we’ve noted, not everyone is a fan of 22-year-old Jefferson Bethke’s “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus.” In addition to going viral, the spoken word artist’s now infamous clip has spawned a plethora of responses. Among the flurry of videos offering rebuttal to Bethke’s anti-organized religion commentary comes one from Fr. Claude Burns, a Catholic priest at Holy Spirit Church in Evansville, Indiana. Burns, whose stage name is Fr. Pontifex, is a rapper who has taken the Catholic hip-hop world by storm (yes, there is, in fact, a Catholic hip-hop genre).

Fr. Pontifex’s response to Bethke is called “Why I love Religion, And Love Jesus,” as it delves into the reasons why holding reverence for both religious structures and the individual who is central to Christianity is, in his view, possible. Rather than opening with a frame that reads “Jesus > Religion,” as Bethke did, Fr. Pontifex’s video reads “Jesus ❤ Religion.” (The “<3″ symbol is a text way of sying heart or love.)"

No need to say too much about it, just watch it and enjoy:

Lyrics:
What if I told you that Jesus loves religion
And that by his coming as man he brought his religion to fruition
See this had to be addressed, the use of illogical terms and definitions
You clearly have a heart for Jesus but its fueling atheistic opinions
See what makes his religion great is not errors of wars and inquisitions
It’s that broken men and women to participate in his mission
Clearly Jesus says I have not come to abolish
I came to fulfill the law and I came to fulfill the prophets (Matthew 5:17)
And lines about building big churches and tending to the poor
Sounds a bit like Judas when the perfume was being poured (John 12:5)
See His religion is the largest worldwide source of relief
For the poor, the hungry, the sick and repentant thief
Oceans of compassion, opening wide the doors
For single mothers, widows and orphans, married and divorced (James 1:27)
We all detest hypocrisy, and empty show is just the worst
But blaming religion for contradiction
Is like staring at death, and blaming the hearse.
See the teacher will teach when the students are ready to listen
But those that choose to sit in the pews and refuse the good news
Is not the fault of religion.
And If I have the Jersey and I’m playing for the Bulls
There’s going to be some boundaries, regulations and some rules.
You can’t have Christ without his Church; you can’t have the King without his Kingdom
Sins of the Body and internal treason will never ever make me leave him
And that Jesus said it is done, is absolutely true
But he also gave us a mission with many things to DO.
Jesus says if you love me, you will Do what I command. (JN 15:14)
Go and Baptize in the name of the Father, Son & Spirit in Every Land. (MT 28:19)
And on the night he was betrayed he took his men in the Upper Room
Take at eat this is my body take and drink my blood for you.
A New covenant you see, an act connected to the tree,
Do this time and time again in Memory of Me. (Mt 26:26-28)
And at last with crown of thorns beaten beyond comprehension
His eyes were looking for yours and mine; it was divine, no human invention.
So as for religion I love it, I have one because Jesus rose from the dead and won.
I believe When Jesus said IT IS FINISHED, His religion had just begun.

Fr. Claude (Dusty) Burns
Aka Pontifex
1/14/12
Director & Editor: Rob Kaczmark
Lyricist: Fr. Claude (Dusty) Burns aka Fr. Pontifex
Producers: dUSt, Danny Hidalgo, Kyle Escamilla, Rob Kaczmark
Re-Recording Mixer: Manuel Lopez III

Special thank to Queen of all Saints Basilica and Monsignor John Pollard for allowing us to film in the church.

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