Gospel singer Kirk Franklin knew that his new album's title "Losing My Religion" would draw a lot of raised eyebrows and negative reaction, but he does not regret choosing it because it gave him the chance to talk about the dwindling church attendance in America.
"When you look at the decline of church attendance in America, or when you look at the [declining number of] millennials [who] are not going to church in America, you want to have the conversation that a lot of times people are hit more with religion and rules and the systems than they are with the love of God and having a personal relationship with Christ," Franklin told ABC 13.
Earlier, Franklin said religion has become "a very oppressive thing" that keeps people from getting to know God and having a real and intimate relationship with Him.
"So basically, it's just like marriage cannot guarantee intimacy, religion doesn't guarantee relationship," he explained during a recent episode of the "Tom Joyner Morning Show."
"It doesn't guarantee you're going to have a loving, relationship with God. So God becomes this distant person [who's] always pointing at my sins, always beating me up and you never know Him as a friend and as a father."
Put simply, Franklin said being religious does not automatically equate to a person having a good relationship with God.
At the same time, people might mistakenly think that they need to prove themselves worthy first before they can accept God's love. But Franklin said this isn't the case.
"We think we need man and these systems to make us right with God, and it's not that. It's when we accept His gift, we're right, right there and then, we're right," he said. "We're getting rid of the systems and all the rules, and the processes, and it's like, let's fall in love with the Father and see Him as a father [who] loves us as flawed as we are."
