Dealing with undigested religion can be like watching people chew with their mouths open.
A lot can be learned from reading scripture, but when religious people regularly regurgitate scripture verses onto every conversation it is a sign that they have not digested the message.
The Stoic Epictetus once lamented that so many people talk about philosophy but so many never get around to living it::
“Suppose, for example, that in talking athletes, I said, “Show me your muscles,” and they answered, “Look at my jumping weights.” Go to, you and your jumping weights! What I want to see is the effect of the jumping weights.” (Discourses, I, 4)
Fully digested food is found in the form of skin, muscles and teeth, not in partially chewed fragments or in regurgitated mishmash. Like food, religion can be hard to look at until it is digested.
When religion consists of answers to questions the speaker has never authentically asked, it is not yet fully chewed. When religion consists of imposing what one was taught upon others, it is being regurgitated. Undigested religion speaks only in terms of hypothetical beliefs, magical rituals and inherited rules.
Digested religion should become an example of authenticity and love. As long as religion can only be expressed AS religion, it is unfinished. Just as we best exemplify education, not by pointing at our books, but by being wise, just as we best exemplify fitness by growing muscles, not by pointing at our exercise equipment; in the same way, we best exemplify faith by compassion, wisdom and fairness, not by pointing at the religion itself but by blossoming into kindness and truth.
Until religion has fully digested and become love, wisdom and justice, it can be best to keep one’s mouth closed and keep chewing.