ok this is for all of those ppl who tend to confuse religion with god.. A religion is a system of human thought which usually includes a set of narratives, symbols, beliefs and practices that give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life through reference to a higher power, deity or deities, or ultimate truth.[1] webster defines it as a 'system of worship' many users here on this forum tend to associate the belief in god with religion although believers tend to form religions based on commmon interpretations, they are two seperate things..you do not have to belong to any religion to believe in god.. i would encourage ppl when they post to be aware of the differances between the two in order to facilitate a more productive disscussion.. i personally tend to argue for god and against religion, also there are plenty of threads here to put forth your opinion against god,this is not one of them..(notice i did not include religion in that statement) if you hate God..post it elsewhere! also this could easily be a slamfest against religion,lets not go there..try to be specific with your gripes against religion, IE; i don't understand why religions say if i don't believe the way they do i am worthless..(well..that may not be a good example as it isn't specific) What is your personal story with religion?..with god? Is there such a thing as a true religion? Do you have to be perfect to get to heaven? How would you describe the difference between God and Religion?
but like the term God itself, often the definitions are just opinions. 'worship' is the error of religion i agree WHY? study them all; be mates with the boss sure; be honest you in heaven, and born into it perfect. All diviations from there are man created. god is existence itself religions are man created with rituals, metaphors and opinions of
With that definition of "religion", I don't understand how question number 2 can be answered, as it can't mean anything to anybody, other than, "no", or, "yes" a religion of my choosing. How is it possible to believe in god, if you can't define god? If you're satisfied with the given definition of religion, then shouldn't you be equally satisfied with a similar-sourced definition of god? And the question posed by shichimenshyo. jan.
mainly cause i think religion makes it about themselves and not about god..they say you have to believe this way or you will go to hell..IMO this takes god out of the equation..there is no room for god to work within religion,when they tell you you have to be this way..
well, truth in regards to what? i mean, all of the knowledge that the universe and god has to offer? Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! that's a lot! why is it so important to know everything? can't we just live and learn with righteous intent? isn't that really the best we can do for now?
imo, you would have to be god to define god. god is what it is, and i'm wide open to that, regardless of religion.
Truth in regard to whats right and whats wrong, truth in regards to how we should live our lives, and truth in regard to individuals and the directions their lives must take. That kind of truth. If we can't even begin to understand god how do we even begin to understand his truth? :shrug:
for sake of fairness.. God is most often conceived of as the supernatural creator and overseer of the universe. Theologians have ascribed a variety of attributes to the many different conceptions of God. The most common among these include omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, omnibenevolence (perfect goodness), divine simplicity, and eternal and necessary existence. God has also been conceived as being incorporeal, a personal being, the source of all moral obligation, and the "greatest conceivable existent".[1] These attributes were all supported to varying degrees by the early Jewish, Christian and Muslim theologian philosophers, including Maimonides,[2] Augustine of Hippo,[2] and Al-Ghazali,[3] respectively. Many notable medieval philosophers developed arguments for the existence of God.[3] Many notable philosophers and intellectuals have, by contrast, developed arguments against the existence of God. i guess one of my points to discuss,the question becomes.. what is religion doing to god that makes god a bad thing?
Well if you know and trust in something without having any idea what it stands for..well it just seems a tad bit shortsighted that's all. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
i don't think that people should need a religion to tell them these things. god is an entity that has communicated with me via a variety of means, including the spirit, just like god did with people in the bible, and just like god does with many people. i think it better to look inside yourself, than to look to another person, or even a doctrine, to tell you what is right and wrong. the holy spirit is called the counselor for a reason. it can show you things. it can teach you...direct you. you just have to want it and care i think. i think that lots of times religion is a distraction to that communication. that's not to say that various religions don't teach good lessons; they do. but imo, there is much more to it than that.
this is my point..if it comes down to listening to god and listening to your religion,why is it religion claims they know better?
