Believing in God without religion

Quagmire said:

We actually do have a general theism forum: Theism

It has four subforms, monotheism, polytheism, etc, but you can scroll past those subcategories to post in the general Theism forum.

Click to expand...

Ah, I hadn't realized there was a way to post without committing to one of the subcategories, thank you!

InChrist said:

I believe in God, not religion. My experience is that Jesus Christ is the Creator God who became human to relate and for relationship with humans. God is not a practice, ritual, or religion.

Click to expand...

How, how do you worship god? If not a practice, how do you serve him? If not a ritual, why do you (if you) have a prayer routine? If not religion, why accept the theology and history behind the faith???

Karolina said:

Ah, I hadn't realized there was a way to post without committing to one of the subcategories, thank you!

Click to expand...

The subcategories are actual infinities as long as the population of humanity increases..

Meandflower said:

I call myself God believer. Or just a Theist. But why do you need a label? Its not so important. God does not care about that.

Click to expand...

Do you worship your God or he/she is just a friend? (repeating Unveiled Artist's question)

The Artis Magistra said:

There are lots of people who don't follow any formal religion but believe in God, and yeah, they are usually the ones who say "spiritual not religious".

Click to expand...

Yeah, people may have a different definition of 'spiritual' than yours. They might be 'spiritual' in their own way even without worshiping any God or Goddess.

InChrist said:

I believe in God, not religion. My experience is that Jesus Christ is the Creator God who became human to relate and for relationship with humans. God is not a practice, ritual, or religion.

Click to expand...

I'm a Christian, and I really dislike the word 'religion'. Before, when I was an atheist, I was more religious than I am now.

samtonga43 said:

I'm a Christian, and I really dislike the word 'religion'. Before, when I was an atheist, I was more religious than I am now.

Click to expand...

I understand what you are saying, but most people who are not in a relationship with the living God, don’t get it. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Karolina said:

I have cross posted this in the Deism forum as well, since I'm not sure where it makes the most sense. There doesn't seem to be a generic "Theism". It's automatically subdivided into some other organized religion, be it Judaism, Islam, Christianity, etc. I understand the basic premise of Deism is that God is not actively involved in creation, while Theism claims just the opposite. I would like to find the sort of Theism that is like Deism in its lack of group revelations, rituals, prescriptions, mythologies, etc, but nonetheless not deny that God does care and is reachable by humanity, though the details of how that is done should be open to individual interpretation.
Do theists who do not follow organized religion fall under the "spiritual but not religious" category? I don't ever hear anyone calling themselves a Theist. It seems like this stance is more like an explanation than an identity: "I believe in God but not religion".

Click to expand...

I just call myself a bible believer . Because Just saying I'm a Christian doesn't say much nowadays.

What about the label monotheist?

shunyadragon said:

You just described yourself with a label.

Click to expand...

Hehe yes thats true

DagonVarunaMitraApolloZan said:

There are lots of people who don't follow any formal religion but believe in God, and yeah, they are usually the ones who say "spiritual not religious".

Click to expand...

No most people who do not follow any religion but believe in God say "i believe in God but i do not follow a religion"

Karolina said:

Believe me, if I didn't feel a need for a label, I wouldn't be asking. Call it a quirk or even an obsession, but it's the same in all areas of my life. I need labels to help me navigate the world.

Click to expand...

What about the label monotheist?

Karolina said:

I have cross posted this in the Deism forum as well, since I'm not sure where it makes the most sense. There doesn't seem to be a generic "Theism". It's automatically subdivided into some other organized religion, be it Judaism, Islam, Christianity, etc. I understand the basic premise of Deism is that God is not actively involved in creation, while Theism claims just the opposite. I would like to find the sort of Theism that is like Deism in its lack of group revelations, rituals, prescriptions, mythologies, etc, but nonetheless not deny that God does care and is reachable by humanity, though the details of how that is done should be open to individual interpretation.
Do theists who do not follow organized religion fall under the "spiritual but not religious" category? I don't ever hear anyone calling themselves a Theist. It seems like this stance is more like an explanation than an identity: "I believe in God but not religion".

Click to expand...

God involved in human life means organised religion, because He would not leave us without guidance. Imagine a parent who did this?

Hereashortwhileonly said:

God involved in human life means organised religion, because He would not leave us without guidance. Imagine a parent who did this?

Click to expand...

Which religion?

shunyadragon said:

Which religion?

Click to expand...

That is for the seeker to find for him/ herself.

I am a Muslim.

All religions are so very human in their construction. If I ever find God that God would be absolutely independent of all religions, and many steps down from omniscient. I don't think humanity is even close to approaching a good understanding of what God may be.

If God exists plain language defined well will get us to a better understanding of what God may be. God's character would be within human imagination to comprehend. God's power and knowledge would be impossible to comprehend.

Karolina said:

I have cross posted this in the Deism forum as well, since I'm not sure where it makes the most sense. There doesn't seem to be a generic "Theism". It's automatically subdivided into some other organized religion, be it Judaism, Islam, Christianity, etc. I understand the basic premise of Deism is that God is not actively involved in creation, while Theism claims just the opposite. I would like to find the sort of Theism that is like Deism in its lack of group revelations, rituals, prescriptions, mythologies, etc, but nonetheless not deny that God does care and is reachable by humanity, though the details of how that is done should be open to individual interpretation.
Do theists who do not follow organized religion fall under the "spiritual but not religious" category? I don't ever hear anyone calling themselves a Theist. It seems like this stance is more like an explanation than an identity: "I believe in God but not religion".

Click to expand...

I believe in God but not in religion (mythologies, revelations, ritualism etc.) and call myself a Panentheist. But I do believe that Tantra-Yoga is the quickest system for realizing God.

Hereashortwhileonly said:

That is for the seeker to find for him/ herself.

I am a Muslim.

Click to expand...

95%+ of people find what they inherited from their parents or peers growing up.

shunyadragon said:

95%+ of people find what they inherited from their parents or peers growing up.

Click to expand...

How can you trust statistics? Only God knows what is in a person's heart.

Hereashortwhileonly said:

How can you trust statistics?

Click to expand...

These are simply basic facts of the believers of the world. Few change their religious beliefs. In other words few seek outside their own belief systems they inherited.

Only God knows what is in a person's heart.

Click to expand...

Does not address your previous assertion. Considering the fact that many believe in conflicting diverse religions making the same claim you are making. Of course there maybe no God.

shunyadragon said:

These are simply basic facts of the believers of the world. Few change their religious beliefs. In other words few seek outside their own belief systems they inherited.



Does not address your previous assertion. Considering the fact that many believe in conflicting diverse religions making the same claim you are making. Of course there maybe no God.

Click to expand...

I think language causes a lot of confusion to do with religion. A person thinks their outlook is correct - otherwise he/ she wouldn't hold that outlook.
But we know that so many other outlooks exist. This causes problem: am I making a judgement on them being wrong? And, If most of us follow beliefs because parents etc., then how can one belief be correct if mostly luck decides who holds correct belief? So person says, all beliefs are narratives, but there is one truth. And organised religion is human invention, to help the human beings to the one transcendent truth, which is independent of religion.
The problem with this "solution" is even more problematic, however.
How?
Religion provides human being with a sure way of looking at the world. This is necessary for the human being to reach truth, that he begins from belief in truth.
Implicitly it cannot accept the truth of another religion; instead it respects whatever truth it contains and its adherents who follow that religion. But if he gives up the truth-claims of his unique outlook then he gives up the possibility of knowing truth, and he gives up faith and the possibility of knowing God. So everything would be lost.
We cannot know whether other religions are true, and can't say, we can only go from our own beliefs and what our religion teaches. This is a subtle difference but all important. Why? Because it goes again to the heart of what being in an organised religion provides, which is liberation from Knowing by the light of ourselves. I don't claim to know the truth, I have a faith in religion which makes claims on the truth. Without the religion, then the individual is burdened again with passing their opinion on what is the truth, so placing themselves as the appointed Knower.
This is an attempt at saying why organised religion is vital and that relativisation of outlook risks throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
Islam teaches that all peoples have received revelations at different times, and that Islam itself is the primordial religion and not a new religion. It is possible to respect other religions, without needing to say that they are an equally valid pathway to truth.
Nearly every person has a religion as nearly every person is part of a people. It is just sometimes called by different names.
Just as person wants the water which flows from the natural source, every person wants religion which originates from pure non-human source. Even in secular society, people treat certain words with religious awe - they don't question - if you say because Equality demands it, people will be scared to object, and fall in line. The truth of this concept seems other-worldly in its power. Even though equality is manifestly neither an Absolute or in tune with human nature. (People seek advancement of their own self/group interest, and this won't end after pre-existing power structures are brought low.)