Can You Connect to God Without Religion?
Is there a difference between God and Religion? There is definitely a difference between God and religion. God is someone I have a relationship with. My view on God can be altered by many factors in my life. It can be affected by my relationship with my own father or even by my culture and the people I spend time with.
I see religion is a set of beliefs that have guidelines for behavior associated with them. There are many religions with many differing beliefs and rules. I don’t think God needs religion. He wants to have a relationship with me. It is so easy for me to get confused and think that my relationship with him has rules of engagement. I love knowing that God cares about me and that my relationship with him does not need a lot of order and structure. I want to participate in religion or church to celebrate his holiness, but it’s not a condition of knowing God. Do you believe you can you connect to God without religion?
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13 Responses to “Can You Connect to God Without Religion?”
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Media
Crave: The Documentary
What role do our deepest human cravings for intimacy, destiny, and meaning play in our search for God?
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Do you crave destiny? (Part 2)
Destiny? Is this really me? Was I really born for great things?
>Watch
60% of students in higher levels of Education are women. If women are smarter than men why have they not played a more significant role in any religious texts. 10% of all humans, birds and mammals are homosexual. If this were not so there would a true population explosion. God is the ultimate programmer. The program that was created ensured that there would be no fingerprints.
John, even if your facts are true (ie, 60% and 10%, which may not may not be the case) your conclusions don’t necessarily follow; these are “non-sequiturs”, meaning that the conclusion doesn’t follow from the facts.
God has in fact left his fingerprints all over creation. For an examination of just some of the ways as revealed by modern scientific investigation, see http://www.focus.org.uk/ (check the videos listed on the left navigation) or the work of astrophysicist Hugh Ross (http://www.reasons.org) for example.
I have struggled with religion for so years, as many of us have. I went from Catholic (as a child) to Jewish (for 19 years). Now I am questioning why I need to follow religious rules placed to me to by any religious affiliation when they don’t no longer make any sense. Yes, I do believe in God, or something bigger than all of us, and there are rules people should follow to be GOOD citizens and human beings, but it’s all common sense and should not be dictated by churches, bibles, torahs, or ancient tales and rules. I have recently began to believe that GOD is what we make it and it may be different for some than for others. So what does that make me?
Men and not women created religion when all the evidence proves women are intellectually superior. GOD never published any religious book nor gave anyone authority to publish it. The only publication of GOD might be the 10 Commandments but I doubt it. Morality is written on our conscience the moment we breathe air. Blanca you are a Theist and be proud of it. GOD has no ego and couldn’t care less about how anyone perceives HER.
Blanca, you say “I have recently began to believe that GOD is what we make it” and then ask “what does that make me?” I think that makes you a normal human being. Humans have always tried to make God (or rather remake their conception of God) in their own image. But not surprisingly, when people do that, the “God” they come up with ends up looking a lot like themselves. This kind of “God” is comfortable but tame, familiar but powerless. Rather than settling for trying to remake God to fit our own preconceptions, I hope we can continue to seek to discover who God really is.
I can understand your aversion to “religion” though. I did not grow up knowing anything about any religion, and refused to attend any church until after I became a Christian … and even then, grudgingly! At first anyways. It looks years before I found a spiritual community that I can truly call home, but it’s been worth it and I’ve grown a lot along the way.
I highly, highly recommend a book called The End of Religion by Bruxy Cavey. You can read a sample chapter here … the author says he is writing “I am writing to people who may have grown tired of religion but are not prepared to jettison the idea of connecting with God.” His simple observation about the story of Jesus turning water to wine helped transform the way I understand Jesus’ mission on Earth (ie, Jesus wasn’t a fan of religion-for-religion’s-sake either.)
I hope that this helps. What do you see as being the next step on your spiritual journey?
PS. If you’d like a copy of the book let me know and I’ll see if one could be sent to you.
i have found meaning life from soul cravings the prequl i would like to know more about God and religion…
Biological scientists have published scientific studies that have established that evolution is not random but purposeful. Search “Evolution purposeful or random” also search “God is an evolutionist”
Sammy, we would love to help you get to know God. He cares deeply about you. Why don’t you read this article? http://powertochange.com/discover/faith/discoverpurpose/ It clearly explains how you can know God in a personal way. “Lord I pray for Sammy that you would help him come to know you and experience the great depth and meaning you provide. You care about him and want to give him a deep sense of fulfillment. This we pray in your name. Amen”
I cannot STAND the strict rules of church where you either have to hide your views or risk being kicked out if they mis-understand you if you seek answers they do not have.
But then again the word *Atheism* is miss-used by people who believe in a God but unsure of where they fit in and often times they actually mean they are *Agnostic*.
True Atheism is not believing in God or an afterlife and furthermore you are not open to the idea if possible data arrives thru either science or your own experiences with *God* so you will always be *closed minded* to the idea.
Some Atheists go as far as burning down churches and one peed on someone’s picture of Jesus and called it art while everyone was cheering.
Hi Kyle,
I like your point that there will always be something mysterious about God, in that we will always seeks answers that churches don’t have. It is so true that God’s thoughts and ways are far above ours, which is why I take such comfort in knowing that He is holy. Since He is perfectly holy and never contradicts Himself or lies, He is also perfectly trustworthy and faithful. That is why, even though I cannot comprehend everything about Him, I can still know Him and know Him intimately, by what He has done over the course of history and in my own life and heart. Just like a good friend, I get to know Him better the more time I spend with Him, talking with Him, listening to Him and just reflecting on how kind, compassionate and generous He is toward me.
To your point about atheism, I have heard it said that it takes much more faith to believe that everything is a magnificent accident than to believe in a good, awesome, creative God who loves us and not only designed all life, but holds it all together by the power of His word. Isn’t it amazing that all He had to do was speak, “Let there be light” and there was light!?
Yes! absolutely. Whenever I speak on God, someone is always stating that I am “Religious”. But religious I am not, I haven’t been following a set of rules, paying tides, Praying at certain hours. (not that anything is wrong with that) But its just that I feel like Religion is Man Made. It puts God in a box, it also puts His Abilities in a Box. Which I don’t Agree with. Now I will read the Bible and everything, But I refuse to consider myself religious.
Good points Cindy!! You are right in saying that religion is a set of rules but a relationship with Christ is a personal relationship. So much more! God definitely can’t be put into a box!