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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Tom:
Religious texts where written by men. If these men had been inspired by GOD, then GOD would have inspired them to include women in the writing. Because women were excluded from the writing the word, and do not play a major role in any religious texts, then GOD who created men and women did not inspire these men whatsoever. The good Book is a book of myths. Humans have always created myths to make moral sense of their world. The Bible authors were no different. Humankind has been on this planet for at least 100,000 years. Yet the faith, Tom that you speak of has been here less than 10% of that time. It was just coincidentally at that time that humans developed literacy. Ancient myths like the story of Noah were introduced into the Bible. Humans have always loved a good story. Fictional stories sell very well. The Bible was the first great work of fiction. Dreams seem true while we sleep. It is only when we awaken do we see the actual truth,
To Canadian Jack—
Thanks for your reply. Let me try to address a few of your comments:
Some of your words need definition. Words such as “inspired,” “uniter,” “forces,” and “religion,” can and do have many different meanings. Without having your definitions of those words, I can only attempt to respond from what I believe you mean by each, so accept my apology if I’m off base with any of them.
Your statement about the possibility of the Bible being inspired by divisive forces is contrary to what the Word of God clearly states: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16). Second Peter 1:20-21 further states, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy (def. Anything written in the Bible) of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” Therefore, it is impossible for the Bible to be anything but the inspired (def. “God-breathed) Word of God, and in nowise could it be a divisive device used by and/or for evil forces or purposes.
If you consider the Bible as a “religious book,” then you are also incorrect that “GOD never endorsed any religion or any religious book.” The verses listed above categorically show God’s endorsement of the Bible. Therefore, everything written in the Bible is God’s endorsement of what is written, including the entire New Testament (as well as hundreds of references in the Old Testament) that refer to faith in Christ (I.e. the “religion” of Christianity) as the one and only true, God-endorsed religion.
You’re so right—doing “good” things makes people feel really good about themselves—endorphins or no endorphins. The devil’s lie is that doing good things will earn God’s good graces and a place in heaven when they die. However, they are sadly mistaken.
It would seem that your last statement does, in fact, try to separate the definition of religion from belief in God. However, belief in God is NOT the same as biblical Christianity. Millions of people “believe in God.” Even the demons do. But separating oneself from religion to focus on God does NOT save one from God’s wrath on judgment day. Only repentance (turning from sin) and trusting in Jesus Christ alone will cleanse you from your sin and unrighteousness before a Holy God.
Let me ask you CJ—Where do you personally stand on that?
Tom:
My posts including everyone else’s could very well be inspired by GOD. The Bible could very well be inspired by the divisive forces in GOD’s kingdom who would sew division amongst all of us. GOD is the Great uniter. Lucifer the great divider. When we smile, our body is filled with endorphins. When we meditate on love, we escape pain because of our GOD given endorphins. Our desire to care for each other when any one of us is in need also releases endorphins. We are biochemically rewarded by the good we do. GOD never endorsed any religion or any religious book. Religion serves as a security blanket for those who are spiritually lacking. When you free yourself from religion you open your soul to receive the Word of GOD. It takes courage.
Canadian Jack—So where does that leave YOU? You talk about God and you talk about Jesus Christ, but just exactly what do you believe? You state “To believe in any religion is to have faith in the men who created the books.” What are your beliefs about the Bible? Is it the word of God and inspired by him, or just a “religious” book written by men?
Good for you Kimberly. God never authorized any religion. Men did. Today more women are in post graduate schools than men. Yet women play few roles in religious texts. GOD is a uniter but religion is divisive. Why would the Creator approve of anything that divides humans from each other. Jesus Christ would have been literate yet he did not write any part of the New Testament. To believe in any religion is to have faith in the men who created the books. I have no faith in any man who would set about to divide humanity. Religion is immoral.
Kimberly…i appreciate your comments about spirituality however i would invite you to read the words of christ in the new testament and consider his person. you see no matter how spiritually minded we are, we still have a problem with our inability to stop doing morally wrong thoughts, words and deeds. those are the things that seperate us from our creator and jesus died to remove from us by giving us his divine nature when we receive him as lord and savior. to know more about doing just that log onto knowingjesuspersonally.com or click talk to a mentor above. i pray you would be open to the revelation of jesus christ in your life and recevie his words of life as well amen!
I believe in God not because of religion but because of events that changed my life. Before those events I was unsure of the idea of God himself. I believe I had an out of body experience and met God in the form of an Idea. But even after that first experience I wasn’t truly convinced that what had happened to me was real and I went on an active search for God, not within the church or religion, but within myself. I’ve met God in different forms of life.I see God in everything and in everyone. Praying and meditation has been my gateway to answers I seek from God. Being curious and asking yourself questions, God will place in front of you the answers you seek. Good things happen when full faith, gratitude, and positivity take place. I believe life is about your own personal relationship with God. Self-knowledge is also knowledge of God -Carl Jung.
chavon…interestingly enough, we never find jesus mentioning the Word relgion and yet that is what most people focus on and talk about. could it be we are not on the same page with christ himself? jesus talked about relationship because that is what he wants with us. how tragic it is to substitute dead religión for a life changing experience and relationship with our dear lord jesus christ who loved us so he was willing to die in our place!! knowingjesuspersonally.com
everyone is right in their own way. its whatever you believe even if there is one absolute truth. thing is the truth has many shades. everything is everything with or without religion so can u connect to God without religion Yes. it goes either way. i agree with everyone in their own light. However.. Canadian Jack and ppl who agree with him are very wise. im not knocking anyone who doesnt agree but ive been both religious and non religious and am beginning to see the whole truth. religion has its purpose just like everything else….open your mind people.
sumeet…due to the fact that we have all sinned and come short of Gods glory, the only way to enter into Gods glory and heaven after this life is by receiving jesus christ personally as our lord and savior. there is no way through our own efforts, good Works or lifestyle to bridge the gap so wide and so long that only the cross of christ can bridge. i pray that you would see yourself the way God sees you, a needy sinner like we all are, not sufficient within yourself to reach heaven. if you would like more information on how to know jesus personally as your lord and savior log onto..knowingjesuspersonally.com or click talk to a mentor above. i pray now that your heart would be opened to the truth from Gods Word the bible so that you can receive what has been provided for you since calvary when jesus took your sins upon his own self so that you and i could be forgiven and given everlasting life. blessings to you today!
I have a question, what if I have no faith in religion and God.
Because i believe the things i have seen.
And I am always doing the right things that a good believer can do,
Lama Surya Das, when you stated that “Happiness is your connection to God,” were you referring to a God with whom you have a relationship through His “only begotten” son, Jesus Christ, the maker of heaven and earth, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the One and Only True God, He, Who was and is, and is to Come?
Happiness is your connection to God. A person who can be in harmony with himself or herself can more readily connect with the universe and attract to himself/herself the happiness, health, and prosperity he or she desires.
Interesting perspective G.K. Nath. I would agree that you can have a relationship with God and that you can have direct communication with God without a mediator. It is completely consistent with His character as one who is not hidden and has standards to which He wants us to conform. But the truth is God wants us to know Him in truth and so He has given us this great gift of the Bible.
Since last many years I am maintaining good relation with God without following any religious teachings. It’s fine. At least I am away from the hatreds among the believes of different religion, probably the main reason behind the wars and unrest in this beautiful world. My believe is ” direct communication between individual and God, no mediator” .
May God bless all cutting across the barrier of religion .
In the article the author defines religion as “a set of beliefs that have guidelines for behavior associated with them.” Do you think that is a good way of defining what a religion is? Are there things you would change about that or add to it?
I agree with Canadian Jack. It’s HIGHLY possible to connect to God and Jesus Christ without religion. I’m not going to disregard religion nor disrespect the people who follow it. I won’t even cut my eyes at the atheists. Everybody has the right to believe in what they want to, and I’m nobody’s God or judge to tell them otherwise. But me personally, I think me stepping away from religion was one of the best things for me. My relationship with God seems more genuine. I don’t think I ever been this close to God before. I thank him for everything he’s done for me constantly and I say prayer every chance I get, and those two things alone really urge me to become a better human being in this life. I felt when I was “religious” I wasn’t myself. I wasn’t 100% honest with God, Jesus, and myself. I felt I was putting up a front and that my existence was based upon how others portrayed me. Well, that diminished a while ago when I eradicated religion out of my life. I choose to live as a free human being, to carry out the misson my creator has destined for me until I move on to the next thing. I’mothing ostentatious, I’m just a creation of God placed on this Earth to not only live out my destiny, but to improve my soul and become one of his people, not to be apart of this world I’m temporarily settled in. I’m not advising people to take the same route I’m taking, I’m just shedding a little insight on the inquisitive ones. No matter what you decide or how you live your life, may God bless you.
I am the lucky one, I found GOD without reliance on any religious book. Most of the posts except for mine, is about finding GOD through religion, This web site raises a question: “CAN YOU CONNECT TO GOD, WITHOUT RELIGION?” All of you have answered this question in the negative. The proof lies within ourselves. When anyone smiles they produce endorphins. When this biochemical reaches your brain, you feel the love of the creator within your body. All of us possess cannabin receptors in within ourselves. Cannabis is a plant. People suffering from any auto immune disorder have their symptoms improve when they take cannabis. Cannabis has been proven to create apoptosis in cancer cells. Auto immune disease can lead to cancer unless the patient is taking cannabis for their symptoms. Evolution is not random, it is purposeful. Evolution is an elegant program created by GOD to prove its directed purpose to homo sapiens. Faith leads you down the wrong path invariably because it deals with what you want to believe and not what just is. Logic is far better. It connects you to GOD without religion.
I also believe we have a choice to believe as God himself had spoken of, “Freedom of choice “As we look at religion today it separates us from the truth. I believe I have a relationship with God , I don’t dis the bible either ,but I do believe that if you follow his words along with hold faith in your hearts along with Jesus teachings you can’t go wrong. Every religion is based on faith and if you keep and hold that faith with all your heart God will guide us to where we are meant to be . I believe the words of the bible with what I know and hold dear and close to my heart , yet politics, always get in the way of ones beliefs systems which confuses a searchers for the truth. Its about loving God , and embracing hisersonal messages to us , as individuals.His church has no walls , his love is never ending , yet we fight in his name .The bibles history always under investigation , yet his words we seek , should that not be enough without wanting to constantly make claims on him, and fight in his name as other religion’s wwho just want to claim him as theirs ! God does not have a label other than to love us , and embrace his love . I say that is above everything and its the way it should be . Amen
Jamie:
If the bones had been reburied archaeologists could easily have located them. Archaeologists would have been familiar with the reburying of bones, The majority of archaeologists have determined that the story of the Exodus in the Bible did not happen. Indeed the only real evidence of a Biblical figure is the last King of Israel. Today we have movies, the net and television to amuse us. Back then they had the Bible as their source of entertainment. The only good thing about the Bible, it was entertaining that encouraged ancient peoples to become literate. Religion is good for literacy but nothing else.
Jamie
This web site deals with what we know and don’t know about Biblical truth. If the bones were reburied once they arrived in the promised land then archaeologists would have found the evidence in the burial grounds there. All the bodies from the Exodus could have easily been identified in their new burial sites. In fact there is no archaeological evidence of any figure in the Bible accept for one of the last Kings of Israel. The Bible cannot deal with eternal truth because it has finally arrived in an age when people are not afraid to question its underlying validity. It validity was only preserved when it was considered a sin to doubt any portion of the Bible. Before we learned about biological science there was no basis for learning about GOD except through the Bible. Now that Science has informed us about endorphins and cannabis receptors in our bodies we must conclude that a mechanical evolutionary process cannot account for these biological phenomenon. Only a caring GOD would make this happen.
http://www.fsmitha.com/review/r-dever.html
I am not an expert on the bones found in the Sinai desert so I will have to take your word for the reptile bones found there. I know that the arid climate of the desert significantly slow down the decomposition process and that on rare occasions human remains have lasted for thousands of years. But for the most part, bodies decompose, bones crumble and becomes indistinguishable from the other organic matter and minerals around it.
I am not sure that the lack of bones is enough to discredit the biblical record of the Exodus. There are many historical events that archeologists have not been able to locate evidence for but that does not mean that the event never happened. There is still a significant uncertainty of the path that the Hebrews took and the locations described in the biblical record. It makes it difficult to find bones when you are not even sure of where you are to look.
There is also the evidence from the biblical record that at least on some occasions a second burial was practiced when a body was left to decay and then the bones collected in a central burial site. We know that Jacob, and Joseph hod both requested that their remains would be placed with their fathers bones at Hebron and Shechem. It could be that many more also made such requests.
There may come a day though that the burial sites of Kibroth Hattaavah, Mount Hor, Kadesh Barnea or others may be found. If they were found would that convince you of the accuracy of the biblical record?
I am enjoying the thread between Canadian jack and Jamie. interesting comments both I am praying for both
The Sinai desert is a natural preservative. There have been ancient bones of reptiles dug up everywhere. Bones can survive for millions of years. The bones of dinosaurs are tens of millions of years old. That is why when the science of archaeology was first invented, Christian archaeologist chose the Sinai as their opportunity to prove the truth of the Bible. They dug and dug and dug. They finally concluded that GOD had spirited the bones up to heaven. It is impossible to shake the faith of Bible believer. It is best that you Jamie continue to believe in what you want to believe in. For my part I know that GOD does exist and has always existed and will always exist. So will we.
It is very unlikely that there would be any bodies left from more than 3000 years ago. It is a very rare situation to find a body that is preserved over that period of time. I can’t imagine how one would even begin a search like that. 3000 years of wind and sand would have done a pretty effective job of covering up or decaying all the bodies I would imagine. Do you know of expeditions that have gone our looking for those bodies?
I disagree with your claim that no proof of Daniel’s authorship exists. Let me list them again: 1) the inclusion of Daniel in the Qumran canon shows that it had been accepted before the time of the Maccabees and the events described in the prophecies about the Greek Empire; 2) the accuracy of the prophetic knowledge of the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek and Roman Empires including the life and death of Jesus and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD shows that this is from God as based on the standard set by God through Moses in Deuteronomy; 3) the grammatical connection to the Aramaic language of the 6th century; 4) the author identifies himself as Daniel.
That to me is pretty compelling evidence. Now if you want a video of Daniel actually penning the document I don’t have that kind of proof. But in the face of the evidence we do have I think the burden of proof is on those who dispute the authenticity of Daniel as the author.
I know it is disturbing to think that God has actually inspired a revelation of Himself to us. It removes any freedom for us to come up with our own ideas of who God is and what He expects from us. And yet it is completely consistent with His character as one who is not hidden and has standards to which He wants us to conform. But the truth is God wants us to know Him in truth and so He has given us this great gift of the Bible.
Many of the wondering Hebrews died before reaching the promised land. No archaeological evidence of these deceased wanderers have ever been found as they most certainly should have been found if the myth were true. This proves that central story to the creation of our moral code is fiction. There is no proof that the person named Daniel wrote these passages. There might have been several stories written and only the one that matched what actually happened found its way into the bible.
As I indicated before Jack, there is a lot of evidence that the book of Daniel was written in the 6th century and not after the prophecies had been fulfilled. The Qumran were a ver conservative group of hebrew scholars that took very seriously the scriptural canon. The fact that they included the book of Daniel indicates that they considered it authoritative. Something that had been written in their lifetime, claiming to be written in the 6th century would not have been accepted by them as scripture. Add to that the prophecies of the life and death of Jesus and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple was still 200-300 years after the copies of Daniel that were found in a part of the Dead Sea Scrolls still point to their accuracy in prophecy. I am looking at the evidence and it is strongly pointing to the integrity and authenticity of the document.
What sort of evidence would you expect a nomadic tribe of people to leave as they wander through the wilderness of the Negev? Their dwellings were tents, they never stayed in any location for enough time to create towns. They carried everything with them because they were planning on settling in the land of Canaan. I am not sure what kind of evidence you think archaeologists would find of their movements. It is difficult enough for archeologists to locate towns that existed hundreds of years after the Exodus. What evidence do you think would exist that would prove that part of the story?
The Bible has been notoriously accurate in its descriptions of places, people and events. Many scholars discounted David as an actual historical figure for years because there was no archeological evidence. He was a fictitious character of folklore and legend but never really existed. That is until 1993 when the excavation of Tel Dan revealed a stone tablet that celebrated the victory of an Aramean king over his southern neighbours, the “king of Israel” and the “king of the House of David”.
One event you might be particularly interested in because of it’s relative proximity to the Exodus accounts is the conquest of the land of Canaan by Joshua and the people of Israel. Many scholars have discounted the accuracy of these accounts for years but new studies are proving some of the actual events described. Case in point, the destruction of Hazor as described in Joshua 11, “Joshua turned back at that time and took Hazor, and struck its king with the sword, for Hazor was formerly the head of all those kingdoms. And they struck all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them … Then he burnt Hazor with fire” The city of Hazor has been studied for years but a renewed effort in 1990 by Amnon Ben-Tor of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has been showing more and more evidence of a great fire and the destruction. While some over the years have suggested that other nations were responsible, the discoveries of Ben-Tor have proven that indeed it was the Israelites who were responsible.
While it is true that many people are suspect of the accuracy of the historical accounts of the Bible, time and again those doubts are proved unfounded. The Bible is trustworthy no matter how much a person would prefer that it is not. The evidence consistently falls in line with what the record in the Bible describes.
Fictional stories are often told in the first person. The scribe who wrote the words of Daniel for all we now lived long after he allegedly was alive. At the time the scribe lived the prophecies that were ascribed to Daniel were easy to do because they already had happened. There is no reason whatsoever to believe that Daniel both spoke prophetic words and then wrote them down for posterity. The fact that the story of the granting of the ten commandments in a desert cannot be proven to have occurred due to the absence of archaeological evidence during the Hebrew’s forty year wandering creates irreparable damage to the validity of the Good Book you have such faith in. Faith distorts objective thinking.
Well, there are reasons to believe that a document like Daniel was written by Daniel. First is because he says that he wrote it as he received the revelations from God. Secondly, the accuracy of the prophecy achieves the standard that God set of 100% accuracy 100% of the time. Why would the writer lie about his identity if he had the confidence that God had spoken those words?
What are the reasons you have not to believe the integrity of those documents? Is it only because there are no female authors? Or do have some other evidence that has convinced you that they are untrustworthy?
Different male scribes wrote all scripture. Once again there is absolutely no reason to believe the scribes wrote the events and prophetic visions whether they were made by GOD or by a prophet at the time they occurred. Whether or not the writing appears to be in the first person does nothing to prove that the person who allegedly spoke those words also took the time and trouble to write them down. Too much faith in any book can clouds one’s vision. There is no question the Bible has some characters in them that have been proven to have existed by archaeological evidence. There is no archaeological evidence that the Exodus occurred and if it had there should be abundant evidence of a 40 year wandering. I repeat if GOD had anything to do with prophetic words allegedly spoken when they occurred half of them would have to have been prophetesses. GOD does not discriminate between the genders, you would agree I trust.
While there certainly are those who try to undermine the integrity of the prophetic writings, their arguments just don’t stand up to closer scrutiny. Many biblical scholars say that Daniel was written during the time of the Maccabees in the 2nd century rather than in the 6th century as the documents claim. The main argument for this is the accuracy of the prophecies. And yet there is too much evidence of it having been written by Daniel. Some examples of that are the detailed information of the government and civil structure of the Babylonian and Medo-Persian Empires suggest an intimate knowledge of those structures, events, and people. The inclusion on Daniel in the Qumran Dead Sea Scrolls dating back to the Maccabean era suggest that it had already been accepted in the canon of scripture by that time. The grammatical structures of Daniel’s writings are reflective of the 6th century rather than 2nd century. And even if you do see the book as being written in the 2nd century, how do you explain the accuracy of Daniel 9 in predicting the life and death of Jesus, the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple? You can’t get away from the fact that God’s prophecies have been again and again proven true through the progression of history.
Jamie:
Afraid not. We do not know who or when the Bible was written. Most of what is in the Bible is in fact a look back and is not contemporary with events described therein. There is no Biblical scholar who supports the notion that the all the scribes who wrote the Bible were recording events as they happen. The words attributed to GOD were all recorded by scribes at a future time who new the prophecies would have to be true. They lived at time when the prophecies actually were realized so they then could write about how GOD predicted these very events. There never was a prophetic time that ended. It is all a myth which you Jamie have far too much faith in. Some English Professors regard it as the greatest literature ever written. Even great literature can be substantially fictitious.
Actually Jack, I do have evidence that the words written in the Bible are indeed inspired by God. The basis of that evidence is found in something that one of the key prophets of God wrote. When God was helping to establish the societal structure of the people of Israel He told Moses to include this test of what has been spoken by Him. In Deuteronomy 18:20-22 God states:
“But the prophet who shall speak a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he shall speak in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die. And you may say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’ When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.”
As you can see God was setting the bar very high for someone to presume to speak on His behalf and the penalty for misusing that privilege was equally high. !00% accuracy 100% of the time was the standard and anything less than that resulted in death.
On that basis, let’s judge the Bible: of all of the sacred texts in the world the Bible stands alone for its amount of prophetic words and its accuracy in fulfillment of those prophecies.
I could cite many examples but just a few highlights: 1) God reveals through the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 44-45) that King Cyrus of Persia (actually using his name) as the one who will allow the Jews to return to Jerusalem after their 70 year exile in Babylon. Isaiah made this prophecy around 740-701 BC which was 142 years before Cyrus was even born in 559 BC. 2) God reveals to Daniel (Daniel 7-11) the progression of Empires ruling in the land of Israel with stunning detail even describing the conflict between the leaders of the Greek Empire and the atrocities committed by Antiochus Epiphanes.
And that is even touching on all the prophecies fulfilled in Jesus as the Messiah with such detail as the place of His birth, the rejection of Him by the religious leaders, the price of His betrayal, His death by crucifixion, and His resurrection. All of it not only established by the biblical testimony but also by contemporary historical evidence.
So based on the extremely high bar set by the Bible itself, it proves that the words given to us there are indeed inspired by God.
Jamie:
Just because His alleged words are quoted in religious texts does not mean HE ever spoke any of those words. What proof do you have that any religious text is all true and correct? With respect to women’s depiction in religious texts, I do not have to be one to know they would have preferred a more prominent role in these texts. The fact is that that was denied them, points to its fundamental unfairness. GOD detests unfairness in all matters. You are being presumptive in assuming my words apply to your Bible. Your Bible and all religious texts I repeat are not based on GOD’s words. You have absolutely no proof that GOD spoke these words except for the hearsay you quote from the untrue Bible. Your argument is supported by only a mere cloud of myths.
Well, Jack, I think it is somewhat presumptive for you to suggest that the women of the Bible were not satisfied with their lives. On what basis do you make that claim?
On what basis do you claim that God detests the Bible? How do you know what He approves and disapproves of? I can tell you what He approves of because He has communicated that through the Bible.
It is easy to target religious fervor as the source of war and bloodshed, but you can also point to many other sources of conflict in the world’s history. Money is also incredibly divisive. Countries have often gone to war in order to secure more resources for their own kingdom/nation. Nationalism has also been a divisive force in the world. Politics has also caused much of the strife and conflict in our world. Even love and sex has been known to set off wars between nations.
I think it is more appropriate for us to recognize that humans create division. It is the pride and selfishness of humanity that has led to the break down of relationships, the conflict between friends and family and the destructive impact of war. To try and point to something outside of us is to ignore the reality that the problem is us. God has shown us in the Bible that reality and He has involved Himself as the remedy to that problem. He offers to transform our passions to come in line with His. He created us to be in relationship with Him and when we are we reflect His pure character.
Getting everybody in the world to meditate in order to experience the peace and joy of our endorphins will not effectively deal with the pride and selfishness within us. Our only hope is to surrender to God, to accept that He has Himself paid the penalty for our pride and selfishness and to allow Him to lead and guide every aspect of our lives so that we can live as He created us to. We take the focus off of our selfishness and instead walk in His path.
Does that make sense?
Jamie
I repeat most religions historically supported the maltreatment of women. No where in any religious book is the true role that women seek to play in their lives. It is all about a male’s perception of what a woman’s role in society would be. Religious books only occasionally give mention to a significant female person. The gender of the all the rest of the significant people in religious texts is male. Most certainly it bears the fingerprints of male authorship. There was never a female scribe who wrote even one word of any religious text. That is one of the many reasons for GOD to detest these works of men. Dare I remind you of the religious wars allegedly fought in the name of GOD. A slander oft repeated by soldiers against the GOD they profess to believe in.Religious books are drenched with the blood of followers who met with violent death supporting their idea of truth. Another reason for GOD to detest religions. GOD is slandered every time a person says the religious texts were inspired by GOD.
Actually, I disagree that the Bible justifies the mistreatment and dishonouring of women. God has been revolutionary in the way that He interacted with women through the events of history. God directed Moses to allow women to be title holders of land. That was unheard of in that time period. Deborah was a judge over the people of Israel and was sought after for her wisdom and direction for determining civil issues between individuals as well as being a military leader against the oppression of the Canaanites. In the New Testament, Jesus first revealed Himself to some women who were instructed to go and tell the rest of the disciples that He had risen from the dead even though the society would not take the word of a woman in legal matters. It is one of the reasons that we can have confidence the truth of the story because if it had been a human idea the first witnesses would have been male to give credence to the testimony. Women played a significant role in the ministry of Jesus and in the leadership of the Early Church.
Yes, God does make a distinction between men and women by creating Adam first and calling him to the responsibility of leadership and care for the family, but that isn’t diminishing the importance or value of women. He has called them to different roles suited to the way He has created them. That is not to say that women are less intelligent than men or that men are less capable than women. It is a reflection of the differences that He created them with. Wouldn’t you agree that there are differences between men and women?
But never is there a justification of the mistreatment of women.
Every religion divides within itself. Christianity is a divided religion. Islam and Judaism as well. There were once people who believed the world was flat. Another more thoughtful group was convinced the world was round. They separated themselves from false thought. I gladly separate myself form people who believe in myths. All religions were created by men. Biblical scholars have written about the masculine nature of the written word. Yet in this and past century women have finally shown us how they are smarter than the us. They outnumber men in post graduate school and in the professions. The men who wrote the bible were under the belief that GOD chose man above woman. Most religions have justified the mistreatment of women. That is why I say GOD detest religions for they divide men from women and humans from one another. GOD is a uniter not a divider.
But by rejecting religions doesn’t that divide you from people who are religious? How can you reject religions without being divisive?
Jamie:
Religion is divisive. GOD is unifying. Every part of me rejects that which separates humans from one another. We live in very divided world. Evolution is random. GOD is purposeful.
What you and I are engaged in by our exchanges is purposeful. We want to bring the other into our notion of truth. This is commendable and very much in keeping with the GOD that created everything, The atomic weight of hydrogen is perfect. Where it not, nothing would exist. I suppose faith makes me believe that GOD created this perfect weight for
hydrogen. My faith tells me that the universe is mindful not mindless. Such a faith offends no one. Would that everyone subscribed to such a faith.
I guess I am just pointing out that your confidence in God is built on faith as well which by your definition makes it a religion. It seems like you have a double standard that everything that you believe is ok but all other faiths are religious and thus false.
I agree that often religious dogma and legalism can get in the way of our relationship with God. Too often people substitute religious observances, legalistic moral codes or rituals with actually connecting with God.
I also agree with you that there is a way that God has designed in which we can connect with Him. All paths DO NOT lead to God because they are often contradictory and therefore it doesn’t fit God’s character to create that kind of confusion.
I think we also agree that God is not hidden. It is His nature to reveal Himself to those He has created. He has created us to be in a relationship with Him and the problem is not that He is hiding, but that we have turned against His path to follow our own.
Now where we don’t agree is in the way that God has and is revealing Himself to humanity. To me it makes sense that God, in His character of generously revealing Himself, would give us a concrete way of knowing Him. I have met a lot of people who have very different-again, contradictory–ideas of what God is like and what He wants from us. In my opinion it doesn’t fit with God’s character to leave each person to their own devices of trying to figure out who He is. Instead, He has given us His written Word, the self-revelation of who He is, so that we aren’t left to our own devices to create some inferior understanding of His character. That fits my understanding of a God who wants to be known.
We see that lived out in humanity as well. When a person wants to be known for whatever reason, they will write a auto-biography or have someone else document their story. It is important to them that they are understood by the public. It is a key way that people allow the general public to know them. It is crucial for us to know people historical figures. Yes we look at their work and the results of the choices they have made but we also read the opinions of people that have known them and the things that they have written about themselves.
Since God wants to be known it makes sense that He would reveal Himself in such a way. Counterfeits can then more easily me recognized. Confidence can be placed in what is true about God. Our own interactions with God can be measured to insure that we have not misunderstood what He has said to us.
That’s what makes sense to me.
Jamie
Humans have been meditating for more than 5,000 years. No one is funding research on how cognitively impaired individuals meditate. I know of one person with Down’s syndrome who can meditate. It takes no particular mental ability to meditate. People with breathing difficulties can meditate by taking the breaths that they can take. There is no intellectual or physical obstacle to meditation. The only matter that might inhibit it is in an individual consumed with doubt.
I am sure that has been your experience Jack, but how do you know that everyone has that ability? What evidence do you have that all people can achieve the joy that you describe from meditation? What about people with minimal cognitive abilities? What about people with compromised respiratory system? What about people with chemical imbalances whose bodies don’t produce endorphins? It seems to me like you believe that the endorphins for creating joy that you gain through meditation are available to all people as evidence of a Creator God, but that is not something has been established as a fact. You want to believe it and have faith that it is true but you really don’t have factual evidence of it. Wouldn’t that make your belief system a religion as well according to your definition of what a religion is?
Jamie
If you can inhale and exhale, you have been the power to meditate. Now you have to learn the technique. Inhale and exhale evenly and slowly and focus on your breath. Be seated upright with your hands on your thighs with your eyes closed. Gradually your brain waves will change to be the same as when you are sleeping but you are now wide awake, You can focus on GOD in this meditative state with a heart bursting with thanks for this gift of meditation. In this world you have to try in order to succeed. States of mind do not happen automatically. It takes a measure of effort. Now at the end of the day, exhale more than you inhale with your closed. Focus on your breath again and you will gradually fall asleep with heart once again full of thank for these gifts from GOD.
How do you know that God has given us all the power to meditate? I can understand that meditation is something that you are able to practice but do you know that it is an ability that is universal for all humans? Has that been proved as fact? Or do you just take that on faith as something that you want to believe?
Jamie:
GOD gave each of us the power to meditate. Meditation is another route by which the Creator ensured his creation would not suffer at the time of our death. If we practice meditation long before our end our end will be pain free as our meditation will have released pain killing endorphins through to the termination of our life. Meditation through it’s release of endorphins makes us less interested in material gain. We find enjoyment from entertaining ideas we never had before. GOD provides us with biochemicals that allow our lives to be tolerable.
Thanks Jack. Is that the only criteria for what constitutes religion?
I like the connection that you make between the existence of endorphins as a proof for the existence of a loving God. How do you deal with the fact that some people don’t experience a painless death? I have had people close to me who died in a very painful way because of disease or serious physical trauma. What does that say about a loving God?
Religion is based on faith. Faith is based on what you want to believe is true. Faith is irrational and cannot be found in our rational mind. Our rational mind demands proof of the foundation of our faith. It generally determines that faith is illogical and is based on hubris or pride. I believe in GOD that created Joy in the Universe. Joy is the result of the Endorphins that were put in us when we were created. Endorphins feed us joy and the painless death we experience when we die. We know that GOD is a caring GOD to provide all mammalian life with endorphins. No cold biological evolutionary process gives a damn about whther we experience Joy or a painless death. Only the existence of a loving GOD would provide for this biochemistry. This at last is my proof that GOD exists. It is not based on faith but knowledge. Knowledge that GOD is kind and caring and not brutal. Only man is brutal.
I am still not clear on what you define as religion, Jack. Of all the different faiths in our world how do you decide what is a religion and what is not?
Most of 7000,000,000 people on this earth never heard of Jesus. The story of Jesus is very much like the pagan story of Hercules. Born to a mortal impregnated by Zeus. You know of adults who have found Christ recently. Well they have become children once again devoid of any precept of thought. Just believing in myths alone. GOD created more people on this earth who have nothing whatsoever to do with the Christian religion. GOD is neither male or female. GOD is without gender. GOD detests religion,