Religion and Faith-2 Very Different Things

Many people today think that the religious label they place upon themselves is a good indication of their faith, however, looking at the definition of a religious act, infers that it is something that is done on a regular basis. We go to work religiously; we take care of our pets religiously and may go to a church religiously as well. Using the word in its true definition, faith is not a part of it. When Jesus spoke to the Elders in the temple, He called them blind guides because they felt that due to their religious activity, that they were superior to others. Jesus pointed out that simply surrounding oneself with religion does not mean that one has faith. If you are a Christian, or even if you are not, you are aware of the many different denominations of the faith. The faith is the belief that Christ is the Son of God, which is the only belief that qualifies one as a Christian. It is the different religious systems within the common faith that is the cause of the internal separation. Baptists condemn the Catholics and vice versa, while maintaining the same faith! If one is to take the words of Jesus as the basis of one’s faith, then belief in Him is the only requirement. How is it then, that there can even be different denominations? It is only a source of conflict. Jesus never said one must be Catholic or Protestant or any other religion, but faith and faith alone is what is needed. Many people consider themselves religious while at the same time they have no faith! So the question I ask is this: if it was put so simply, then how has man made it so complicated? We also see this in the Muslim faith. There are those who think that Jihad is called for as a part of their faith, while others do not. We see today, the Palestinians fighting each other, while at the same time, trying to reach an agreement of peace with Israel. How can one have peace with another if they have no peace within their own nation? People of like faith need to come together in spite of the small differences in their expression of it if there is to be a true unity in any faith. Personally, I respect all faiths and those who believe in it. I accept all people as people. If I pray to Christ at the table, and I have a Muslim friend who wishes to pray to Allah at my table, I will respect that and have no problem with it. Many people would say that is unacceptable, but my faith calls for the acceptance of others. As a friend, I accept him and respect his faith. If people would simply care about others without passing a religious model, the world would be much better off. One thing that I feel unites us all, is the common will to be treated with respect and kindness. If we would all start there, there would be many wars that would never be fought, and we would have many friendships that otherwise we would never know. When it all comes down to it, we all have the same dreams and the same fears. Only together can we realize the one, and overcome the other. It cannot be any other way because whoever you feel is the Creator, one thing is certain; He created us to need each other.

Yet faith only exists because of religion. If everyone stopped having faith, we would all have one less difference for which to kill each other, and the world would be a lot more peaceful.

There is one thing that I feel I need to add to my thread. The first time someone comes to my house and tells me that I have to convert to anything is when I show them that my sword is very real and very sharp! There are many people out here that do not fear the terror tactics of those who would force their will, on the contrary, there are those who are willing to show that they (extreemists) haven't thought of everything, but are willing to show them what they left out!

Back to my original point,

Earlier on Thursday, a Hamas member was critically wounded in a shooting attack that the group blamed on Fatah, which in turn accused Hamas of abducting at least five of its men.

More than 40 people have died in some of the most brutal internal fighting Palestinians have experienced.

this was taken from Reuters via Yahoo! News Thu, 17 May 2007 4:05 AM PDT

Now to me, with the exeption of the violence, it reminds me of the inability of the Republicans and the Democrats to get things done here in the U.S. due to their mutual dislike. It also reminds me of a verse in the Bible which states that "A kingdom divided amongst itself cannot stand". We as a country, need to unite and realize that truth, reguardless of one's faith or polotics. Each "side" blames the other for everything that is going on, which is liken unto two children that are blaming each other for a broken lamp, refusing to admit that it was because they were BOTH messing around that caused the lamp to break. To me, they are not representing "the people", but consider looking good in their own eyes and in the eyes of their party more important. They seem to have the school kid mentallity of having "clicks", when most people see this as immature when they grow up, but as wee see in our own government, there are exeptions to this.

Jesus said that the two most important things (in this order) are to love God and then to love each other. These precepts are echoed in the world's major Religions. However, people seem to have become caught up (and thus caught in conflict) in the detail of 'how' to love God. It is at this point that Relgion has become a tool for manipulation. We forget that one of the ways to love God is to show love for each other.