Could you believe in God without believing in religion?

Just curious as to how believers feel about forgetting all about religion and just believing in God. Isn't believing in God enough? Must belief be clouded with the shackles of religion? Or is God and religion totally inseperable?

reply to post by Corum


uh i believe in jesus and god and that jesus died for my sins

i dont claim a religion at all


think about it the 10 commandments and the way jesus taught to live is pretty common sense and wise

why do you need anything else

I think its the smartest move you can do, organized religion has proven time and time again how truly messed up they are.

If you know, and speak with God on your own and do what is right in your heart. IMHO you will find your self in a better more loving place then any religion can help you with.

Good Luck Man!

Originally posted by Corum
Just curious as to how believers feel about forgetting all about religion and just believing in God. Isn't believing in God enough? Must belief be clouded with the shackles of religion? Or is God and religion totally inseparable?

What "God" are you going to believe in that isn't at least some way partially defined by a particular religion? Given some attributes in the Bible or the Koran that you agree with. Even calling the thing "God" is a reflection of some Judeo-Christian religious structure.

What are you believing in? Without any particular religion to go by, are you going to believe in some kind of intelligent, super-powerful, omniscient and omnipresent entity not only responsible for the creation of the multi-dimensional universe but the control of every bit of matter and energy in it? Or maybe something with human form and human motivations? Because it doesn't take long before you either run into logical paradoxes or you have an entity that is so incomprehensible it might as well be non-existent.

What kind of "God" are you talking about?

[edit on 18-7-2008 by Nohup]

I agree, as long as you have God Jesus in your heart it shouldnt matter what religion or no religion at all. I work as a Church Secretary for a Lutheran Church. I dont even go to church. I pray though every nite , I meditate with God. They say the Gnostic Gospels was what Jesus really believed in. That God is in us, we are part of God you dont have to go to church give money for God to hear your prayers. You are suppose to go to church to pray in masses, because the more people you have praying and putting the thoughts out into the universe can be changed. Not give them Money. Roman Catholic church really screwed religion up for everyone.

This is pretty much how I live.

I believe in a higher being & I maintain a good set of morals. IMO, everything else offered iup in the various religous texts are clouded by man's input & likely has little true mixed in all of it.

In answer to Nohup, I don't believe in God. What I meant though, for the thread, is God in general, the all seeing, all hearing universal being. There's no need to over analyse, Nohup, although I do get your meaning.

[edit on 18-7-2008 by Corum]

Originally posted by NohupWhat "God" are you going to believe in that isn't at least some way partially defined by a particular religion?

I am a Panthiest and many of us manage to separate God from Religion quite well. Pantheists believe there is ONLY god, so all the different religions are a manifestation of Gods mind, as is everything else too (good, evil, athiests, etc...).

I believe in a powerful being that created the universe but I don't follow any sort of religion. As long as you're not hurting, violating or disrespecting other people, I don't find any reason to follow religion and the rules they've set for you. That's just my opinion of course.

The answer to this thread is quite simple: Of course you can believe in God without religion. Kind of silly to think one can't, isn't it? You would think religion created God. No.......man created religion. God has always been. God has no religion, so why would He want us to have one?

Just had an epiphany.....

reply to post by Excitable_Boy


it is agreed at least by me that you dont need religion, you just need god, plus it keeps you from ignorant arguments over religion.

Religion is politics and there should be no place for politics between any human and God. Unfortunately, that's what there mostly is - most have religion and therefore their relationships with God are clouded and confused...by religion. Religion trying to tell us humans what is what with regards to God. Isn't that playing God?

If you ask me, if God is going to bring on some sort of end times, it will be because of all the religious political zombies. This is what He didn't want: religion - the cause of most wars. Does that make sense? Wars over religion. Oh yeah, where is God in that?

He's not in it.

reply to post by Corum

well no you have to believe in jesus too...then live right and THEN youre good


OR

you can do what i do read the bible and forget what all other religions say and even what my church says and just follow the bible make the most logical rule of interpretation etc so that you make not a new religion but you follow that religon the right way... check out the REAL christianity ... its pretty cool

im only religious on airplanes

Raised religious, schooled religious, but when I began to think for myself I put away all religions. I don't believe things just because you say it's true. However I believe in something bigger th an us. But atleast I'll be honest and say I have absolutly no idea who or what if anything It is. And no one else does either so that make everything OK. :bnghd:

Originally posted by Corum
Isn't believing in God enough?

Enough for what ? Redemption ? Passage into Heaven ?

If you go by those reasons then in essence you are believing in religion as these are what form religion and the reasons for believing in a God/Jesus.

Sure you can believe in a higher being without the need for religion.

Myself whilst I don't believe 100% there is a higher being I am open to the possibilities there might be one who created everything, however I don't buy into the religious texts and the teachings of the various religions to me they are just a tool of controlling the masses & a crutch for people who need something to believe in to make themselves deal with things easier!

YES! Definitely

IMO - religion is man made to control man. Don't forget it was the original politics.

reply to post by Corum


deism?

or maybe some sort of paganistic belief in a god we cannot understand?

...which god in particular? there are a lot of them out there.

I believe in God and not religion... look at the people that run our religions.. you trust them to bring us the truth?