Is Religion a relationship?

[The Magnificent]

So lately... Religion has really occupied my time and I have done alot of research. I try to understand how and why everyone think and act differently. The only conclusion I come to is... Where we are born (location), how our parents act, how you are raised, the place you live, wealth, social status, friends, etc.

I've only been on the site for about 15 minutes and when searching around the forums a thought came to me pretty quick. Almost everyone on the forums got a different religion they believe in, obviously, we're all different.

The list continues. That was just an example. Quite obvious, you choose a religion or get born into one because of your parents and their beliefs.

Religion can teach you alot of good things, don't get me wrong, but we don't need religion to understand what's wrong or right in life. I'm just wondering... Do you actually believe there is a God or do believe in your religion because it teach you the way to live life?

If you do and don't believe in a God, but you can agree that your religion is the way to live a safe, happy life. It's more like a relationship, more than faith? And if you agree it's a relationship you can also agree that it's completely useless?

And if you can agree that it's useless. You can also agree that religion is completely useless? I'm not trying to be ignorant, but I want to understand how you can believe there is a God out there without evidence nor proof.

To keep the flame alive. The whole topic in one single question. Can you agree that religion teaches you how to life your life (what's wrong and what's right). So it's basically a relationship, not faith?

 

[Unveiled Artist]

All good questions. I have multiple answers because no one religion shapes my life, all of them I practice are my life.

With that said

For there to be a jealous god, must there not be other gods to be jealous of? I've always though that kinda screws with monotheism ... no?

I think the Abrahamic God was aware that people where worshiping idols calling them gods. He disagreed because He says He is the only God/Creator and there is no idol that supersedes His position as such.

Do you actually believe there is a God or do believe in your religion because it teaches you alot of good things, the way to live life, etc?

I rely on Buddhism because it shows me how to live without being oppressed by other peoples conditioning on how they feel I should live. I try and meditate daily and in my everyday activities. I also read the suttras. What I found is the Buddha taught basic needs of separating ourselves from seeing duality. Life and death, up and down, heaven and hell, etc. The practices range by culture and country but the beliefs core are the same, noble truths and how to come from suffering.

If you do and don't believe in a God, but you think the things your religion teaches you is good, it's more like a relationship more than faith? And if you agree it's a relationship you also can agree that it's useless

Yes. It is a relationship. When I celebrate full and new moon and honor ancestors Im making changes with the seasons and pattern my life by them. Im also trying to build better connection with family. It isnt a "faith only" lifestyle.

And, if you can agree that it is useless, can you also agree that religion is useless?

No. Anyone who has morals say in their family, community, work, self can build a relationship/religion off these morals and continue to live them in structured way (take kids to school at 7am to go excercising at 9am) You dont need the supernatural to follow a religion.

I'm not trying to be ignorant, but I want to understand how you can believe there is a God out there without evidence or proof

I dont believe in an external being. God, if you like, IS life not created it. The evidence is your existence. The Buddha taught that suffering is the illusions of our mind. If we break from duality we see who we naturally are aka we experience God. The proof is in the lifestyle and experience.

For example, before a woman gives birth to a child she can see in others their joy from experience but has no proof beyond what she observes. Whe she herself has a child, then she sees the proof in herself and in her child.

To keep the flame alive. The whole topic is one single question. Can you agree that different religion teaches you how to life your life, like a relationship?

Yes.

 

[Brickjectivity]

So lately... Religion has really occupied my time and I have done alot of research. I try to understand how and why everyone think and act differently. The only conclusion I come to is... Where we are born (location), how our parents act, how you are raised, the place you live, wealth, social status, friends, etc.

It is a cold fact that sometimes the only way to understand a religion is to be in it. All of us are 'Blinded' by our lack of morality. We cannot see far beyond ourselves, because we care the most about ourselves. How can we understand someone else's religion? It is a little like explaining the universe without making any observations. We can't explain what we can't see, and we can't see something that we don't truly care about. The abundance of religious material becomes bothersome. We seek to summarize it, to avoid it and to categorize it. That is normal.

 

[Quintessence]

The list continues. That was just an example. Quite obvious, you choose a religion or get born into one because of your parents and their beliefs.

It might interest you to know that a large percentage of Americans change religions over the course of their lifetime at least once, which means they are deviating from their parents beliefs and practices. I think you might be overstating the strength of parental influence here.

I'm just wondering... Do you actually believe there is a God or do believe in your religion because it teach you the way to live life?

It is not atypical within Neopagan religions for practices to be more important than beliefs, so in that sense, yes, the fact that my religion is a way of life is more important on the whole. That said, the practices of my religion are either directly supported by philosophy and theology or emerge from it. My religion is not, however, faith-based. Asking if I "believe" in my gods is quite literally as absurd as asking if I "believe" in the sun. That the sun exists is self-evident and obvious to anyone, and in practice, I worship and revere the sun (Sun Spirit, more properly) as a deity.

If you do and don't believe in a God, but you can agree that your religion is the way to live a safe, happy life. It's more like a relationship, more than faith? And if you agree it's a relationship you can also agree that it's completely useless?

Well, given my religion isn't faith-based at all, uh... maybe? I'm not sure I really understand your meaning here, and I definitely don't understand your trail of logic here. What do you mean when you say "more like a relationship?" What does that mean? How are relationships completely useless? Isn't our entire human existence characterized by relationships? I don't understand.

And if you can agree that it's useless. You can also agree that religion is completely useless? I'm not trying to be ignorant, but I want to understand how you can believe there is a God out there without evidence nor proof.

Okay, I'm pretty confused right now, but... I'm starting to get the sense that the assumptions you are bringing to the table just don't apply to all religions, including my own. The existence of my gods is self-evident and obvious. I don't "believe" in them. Sun is rising in the east, plain as day (pun intended), for anyone to witness, and the Winged Ones are chirping up a storm outside greeting it's emergence. At any rate, considering the functions religions serve in human culture, I could never agree that religions are useless. I could never agree that the search for truths and meaningfulness in our lives is useless. Well, perhaps I could if I was chronically depressed and suicidal...

To keep the flame alive. The whole topic in one single question. Can you agree that religion teaches you how to life your life (what's wrong and what's right). So it's basically a relationship, not faith?

I still don't really understand what you mean when you suggest religion is a "relationship." I mean, religion deals with relationships, but to call it a relationship itself? That doesn't make sense to me, perhaps because I'm unclear on what you mean.

 

[Laika]

To keep the flame alive. The whole topic in one single question. Can you agree that religion teaches you how to life your life (what's wrong and what's right). So it's basically a relationship, not faith?

The idea that a belief system (not just a religion) is like a relationship sounds right. This is probably more true if it's all-encompassing as it then sort of has a 'personality', a pattern of ideas, emotions and thoughts that become very familiar overtime which you have to negotiate with your own. sometimes that can really **** you off because you clash with "it" and then you have to work through it or you put aside your differences to try to live with each other. But When it works, it's like having a best friend who can encourage and inspire you.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Of course I believe in God and the biggest part of my religion is how to have a proper relationship with Him which entails a certain way of living.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I don't believe in my religion.

 

[LuisDantas]

To keep the flame alive. The whole topic in one single question. Can you agree that religion teaches you how to life your life (what's wrong and what's right).

That is the secondary objective of religion as I conceive it. The primary objective is to help in nurturing the discernment to reach those conclusions on one's own.

So it's basically a relationship, not faith?

If by faith you mean beliefs about deities, I see that as just some nuisance-like noise. It is not to be generally lent value, although some people do feel highly motivated by it and that should be respected.

Even under ideal circunstances, those beliefs are still strictly personal, strictly optional, and just a means to reach the actual goals.

That said, "faith" has several meanings, and the best ones do not need belief and are very closely related to healthy relationships.

 

[The Magnificent]

Awesome to see that we can have a civilized conversation going on here, I thought I was about to get roasted. I'd love to reply with my opinion to all the different posts, but that would take too long because it's hard for me to type in english.

Again. I respect everyone's opinion. I'm not that "I'm right, you're wrong" guy, because in the end. We don't know anything. A question to everyone one of you I really wanted to ask. If every religion have a god, wouldn't that be very wierd? There are 1000's of gods, but there is only one "god" if he's real. God as the creator of the universe and everything, not god as in a person. I'm not saying you believe in dumbledore.

But as the question goes. There's only one god, not multiple. So that means only one religion is right and the other is not and how do you know your religion is true?

 

[LuisDantas]

A question to everyone one of you I really wanted to ask. If every religion have a god, wouldn't that be very wierd?

I don't think so, because I understand gods to be created by their believers.

There are 1000's of gods, but there is only one "god" if he's real. God as the creator of the universe and everything, not god as in a person. I'm not saying you believe in dumbledore.

But as the question goes. There's only one god, not multiple. So that means only one religion is right and the other is not and how do you know your religion is true?

Maybe I am not supposed to answer this question? For what it is worth, I think any and all gods exist only as concepts.

 

[roger1440]

Usually religion teaches us how to obtain a closer relationship with God and the world in which we live. Since this is a process we have to accept it on faith. The word “religion” means “rejoin” or “reunite’. Note the prefix “re”. “Re” means again. Therefore “religion” means to join again, which implies we were once joined in the past. It is the coming back to God.

 

[Quintessence]

But as the question goes. There's only one god, not multiple. So that means only one religion is right and the other is not and how do you know your religion is true?

I guess maybe your thread didn't apply to me, because this question doesn't apply to me either? I'm a polytheist, and even if I was a monotheist, I would never be an exclusivist monotheist (aka, there is only One True God®) or an exclusivist religionist (aka, there is only One True Religion®).

 

[The Magnificent]

I guess maybe your thread didn't apply to me, because this question doesn't apply to me either? I'm a polytheist, and even if I was a monotheist, I would never be an exclusivist monotheist (aka, there is only One True God®) or an exclusivist religionist (aka, there is only One True Religion®).

Sorry, I may write my questions a little more harder to understand than what it really is. I can try again.
There's only one god, that means the religion who has that "god" is the right religion. But again, I don't know how everyone picture god. Is he a person? Energy? Invisible?

I want to know if only one religion is "true" because that god in that religion created everything, and we shall look up to him.

 

[Vishvavajra]

Actually, religion was originally understood as a kind of relationship in ancient times, not a belief system.

The idea that religion is primarily concerned with belief is Christian in origin, in its strong form characteristically Protestant. Even in that context it's not necessarily accurate.

 

[JoStories]

So lately... Religion has really occupied my time and I have done alot of research. I try to understand how and why everyone think and act differently. The only conclusion I come to is... Where we are born (location), how our parents act, how you are raised, the place you live, wealth, social status, friends, etc.

I've only been on the site for about 15 minutes and when searching around the forums a thought came to me pretty quick. Almost everyone on the forums got a different religion they believe in, obviously, we're all different.

The list continues. That was just an example. Quite obvious, you choose a religion or get born into one because of your parents and their beliefs.

Religion can teach you alot of good things, don't get me wrong, but we don't need religion to understand what's wrong or right in life. I'm just wondering... Do you actually believe there is a God or do believe in your religion because it teach you the way to live life?

If you do and don't believe in a God, but you can agree that your religion is the way to live a safe, happy life. It's more like a relationship, more than faith? And if you agree it's a relationship you can also agree that it's completely useless?

And if you can agree that it's useless. You can also agree that religion is completely useless? I'm not trying to be ignorant, but I want to understand how you can believe there is a God out there without evidence nor proof.

To keep the flame alive. The whole topic in one single question. Can you agree that religion teaches you how to life your life (what's wrong and what's right). So it's basically a relationship, not faith?

For me, I don't have a 'religion' per se. I walk a spiritual path because no religion has all the answers to wha God is. And while all religions might hold a piece of that truth, none of all of it. Also, no, religion does not teach me how to live. My path gives me peace, meditation gives me some answers to the tougher questions but it doesn't teach me the morals and ethics one needs to live in today's society, and no, it's not a relationship for me. Interesting questions however.