Religion vs. Faith

[Brickjectivity]

Do you see a difference between belonging to the Christian faith and being a part of the Christian religion? What about someone who believes in the [Christian] doctrine of Sola Fide? What religion does that person belong to?

That information isn't enough to define what group they belong in, except that they are part of a reaction to the political influences that have tried (often successfully) to manipulate Christians into supporting particular kings, countries, money, business, policies etc. Politicians never stop trying, and over time they find ways to install politics into religions. Most Christian churches are influenced by politics, not because they want to gravitate towards politics but because there is a lot of power in those churches; and politicians always want them. That's why ministers are so important in churches today and have been for many centuries. Sola Fide is nothing, does not really delineate one group of churches from another. Its a term tossed out to distract Christians from the real problems that plague them. It does have some meaning, but it doesn't describe anybody very well. It has become an empty term that is also used politically.

 

[Tumah]

That information isn't enough to define what group they belong in, except that they are part of a reaction to the political influences that have tried (often successfully) to manipulate Christians into supporting particular kings, countries, money, business, policies etc. Politicians never stop trying, and over time they find ways to install politics into religions. Most Christian churches are influenced by politics, not because they want to gravitate towards politics but because there is a lot of power in those churches; and politicians always want them. That's why ministers are so important in churches today and have been for many centuries. Sola Fide is nothing, does not really delineate one group of churches from another. Its a term tossed out to distract Christians from the real problems that plague them. It does have some meaning, but it doesn't describe anybody very well. It has become an empty term that is also used politically.

I was under the impression that a Christian who believes in Sola Fide doesn't believe that he needs to do anything in order to enter heaven. I didn't know there was more to it than that.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

This question having spent years studying this very aspect, it would depend on whom you asked....

The reason being is due to the nature of the religious beliefs, being defined as being the faith.

So Christians based on Paul's teachings, would say that 'the faith' is believing the religious doctrine he puts forth....A lot of the other religions have then continued this misaligned train of thought.

If we separate the misconceptions about the word faith meaning a religion, or a religious belief, and apply it in its original context, then your question answers its self.

Faith originally means to trust, it doesn't originally have any religious contexts applied to it.

So a mountain climber can have faith in his own abilities; if he climbs with another climber, then he has faith in their abilities.

So religion doesn't need to have anything to do with faith; faith is a feeling/energy from the heart that everyone has, some more than others.

A religion is a set of fundamental beliefs, that a group of people believe in.

Religions generally tell people to put their trust/faith into their religious belief, as that will then give them a sense of security....

Yet that often leads them to more instability if challenged over their religious beliefs, as they see that as being their heart/faith that is being attacked.

One's religion is a set of fundamental beliefs and practises.

One's faith is the trust and energy from the heart, that allows them to overcome fear.

If religion is a set of practices and faith is trust, how do you know you have that heart energy without practice to "bring it out"?

For example, pretend, in my heart I believe I can climb Mount Everist. I really can. I sit on my cushion and gather all these physiological and psychological feelings and make it so true that I need nothing but this. Its true. Really. I feel I have the ability to climb just by siting on my cushion.

Thats not faith, thats self fulfilling prophecy. Empty trust. Visualisation.

Now I get up off my cushion, go to class, get my license and degree, practice on smaller walls, and religiously keep at it. What happens is my faith is not energy. Its not hope or physiological and nuerological umph to make me think I believe something I never practiced. So I start actually climbing. (Religion) I get further up. THAT is when faith develops.

Not by feeling but by action.

Faith is an action not just a feeling. Its like two people pulling the rope on either side: trust on one and action on the other. They both go back and forth rythmically.

Faith is not by itself. Nor is religion.

How can faith be energy of the heart if there is no action to support this energy so we know it is faith not something in our heads?

*action=religion

 

[SpeaksForTheTrees]

What about someone who believes in the [Christian] doctrine of Sola Fide? What religion does that person belong to?

I instantly connected this the concept of divine right, believe in the Monarch .
A Sola Fide will give some fool the strength to hit that button if that day ever comes , makes me go goosebumpy
An impulsive reaction and system of logic for the exploding ant , goto luv humans
Sola fide

 

[Unveiled Artist]

I was under the impression that a Christian who believes in Sola Fide doesn't believe that he needs to do anything in order to enter heaven. I didn't know there was more to it than that.

Its true. They say they "do nothing for their salvation". Its faith first, salvation, then action.

I dont know if Judaism is similar but I learned in Catholicism that its action, faith, then salvation.

We act by taking the sacraments
Which causes growing trust and faith in their truth
We are saved by keeping the sacraments to which we are reminded by action (taking the Eucharist) and reminded by faith or trust in the sacraments we take.

Sola scriptura christians see actions based on the holy spirit. So anything one does to grow into their salvation is void until they are saved.

I honestly never heard of a religion that teaches this other than christianity. All other religions I know put emphasis on practice.

 

[SpeaksForTheTrees]

Its true. They say they "do nothing for their salvation". Its faith first, salvation, then action.

I dont know if Judaism is similar but I learned in Catholicism that its action, faith, then salvation.

We act by taking the sacraments
Which causes growing trust and faith in their truth
We are saved by keeping the sacraments to which we are reminded by action (taking the Eucharist) and reminded by faith or trust in the sacraments we take.

Sola scriptura christians see actions based on the holy spirit. So anything one does to grow into their salvation is void until they are saved.

I honestly never heard of a religion that teaches this other than christianity. All other religions I know put emphasis on practice.

What about the Christians that seen humans tip the balance we have no oppersite , and don't really care , I can't think of one good reason I would like to share heaven with humans all over again , going to heaven must not alter ones subjective way of valueing stuff , if you don't take your subjective personality with you to said heaven ,makes this part pointless,
nature I love the lion in all her ways , but humans have different way of doing things , if heaven exists I'm going there with issues , save the animals from those idiots,
No you hun ,, humanity

 

[LuisDantas]

Inspired by @Zardoz 's thread.
What's the difference between one's religion and one's faith?

Religions are sometimes chosen, but far more often they are inherited from family and social environment.

They provide a sense of attachment to the community, and sometimes a fear from diverging from it, and they have an use for providing a sense of identity and belonging, but they do not necessarily have a lot of actual religious significance, odd as that probably sounds.

Faith is far more personal and has lots more religious significance.

 

[Tumah]

Religions are sometimes chosen, but far more often they are inherited from family and social environment.

They provide a sense of attachment to the community, and sometimes a fear from diverging from it, and they have an use for providing a sense of identity and belonging, but they do not necessarily have a lot of actual religious significance, odd as that probably sounds.

Faith is far more personal and has lots more religious significance.

Would I be correct in understanding that you are basically stating the same as this post albeit more negatively.

 

[LuisDantas]

Very close, at least. Yeah, the same thing.

 

[wizanda]

How can faith be energy of the heart if there is no action to support this energy so we know it is faith not something in our heads?

So for example, we want to go gentle mountain climbing tomorrow; would you go, based on your faith of knowing you're a capable person, who God generally protects?

When you're mountain climbing, and you start to slip slightly, from the rock beneath your feet being slightly sandy. Knowing all you really need to do, is reach your hand to the rock in front of you, and keep climbing, do you do it based on your faith?

Many religions don't all practise faith building, with such extreme obstacles as life gives us; yet some do have at least martial arts, and disciplines, that require us to become attuned with our own sense of trust (faith), and then to apply that to the divine.

Like someone who I'd deem full of faith, is someone i could ask any task, and they would achieve it as faith would carry them through it.

Some religions are showing other people's faith to overcome great feats, and by reading about them, we can learn it is possible...

Yet until we go from just a belief, to acceptance in our hearts; then no amount of practising reading it again and again, will deliver anything.

 

[Quintessence]

What's the difference between one's religion and one's faith?

These words are commonly used as synonyms - something we owe to the cultural influence of Protestants. I find this habit unfortunate, because it lends to the mistaken idea that all religions are faith-based (that is to say, they are primarily concerned with matters of belief or accepting a particular creed). As someone who practices a religion that is not faith-based, I would not say I have "a faith" at all, and I don't think much about the difference beyond that because I don't feel the term "faith" applies to my religion.

 

[SpeaksForTheTrees]

These words are commonly used as synonyms - something we owe to the cultural influence of Protestants. I find this habit unfortunate, because it lends to the mistaken idea that all religions are faith-based (that is to say, they are primarily concerned with matters of belief or accepting a particular creed). As someone who practices a religion that is not faith-based, I would not say I have "a faith" at all, and I don't think much about the difference beyond that because I don't feel the term "faith" applies to my religion.

In all fairness those words are in Latin is an acceptance there is no conclusive proof
Prodestant are some way and some distance from the source by Sola fide I accept the Jewish religion to be true justifying my own faith , sorry for edits
Its the only way civilization could continue , those people fought for gods was difficult compromise , one side has a god the other does not , hmmm

 

[Brickjectivity]

I was under the impression that a Christian who believes in Sola Fide doesn't believe that he needs to do anything in order to enter heaven. I didn't know there was more to it than that.

Many do not believe in faith-alone, no; and there are variations. A small percentage don't think its possible to know who is saved and who isn't. Many do teach that belief instantly saves the person, moving them from eternal damnation to eternity in heaven. Even among those who do say that, most I think agree that faith must be accompanied by action or its not really faith. A lot of people spend time wondering and worrying whether they truly believe, because their actions do not match their confession. They ask for forgiveness and expect it, but they still question whether they truly believe. So the idea of faith-alone is not one that is easily supported even where it is taught, because people doubt themselves looking for signs of their own belief. It is not a doctrine that has survived unscathed.

 

[SpeaksForTheTrees]

Just had a chat with him said he didn't give a monkey's hehe no idea what he meant , took ...doesn't matter ...
Kinda said makes no odds to him either ways .
A world with NO Gods and No Religion or
A world with one God and free religion is one of prerequisites to advance in the game

 

[Treks]

I think you are (perhaps correctly, I'm not sure) equating faith with belief. I am under the impression that faith can also be synonymous with religion.

faith
feɪθ/
noun

1. 
   complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
2. 
   strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof.

I was going with definition #1. Without faith, doesn't religion just become mechanical?

You're right in that #2 = belief.

 

[metis]

All too often in terms of what I so often see is something like this: "Faith is what I have; religion is what you have". [be sure to snarl when saying the latter part of the sentence]

 

[Riverwolf]

Well, it's far easier to define "faith" than it is to define "religion," for one.

Faith, simply put, is basically trust that is given despite incomplete or missing information; typically, though not exclusively, in a religious and/or spiritual context.

Religion, on the other hand, is.... a word that's so polysemic it's ridiculous. After many years of thinking about it, I've come to define religion roughly as an aggregate of lore (artistic expression), ritual (organized expression), and customs/taboos (expression in day-to-day living), all reinforcing and contextualizing each other. The lore illustrates the rituals and customs, the rituals reenact the lore and customs, the customs apply the lore and rituals to life.

I suppose faith would fall under the "customs" category, since it often (though not always) involves positive belief that the elements of the lore are "real" in some way, particularly when solid evidence for such is lacking, and belief is part of day-to-day living.

 

[Ingledsva]

Religions are dogma; - faith is the choice to believe in something.

I posted this here in the past - about Spirituality, - but for Theists, you could replace Spirituality with faith.

SPIRITUALITY

To define Spirituality I think we have to understand the difference between Spirituality and Religion on a personal level.

SPIRITUALITY – An - INDIVIDUAL’S - understanding that there is something greater then self.

RELIGION – Groups of individuals with like realization getting together and writing down their experience with Deity, and – formulating RULES to belong to the group.

The problem is when we reach the religion level and form a group. Group THUG mentality “usually” takes over and the religion-thugs try to force THEIR understanding of Deity onto everyone else!

SPIRITUALITY is like a river flowing from the SOURCE.

RELIGIONS are like dams on the river. They impede its pure flow with their set ideas (dogma) about what the SOURCE is.

Eventually the dams will break; - ALWAYS. This is the case throughout history.

The SOURCE is meant to flow to each individually.

Religion can have, and needs, Spirituality, but Spiritual people do not need religion!


*

 

[Jedster]

A faith is a belief or system of beliefs. A religion is a community of shared belief (and often ritual based on that belief).

IMO, you can have a one-person faith, but not a one-person religion.

You have reminded of a line I used to use when I was approached on the streets by various evangelists.
Evangelist: Hello, do you belong to any church or temple?
Me:Yes
Evangelist: Which one?
Me: I cannot tell you
Evangelist: Why not?
Me: it is private
Evangelist: Why?
Me: because I am the only member & and am forbidden to discuss it with non-members. Propagation is considered a major sin.
I could discuss football with you, provided you support Spurs.
The evangelist walked away and never approached me again.

This also works if you get unwanted religious door- knockers.

 

[Zardoz]

So what about a Christian who believes one attains salvation with faith alone. What's his religion?

I would hope in this case that another Christian would point out to this person James 2:14-26... the 'faith without works is dead' passage.