Can you believe in God without having a religion?

[Anonymous]

I believe there must be a benevolent power behind the universe but none of religions seem quite right to me.

Most super religious people seem to believe that anyone outside of their religion is evil and god will send them to hell for not believing in their religion.
I find this rather sick.

This seems to be true for most major religions like Catholicism, Protestantism, Eastern Orthodox and Islam.

[jennifer_bloom]

In the Christian bible it says there are those who know the secret truths and those on the outside with no access to the secret path. Those on the outside do many religious practices in vain because they are denied the secret knowledge that leads to growth and in fact there are so many clueless people in comparison to informed people that the informed ones are at danger of assignation when they socialize in religious circles with the clueless majority. It says that in the bible.

[Asker]

The Bible also says women are properly and if they are raped they should be forced to marry their rapist if their rapist pays a fine.

It says slavery is okay if the slaves were from a foreign tribe.

It gives instructions of slandering a village and killing everyone except the young woman they are allowed to rape.

[jennifer_bloom]

I interpret those parts the way you would interpret a dream. if you dream about eating frogs, it does bot mean God wants you to eat frogs, it means God wants you to confront an ugly truth you are avoiding. If you dream about a boy being killed, it does not mean God wants you to kill somebody, it might mean God wants you to sacrifice a dearly cherished value that is hindering your purpose in life.

[smne35]

Of course and even those that claim to be sure hard atheists, deep within, they know there is an entity greater than themselves, and it's no surprise than the instant a crisis or life threatening situation confronts them, first word uttered is, oh God, you don't needs to be a zealot, the first one to arrive each Sunday to church service, just how ever one find comfort for their soul, long as it's genuine and is righteous you need not swear an oath to any religion, he , she , God is after all apart of us all, and don't need no special knowledge or any middle person to interact with him or her, just express your self openly honestly, it's all good

[ManOnFire]

Anyone can believe in God without having a religion, that's easy. Even the demons believe in God. But the error with humans is them not putting faith in the creator and living for him. Everybody wants lazy, casual existence, to simply say or believe God is out there, but not wanting to do any actual faith work.

As a Christian myself I completely understand the struggles that many people have with following God and the Bible, but that's going to be part of faith. It's not supposed to be easy or painless, if it was the whole world would be doing it. The fact that it can be difficult is what makes the end mean so much. 'Fighting the good fight.'

[HiveBee]

The problem with the bible and literally every religion is that it's basically a bunch of nonsense.

It's reasonable to believe in a God. But in my opinion it is unreasonable to think anyone knows the content of God's mind in any form.

Now if some guy wrote the bible in a span of weeks or months, it would be believable that it came from God.

But in reality the bible was slowly and meticulously crafted over thousands of years.

For example the devil used to live between mars and Jupiter and would throw demons at the earth.

Obviously we can see how that concept evolved.

So what does it mean to have faith? If you have faith in God and yet you don't subscribe to any religion, is it still faith?

Probably not because you need the moral structure around it or else why believe in God?

It's all about morality if you ask me. And christianity is offering a moral system.

It was never about God or faith in God. It's all about conforming to the "correct" religion or else you don't get to go to heaven.

I think it's silliness.

[ManOnFire]

@HiveBee The Bible itself says who can understand God and his ways. Humans can't, but everything is revealed at the end.

Never heard about Satan living between Jupiter and Mars, maybe that's a concept from a heretical sect or something.

The thing that stands out for me as a believer and proves the Bible's realness is that you have people from different parts of the world who report being met by Jesus in dreams or in reality and then chose to believe. And these are people who have never heard of Jesus, or heard of him but never opened a Bible in their lives and don't know scriptures. That says God is pretty real.

[slatyb]

You can believe in God without practicing a religion, or believing the dogma of any current religion.

Many of the founders of the United States were Deists -- they believed that there was a God, but also that God was not actively influencing worldly events.

[DryGermanGuy]

Absolutely. It's first described in the Gospel of Thomas:

"Jesus said the Kingdom of God is inside you, and all around you, not in mansions of wood and stone. Split a piece of wood and I am there, lift a stone and you will find me."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Thomas

[jshm2]

Then you are a fucking idiot and need to finish school, as your home-schooling hasn't served you well.

Religions are a pathway, a language and a community to God. What you are suggesting is like saying you want to illegally enter the USA, but be a legit citizen with all the benefits on arrival.

The reason all atheists, cults and hypocrites fall flat, is that they can only go so far with their lies. All get caught out eventually.

[strateguy632]

possibly but if you believe god is real then he probably sent messages what he wanted or expected. same as any parent tells their children. certainly a wise god would send prophets to guide and to teach.

[robhazelnut]

A religion is a social thing. A belief can be a personal thing.

[OfDeath]

Why do you believe there “must” be a “benevolent power” behind the universe? What is your rational justification for this belief?

[Asker]

Because the universe appears to be designed for life, I know there is no scientific way to prove this it is more of a philosophy.

[OfDeath]

Designed for life? It is mostly filled with all manner of things which would extinguish life in less than 1 second! Earth is the only place we know of which can support multicellular life at all and even it is doomed to be deemed uninhabitable due to the sun’s state progression in the next billion years. And the circumstances which occurred that led to Earth even being able to harbour life at all were so random it might not happen anywhere else and would suggest if it does, it will be incredibly rare.

Not sure how you get “designed” for life out of that. And designed by what?

Not a rationally thought out answer at all.

[Anonymous]

Well I’m Christian , but I think you can still believe in a creator without a religion , at least my religion doesn’t go about trying to kill anyone for not being Christian

[collie22]

Do you mean studying the scripture without going to a church?

[Anonymous]

Yes, in the book Life After Life someone had a heavenly near death experience w/out believing in anything like that. A guy did research on near deaths n said God doesn't care what religion u r.

[strateguy632]

and why do you believe that "messenger" who might have made it up? such a lie would serve the purpose that many, ANYONE will want his book lol.

[jimmy2]

Well God vooms ds us to go to church but not being in church can lead you away. one has to be committed to God to do it

[TheManİnTheearth]

I don't believe a God. Because👉problem of evil... If there was a God, he wouldn't allow so much suffering between humans or animals.

[strateguy632]

what about allowing choice? if people could only do good , what value would their good be? when they can't choose bad? only by allowing bad can the good show they chose good.

[Siri137]

Of course! I do.

[FunkyMonkee]

I can't! But, maybe others can.

[Luméa]

Yes you can believe in God without religion

[ComsicMairah95]

Yes I do

[postaldudePL123]

Yes but I do niether

[Charliefretz329]

100% yes

[HouseMoat]

Yeah