Question For Those Who Reject Religion But Believe In God (churches, quote)

[WhipperSnapper 88]

In my journey out of Christiandom, for some reason I wanted to hang on desperately to a belief in a loving God who cared for us and had a plan for us. One that would reward us with an eternal afterlife etc etc..... It wasn't long until I abandoned that belief for simply a non-descript creator God and then no belief in a God at all.

So I have a question for those of you have have rejected religion but still maintain a belief in a loving, benevolent God. What do you base your conclusion that this God is loving and benevolent on? With all due sincerety and respect, aren't you essentialy just making things up?

If you have no dogma to learn anything about this God, and you have rejected religion, how do you know anything about this God? Again, what do you base this on?

I can understand you hanging on to the concept of a non-descript God, I have no problem with that at all actually.... but it's when you start giving this God attributes for which you have no reason to do so that puzzles me.

[MysticPhD]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper 88

In my journey out of Christiandom, for some reason I wanted to hang on desperately to a belief in a loving God who cared for us and had a plan for us. One that would reward us with an eternal afterlife etc etc..... It wasn't long until I abandoned that belief for simply a non-descript creator God and then no belief in a God at all.

So I have a question for those of you have have rejected religion but still maintain a belief in a loving, benevolent God. What do you base your conclusion that this God is loving and benevolent on? With all due sincerety and respect, aren't you essentialy just making things up?

If you have no dogma to learn anything about this God, and you have rejected religion, how do you know anything about this God? Again, what do you base this on?

I can understand you hanging on to the concept of a non-descript God, I have no problem with that at all actually.... but it's when you start giving this God attributes for which you have no reason to do so that puzzles me.

It will be of no help to you . . . but my reasons are based on my encounters with this love and acceptance in deep meditation. It is unmistakable. The beliefs I attach to it are based on a variety of factors scientific and spiritual ("spiritual fossil record) . . . but the loving and accepting attribute is experiential.

[ancient warrior]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper 88

In my journey out of Christiandom, for some reason I wanted to hang on desperately to a belief in a loving God who cared for us and had a plan for us. One that would reward us with an eternal afterlife etc etc..... It wasn't long until I abandoned that belief for simply a non-descript creator God and then no belief in a God at all.

So I have a question for those of you have have rejected religion but still maintain a belief in a loving, benevolent God. What do you base your conclusion that this God is loving and benevolent on? With all due sincerety and respect, aren't you essentialy just making things up?

If you have no dogma to learn anything about this God, and you have rejected religion, how do you know anything about this God? Again, what do you base this on?

I can understand you hanging on to the concept of a non-descript God, I have no problem with that at all actually.... but it's when you start giving this God attributes for which you have no reason to do so that puzzles me.

RESPONSE:

Disgarding any purported "revealation," certain attributes can be applied to God.

For example, whatever the God entity is, it is eternal.

Hence, it is uncaused. (Something would have to have existed before God to cause him).

[irish_bob]

rejecting religon but believing in god is akin to refusing to believe that walt disney ever lived while at the same time being a huge fan of mickey mouse

religon came first

[MysticPhD]

Originally Posted by irish_bob

rejecting religon but believing in god is akin to refusing to believe that walt disney ever lived while at the same time being a huge fan of mickey mouse
religon came first

Nonsense! God came first. Beliefs about God (religions) followed.

[BigCityDreamer]

Belief in God is a religion.

[MysticPhD]

Originally Posted by BigCityDreamer

Belief in God is a religion.

No . . . beliefs ABOUT God constitute a religion. Belief IN God is experiential.

[MasterChief]

Originally Posted by MysticPhD

Nonsense! God came first. Beliefs about God (religions) followed.

Largely correct. Theology means "God" -- "Talk"....or "Words about God". God existed.....and he has told us about himself. He was the first theologian....and man wrote about him -- under his inspiration.

[BigCityDreamer]

Originally Posted by MysticPhD

No . . . beliefs ABOUT God constitute a religion. Belief IN God is experiential.

There's no way to define God without referring to beliefs about God. Even the experiential is based on belief.

[kevxu]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper 88

...So I have a question for those of you have have rejected religion but still maintain a belief in a loving, benevolent God. What do you base your conclusion that this God is loving and benevolent on? With all due sincerety and respect, aren't you essentialy just making things up?

If you have no dogma to learn anything about this God, and you have rejected religion, how do you know anything about this God? Again, what do you base this on?

I can understand you hanging on to the concept of a non-descript God, I have no problem with that at all actually.... but it's when you start giving this God attributes for which you have no reason to do so that puzzles me.

I have a friend who considers herself a Christian, but believes that current "Christian" churches have long evolved away from whatever the earliest Christians believed and practiced. Therefore, she believes in none of them. She says that she tries to use the New Testament as her guide, though she does not believe that it is free of errors. Beyond that I have never pursued the topic with her.