Does Believing In God = Being Religious?

[oirg]

I've been thinking a lot about this and recently concluded that I believe in God but abhor all forms of religion. I believe in God because I don't think it's just random chance that that an orderly universe exists and that life sprang up from from a mixture of chemical compounds prodded by electrical storms. I abhor religion because religion was created by people who highjacked the idea of God, and used it for ungodly purposes. The crimes against humanity committed by religios fanatics who pretended to know the will of God are innumerable throughout recorded history. These crimes continue today.

I have two questions:

Does anyone else think the same way?

Is believing in God through reason the same as believing in God through faith?

[Retired Bookworm]

1) Yes. Not me, but yes.

2) Yes, it's the same.

[Tim><]

I think you will find that there is no compelling reason to believe in god. However, it is possible to be logical and still believe in god. IOW, the belief in god ultimatley requires faith; however, defense of this belief can be done through reason.

[Aaron Brachowitz]

Originally Posted by oirg

I abhor religion because religion was created by people who highjacked the idea of God, and used it for ungodly purposes.

Do you also abhor fire because an arsonist can use it to destroy a house or a forest? The fact that something is occasionally misused doesn't make it inherently evil. Your statement requires willful ignorance of all the good done in the world in the name of organized religion. People from my church go every year to the Dominican Republic and elsewhere to attempt to improve the physical and spiritual environment for those people, supported financially and prayerfully by those of us who stayed home. In your hypothetical world, those missionaries would just be sitting at home, thinking about how much they love God. And the Dominicans would be sitting in their abjectly poor village, wondering why God won't help them.

Faith without works is not what God wants from us.

[oirg]

Originally Posted by Aaron Brachowitz

Do you also abhor fire because an arsonist can use it to destroy a house or a forest? The fact that something is occasionally misused doesn't make it inherently evil. Your statement requires willful ignorance of all the good done in the world in the name of organized religion. People from my church go every year to the Dominican Republic and elsewhere to attempt to improve the physical and spiritual environment for those people, supported financially and prayerfully by those of us who stayed home. In your hypothetical world, those missionaries would just be sitting at home, thinking about how much they love God. And the Dominicans would be sitting in their abjectly poor village, wondering why God won't help them.

Faith without works is not what God wants from us.

Are you implying that without religion people wouldn't help the less fortunate? I believe that that today most aid in the world is being provided by non-religious groups.

[cubedbee]

Originally Posted by oirg

Are you implying that without religion people wouldn't help the less fortunate? I believe that that today most aid in the world is being provided by non-religious groups.

He wasn't implying that at all. He was asserting that religion has down a countless number of wonderful things, contrary to your opinion of it.

[PK]

Originally Posted by oirg

Does anyone else think the same way?

I suspect that many people do. Even those of us who profess a particular religion do not automatically think that everything done in God's name is automatically good.

Your next assignment is to read the first amendment to the constitution where it says (in part) "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;..." and to come to the realization that this statement is not anywhere close to the "separation of church and state" argument that makes people think that IN GOD WE TRUST has to be taken off our money. Nor does it mean that if a federal official professes his belief in a god that it is an affront to someone who thinks they are atheist.

[The Mad Hatter]

Originally Posted by PK

I suspect that many people do. Even those of us who profess a particular religion do not automatically think that everything done in God's name is automatically good.

Your next assignment is to read the first amendment to the constitution where it says (in part) "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;..." and to come to the realization that this statement is not anywhere close to the "separation of church and state" argument that makes people think that IN GOD WE TRUST has to be taken off our money. Nor does it mean that if a federal official professes his belief in a god that it is an affront to someone who thinks they are atheist.

You are incorrect in your interpreation of the constitution. But in any event, do you think separation is a bad idea?

BTW, It is offensive when Federal Officials, while speaking in their capacities as Federal Official start blathering about God.

[Mulan]

Originally Posted by PK

I suspect that many people do. Even those of us who profess a particular religion do not automatically think that everything done in God's name is automatically good.

Your next assignment is to read the first amendment to the constitution where it says (in part) "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;..." and to come to the realization that this statement is not anywhere close to the "separation of church and state" argument that makes people think that IN GOD WE TRUST has to be taken off our money. Nor does it mean that if a federal official professes his belief in a god that it is an affront to someone who thinks they are atheist.

Interesting, your choice of words here. I'm not sure how "In God We Trust" can be anything but a religious statement (thereby establishing monotheistic god (presumably Christian) as having our country's trust).

Federal officials may practice any religion they like or not. But if they impose that belief system on others as part of their duties, you will get more than objections from people who KNOW they are atheists, as well as a number of Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, etc.

[Aaron Brachowitz]

Originally Posted by oirg

Are you implying that without religion people wouldn't help the less fortunate? I believe that that today most aid in the world is being provided by non-religious groups.

But that wasn't your point. Your point was that you abhor religion for all the evil things it does. I countered that you were ignoring all the good works. The fact that non-religious people also do good works is irrelevant.