I believe in God but I'm not religious

[Blood Bought 1953]

Religion demands works......Christianity demands faith.One can choose a religion to follow. In Christianity, God does the choosing.Anybody can come, but no one comes lest the Spirit draw him.The initiative begins with God— not you.The Bible talks about four different types of “ soil” or hearts.Three of them are no good.Pray that you are “ good soil”.

 

[Introverted1293]

People say this line so much its starting to make me wonder if being religious is a bad thing? Or do people say this because they want to cover themselves incase the person isn't a believer? To me you can't say anything more lukewarm than this line and I hate to see people say this because it really gives a mixed message and its confusing to know what you actually believe.

I am usually afraid to respond to other people's threads, even when there is a subject that is interesting.

I did the same thing. I did not like to be link to Christianity. I wanted to call myself a follower of Christ without being called a Christian. This was probably wrong of me.

 

[Dan the deacon]

I am usually afraid to respond to other people's threads, even when there is a subject that is interesting.

I did the same thing. I did not like to be link to Christianity. I wanted to call myself a follower of Christ without being called a Christian. This was probably wrong of me.

I would agree that it was probably wrong. Jesus is not returning to collect me or you but rathet His bride...The Church. Be of that Church.

 

[Introverted1293]

I would agree that it was probably wrong. Jesus is not returning to collect me or you but rathet His bride...The Church. Be of that Church.

Thank you

This is something I need to remember.

 

[Dan the deacon]

Thank you

This is something I need to remember.

Brother Jesse,
We all have things we need to remember. My own list is too long to post.

 

[Kenny'sID]

It's all about how the term "religious" is defined.

Generally it meant, having a religion whether it may be, Christianity or Buddhism, and the term was clear. Then it's morphed into a term that described the overdoing of, as far as I know, Christianity.

While it's true, Christianity can be overdone, the term there is often used to dismiss ones self from doing things they should, by saying others are overdoing it when in reality they are only being normal Christians. IOW, those that want ongoing sin to be ok, will tell Christians they are religious and not Christian, and live by the law when in fact those Christians only want to obey God/be good.

That may or may not help with the subject here...but could clear some things up..

 

[Resha Caner]

Religion demands works...

Anything can be twisted toward the negative. My religion doesn't demand any works of me. Rather, it brings desired support and comfort along with the things I don't always like such as discipline and sacrifice.

 

[Dan the deacon]

It's all about how the term "religious" is defined.

Generally it meant, having a religion whether it may be, Christianity or Buddhism, and the term was clear. Then it's morphed into a term that described the overdoing of, as far as I know, Christianity.

While it's true, Christianity can be overdone, the term there is often used to dismiss ones self from doing things they should, by saying others are overdoing it when in reality they are only being normal Christians. IOW, those that want ongoing sin to be ok, will tell Christians they are religious and not Christian, and live by the law when in fact those Christians only want to obey God/be good.

That may or may not help with the subject here...but could clear some things up..

I doubt it will clear things up but like you we can all hope.

 

[Kenny'sID]

I doubt it will clear things up but like you we can all hope.

We try because of those undecided or on the fence, those who choose not to see clearly, your right, it won't help at all.

 

[Yarddog]

People say this line so much its starting to make me wonder if being religious is a bad thing? Or do people say this because they want to cover themselves incase the person isn't a believer? To me you can't say anything more lukewarm than this line and I hate to see people say this because it really gives a mixed message and its confusing to know what you actually believe.

There is a difference between believing in a creator God and having faith in God. Accepting that a creator God exists but not having faith does nothing towards salvation.

 

[Anguspure]

People say this line so much its starting to make me wonder if being religious is a bad thing? Or do people say this because they want to cover themselves incase the person isn't a believer? To me you can't say anything more lukewarm than this line and I hate to see people say this because it really gives a mixed message and its confusing to know what you actually believe.

The problem is that the title "religious" puts a person in the same box as the militant, abusive, money hungry and twisted fanatics who openly call themselves religious and justify thier behaviour against other people in the name of religion.

 

[ubicaritas]

I think this desire to say you aren't religious started because of the new atheist movement bashing religion. So people began not to want to be grouped in with a bunch of people viewed negatively because of the new atheists.

No, it's much older than new atheism and dates back to at least the 80's.

 

[Gwen-is-new!]

I think of “religious” as trying to earn my way to heaven. Focused on the outward with no regard to my heart like the Pharisees so I would never call myself that. It feels like an insult to God.

These posts have been good insight for me.

 

[ubicaritas]

Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, the pastor of House for All Sinners and Saints in Denver, Colorado, likes to say that she and her church are "Religious, but not spiritual". I love that, it turns the usual expectation on its head, that somehow spirituality is better than religion.

 

[Anguspure]

I think this desire to say you aren't religious started because of the new atheist movement bashing religion. So people began not to want to be grouped in with a bunch of people viewed negatively because of the new atheists.

There may well be a certain amount of truth in this, but it shouldn't have taken the new athiest movement for people to see the abismal record of religion against humanity in the world.

 

[Dan the deacon]

I think of “religious” as trying to earn my way to heaven. Focused on the outward with no regard to my heart like the Pharisees so I would never call myself that. It feels like an insult to God.

These posts have been good insight for me.

You have hit the nail squarely on the head.

 

[Resha Caner]

No, it's much older than new atheism and dates back to at least the 80's.

80 BC?

 

[ubicaritas]

80 BC?

The phenomenon of people in the US saying they are spiritual, but not religious goes back to the Baby Boomers in the 80's, at least. I think my grandparents generation, the ones that fought in WWII, would find that incomprehensible.

 

[Gwen-is-new!]

It took a pastor to convince me not to call myself religious. It took unbelieving coworkers to convince me to start calling myself religious again. Had I told them that I was not religious, they would have assumed that I was not a Christian, and that would have been the end of the discussion. I couldn't take a chance on anything that even wiggled in the general direction of denying Christ.

It does depend on the audience for sure. I got tired of my mom calling faith-based movies “religious” so I suggested she ask her pastor if he was religious

 

[Saint Steven]

I would ask someone who says: "I believe in God but I'm not religious", what they mean by that.

It gets down to definitions.
- What do you mean, "believe in God"?
- How do you define "God"? (which god)
- What do you mean, "not religious"?

There are a whole myriad of different answers to these basic questions that will tell you a lot about what they actually mean.