14 Jan 07
3 edits
Originally posted by knightmeisterYes and no. Christ frequented the temple to worship and, in fact, went into a rage when he saw the money changers defiling the timple and subsequently drove them out with a whip. Why would he do so if he cared nothing for the temple? Granted, he often clashed with the religious leaders only in that he exposed their hypocrisy. This, however, did not cause him to throw away the Torah or abandon the temple or the things of God.
Absolutely yes! , Jesus was at one with God and spent most of his time at odds with religion
My question to you is, do you want to do the will of God or your own will? If God be God he must have a work here on this earth to reach out to those in need. Do you want to be a part of this outreach? You see the religious leaders in the time of Jesus were more into themselves via social position and income rather than reaching out to those in need. This was one of Christs pet peeves and he blasetd the religious elite time and time again for such a pompous attitude.
18 Jan 07
Originally posted by Ian68That is like asking can you experience the law of gravity without having to go to the science class room.
Can you find God, and be at one with God, doing what he/she expects of you without being associated to any religion?
Of course you can find God without being religious. However those not experienced in God may be just as likely to label you as religious anyway.
Being labelled as "religious" is part of the persecution you may have to endure because you love God.
19 Jan 07
Originally posted by whodeyYou are right whodey. It's just hard to find a positive form of religion these days. I think my point is that following the living person of Christ is the main issue at hand , whether within or outside of religion. Despite what you say about the temple , he still spent most of the time in the fields.
Yes and no. Christ frequented the temple to worship and, in fact, went into a rage when he saw the money changers defiling the timple and subsequently drove them out with a whip. Why would he do so if he cared nothing for the temple? Granted, he often clashed with the religious leaders only in that he exposed their hypocrisy. This, however, did not cause ...[text shortened]... s pet peeves and he blasetd the religious elite time and time again for such a pompous attitude.
19 Jan 07
Originally posted by Ian68One definition of "religion" is "the service and worship of God or the supernatural". By definition, a person who does what you have described is religious, even if they do not belong to any of the established religions.
Can you find God, and be at one with God, doing what he/she expects of you without being associated to any religion?
20 Jan 07
I want to thank everyone for their replies.
I have always considered myself to be atheist, but more through a mistrust of mainstream religion than anything else. I think I am actually undecided and also more open minded than I would normally admit. In the most part peoples answers have made me realise that if I feel it's right, then I can adopt a more theistic position without compromising my own personal views of right and wrong. (As I have always felt these views come from somewhere deep within me, at the very least, it is not something I would ever wish to compromise.)