'God'

[spiritalk]

A belief in God does not necessarily relate to a belief in religion.  God is in all around us.  Religion is the form we choose to worship and/or learn about God according to a specific book or following.  

While it appears to be many Gods, it is only the representation that human thought puts upon the diety that is diverse.  Coming together they are all relate to the being of love that we believe exists.

[mcclenning1]

This topic has gone so far off tract. Just one last comment (off track) phew........!
SPIRITALK;
Let me start off with a few names (of billions)
Eloah, Elohim, Shaddai, Adonai, Jehovah, Jireh, Rapha, Nissi, M'Kaddesh, Shalom, Tsidkenu, Rohi, Shammah, Sabaoth, Elyon, Roi, olam, El, Gibhor, Tetragrammaton, Hashem, Adoshem, Shekhinah, Yah, Aigonz, Xwede, Cao Dai, Hari, Aten, Allah, Raam, Satnam, Shang Ti, Shen, Zhu, Brahman, Anami Purush, Haile Selassie, gud, Bog, Jamala, Kami, etc., etc., etc.
ALL DIFFERENT NAMES FOR A SUPREME BEING.......ALL MEANING THE SAME THING.....Sorry, I had to leave a few out.

Monotheistic faiths believe that there is and can only be one unique supreme being; polytheism means the belief in several coexisting deities. The conceptions of such beings can vary widely, BUT THE WORD GOD IN ENGLISH AND ITS COUNTERPARTS IN COGNATE LANGUAGES ARE NORMALLY USED FOR ALL OF THEM.
My point being that it is totally impossible to believe in God (a supreme being who created everything) without believing in religion, and it is impossible to believe in religion without believing in God. The definition of religion is as stated before (a strong belief in a supernatural POWER or POWERS that control human destiny) if you believe in God you believe in religion and visa versa. God IS whatever you choose to call him. If you look all around and say to yourself, look what some supreme power has created, then you are believing in religion. The two are synonymous. You cannot separate the egg without separating the chicken. The human thoughts that represent your quoted Deity (a supernatural being) (God or what ever you wish to call him) are all the same, he created everything period. you can only cloud the issue to those whose faith in a supernatural being stands weak. those, whose beliefs are strong will see through the double talk. I mean no disrespect to you or your beliefs, I just wish to point out the facts. Everything that I state can be verified, these are not just my beliefs, but also those of billions of people through out the world representing multitudes of different religions and faiths. There are many different inner beliefs with every religion, but the basic fundamental of a supreme being are all the same. We all were created by him and everything else came from him. AMEN

[investigator1]

I would much rather believe in God and be wrong (when I die)...than not believe and be wrong.

[jallious]

If it's a chance you're willing to not take, then fine.

[spiritalk]

There are also billions of atheists with a higher power belief.  It has to do with the energies of life that creates evolution.  The more it is examined the more it remains a part of higher power.  

Each of us can and do find our proofs in the billions of those who have gone before.  Yes, I too have proofs.  Despite the many names...when it comes down to it....there is little difference.  That is the point I make.  Even the billions of gods in one religion have to do with their pupose in the religious following.

Despite the manmade religious beliefs that float around and abound, the fact is there is an energy that creates and floats through life as we know it.  Some call it God, some find another explanation...pick your verb.

[spiritalk]

Going back to number 1: the topic is the giving off of one's power to what they consider God.  IME this always raises the comment on what is God? to the particular individual.

[||*Henry*||]

if you spell god backwards you get dog, spell evil backwards it is live, spell adam backwards and it is mada but if you spell eve backwards or forwards you still get eve which only proves that women rule the world:)

Not bad, but...if a womans name spelled backwards, reads the same as it does forwards and makes them world rulers...then what does that make BOB???  :smt003

[suzisco]

that makes BOB a Battery Operated Boyfriend and secondary to Eve who only needs Bob around occaisionally!

Rofl!

[EarlofLeicester]

Eve must come from Eire (another palindrome) which must be home to the ruler and her BOB.

[sorceress426]

You are all entitled to your beliefs. The truth is that while you can offer advice if asked, you can't force belief. Or are we in the Crusades again?

We all share this very feeling at some point in our life. The choice remains our own. You'll make your own.

I would so much rather see a discussion not debate or argument.

[reichild]

There is some truth in what Rhutobello say's, although wrong when quoted as saying you don't need religion. Religion in its pure definition is a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny. To look outside my house to see all things that are not human made only reaffirms by belief in that supernatural being. You can call him anything you wish, a rose is a rose. If you can look to these things and convince anyone that there is no supreme being I will listen. Also, all things that are man-made were made from something that our supreme being made first, so when you think about it there is nothing that man made. He just rearranged it.

I did a study on the etymology of "religion" and Webster's Collegiate Dictionary traces the word back to an old Latin word religio meaning "taboo, restraint." A deeper study discovers the word comes from the two words re and ligare. Re is a prefix meaning "return," and ligare means "to bind;"

So in other words (by my definition/deduction), "return to bondage."

IMO I believe in a God force (which to me is the spirit of life that exists in all living things, not a man with a beard sitting on a throne in the sky)

however i truly do not and never will believe in a need for religon. That is simply my opinion  :)  

I accept that everyone has thier own (different) understanding on the matter and however different each persons concept may be, each persons perception and input is valuable and valid and (so long as their belief causes no harm to the universe) They have the right to have it and be respected for it.

So i will listen to others beliefs and state my own if i see fit but i will also try not o impose my own beliefs on those who have a different perception from myself  :)

[spiritalk]

Religion can be about spirituality.  Religion can be about community.  While we can reject the spirituality in religion, it is hard to reject community.  Have those who do not believe in the community of religion now found it elsewhere?  The internet comes to mind?

[reichild]

Religion can be about spirituality.  Religion can be about community.  While we can reject the spirituality in religion, it is hard to reject community.  Have those who do not believe in the community of religion now found it elsewhere?  The internet comes to mind?

Well said...i hadn't realy thought of that aspect spiritalk. I guess in early days of religion there was not much else to do socialy (other than congregate as a community at church) but now as you say we have internet, coffee shops, sport days and all kinds of community social activities  :)

[spiritalk]

At one time the church was the social centre of life.  With the inclusion of so many other options, it has lost a lot of that community focus.

[Mlady Raka]

Dear All,

To me Creator is not about bondage or return to bondage....  If that was so, we would never have been given free will in the first place.  To me Creator is about Love for that which He Created, for without Him (and the free will He gave us) none of us would be here and able to critisize Him....(ain't that a peach!)

Religion however is to me about bondage...and Religion is a man made concept in my opinion.  More people have died because of Religion and Religious Beliefs than because of any natural disaster that ever hit this planet.  Religion is about conformity to the rules and laws laid down by a few, in order to control the many, and it breeds intolerance and fanatacism...  

Whereas my Creator is a Being of diversity....  If my Creator was about conformity, all flowers would be roses, all dogs would be Rottweilers and all people would be whatever "One Religion" dictated.

I believe Creator created diversity because we all have to learn the lesson of love and tolerance....

It is easy to love those who think like you, who look like you, who act like you and who feel like you....those with whom you have everything in common...those you connect to....

It is a bit harder to love those who oppose your thoughts, feelings, desires and norms...  Those you would rather critisize and condemn...

The paradox here is that it is normally those we consider "unloving" and/or "unlovable" who need our love and understanding the most...

We all know how to water a plant, before it shows signs of wilting...  but we tend to pour out our love on those we feel "deserve" it... those that are "lovable"...and yet it is those we despise who need the water of love and the dew of understanding the most....

Creator is Love and Love is Creator...   Diversity is my lesson in love, and Tolerance my teacher...

I have learned through the Blessings of Creator to love others, even if I sometimes don't accept their actions and morally disagree with them...it is a blessing to be able to seperate the actor from his actions...and love him not because of what he does for me...but inspite of what he does to me...

love and rainbows

Raka