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Glimpse_Ahead
Guest
What does God want from us , religion or relationship ?
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E
Equites_Christi
Guest
I believe he wants a relationship through religion.
L
LilyM
Guest
‘religion’ comes from the Latin word ‘religio’, meaning to bind firmly - so I think religion IS a relationship, one where we are firmly bound (connected) to God.
T
Tantum_ergo
Guest
Personally I think God wants us to **stop with the false dichotomies already **as though we couldn’t or shouldn’t have both, which are necessary to our lives with/for God.
J
jmcrae
Guest
Religion provides the framework and mutually held assumptions that make the relationship work.
Relationships need recognizable rituals; it’s fine to say “I love you” (which by the way isn’t very “original” - it’s a repetition of a commonly used phrase) but if he never brings flowers or gifts, or if she never dresses up pretty or fixes a candle-lit dinner, then what are we to think?
The rituals of religion are what makes our relationship with God work.
C
Cattitude
Guest
These are all great answers, thanks everyone. Wish I’d thought of them a few months ago when some one told me, “Jesus didn’t give a rat’s a** about forming a religion or an institutional church. He was all about bringing individuals to God.”
Now, I can see that (a) yes he did, and (b) He meant to achieve part 2 by part 1!
Now, I can see that (a) yes he did, and (b) He meant to achieve part 2 by part 1!
K
KingAlfred
Guest
He wants relationship through Catholic discipleship. He wants global unification under Catholicism, for the salvation of Mankind. He essentially wants a ‘kinder, gentler’ form of Christendom, established worldwide. Man has always known that God exists, but Man misunderstood Him. Through Christ, the age of misunderstanding can eventually end. It’s Man’s choice. Again, his free will serves as the source of either salvation or damnation.
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Contarini
Guest
What do you mean by “religion”? Most definitions of religion include some sort of relationship.
Edwin
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Glimpse_Ahead
Guest
First of all - Thanks to everyone who gave an answer above , your responses are helping me get a grasp on this. It has been something that has been on my mind alot lately.
Thanks Contarini , for your question , basically what I’m asking is if one does not perform any specific set of rituals , are they some how dissapointing God or putting themselves in jeopardy?
or you might say , which is more highly valued to God , that we desire for him to come into / stay in our lives , or the successful completion of tasks ?
Thanks Contarini , for your question , basically what I’m asking is if one does not perform any specific set of rituals , are they some how dissapointing God or putting themselves in jeopardy?
or you might say , which is more highly valued to God , that we desire for him to come into / stay in our lives , or the successful completion of tasks ?
C
Contarini
Guest
I don’t know about “disappointing God.” But the sacraments are means by which we come into a relationship with God. If, as Christians believe, the sacraments were instituted by Christ, the one with whom we have a relationship, then why ignore them?
It’s like me saying: I have a wonderful relationship with my wife, so I don’t need to do any of the concrete things married people normally do. It’s about a relationship, not about ritual.
In fact any relationship involves ritual. And if you ignore the “rituals,” the relationship will deteriorate.
My wife sends birthday and anniversary cards to a wide selection of friends and relatives. I tend to see this as “empty ritual”–I don’t remember such occasions readily and I find the bother of sending cards excessive. But the result of my neglect of ritual is that my relationships with absent friends tend to atrophy (or would if my wife didn’t keep them going by her “ritualistic” behavior). Sending a birthday card once a year doesn’t constitute a really strong relationship–and similarly doing the minimal “rituals” required by the Catholic Church doesn’t in and of itself give you a very strong relationship with God. But it does keep the relationship alive. When I do have conversations with friends who live far away, they frequently tell me how much they appreciate getting those cards. It helps that my wife usually includes pictures of the family (we have a nearly-two-year-old daughter, and friends and relatives naturally like to see pictures of her). You might compare those to “sacramentals” in Catholicism
“Rituals” are not “tasks.” They are means by which we strengthen our relationship with God.
Note that I’m speaking from an Anglican point of view. It may help that we don’t have “holy days of obligation” and things liike that. Or it may not. I think Catholics would agree with what I have said above.
Edwin
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tobias
Guest
I think if we as Catholics could sum it all up, it is this=
Religion is RITE relationship with God.
Religion is RITE relationship with God.
S
Sam_Maloney
Guest
I think that relationship is religion, even if you are the only member of your ‘denomination’.
G
Glimpse_Ahead
Guest
Thanks guys , I appreciate all your imput … I always honestly want to learn and grow in the things of God & let God know how much I appreciate Him & how much He has done for me , that’s why I’m here.
See I’m basically self taught in the Bible and as I read through it as an adult there were times when even though the context was of the people of the time separating from the binds of the old covenant , it actually conjured up images in my mind of the Catholic Church , because I thought of how my impression of the Catholic Church from when I was a kid was that it seemed so stuffed up.
And even though I’m like giving being a Catholic a shot right now , this morning when it was quite , I thought of a verse , that happened to be a memory verse I worked on last year , Gala. 3:3 , it just popped into my mind while I was getting ready for work … to the Galatians Paul writes - Are you so foolish ? After beginning with the spirit , are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort ? - Now I know the passage is about observing the Law and so is clearly not the same thing as all the sacraments or whatever but you see what I mean , the Word is full of parts that can be constued like that , like right now I Googled a few key words that I remembered and found it is Acts 15:10-11 that says this - Now then , why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! we believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved , just as they are. - … again , I know that the passage there is about The Law , and so I don’t mean to take it out of context but what I’m saying is , at least it seems to me , that the Catholic Church - as compared to alot of Born-Again Christian churches - is heavy on stressing that it’s congregation do alot of outwardly physical stuff , so I’m trying to figure it out.
Here’s the thing , I’ve been to some of the other type church settings out there , on the invitation of a friend or what-ever , and it’s way laid back , the pastor will be in like basically a Hawiian shirt and they’ll use an over-head projector to show text or demonstrate something , and I can tell they must look at Catholics as being to bound up with rules.
Thinking of as long as the Catholic Church has been around , I’m sure I’m not the first one to think along these lines , and I’m sure there is alot of wisdom contained with-in the Church somewhere about this very subject & I want to learn what it is. Those other churches are growing fast , but someone I know said they see such beauty in the Catholic Church … I want to explore that Beauty.
See I’m basically self taught in the Bible and as I read through it as an adult there were times when even though the context was of the people of the time separating from the binds of the old covenant , it actually conjured up images in my mind of the Catholic Church , because I thought of how my impression of the Catholic Church from when I was a kid was that it seemed so stuffed up.
And even though I’m like giving being a Catholic a shot right now , this morning when it was quite , I thought of a verse , that happened to be a memory verse I worked on last year , Gala. 3:3 , it just popped into my mind while I was getting ready for work … to the Galatians Paul writes - Are you so foolish ? After beginning with the spirit , are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort ? - Now I know the passage is about observing the Law and so is clearly not the same thing as all the sacraments or whatever but you see what I mean , the Word is full of parts that can be constued like that , like right now I Googled a few key words that I remembered and found it is Acts 15:10-11 that says this - Now then , why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! we believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved , just as they are. - … again , I know that the passage there is about The Law , and so I don’t mean to take it out of context but what I’m saying is , at least it seems to me , that the Catholic Church - as compared to alot of Born-Again Christian churches - is heavy on stressing that it’s congregation do alot of outwardly physical stuff , so I’m trying to figure it out.
Here’s the thing , I’ve been to some of the other type church settings out there , on the invitation of a friend or what-ever , and it’s way laid back , the pastor will be in like basically a Hawiian shirt and they’ll use an over-head projector to show text or demonstrate something , and I can tell they must look at Catholics as being to bound up with rules.
Thinking of as long as the Catholic Church has been around , I’m sure I’m not the first one to think along these lines , and I’m sure there is alot of wisdom contained with-in the Church somewhere about this very subject & I want to learn what it is. Those other churches are growing fast , but someone I know said they see such beauty in the Catholic Church … I want to explore that Beauty.
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