Is G-d too "big" for organized religion?

[meltzerboy]

I sometimes wonder whether any of us members of faith traditions have it “right.” I realize devout, practicing Catholics believe they and particularly the Church are given the truth by the grace of the Holy Spirit, while other faiths believe they too have the “truth” insofar as G-d enables them to perceive it. This view would apply, I think, even to Baha’is, Quakers, Unitarians, and Buddhists, who have their own interesting belief systems.

My question is: might it be that none of us who participate in organized religions has it exactly right and that organized religion by its very nature is bound to contain false ideas and inaccuracies created by humans who, although they may believe themselves to be divinely inspired in their teachings, are in fact not? This question is not intended to point toward a denial of G-d’s existence or a Deistic attitude of an impersonal G-d, but is rather an expression of the awesome quality of G-d which all religions are not quite able to capture and which they may have an unintentional tendency to limit.

Any thoughts on the matter?

 

[Robert_Sock]

I sometimes wonder whether any of us members of faith traditions have it “right.” I realize devout, practicing Catholics believe they and particularly the Church are given the truth by the grace of the Holy Spirit, while other faiths believe they too have the “truth” insofar as G-d enables them to perceive it. This view would apply, I think, even to Baha’is, Quakers, Unitarians, and Buddhists, who have their own interesting belief systems.

My question is: might it be that none of us who participate in organized religions has it exactly right and that organized religion by its very nature is bound to contain false ideas and inaccuracies created by humans who, although they may believe themselves to be divinely inspired in their teachings, are in fact not? This question is not intended to point toward a denial of G-d’s existence or a Deistic attitude of an impersonal G-d, but is rather an expression of the awesome quality of G-d which all religions are not quite able to capture and which they may have an unintentional tendency to limit.

Any thoughts on the matter?

Religion needs to be somewhat uniform and follow tradition, as taught by the elders or religious hierarchy. People at the top must make it their highest priority to Shepard its flock.

LOVE!

 

[chaunceygardner]

I sometimes wonder whether any of us members of faith traditions have it “right.” I realize devout, practicing Catholics believe they and particularly the Church are given the truth by the grace of the Holy Spirit, while other faiths believe they too have the “truth” insofar as G-d enables them to perceive it. This view would apply, I think, even to Baha’is, Quakers, Unitarians, and Buddhists, who have their own interesting belief systems.

My question is: might it be that none of us who participate in organized religions has it exactly right and that organized religion by its very nature is bound to contain false ideas and inaccuracies created by humans who, although they may believe themselves to be divinely inspired in their teachings, are in fact not? This question is not intended to point toward a denial of G-d’s existence or a Deistic attitude of an impersonal G-d, but is rather an expression of the awesome quality of G-d which all religions are not quite able to capture and which they may have an unintentional tendency to limit.

Any thoughts on the matter?

God is unfathomable and unknowable to human beings. Much of what we believe within our religions is a feeble attempt to explain the unknowable and define the undefinable. The fact that the Catholic faith (and other faiths as well) contain “mysteries”, beliefs that are not completely comprehended by any of us, speaks to that. It is like trying to understand advanced calculus with only a background in basic arithmetic.

We (all of us humans) tend to want to “shrink” God down to something our own “size”, rather than accept that nothing we can do, or think, or even imagine, can do justice to the reality that is God.

But we keep trying, and we call the attempt “religion”.

 

[Deputy_Seraph]

God is unfathomable and unknowable to human beings. Much of what we believe within our religions is a feeble attempt to explain the unknowable and define the undefinable. The fact that the Catholic faith (and other faiths as well) contain “mysteries”, beliefs that are not completely comprehended by any of us, speaks to that. It is like trying to understand advanced calculus with only a background in basic arithmetic.

We (all of us humans) tend to want to “shrink” God down to something our own “size”, rather than accept that nothing we can do, or think, or even imagine, can do justice to the reality that is God.

But we keep trying, and we call the attempt “religion”.

 

[Zachary]

God is clearly too big for disorganized religions. Yet, He humbled himself and organized a Church. So, I don’t think He’s too big; I think we’re too small. God wants us to have Him be part of our lives and become holy within Him.

 

[Jim_Baur]

I have studied the Guide for the Perplexed a great deal.

I have studied the Summa a great deal.

I believe that both would acknowledge that all of our feeble concepts, those revealed and philosophical, fall infinitely short of G-d.

So in a declining order:

A. Ein Sof

B. Cloud

C. Negative theology

D. Positive theology

I believe all levels are helpful. I need the teachings that G-d is absolute beauty and good.

I also need to know that all of these concepts fall infinitely short-- He is immaterial, infinite and so forth.

There is a great darkness at His feet.

We cannot get beyond it.

He can still touch me with His beauty, goodness, infinitely and hesed. His love personal love transcends all concepts of us humans–thank G-d He revealed His love.

 

[christofirst]

I was just reading something along these lines in a book by Fr. Thomas Ryan, * Prayer of Heart and Body* :

“As soon as we have affirmed something of God, we have to turn around and confess that it is inadequate to express the full reality of God.”

and

“The catechisms of our churches attempt to put the content of the Christian faith into rational, discursive terms. The aim is illusory inasmuch as the content of faith ultimately transcends all rational, discursive thought.”

 

[PietroPaolo]

I sometimes wonder whether any of us members of faith traditions have it “right.” I realize devout, practicing Catholics believe they and particularly the Church are given the truth by the grace of the Holy Spirit, while other faiths believe they too have the “truth” insofar as G-d enables them to perceive it. This view would apply, I think, even to Baha’is, Quakers, Unitarians, and Buddhists, who have their own interesting belief systems.

My question is: might it be that none of us who participate in organized religions has it exactly right and that organized religion by its very nature is bound to contain false ideas and inaccuracies created by humans who, although they may believe themselves to be divinely inspired in their teachings, are in fact not? This question is not intended to point toward a denial of G-d’s existence or a Deistic attitude of an impersonal G-d, but is rather an expression of the awesome quality of G-d which all religions are not quite able to capture and which they may have an unintentional tendency to limit.

Any thoughts on the matter?

If all religions are man made “interesting belief systems” then, without equivocation, YES.

If any religion is God made (God’s path to us, not our path to him), then, again without equivocation, NO.

Mind you, the distinction isn’t between religions that claim to be revealed and those that don’t, but between a religion that actually is revealed and those that (regardless of their claims) are not.

 

[Michael_Mayo]

I am reminded of Jesus cursing the fig tree because it did not bare fruit.
The Jewish organized religion of his time was not baring fruit.

As long as the “false ideas and inaccuracies” do not impede fruit like;
Feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, visiting the sick, being gentle, hungering for justice, being merciful, having a pure heart, making peace, letting your light shine, giving to those who ask, praying for enemies, forgiving others, etc…both as organized religion and indivdually.

 

[Robert_Sock]

I have studied the Guide for the Perplexed a great deal.

I also read the Guide for the Perplexed, but it only caused me to become even more perplexed!

LOVE!

 

[Jim_Baur]

Robert Sock
Yes!

I had to study it five, six or seven times and take many, many, many notes.

Then I had to see in what manner all of the notes fit together.

He is extraordinarily helpful.

 

[po18guy]

Man is, by the nature of his creation, a religious being. The human mind seeks order and some level of predictability, as opposed to a state of chaos. God, Who alone defines being and existence is, by His very nature, organized. He is an organic whole and all that flows from Him, unless acted upon by some level of disorder, is and remains organic and whole.

Our religious nature, having come from God, seeks to be organic and organized, as we are in the image and likeness of our Creator. Having our nature from God, but retaining our free will which allows for disorder to enter into the world, man’s religions naturally fall into some semblance of order. Thus, God willed that the true religion have order in it, as it has its source in Him, Who is order.

Our command and our quest, since order and true religion come from God, is to seek, to critically think about, to embrace and make our own the true religion that God has given us.

First coffee, then philosophy.

 

[Charlemagne_III]

God is too big for organized religion, but he humbled himself in Jesus to fit organized religion.

 

[Jim_Baur]

Charlemagne III

Great answer!

 

[fhansen]

I sometimes wonder whether any of us members of faith traditions have it “right.” I realize devout, practicing Catholics believe they and particularly the Church are given the truth by the grace of the Holy Spirit, while other faiths believe they too have the “truth” insofar as G-d enables them to perceive it. This view would apply, I think, even to Baha’is, Quakers, Unitarians, and Buddhists, who have their own interesting belief systems.

My question is: might it be that none of us who participate in organized religions has it exactly right and that organized religion by its very nature is bound to contain false ideas and inaccuracies created by humans who, although they may believe themselves to be divinely inspired in their teachings, are in fact not? This question is not intended to point toward a denial of G-d’s existence or a Deistic attitude of an impersonal G-d, but is rather an expression of the awesome quality of G-d which all religions are not quite able to capture and which they may have an unintentional tendency to limit.

Any thoughts on the matter?

None of us who practice organized religion have it right, regardless of the “righness” of our particular religion, because all of as individuals have it wrong to one degree or another and are, ideally, in the process of getting it right. So whether or not a religion might possibly have “perfect light” in terms of its revelation of God-His nature and will-God’s always too big for us-so that for all members from the top down greater and greater insight would always be obtainable by better and better understanding of the light offered.

 

[Deputy_Seraph]

None of us who practice organized religion have it right, regardless of the “righness” of our particular religion, because all of as individuals have it wrong to one degree or another and are, ideally, in the process of getting it right. So whether or not a religion might possibly have “perfect light” in terms of its revelation of God-His nature and will-God’s always too big for us-so that for all members from the top down greater and greater insight would always be obtainable by better and better understanding of the light offered.

:clapping::clapping::clapping:

As long as there is a human element to organized religion, none of us will have it right in this life. I pray for peace in the unity of Our Father while we keep trying.
As the song goes, " Some day, we’ll be together."

 

[CHRISTINE77]

I am reminded of Jesus cursing the fig tree because it did not bare fruit.
The Jewish organized religion of his time was not baring fruit.

As long as the “false ideas and inaccuracies” do not impede fruit like;
Feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, visiting the sick, being gentle, hungering for justice, being merciful, having a pure heart, making peace, letting your light shine, giving to those who ask, praying for enemies, forgiving others, etc…both as organized religion and indivdually.

Amen

 

[zippy2006]

My question is: might it be that none of us who participate in organized religions has it exactly right and that organized religion by its very nature is bound to contain false ideas and inaccuracies created by humans who, although they may believe themselves to be divinely inspired in their teachings, are in fact not?

Christians do not believe their religion was founded by fallible humans, as do many of the religions noted in your first paragraph. I certainly do not believe that God is too big for organized religion, for I believe that he is responsible for at least two organized religions.

 

[VincentChristop]

I sometimes wonder whether any of us members of faith traditions have it “right.” I realize devout, practicing Catholics believe they and particularly the Church are given the truth by the grace of the Holy Spirit, while other faiths believe they too have the “truth” insofar as G-d enables them to perceive it. This view would apply, I think, even to Baha’is, Quakers, Unitarians, and Buddhists, who have their own interesting belief systems.

My question is: might it be that none of us who participate in organized religions has it exactly right and that organized religion by its very nature is bound to contain false ideas and inaccuracies created by humans who, although they may believe themselves to be divinely inspired in their teachings, are in fact not? This question is not intended to point toward a denial of G-d’s existence or a Deistic attitude of an impersonal G-d, but is rather an expression of the awesome quality of G-d which all religions are not quite able to capture and which they may have an unintentional tendency to limit.

Any thoughts on the matter?

I believe God never meant for us to perceive him ONE way.

Religion is a means to find him.

I believe religion is corrupt today.

Prior to what people say. Tradition is not needed to find God.

When one seeks he shall find.

How do you control the world?

Political Power
Financial Power
Religious Power.

There’s a difference between being spiritual, and being religious.

Do you think God would want to limit us? We are made to create. How will be able to make full use of our ability if we limit ourselves. Once we limit God we limit ourselves.

And this is how religion in the wrong hands can control the masses.

 

[Amandil]

Frankly most of these responses presuppose a belief that religion is wholly based upon man.

This cannot be true about Catholic Christianity, just as it was not true for Israel under the Old Covenant.

Jesus founded “religion” when He told His disciples in the Upper Room to “Do this in remembrance of me…” and associated that offering with the offering of His life at Calvary.

Everything else in the Christian faith is based upon and centered in Jesus’s words and His sacrifice.

Christ spent the days after His resurrection up to His ascension further teaching His Apostles about the Kingdom of God which would be the Church.

Jesus came to establish a Church through His New Covenant, therefore He established a religion which includes a system where spiritual realities and graces are conferred through physical means sacramentally.

“VincentChristop” is positing a false dichotomy.

Ss for the other comments, particularly from Catholics, I have to ask do we believe in the Holy Spirit or not? If we say that we believe in the Holy Spirit, and that we believe in the Holy Catholic Church, then how on earth can we say that the Church doesn’t have it right?