Religion,Spirituality and God

[elt1956]

Questions:

1. Does religion help us understand and love one another, especially others who are not of our religion?
2. If not, would you say one’s belief in their religion, to the detriment of brotherly/sisterly love, is divisive? How or how not?
3. What is the definition of pure spirituality?
4. Does it help, or hinder religion?
5. Must one be religious to be spiritual?
6. What does it mean to fully and completley have faith in God?

 

[Cajetan]

1. Does religion help us understand and love one another, especially others who are not of our religion?

Religion certainly brings people together, forming geniune communities which would otherwise not exist. I can’t say that I really know any of my neighbors, but I know and love my fellow parishioners. I spend quality time with many of them, in the name of God. Religious activity provides and promotes a sense of family beyond the family unit at home or among a circle of friends. It teaches one to love thy neighbor as family, because we all have a common Father.

1. What is the definition of pure spirituality?

Christ. Another definition: the state of having completely conformed one’s will to the Will of God.

1. Does it help, or hinder religion?

It is the goal of religion, the religious quest. What else are we doing here?

1. Must one be religious to be spiritual?

I tend to think that spirituality without foundational, unchanging beliefs is like a house built on sand: not solid. It tends to blow this way or that, with the wind of the times, and the “wisdom” of the times is not always good and is rarely the truth. But what any spiritual person is looking for is truth, which is unchanging. Without solid truth convictions – otherwise known as religious belief – spiritually is incomplete. Another way to look at it: in order to run (be spiritual), the runner (spiritual man) needs solid food (religion). Spiritually is the wings of religion.

1. What does it mean to fully and completley have faith in God?

Surrender all to the Will of God. If you are diagnosed with cancer, you say “God, your Will be done,” and trust Him all the way like a loving parent who would never abandon you.

 

[mike7795]

Questions:

1. Does religion help us understand and love one another, especially others who are not of our religion?
2. If not, would you say one’s belief in their religion, to the detriment of brotherly/sisterly love, is divisive? How or how not?
3. What is the definition of pure spirituality?
4. Does it help, or hinder religion?
5. Must one be religious to be spiritual?
6. What does it mean to fully and completley have faith in God?

1. No
2. Yes. To claim to own Truth is ridiculous.
3. To turn inward and abandon the self, the world, ideas, etc.
4. Neither. Religion becomes irrelevant. No ideas, no religion.
5. No
6. Give up religion.

 

[porkscratchings]

Questions:

1. Does religion help us understand and love one another, especially others who are not of our religion?

A: Yes and No. Religion teaches us to ‘love one another’ but also teaches that it is ok to kill unbelievers or else treat them as slaves.

1. If not, would you say one’s belief in their religion, to the detriment of brotherly/sisterly love, is divisive? How or how not?

A: Religion has a hierarchy of love - u should love ur family, ur brothers and sisters but should love the prophet/leader of the religion higher than ur family and God highest of all. This can be divisive when a family member goes against the religion.

1. What is the definition of pure spirituality?

A: I don’t there is one. And how do u define ‘pure’ sprituality?

1. Does it help, or hinder religion?

A: In what sense?

1. Must one be religious to be spiritual?

A: Nope - many people seek a more spiritual way of living without joining a religion or believing in God.

1. What does it mean to fully and completley have faith in God?

A: No idea - I’m an atheist. I’ve never believed in God.

 

[SpiritMeadow]

Questions:

1. Does religion help us understand and love one another, especially others who are not of our religion?

Mostly no. We are certainly taught to love our brother, but most denominations make it clear that other Christian denominations are faulty, let alone non-Christian ones.

1. If not, would you say one’s belief in their religion, to the detriment of brotherly/sisterly love, is divisive? How or how not?

Somewhat. I think religion has many important function. We need it for instance because part of the message of Jesus is the importance of community, and that we are dependent upon one another. Of course we don’t do it well as I suggested in my first answer, but that is the purpose IMO.

1. What is the definition of pure spirituality?

I would suggest that it is a feeling of one ness with creation that is independent of any dogma about who and what God is. It is a pure sensing of oneness with the pure Spirit of God. It is rather a thrilling idea to find God without outside interference. To those who have accomplished it, I can only be envious. I suspect it doesn’t happen to many and is thus not particularly productive. Any faith is valuable no matter how arrived as, IMO, so I would not opt to achieve it without the assistence of a faith tradition.

1. Does it help, or hinder religion?

An active independent spiritual life helps to keep one’s own faith in a perspective I believe. It helps sort out the important from the not important. It can allow you to rise about the petty squabbling that can go on over “doctrinal” purity. To the degree that you can see a bigger picture, you can be a bit more forgiving of others who are unlike you, and transcend to see that value that can be found in nearly all faiths.

{QUOTE]5. Must one be religious to be spiritual?

No.

1. What does it mean to fully and completley have faith in God?

Wow, that’s a toughie. A lot of people equate God with a sacred book. I definitely reject the idea that complete faith means following to the letter some interpretation of a sacred book. That is not God, but only our opinions of what God is.

Perhaps the only way to answer is to say what I believe. I believe God is pure love. I believe His greatest desire is to be in relationship with his creation–and I mean all of it. I believe that no one is lost in the final analysis. It simply does not comport with the God I have come to know. So I have faith that my best is good enough, and faith that those who fail miserably and are hated by all mankind, somehow are as well. God is so great, we are so small, He can but have pity on us.

You have asked a difficult question. I’m not sure I have even begun to scratch the surface, but thanks for making me consider it.

 

[Cajetan]

With all due respect, mike7795 and porkscratchings, people come to this board to get Catholic answers, not tired atheistic ones. If elt1956 desired atheistic answers to his or her questions, he or she would ask them on any old message board, 90% of which cater to atheistic people with anti-religious sentiments.

Are you and your people not content enough with your web dominance that you have to come on here and “stir things up”? Then again, maybe it is pretty boring being just like everyone else on every single board you post on.

 

[porkscratchings]

With all due respect, mike7795 and porkscratchings, people come to this board to get Catholic answers,1 not tired atheistic ones. If elt1956 desired atheistic answers to his or her questions, he or she would ask them on any old message board, 2 90% of which cater to atheistic people with anti-religious sentiments.

Are you and your people not content enough with your web dominance that you have to come on here and 3***“stir things up”? ***Then again, maybe it is pretty boring being just like everyone else on every single board you post on.

1 - the OP did not direct the q specifically at Catholics only. On prev occasions which OP did so, I did not intrude.

2 - If u r sick of hearing the tired atheistic arguments, then i’m equally sick of seeing the tired religious arguments that demonise atheists as evil. If atheists are anti-religious, the reading some comments posted an the majority of Christian websites is unlikely to make them see things differently.

3 - 90% of message boards do not cater for atheists since the overwhelming majority of the human population (more than 4 billion out of a pop of 6 million) are religious. There are about 1 million people who admit to being atheist in the world. I hardly think this small no. is responsible for total of 90% of all web output. Besides u’d find most of the anti-religious output is coming from people like urself who dislike other faiths and atheists in particular. U’d find the Christian fundamentalists and muslims put up similar stuff condemning other beliefs outside their own.

3- I do not need to educate an atheist website how to treat me, an atheist. But I do have to come on religious sites to curb some of the nastier comments directed at myself and other folks who are non-christians. It is actually religious people who post negative comments about other people on every website going, and not only that, go door to door to tell people they’ll burn in hell. I’ve just turned away a JW and a rep of a black evangelical group, just this week alone. My uni does a daily clearout of defamatory religious tracts from its student facilities and tries hard to stop evangelical religious groups infiltrating student functions.

If u guys stop harassing people about religion, then i’m sure most people will not bother u in return.

In short if u respect other people, then other people will respect u

 

[porkscratchings]

3- I do not need to educate an atheist website how to treat me, an atheist. But I do have to come on religious sites to curb some of the nastier comments directed at myself and other folks who are non-christians. It is actually religious people who post negative comments about other people on every website going, and not only that, go door to door to tell people they’ll burn in hell. I’ve just turned away a JW and a rep of a black evangelical group, just this week alone. My uni does a daily clearout of defamatory religious tracts from its student facilities and tries hard to stop evangelical religious groups infiltrating student functions.

Oh BTW, here’s an example of religious types getting together to do their hate thing - this time against the muslims. This is the muslims are liars thread in the Non Catholic Religions thread.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=3461906#post3461906

Now Cajetan, I invite u to join me in restoring the reputation of religious people as decent human beings who don’t go out spitting hate against other folks.

 

[mike7795]

Oh BTW, here’s an example of religious types getting together to do their hate thing - this time against the muslims. This is the muslims are liars thread in the Non Catholic Religions thread.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=3461906#post3461906

Now Cajetan, I invite u to join me in restoring the reputation of religious people as decent human beings who don’t go out spitting hate against other folks.

I’m not usually one of those types who post “right on”, but here I’m going to do just that…Right on, porkscratchings.

First of all, my new and dear friend etl never asked for only Catholic replies. Second, I am not atheist, though my reply was interpreted as such…

And finally, I’ve been treated better as a human being by every atheist I know that any die-hard religious person I know. You know why? Because they believe (for the most part), in the here and now, and not some to-be-seen-in-the-future paradise. So much for sowing the seeds of love.

I’m not here to stir things up, Cajetan. But, from an atheist perspective, I don’t think asking for the direct experience of God BEFORE I believe anything is asking too much.

Besides, I know atheists aren’t going to knock on my door at 8am asking me to convert. That’s enough for me.

Peace,
Mike

 

[geekborj]

Originally Posted by elt1956
Questions:

Answers are based on yet another religion.