Why do I keep seeing things like "I don't believe in religion but I believe in God and Jesus"?

Question

Isn't God and Jesus a fundamental point of religion???

That's the craziest comment I've heard repeated on here recently.
Best analogy gets 10 pts because I couldn't think of one.

This question applies to those people saying the above line. Please don't point out to me that there are plenty of other religions that don't believe in God and Jesus. Believe me, I know how many idiots are in the world.

Answer 1

Hmmm... analogy....

I morally object to people eating cows. That's why I only eat hamburgers.


It's circular logic, but the people that say such things don't understand that the "god" they believe in was created by the "religion" that they don't believe in.

Answer 2

There is a difference between being a christian and being "religious". A christian aims to be "Christ-like" - ie: follow the teachings and examples of the Lord Jesus - while religious people tend to follow man made rituals (such as confession, the worship of the virgin Mary, etc). God looks at the state of a man's heart, not at his outward works. You can go to a catholic church, say 10 Hail Mary's, put big money in the collection plate, etc - but you won't be any closer to having a personal relationship with the Father in heaven! It's an inner change that God is looking for.

Answer 3

Religeon is just someones view or interpretation of what God and Jesus meant. It becomes structured to their way of thinking. Here's an analogy... The constitution says we have this or that freedom (pick one) then the lawyers read it and say they meant something entirely different.
God says clearly JUDGE NOT , but Christians are argueably the least tolerant people on Earth. The term is hypocrite I think.
I for one dislike organized religeon because there are so many different ones all claiming to be going to Heaven while the rest will burn for their ignorance.

Answer 4

I believe they might mean ORGANIZED religion. There's a difference in having a belief, and having a doctrine. A doctrine pretty much says what you can and cannot do, not neccesarily the same stuff from the book of choice (not going to say bible because i'm sure other belief systems have similar situations). For an example I will use the bible however. It has no specifications on who should, or should not be a religious teacher. But the Catholic Church has no women in their organized church; then, you can take Assembly of God, who do allow female pastors.

Answer 5

I guess the best analogy would be someone who has taken all the classes to become a pilot, but wont go up in the air.

I believe the plane will fly, I believe it is safe, but I am not going up there.

If they truely believe in GOD and Jesus, then they also would have to believe that the bible is the only way to learn about how they should live their lives. We are told in the bible to fellowship and to worship with fellow believers.

On this one point alone, they are refusing something so wonderful that God has created for them.

Answer 6

Ra's(the Egyptian/Mitrite Sun Idol) Legions(demons Yahushua cast out of a man) is not about salvation. If you don't understand the difference than I feel for you. I have a salvation experience that leads me into a distinct and seperate lifestyle of relationship with Yahu'shua the Messiah or the Anointed/er/ing. To me religion is about rituals, traditions, customs of men and things not founded in therelationship and instructions of a divine Creator Yahu'eh but in the things of this earth people try to explain through the creation or some of you would believe in evolution and secular humanism that you claim is not a religion but takes a lot more faith than my relationship and salvation ever would!

P.S. Horace,

This is a false assertion you made after I posted. I attend services and pay tithes working with others of like relationship with the Creator. I believe relationship and salvation of Yahushua the Messiah calls for the highest commitment! \o/HalleluYAH\o/

Answer 7

By "religion," most people mean the institutional cancer that tends to arise around the memories of charismatic religious teachers. People don't accept it because they see that it stifles free thought, impedes human progress, and ends up teaching more or less the opposite of what the founder intended.

On the other hand, people can be theists and Christians while being disgusted and repulsed by institutional Christianity and its ignorant, intolerant adherents. I think they're the ones saying they don't accept "religion" but they do accept the existence of God and the teachings of Jesus.

Answer 8

That is the world's version of being a Christian - they believe but they do not follow God or do His commandments. That is a very serious delusion that many have cemented in themselves. All through the Bible you see God has a people and those people only have one religion. So all these religions now confuse alot of people but through them all there is one that is true. God always has a people in every era. Find them through the Bible and what they teach and preach from it.

Answer 9

Because a lot of time the religious organizations that claim to represent God and Jesus really fall short of what they should be, and a lot of people rather not get involved with them but learn about and follow God and Jesus without all the extra b.s.

Answer 10

Religion is the organized institutions and dogma.

Faith is the belief that God/Jesus exist.

Many people of faith do not participate in organized religion. They believe that the pope, priests, pastors, rabbis, etc. are nothing other than guys taking their money to build French Riviera mansions. They don't believe going to church/synogogue and following the dogma makes them better Christians or Jews.

Answer 11

Religion is a practice, I can be religious about a sports team, I can faithfully follow my team. People play religion, They make a claim of a religion but never follow its teachings. They are not truly faithful.
I myself profess a faith in Jesus so to follow it, I have to learn what it takes, what Jesus did and model my life in that manner. That is being faithful and not religious.

By the actions of a person you know the difference.