Is it OK to believe in a higher power and not worry about all the different religious sects?

Question

I'm a Christian but i've been wondering, with all the different forms (Lutheran, Protestant, Mormon, Pentacostal, Baptist) and not to mention all the other religions (Catholicism, Muslim, Hindu, etc.) if it's just better to believe in a higher power..

Forgive me for stating that Catholicism is not Christianity..I"m not a big researcher on Religion..sorry..but i assume you know where I was going with it..

Answer 1

I think believing that there is a God who saves people is incredibly important, but if someone were to ever ask you why you believe that or support your belief, what will you tell them. I think it's very important to have a firm stand on something you believe and to be able to back it up, not just say, yeah, I believe, but I don't know why

Answer 2

Catholics are Christians. Duh.

And Protestant is not a particular sect - is an umbrella term for many Christian groups, such as the Lutherans and Baptists that you mention.

And you forgot Judiasm.

May I suggest you do some research into the "different religious sects" first? You might actually find that Unitarian/Universalist agrees with you...

Answer 3

Do you mean okay to you, or to the "higher power?"

As far as Christianity is concerned, it makes no difference which Christian church you go to. If you choose to go, go to please God, not for the benefit of religious leaders who tell you they know better.

As far as which religion, I think following the right God is probably pretty important. If you believe in a higher power, isn't he high enough to have an actual identity?

You said you're a Christian, so I'll answer you with the bible:

"You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me." Exodus 20:5

"You shall have no other gods before me." Exodus 20:3

"But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath." Jeremiah 10:10

Answer 4

Religions or organizations that promote religion are just that. If you are concerned about making heaven it doesn't have anything to do with the name over the door, it has to do with your name being written in the Lambs book of life. In order to do that you have to believe. What do you have to believe? You can't just believe in a higher power! You have to believe in a specific higher power! Romans 10:9-10 tell us we have to believe in our heart and confess with our mouth that Jesus died on the cross and that he rose again. For with the heart man believes and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. The Scripture tells us that you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. The only truth there is that can set you free is the truth found in the blood shed by Jesus on the cross for our sins. Jesus is the truth! Jesus is our higher power!

The Bible also tells us God is not the Author of confusion, don't be confused by "other religions".

Answer 5

Yes, and that would make you a Deist, someone who believes in a higher power but shuns organized religion. I relate more to this way of believing but I still feel attending a church with others helps in the connection. I also feel this connnection with the majesty of nature. Just believe what you believe and don't worry about all the branches of religion or you may not be able to attain peace.

Answer 6

Absolutely! This is exactly what I do.

I have studied world religions for the past 12 or 13 years. I have been on a kind of spiritual quest in all this time too, and this is what I have found:

All major religions in this world teach the same basic principles of respect, faith, love, generosity, hope, peace, and compassion.

I believe in a singular Higher Power, but feel that regardless of how you view your higher power, they are all paths to the same end.

Answer 7

First and foremost, as a Christian, you must believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Romans 10:9 states, "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Nowhere in the bible does it state that you must be a Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, etc. to be saved. Jesus is the only way to eternal life. I pray that you will find a "bible-based" church that will teach you true biblical principles. Many people get so caught up in religious traditions that they lose sight of God's message of love and forgiveness. Read the bible and ask God to show you clear direction.

Answer 8

A Christian reallly needs to know what they believe, and why. Where does your faith in Jesus come from? How did you come to know about Him? The way we know about Jesus, and about salvation, comes from God's word in the bible.

This is why studying the bible is so important. Jesus claims He is the "truth, the life and the way" and that only by belief in Him alone, will any "come to the Father". Believing in a "higher power" is sort of generic. It suggests it doesn't really matter what you believe.

In my opinion, it very much matters what you believe. As the bible states, there is no other name under heaven by which anyone may be saved, except Jesus Christ.

Answer 9

I love all this "sure yeah whatever, believe whatever you want" stuff.

It just goes to show that BELIEF AND KNOWLEDGE ARE DIFFERENT THINGS.

WHY should you just hold as true any idea that appeals to you?

LEARN the difference between a belief and an idea.

You can hold any idea as true that you have GOOD REASON to suppose is true. You should BELIEVE NOTHING. If you find more evidence that contradicts one of your ideas, drop it like a poison. Beliefs tend not to change, because they are held regardless of evidence.

People treat belief like some sort of salad bar, that you can just pick and choose whatever you like because it appeals to you. Forget proof, forget logic, forget reason, forget truth and falsehood. Just "believe." Putrid.

Most people won't get the difference, but those that do are probably already atheists.

Answer 10

im an athiest but i can definatley see your quandry , if you look at all the different sects of religions within one religion like, christianity for example. they amost and usually do represent the personality of the group . so i think many more people should view the higher power through their own eyes rather than relying on some groups idea of how the bible should be interpreted. congradulations on being yourself and not falling into the support group of church folks so faithfully use to reaffirm each others faith.

Answer 11

Sure it's OK.
I say that anything that makes you treat others as you would like to be treated is OK by me, no matter what you call it.
Just make sure that EVERYONE is included, don't leave out women, or a particular race, or LGBT people, or people who are divorced, or any of the other petty distinctions that some people make. Then you are doing more harm than good.