honest opinion on these words?

Question

real religion is sevice to God by serving his children...
to do that , you require no churches , no priests , no clergy , no sacred books ... unless
they implant in your heart the desire to serve , and make you love the children of God more than you loved them before,
serve whenever you can . help to lift your brothers load
That is religion

would like honest answers and if you can please state your faith or lack of

i am sure that even without a belief in God , the atheist can relate to these words also ...
we should all be there for our fellow man
but i am interested in all opinions thanks guys xx

Answer 1

As a Christian I would agree with this. Where you came up with that, I do not know, but it parallels what Jesus said of true religion. To help widows and orphans in their need and to keep yourself unspotted from the world. If we look at that not to specifically mean only those two groups, but accept the literary license to mean those who need help, I think your words strike the truth right on the head.

Answer 2

i'm agnostic

I have felt for a long time that religion is not always found or best served in churches in the present day. I also find that the bible causes loads of trouble not so much because of what is written in it but more to do with the way people interpret and 'use' what is written.

I haven't seen the paragraph before but it is my opinion that if religion and ALL people who claim to be religious followed that theory (not just the minoritry) then there wouldn't be as many angry christians on this website. I would also like to point out that i am aware that it is only a minority of people claiming to be christians who cause the problem not all people who are christian or religious (yes i do know religion does not just equate to christianity)

I remember when i was in primary school i used to love hearing religious stories cos everything sounded pretty much as your paragraph insinuates it should. As i got older i was introduced to a not so attractive side of religion which just seems so sad.

Does anyone else think that there's something a bit unjust when the vatican has so much money stored in art etc but there are starving people in the world? It kinda contradicts the vow of poverty that monks and nuns take when the pope lives in such splendour. (I do not mean to cause any offence it is an observation not a dig at religion.)

Answer 3

I think what you speak of is simply "doing the right thing". Unfortunately "real religions" have already defined themselves.
There's nothing wrong with a belief in any religion, as long as it isn't being used to manipulate, harm, or otherwise violate the rights of other people. Extremism of any kind is problematic, and potentially dangerous. Tolerance of other peoples beliefs and a healthy questioning of your own, with an open mind to endless possibilities is absolutely essential it can only lead to either reaffirmation or a change... either way, growth takes place.

Believe what you know. Know what you believe.

You're right though. Beyond any religious hang-ups, what's most important is how you treat other people, how you love. Anyone who tells you differently is violating your right to believe what you hold true, and is either trying to oppress you or subject you to the same oppression they themselves are subject to.

-No affiliation with any religion and no self-imposed subjection to any categorization.

Answer 4

You are absolutely right! However, because we are human beings and human beings typically require other human beings to help them along life's journey it is not bad to have churches or priests, etc. It is bad when these churches, priests, etc., let the power they feel go to their head - they forget that they are to serve the people of God and wind up with the people serving them and their "rules of conduct towards God".

I wish your words were expressed by every human being. It would make this a much nicer place to live.

And yes, God does not need us - we need to plug into that higher power that we call God to help us navigate when we encounter the rough waters of life and to praise and give thanks for all the good in our lives. Doing this lifts us up and gives us good karma.

I am a liberal Catholic who is in opposition to many of my churches teaching. Vatican II had it right. Now the power hungry guys that run the place want to go back to the cult like religion they had before Vatican II.

Answer 5

One needs an organised Church or there would be chaos. There had to be when Paul spread the gospel to the Gentiles. It grew so large that they had to organise themselves. Without the early Church, you would have had no Gospels, you would have been either a pagan or Jewish, or whatever other religion there was. It is only in modern times that people have ceased to believe in God. Even the pagans had some sort of deity or deities! I am a Christian.

Answer 6

I agree -- and that these things can all help if they have the right intent. The most important thing is to make sure we realize that this all means that the reduction of our ego selves -- and it's important to beware of the 'spiritual self' or the 'self that wants to help others'. It's very subtle but it's all the self: the only way we can trully help anyone is to work on ourselves and getting ourselves out of the way. The minute we think we have something to teach or give to someone, that's when we know the ego is talking. Right action will result when we have ourselves out of the way -- no reward, no looking for meaning for ourselves, no thinking about how it's the right thing to do, no thinking that it's the spiritual thing to do -- nothing. Faith? I don't know...

Answer 7

Ye do err. Although a servant of righteousness 'seems' better than a servant of sin (of two servants compared in Romans 6); The overall biblical objective is to be no servant(slave) at all. See the links provided for details and bible verses.

There are also two sorts of religion:
- impure religion: law
- pure religion: grace

Sadly many so-called Christ-ians mix Law and Grace, which are "contrary things" that only mix to make an oxymoron such as one proselyte: twofold: more the child of hell than Pharisees, scribes, fools, hypocrites, vipers, and blind guides who sat in Moses' seat: Law (Matthew 23). Christ is "the end of the law" (Romans 10:4), our peace who abolished the lawI(enmity): Ephesians 2, the Saviour of the world: John 4:42.

As for children, even the "children of God", the higher exhortation is to "be no more children": Ephesians 4. Point: Grow up.

The GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ with you all. Amen.

Answer 8

You have a good point and you know when I go to mosque specially the Friday prayers when there is a Islamic sermon we are told of how to be a good Muslim, how to be a good person, etc. I know for a fact that if I go don't go to those sermons then I won't be on the 'straight path' as much as I should be! I think most humans have a weak nature in terms that they get too worldly and they should be reminded to do good or else they forget! :)

Answer 9

Religion is man's attempt to box GOD into man's own finite existance to earn his way into the eternal presence of GOD.
Unfortunately there is nothing man can do to earn his way into GOD's presence. Our goodness is as filthy rags to GOD. Only way to get to GOD is for GOD to come to us and provide a means for us to enter HIS presence... HE did that at Easter.
All we have to do is accept the gift.

Atheist is right. You do not need religion to love a child or serve mankind; but we do put our moral values into a man-made religious system to teach future generations the need to love and serve least we forget how to do so.

Answer 10

That might be religion...but I think we should be more into a relationship with God and His word and spend a lifetime walking in the spirit...and living according to the spirit, if we listen to the spirit it will direct us to the will of God and His desires for us!!