Is my personal understanding and relationship to the divine enough?

Question

Why should I let other people, organizations and -things- to be between
me and God? If I pray and receive insights directly, do I need a church?
Do I need a Bible? If in fact the questions of religion and faith are
supremely important, why should I look to anything filtered through
another human being? If my soul is at stake, why not seek inspiration
and communion -directly- with the higher power? Going to churches I
didn't build, hearing sermons I didn't write, reading scripture I didn't
translate, etc. All of that risks my misunderstanding of God's purpose for
myself. If my house is in order, what do I need for anything more than
my own connection to God? Indeed, how can anyone claim to know
what's right for my soul but God?

It seems to me that communion and fellowship come from human, social urges and have nothing to with my relationship to God. None of you will be there with me when I face my death, so why should I let anyone influence my faith?

Answer 1

Your personal understanding and relationship IS enough for God to give you more when you get to Heaven, you are one of the few whom has it right, God bless you my friend.

Answer 2

People are fallible - God is not. Seek God. I am a Christian, and I don't take everything at face value. I read the Bible and pray for understanding. It is the relationship with Jesus, not with people, that will show the truth. Once the truth is discovered, there is a decision to be made - accept Jesus' free gift of salvation or don't. If you do, then fellowship with other believers is a blessing. But it is not in any way a substitute for a personal relationship with God.

Answer 3

"Why should I let other people, organizations and - things - be between me and Math? If I count and receive insights directly, do I need a teacher? Do I need a math book? If in fact the questions of mathematics and calculus are important, why should I look to anything filtered through another human being? Going to a school I didn't build, hearing a formula I didn't write, reading a word problem I didn't translate, etc. All the that risks my understanding of math's purpose for myself."

Funny how no one would expect their child to discover how to count, add, subtract, multiply, divide, the value of pi (to the last decimal), geometry, fractions, percentage, ratios, algebra, calculus, statistics, and beyond - all on their own. With no instructions or training of any kind. No teachers, schools, math books, or anything. When no one individual as ever then that in history. It took the experiences, learns, and discoveries of hundreds of people over centuries - each building the things learned by early generations - to advance math to where it is today.

But we assume that a far much complicated subject - God - can be learned without an input from others.

Contained in the Christian scriptures are the stories and experiences of hundreds who have encountered God over the centuries that the books cover. It contains a progressive revelations of God, each building on the things learned by the ones before them, and foreshadowing the things to come.

In the book of Hebrew, we are told that all these things happened to these people (and were recorded) as examples of us. So we can understand how God works and how to relate to him. Why rediscover fractions, if someone has already done it and recorded the instructions for us? (If you are like most of us, even with instructions, fractions are still a mystery).

Can you encounter God on your own? Yes. But too often people who encounter God alone are like the famous blind men who each touched a different part of an elephant. One though he was a fan, like the ear, another a rope like the tail, another a snake like the trunk, etc. Each had a real encounter with the elephant, but they need to put them all together to understand the elephant. That is done for us in the pages of the scripture.


So do not be too quick to dismiss the scriptures, and those people who are educated in them. It is easier to learn "math" when you have someone to explain it.

Answer 4

First I have to take it that you are at least somewhat serious in your plea? If you are, then, you are responsible for your own relationship with God, the first part of your question is that are you born of God, born again. Having done that by faith in the asking to be saved from your sins, your were born into the household of believers. You need the church, to learn and to grow and to make sure that the insights that you have been given are applicable and livable, you need to fellowship with the body of Christ, one can not be apart from the body and maintain life, just as a branch cannot live if it becomes disconnected from the tree. Also God saved you for a purpose, a plan a reason that you through the body of Christ may render that purpose in its fullness in God's kingdom. You were purchased by God from sin, for in your redemption, God saw you as you were being sold as a slave to sin, you were on the slave market's auction block, God in Christ bought you back, you were redeemed, to become God's servant, bondslave to serve him wholeheartedly. You can only serve God in the church for Christ is the head we are the body.

Next, the sermons, the singing, the fellowship is to build up strengthen, and equip you for that service that you are to render to God. There is no Christian who truly is a devout Christian who can live apart from the body for any length of time. For the Spirit of God whom you were born again of calls you out to join those of like character - unless you become disobedient to Him and thus you are no longer sincere and walk down that path that is away from God

lastly, many people feel that they don't need church, its full of hypocrites, sinners, self-righteous, busy bodies, which is true to some extent, but where else better to be to hear that which can transform them into God's children. No the church is not perfect, and will not be till Christ comes again. Yet it is better for you to be in the church where there is relative safety than be out of it where there is absolutely none - in the boat or out you choose.

Hope this helps.

Answer 5

In answer to the first part of your question. Of course not , silly.
Where did you learn how to speak a language? From yourself?
You should learn from others and keep inquiring as well.Humans are a common lot and you are not so different or unique that you cannot profit from others , even if it means that you learn from their errors. It is a silly question though, because you can think that way if you want, but it does not represent reality and truth or experience, we learn a lot from others, and if you become persuaded that something you hear, or read is true because it resonates within you according to reason and morality and justice and beauty, then you will be convinced of it and that is it. If you mean resisting and fighting against ideas simply because they come from others then you are absolutley in error .A wise person rejects things upon another basis , not simply because it comes from another as you have said. It sounds like you really want to attack the idea of religion not inquire about truth. Indeed it sounds extremely egotistical.

Answer 6

I agree with you 100%. It's our own understanding and the relationship that matters. What others say may be true but it's for them only. I have to make my own way to him. Church, masjid, temples are all commercial entities with their own objectives. They are not out there for us but for them meaning getting richer and more influential. They are the reason why people are so separated and why there is so much misunderstandings amongst different faiths. Religion aught to unite people not separate people.

Answer 7

I pay very little attention to the old testaments myths and story's made up for there children around there campfires . I read Jesus 's words and then have tryed to apply them to my life. and most important I have asked the Spirit of God into me and I ask of it and I actually listen for the answers and then try to do Gods will in my life.Jesus said he was going back to heaven he is not around. but the holy spirit is. church is nice. but its not necessary.Listen to the Spirit within you, there is where you will find true knowledge and wisdom .spiritual truth . love. thru faith . I wish you the the very best on your spiritual journey.

Answer 8

very good insight, but you have to realize their is revelation for a reason,

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful



[002.001] Alif-Lâm-Mîm.

[These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur'ân and none but God (Alone) knows their meanings.]

[002.002] This is the Book (the Qur'ân), whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqûn [the pious believers of Islamic Monotheism who fear God much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love God much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)].

[002.003] Who believe in the Ghaib and perform As-Salât (the prayers), and spend out of what We have provided for them [i.e. give Zakât (obligatory charity), spend on themselves, their parents, their children, their wives, and also give charity to the poor].

[002.004] And who believe in that (the Qur'ân and the Sunnah) which has been sent down (revealed) to you (Muhammad [Peace Be Upon Him]) and in that which was sent down before you [the Taurât (Torah) and the Injîl (Gospel)] and they believe with certainty in the Hereafter. (Resurrection, recompense of their good and bad deeds, Paradise and Hell).

[002.005] They are on (true) guidance from their Lord, and they are the successful.





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(V.2:3): Al-Ghaib: literally means a thing not seen. But this word includes vast meanings: Belief in God, Angels, Holy Books, God's Messengers, Day of Resurrection and Al-Qadar (Divine Preordainments). It also includes what God and His Messenger [Peace Be Upon Him] informed about the knowledge of the matters of past, present, and future, e.g., news about the creation of the heavens and earth, botanical and zoological life, the news about the nations of the past, and about Paradise and Hell.

(V.2:3): Perform As-Salât: The performance of Salât (prayers). It means that:
a) Each and every Muslim, male or female, is obliged to offer his Salât (prayers) regularly five times a day at the specified times; the male in the mosque in congregation and as for the female it is better to offer them at home. As the Prophet [Peace Be Upon Him] has said: "Order your children to perform Salât (prayers) at the age of seven and beat them (about it) at the age of ten." The chief (of a family, town, tribe) and the Muslim rulers of a country are held responsible before God in case of non-fulfillment of this obligation by the Muslims under their authority.

b) One must offer the Salât (prayers) as the Prophet [Peace Be Upon Him] used to offer them with all their rules and regulations, i.e., standing, bowing, prostrating, sitting, as he [Peace Be Upon Him] has said: "Offer your Salât (prayers) the way you see me performing them." [See Sahih Al-Bukhâri, 1/631(O.P.604) and 9/7246 (O.P.352)] [For the characteristics of the Salât (prayer) of the Prophet [Peace Be Upon Him] see Sahih Al-Bukhâri, 1/735, 736, 737, 766, 823, 824 (O.P.702, 703, 704, 733, 786, 787)].

(V.2:3) Zakât (obligatory charity): A certain fixed proportion of the wealth and of every kind of the property liable to Zakât of a Muslim to be paid yearly for the benefit of the poor in the Muslim community. The payment of Zakât is obligatory as it is one of the five pillars of Islâm. Zakât is the major economic means for establishing social justice and leading the Muslim society to prosperity and security. [See Sahih Al-Bukhâri, Book of Zakât, No. 24]

(V.2:4) Narrated Ibn 'Umar [radhi-yGodu 'anhumaa]: God's Messenger [Peace Be Upon Him] said: Islâm is based on (the following) five (principles):
1. To testify that "Lâ ilâha illGod wa anna Muhammad-ur-Rasûl God" (none has the right to be worshipped but God and that Muhammad [Peace Be Upon Him] is the Messenger of God).
2. Iqâmat-as-Salât: to perform the five (compulsory congregational) Salât (prayers).
3. To pay Zakât (obligatory charity).
4. To perform Hajj (i.e. pilgrimage to Makkah).
5. To observe Saum (fasting) during the month of Ramadân.
[Sahih Al-Bukhâri, 1/8 (O.P.7)]