Is better to have faith or belief in a higher power or to follow a religion?

Question

I believe in God and the teachings of Jesus Christ but also believe man is fallible unlike God and has twisted religion to fit into what he wants not what God wants. I believe faith comes from God, religion comes from man.So many wars have been fought in the name of God but does God truly want us to murder and steal from our fellow man and pretend it is in His name when it is just the orders of mere men who call themselves kings and leaders. I will believe in God no matter what is taken from me and will not take from others to champion that belief. So is it right to use His name in wars- like say the Crusades? While we cannot change the past, we can be more honest with it and our future.

Answer 1

If you believe in Christ's sacrifice for your salvation then you believe enough. Everything else is just a name (even Christian) which we use to label ourselves. As far as kings and leaders they are just men and will do as men do.

Answer 2

I do not see the difference between faith in god or religious deities, as both draw from the same source of irrationality, or belief without evidence. I would however argue that some of the faithful are more kind, humane, and respectful of individual rights in this country than others. The difference often has to do with the group they adhere to, a.k.a. organized religion.

So even though I reject faith and think it is belief without evidence, I would give you this advice:

By all means, please avoid organized religion. The popularity of organized religious groups are inversely proportional to my freedoms as an atheist. I'd argue that this is true across the gamut of religious belief.

So by all means, go with personal faith over mass delusion. I don't prefer either, but one has less impact on my life.

P.S. I'm glad that you're looking at the ethical qualms of traditional religious beliefs and rejecting the violence perpetuated in the name of a deity.

Answer 3

It is better to have Faith and Belief in a Higher Power. Just by being involved in the yahoo q&a community, I'm seeing how people are going to believe what they want, and try to hurt others with words for having different beliefs. The ones who do believe in a higher power share a similarity with me, they are believing in something bigger than themselves, an acceptance of our complete inferiority to our maker.(mind you, there are the ones who think that their religion is the only right one - very closed minded).

Answer 4

I read once that faith is the essence of a true religion. Give one or the other I would take faith, but to have both is by far better.

"We can see where the world is drifting today as far as religion is concerned. If they can get it cheap, if it does not cause them any exertion, they do not mind having just a little of it. But this is not the case with Latter-day Saints. Nor is it the case with a living religion. For I want to tell you that the religion of Christ is not a Sunday religion; it is not a momentary religion; it is a religion that never ends; and it requires duties of its devotees on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and all of the days of the week just as sincerely, just as strongly, as it does on the Sabbath day. And I would not give the ashes of a rye straw, for a Sunday religion, or for a religion that is manufactured by men, whether by priests or laymen." - Joseph F. Smith

Answer 5

That's a deep one! I agree with you, Christianity is NOT a religion, it its a relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit. made possible by Christ's sacrifice on the cross, and proved by his Resurrection. Religion plays a part in the relationship by providing a framework to worship and study and hear from God and build that relationship up. When the how of religion becomes more important than the Why then things get messed up. When it gets to "You have to worship MY god My Way or I'll kill you" as in the crusades etc, then you've lost it completely

Answer 6

First of all, it's better to write clearly and avoid running your sentences together.

Secondly, it helps to deal with one question at a time and present a query that others can understand.

Finally, it's better to have an open mind when asking a question than to stubbornly state what you will "always believe" without regard for the opinions you seek.

Get real. Neither "god" nor "faith" nor "higher power" are the answers to anything worthy of a question.

But should there be wars in the name of "X"? Sometimes the answer must be "Yes." Whenever "X" stands in support of an ideology that protects and preserves our basic human rights and freedoms, assuming other solutoins have failed, that pursuit is worthy of war.

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Answer 7

I tend to agree with you. However (and I do not know your ethnicity) assuming you are European. You should be thankful that your ancestors had the insight to fight against the invading hordes of Islamist in the middle ages. For if they had not you just might be following the teachings of an Arab from the middle east. My big problem with the crusades is that we did not finish the job. I would never presume upon God and say he sanctioned those wars, but I do believe they were just.

Answer 8

Belief in God is nothing to with religion. It is a loving relationship based on faith. Religious institutions are for people who do not understand that they can have a personal relationship with God. God did not ordain the existence of manmade organisations. Mankind did. God only wants us to be loving, not to follow ritualistic behaviour.

Answer 9

I agree that religion can mean other things than what God wants for us. It can be a deviation from His will.

But I would add that all wars are not necessarily against His will. I think that what we are seeing in the Middle East currently are the things that must happen before His promised end to things comes to pass.

Answer 10

You are as I a disciple of Jesus Christ. But why do you refer to the Commandments of God, as teaching of Jesus Christ.

Read the Gospel as the True Word of God, use these Words to Judge the other Words. Jesus said: a good tree can not produce bad fruit and a bad tree can not produce good fruit.

Jesus said; "if you love me you will keep my commandments, what and where are these commandments Jesus is refering to. They are found throughout the 4 Gospels. But you must take it's meaning as a whole.

The Word of God is telling us a story, the true story, open your eyes to the truth, you must be born again to see the truth.

Being Born again is to have your house emptied, swept and garnished, of all knowledge and began again with truth.