I've seen it often, a Christian will say that religion is wrong, and claim they are not a part of a religion, and what they have is a personal relationship with Christ.
These Christians, who don't belong to the Christian relgion, do they not worship Jesus every Sunday (or other days of the week) at a church with other members who have the same set of beliefs?
2007-10-30 08:47:26 · 27 answers · asked by word 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
OK, of all the Chrisitians here who claim not to be part of a religion, can you please answer this question..
Do you go to church, and do you meet with people who have the same set of beliefs as you do?
2007-10-30 08:55:39 · update #1
Alright Jim B, I believe you have a relationship with Christ, yet do not belong to the religion.
2007-10-30 08:59:06 · update #2
They try to sugar coat things with this statement.
They know "religion" in general gets a bad rap, so they try to disassociate from it.
The hard fact is, that once you profess belief in a diety, adhere to certain rules from a book or oral tradition and have a certain faith or belief in a certain doctrine YOU ARE IN A RELIGION.
I can profess belief in Christ all I like. If other Christians see me not living according to certain rules, they will question whether I am TRULY Christian or not. And you see in here ALL the time various Chrisitans critiquing other Christians' Christianity and who is the "TRUEST" Christian.
If that isn't about religion, then I don't know what is.
2007-10-30 08:51:08 · answer #1 · answered by pixie_pagan 4 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Many have come forward saying theirs were a religion. Such as David Karasch of Waco, Texas & Jim Jones all had followers, and all proved to be a wrong religion. Now most likely the people that followed them most likely were very sincere.
I'm non-denominational and I do not belong as a member to a church, I worship God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit at Church. And I worship Him every Sunday and every day of the week.
2007-10-30 16:00:00 · answer #2 · answered by NJ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Religion is a set of rules and beliefs that dictate how someone lives their lives, or at least what the ideal life would look like. People who belong to that religion do their best to follow those rules and beliefs, even though they always fail.
What Christians mean when they distinquish between the two is that our Salvation does not come from the amount of success we have in following these rules, but in the grace of Christ and in our acceptance of Him, or relationship with a living God.
There are rules and beliefs that define Christianity but the true Christian does not follow them in the hope that doing so will get them the desired result (into heaven). Rather we follow them out of love for Christ and our desire to be more like Him. There are many within Christian churches that do follow the rules and beliefs for the wrong reason, believing that will get them the desired result. For them, Christianity is a religion. But that is not the way God intended it.
2007-10-30 15:57:39 · answer #3 · answered by joanney 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I can answer this from experience because I am not affiliated with a particular church, and yet I consider myself a christian. Dictionary.com not only defines religion as 'a set of beliefs', but also as 'the practice of beliefs'. A church can write down a set of beliefs in some creed or on the wall, and if you are a member of that church and proclaim to believe and practice those beliefs, then you could consider yourself following that religion. However, I believe that 'true' religion is when you actually believe and practice a set of beliefs in your heart. I call this 'owning' your religion. I'm not saying that you can't attend a church that has a creed that you honestly believe in. I call myself a Christian because two of the basic beliefs of Christianity is that GOD exists, and that GOD sent Jesus to save us from sin. Different churches have variations of this belief and how they practice it, but I have yet to find one that corresponds with my beliefs. So, until then I follow the religion in my heart.
2007-10-30 16:01:52 · answer #4 · answered by Rob 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People who are Christians are just that. Believers that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. They've trusted him in the hearts to be their personal savior. That is a Christian. To be a Christian you DO NOT have to ever step foot in a church. However, if you are a true Christian and truly saved you will want to. Some religions don't teach the gospel. ( meaning being saved and going to heaven through grace by faith in Jesus) and so as a Christian they wouldnt want to belong to that religion. I am a Christian and also a Baptist. They are 2 separate things. Baptists believe differently that Catholics and they believe differently that Muslims..and so on. But you will find Christians in all of the different religions.
2007-10-30 15:57:48 · answer #5 · answered by Rin 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Religion is wrong, rules not of God and traditions that don't line up with God's Word.
I am a Christian because I believe in Christ Jesus as the Son of God, I don't believe that if you say a prayer you are saved with OUT repentance and forgiveness DAILY it is what we were asked to do.
Alot of churches are secular, you can't tell the difference between the believer and the non believer-the non believer will go there for fun- because it is not Holy.
Religion is not of God- being together with believers that are not religious traditionalist makes it a little harder to find a church, but when you do you will know it and you will grow in the Lord.-that is why:)
ADD:
Yes I do go to Church, like I said it is hard to find one that is not....over religious and with holds the Spirit of God form moving.
The Word commands us to forsake NOT the Assembly of believers, so if you are not in church you are not in the commands of God.
http://www.trainweb.org/seaboard/RELIGION/assembly.htm
2007-10-30 15:55:50 · answer #6 · answered by CJ 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I go to a non denominational church. NO RELIGION. Religion is man made rules, rituals and regulations on how to worship God. There is no freedom in Christ in religion. I don't claim that I don't belong to a religion I REALLY DON'T BELONG TO A RELIGION. Christianity in its purest form has nothing to do with any religion. Get it? Got it? Good.
2007-10-30 15:56:19 · answer #7 · answered by Kaliko 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well I don't feel like going into the whole long philosphy of religion, and since you asked the question, I hope you're a person who can open mindedly listen to what I"m telling you. It is possible for individuals to have a personal relationship either with God, or with whatever they believe is a higher power. Some people just basically don't fully believe in God, higher spirits, or they don't believe in organized religion. Like me, I believe there is something, and I have my own personal ways of going about my beliefs, but I don't feel it's right to go into an organized religion that I don't even fully believe in, and that I still question. there's lots and lots of answers people can give for this, and they don't have to be Christian, or any other religion to practice anything related to multiple relgions.
2007-10-30 15:53:47 · answer #8 · answered by ? 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
In my case I respect Jesus and I believe he only meant good for us. I think however that religions have corrupted his teachings and invented all sort of lies to manipulate people. Jesus wanted us to be free and to realise that there is a God in each one of us. I don't belong to any particular religion but if I had to say one I'd say Buddhism still holding a special relation with Jesus. Buddhists don't have him and they don't say what he said( what he truly meant and not what there is in the mouth and books of liars) was wrong, by the way.
2007-10-31 14:52:58 · answer #9 · answered by Der weiße Hexenmeister 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, of Course.
The Bible tells us Not to ForSake the Assembling of OurSelves Together (what most call "going to church on sunday").
Yeah, it can be alittle confusing to some people.
I will try to Explain:
religion to me is a set of Rules (most are good too!) and Regulations when you "join" the group (name will be outside on a sign or something).
Your Expected to be there every sunday and sit, kneel so on, so on.
Reality: you get your Spirit "Recreated" which is a Real Spiritual Re-Creation by GOD Almighty.
You are Then a Child of GOD. You can Operate in the Spiritual Realm using the Substance of "Faith".
This is Not a religion, it is Reality.
And yes, Children of GOD can "Go to the Church building on Sundays too!) :)
Hope this helps.
2007-10-30 16:03:54 · answer #10 · answered by maguyver727 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋