How does one know God without religion?

DPMartin, it is blind faith that is death.

Mr fight the power

True Faith or Trust, is not blind at all.

You have the power to believe, and the power to follow, and the reward should be everlasting Life. This power has been given by the Almighty the day He said you shall not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Death has been trying to take that power from mankind ever since. The only thing we can have forever is the Word of God, which is given by God to mankind as Jesus the Christ. Everything else, mankind cannot keep, only use.

Surly if one needs to fix his car, one must seek the knowledge of others to repair the car, it would be wise to take counsel with one who has done the repair successfully. Surly one would consider the referral of others who have experienced the repair successfully. Or read the instructions if one needed to find the knowledge and be confident of the source of information. If one wants to know the Living God, and have everlasting Life, one would look to the one who has risen from the dead of His own power.

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Mankind must be under the Truth, The Way, and The Life, for mankind cannot make any of these. Only declare or deny they are, or lie about it.
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You do nothing to convince me that you have anything more than blind faith when you continue to post your personal beliefs with absolutely no reason behind them.

Your words are worthless to everyone but yourself.

O gee, I am so hurt, O I am so disappointed, O my, I should stop saying what I........NOT (as my kids would have said when they where teens)


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Mankind must be under the Truth, The Way, and The Life, for mankind cannot make any of these. Only declare or deny they are, or lie about it.
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why is it that god botherers always assume that you cant be a good person unless you believe?

I am only saying that these types of posts don't really belong in a any debate on philosophy. Take 'em to some evangelistic forum so you can get a couple of amens.

dpMartin and Mr Fight the power,

Mr Fight the power,he doesn't care that what he is pushing is not philosophy,not dabateable,its a moronic sermon and you are the captive audience.Even though this is called the Philosophy Forum they refuse to limit or put an end to this freeloading holyroller endtime bullshit.Well if this site never gets to popular you'll know why.He is a fisher of men,little wonder they get crucified!This may be this fellows own limited congregation,where he does battle for the lord--he can't lose in this situtation.

A blight upon the land it is!! This is what they do when not messing with little boys.Just an added thought,I have some holy water I could let you have,it is said to be the sweat from the brow of Jesus-------makes the blind see-------give some to your pal dpmartin and/or the administration here---------Allah is great!! Lets all stand for the morons anthem!

With my deepest respect!

alsy58
Good question

To be honest, those who do come to the Lord, usually come in the realization that they themselves are much less than good, and have not the knowledge of the Way. Admitting to themselves and to God that there is no good in themselves and repent of it.
Therefore we who believe have a tendency to not care if it seems offensive to others saying that mankind's will is of no good , for we have admitted it to ourselves. So the hell fire and brimstone preaching can come through at times. But I might add that no true believer takes pleasure in anyone's guilt, nor does the Living God. The believer knowing that he is just as guilty as the next.
Should anyone care, the best way I have found to sort it out is. There are those who say, look at the darkness, and insist that you should believe them as if they were the light. And there are those who say look at the Light, and insist that you should believe the Light.


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Mankind must be under the Truth, The Way, and The Life, for mankind cannot make any of these. Only declare or deny they are, or lie about it.
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which god what god? leave god out of itYou know the next time a prayer is answered will be the first

lol nice 1 boagie

While were on the subject,it makes me laugh these preacher types always think tyeve got some sort of inside line even tho they only ever have a 1 way convesation every time.

It is Christian philosophy, and it has as much right to be here as secular philosophy. More so on a thread on the topic of 'God'. It is a completely different view point though so I do understand the confusion. So does the Bible:

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:

"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."

Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1Cor1

And it isn't our way; it's the way we have found along with many others because God wants us all to find it. Its His way. Christians don't own it, we just, by grace, found it.

Katherine,

When one joins a site like this it is suppose to be in the right spirit,in other words you bring your view forth for debate.You do not enter in the right spirit if said views are not debatable.No ones beliefs entitle them to special treatment here,the statements you make here you will be asked to back up with logic or something of a concrete nature--------this applies to all.

If it applies to all, them my views are as welcome as anyone else's. Thanks for the affimation. If you do not understand the topic up for debate, that is not my problem. Apperently many others, who are not Christians, do.

Your more than welcome Katherine.

Edit:Your right Katherine,this has gotten out hand,I suggest mutual avoidence.

The title of this thread is a bit ambiguous. Is the topic about having a relationship with God, or simply knowing that God exists? I suppose the latter could be accomplished strictly by philosophical reasoning. Thus, one can know God exists without reference to religious dogma. Personally, I'm a fan of this argument:
1) I exist.
2) Therefore, God exists.

While this could be attacked by argument from infinite hierarchy, I see it as perfectly logical.

Whether or not one can have a relationship with God without religion is a difficult question. One would think that in order to have a relationship with the one true God they would have to adhere to the one true faith. If we consider that those of several faiths claim to have personal relations with God and further that those persons cannot all belong to the one true faith, then it seems that religion doesn't matter when it comes to having a relationship with the Creator. So perhaps religion isn't necessary at all to relate to God.

Hope this helps.

ninja pirate,

I do not think your logic holds up but I agree that one could be in touch with that mystery of being without an institution to act as the middle man.I like the statement from the Hindu Upanishads,"The Truth is one the sages speak of it by many names." If it were a universal understanding it would do away with a lot of conflict.It is only with the institutions that religion becomes politics and one either belongs to an in group or you are some form of lower life,or just pure potential to be incorporated.We are the Borg,resistence is futile[star trek] you WILL be incorporated.:eek: down with world religions!!

Is this a trick question by the Christian conspiracy?

1. When conflict arises between two groups with differing belief structures, what principles should be used to resolve the conflict?

2. When a philosopy based on 'Truth' seeks to resolve a paradox caused by an opposing evidence of 'Truth', what is changed in resolving the paradox,the philosophy itself, the evidence, or the 'Truth'?

3. If the principles of religion1 leads its adherents to knowing God, and the principles of religion2 leads its adherents to knowing God, what is in conflict when religion1 encounters religion2, the opposing principles or a knowledge of God?

4. Further to Question 3 (and in response to the topic). Person1 is born into a society with one or more religious beliefs which all seek a knowledge of God, Person2 is born isolated from any knowledge of religion. If God is all present according to the principles of Person1, is it impossible for Person2 to know God?
(Person 2 may not be Adam, Abraham, Mohammed, Jesus or Buddha who seemed to have met God and established new religions, except for Adam who was created by God himself and therefore did not find it necessary to start a religion ... )

PS: If someone reading this post is aware of single society without a belief structure in the entire history of humanity, please do tell us about it.

Dooropen,

"Is this a trick question by the Christian conspiracy?"

To what question do you refer? How does one know god without religion?By pondering the wonder of your own being for it is also the wonder of the worlds being,without wonder there is no spirituality.

1. "When conflict arises between two groups with differing belief structures,what principles should be used to resolve the conflict?"

Reason:)

2. When a philosopy based on 'Truth' seeks to resolve a paradox caused by an opposing evidence of 'Truth', what is changed in resolving the paradox,the philosophy itself, the evidence, or the 'Truth'?

Probably all the above:)

3." If the principles of religion1 leads its adherents to knowing God, and the principles of religion2 leads its adherents to knowing God, what is in conflict when religion1 encounters religion2, the opposing principles or a knowledge of God?"

The concept of god and the absence of reason:)

4. "Further to Question 3 (and in response to the topic). Person1 is born into a society with one or more religious beliefs which all seek a knowledge of God, Person2 is born isolated from any knowledge of religion. If God is all present according to the principles of Person1, is it impossible for Person2 to know God?"

It is impossiable for anyone to know a god,in place of knowing is faith.


"Person 2 may not be Adam, Abraham, Mohammed, Jesus or Buddha who seemed to have met God and established new religions, except for Adam who was created by God himself and therefore did not find it necessary to start a religion."

Then what is Christianity, supposedly god created all the above entities.

PS: "If someone reading this post is aware of single society without a belief structure in the entire history of humanity, please do tell us about it.[/quote]"

Man is mythological compelled,but myths like civilizations must adapt to new knowledge in new circumstances,this is not happening.This myth, "Christianity", is none adaptive,its disfunction spells death.:eek:

God is a postulate in religion akin to the postulate of matter in Physics. If one does not assume the existence of God in religion then it is useless to go into the subject. It is something assumed without proof. If we didn't do that we would get into circular thinking. Circular thinking is slipping down into reductio ad absurdum. If you say that you are religious and don't believe in God then you are in a contradiction or as americans would say "in a jam". An intellectual jam is something I wouldn't offer the kids. God is as necessary to religion as matter is to Physics but only as a postulate.