Since there are so many threads regarding religion and faith, or the lack thereof, I wondered how many of us actually identify with a particular religion/faith belief system, and how many do not. 

Joel Osteen's message this morning was the essence of true Christianity.

I love that man! 

I have absolute faith that the sun will rise tomorrow.

I may or may not experience it. 

I consider myself a person of deep faith. Of course the resident KU expert of all things to do with God would like to assign the label a nonbeliever to most of us apparently, lol. 

Of course the resident KU expert of all things to do with God would like to assign the label a nonbeliever to most of us apparently, lol.

people assign the label to themselves...

"for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

if someone speaks against God and/or His Word...they are showing that they don't have faith in Him... 

Agnostic here.

I don't believe there is one "true" religion or faith. Imo, a God is bigger than one set of beliefs. Whatever brings you peace and makes you a better person, is a good thing. 

Joel Osteen is a beautiful soul- he gives hope and joy to hundreds of thousands of people- 

Yes. 

I am a Christian. And do not identify myself as being tethered to any church or denomination in particular.

I believe that Jesus is my Lord and Savior.

He is my compass. 

Imo, a God is bigger than one set of beliefs.

His beliefs are the set of beliefs...and He only has one set of beliefs...there is only one truth

I believe that Jesus is my Lord and Savior.

do you believe that the Word of God is inerrant?...do you believe that everything in the Bible is true? 

do you believe that the Word of God is inerrant?...do you believe that everything in the Bible is true?

I do 

Jesus for the win!! :D 

I am a Christian. And do not identify myself as being tethered to any church or denomination in particular. I believe that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. He is my compass.


I absolutely love this answer. :) 

I love it also Sweet. 

It is a good thing to be tethered to a church. The Bible tells believers to come together in this way. Find a church :) 

You make assumptions Michelle. I AM a member of a church.

A Christian does not need to be tethered to any church as a display of faith. One must not be in church to speak to the Father and should not feel that "works" can bring any measure of salvation.

Did Jesus attend Church?

I am a part of the body of Christ. 

Your wording was a little off so I thought you meant you do not attend church. 

Did Jesus attend Church?

yep...

that being said...it is true that one must not be in church to talk to the Father...but the Father does say...

"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together"

that doesn't have to necessarily be a church...but that is the place where most Christians have chosen to assemble... 

Our coven meets once a week . 

finally admitting what you are... 

A Christian does not need to be tethered to any church as a display of faith.


I whole-heartedly agree with this statement. To many people think that because they go to church, that makes them a Christian. They find their identity in their church, rather than in Christ. 'Gathering together' with other Christians is important, but if you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus, it is just a social get together. 

The only intellectually honest position to have is "agnosticism"

We don't know that an involved God exists.

Sure, the bible tell us, but we don't know 100% for sure that the bible is inspired or written by God.

JL will claim that we do, but we don't.

There is no true way to prove it.

We also don't know that God doesn't exist. Even when you look at the universe in a purely scientific way, it's still possible that a creator exists.

There is nothing in physics that would deny the possibility of some form of omniscient being that created the origin point.

We can discuss the Naked Singularity and so forth, but can something really come from nothing? It's a combination of philosophy and physics, but I'm convinced that again, science does not have a concrete answer either. and can't.

So, truth is, we just don't know.

Perhaps it's better to believe than not considering the possible outcome.

If you believe, the worst case scenario is you were wrong and there is nonexistence. The best case is that there is some form of afterlife in Heaven.

If you don't believe, the worst case scenario is eternity in some form of "hell". Best case is that you were RIGHT, but you can't exactly say "I told you so", in a nonexistent state.

Pascal summed this view up nicely:

Pascal's Wager

"It posits that humans all bet with their lives either that God exists or does not exist. Given the possibility that God actually does exist and assuming the infinite gain or loss associated with belief in God or with unbelief, a rational person should live as though God exists and seek to believe in God.

If God does not actually exist, such a person will have only a finite loss (some pleasures, luxury, etc.)."

Just don't give your money to preacher charlatans. That's a total waste of money either way. 

The only intellectually honest position to have is "agnosticism"

LOL...the only WISE position is a relationship with God...

Sure, the bible tell us, but we don't know 100% for sure that the bible is inspired or written by God.

sure it can be proven...66 books over 2000 years with no contradictions...no man or men could do that

Just don't give your money to preacher charlatans. That's a total waste of money either way.

you are giving to God's Kingdom...not the preacher...and the stupid thing to do is to not give your seed to God's Kingdom...if you don't give...then you are left with your seed as your harvest...if you sow your seed...just like in the field...the harvest is much greater than the seed... 

One can posit that Zeus exists too, and thus to believe or not believe in him offers you the same choice. So which one is right? Pascal's wager applies only if you concede at the outset that your God is real, and that Zeus is not. Of course, Allah is real to much of the human race, and those who believe in Allah do not concede that the Christian form of God is real or valid. 

One can posit that Zeus exists too, and thus to believe or not believe in him offers you the same choice. So which one is right? Pascal's wager applies only if you concede at the outset that your God is real, and that Zeus is not. Of course, Allah is real to much of the human race, and those who believe in Allah do not concede that the Christian form of God is real or valid.?

Not an issue for me since I consider all God figures to represent the same thing. 

Everyone is praying to the same god in different ways. 

Everyone is praying to the same god in different ways.

ABSOLUTELY FALSE... 

I disagree.

My education, experiences, and "gut feeling" is why I know there is no god. Now, I have no issues with anyone believing, but their beliefs don't dictate reality.

Having been raised in church, I've always questioned why if god was real, did humans try so desperately to convince everyone he was... 

Like so many topics that seem to pop up on here, as I believe Johnathan Swift originally said:

You can't reason someone out of a position they didn't reason themselves into.

With religion, I guess you'd have to indoctrinate them out of it since that is how they got into in the first place. 

I've always questioned why if god was real, did humans try so desperately to convince everyone he was...

so you won't end up in hell...you're going to discover that those people are the ones who loved you the most...

With religion, I guess you'd have to indoctrinate them out of it since that is how they got into in the first place.

yep...that is how atheists get there... 

CS, I was indoctrinated, and even as a child, it felt wrong.
My dad now considers himself an atheist, and said we all went through the motions because "that's what our parents said we were supposed to do."
You did it because that's what everyone else was doing.

I encourage everyone who needs/wants to believe to do so.

Not everyone needs that in their life to be happy and fulfilled. 

JL, so you force your belief down everyone's throat to save us all?

How altruistic of you. 

JAMS, most people are. We don't even realize it has happened. It's subtle and comforting. It's not easy to tell a child "I don't know." That's scary. It's easier to go to Sunday School, color pictures of Noah, giraffes and lions all smiling on a boat and say "Hey, God's in control, it's all gonna be OK." Over time, it becomes belief. It becomes real.

When my kids asked me, I always encouraged them to find their own truth. I approached it from the perspective that we don't know what happens after we die and that makes this life so much more wonderful and precious. We have to make everyday mean something. My older ones were very involved in church through their mother through high school but have now, like so many young adults, have completely turned away from it. They've seen through the subtle subterfuge.

Most Christians do just "go through the motions" without questioning anything. The problem for the gods and their religions is that people now have the wealth of the world in information available to them at the click of a mouse. The world is much more transparent now. You can't tell people today that the entire planet was underwater several thousand years ago. It only takes a couple of minutes to realize, hey, that never happened. From there, its all too easy to say well if that story isn't true, then everything else in there is open to fallacy as well. Once serious questions start being asked, the house of cards collapses under the slightest of breaths. 

I am a Christian.

I have always been interested in other faiths though, particularly the ones deeply rooted in family and tradition so have studied them and asked friends of these different faiths a lot of questions. You stand to learn a lot when you ask earnestly.

I once asked a former muslim if he felt that Allah and God were the same being and his answer was perfect.

"Without Jesus it doesn't matter." 

JL, so you force your belief down everyone's throat to save us all?

LOL...so dramatic...how are you being FORCED?

Most Christians do just "go through the motions" without questioning anything.

duh...probably because they aren't really Christians...just saying that they are doesn't make it so... 

You're right. I was being a little dramatic.

You have been unsuccessful in forcing your beliefs down anyone's throat, but it sure isn't for lack of trying. I'll give you that. 

You have been unsuccessful in forcing your beliefs down anyone's throat, but it sure isn't for lack of trying.

i don't TRY to force anyone to see the truth...neither does God... 

Well, your 9,615,053 comments on the subject say otherwise. 

I also am not a believer. I spent years and years not admitting it though because 99 percent of my friends, and my entire family were Christians. I have come out as a non believer in the last several years. I, like JAMS, do not need a higher power to be fulfilled. I am a good, moral, human being. I have this internal moral compass that guides me and helps me make good decisions. I don't need a church or anyone in attendance of that church to give me purpose. I have the inner know how and strength to do that myself. I just wish some Christians would not judge me because I don't believe. 

Well, your 9,615,053 comments on the subject say otherwise.

nope...they don't...you should be smart enough...or at least you think you are smart enough...to be able to understand that i don't have the power to force anyone to do anything...

I, like JAMS, do not need a higher power to be fulfilled.

everyone does...especially when they leave their earthly body...

I am a good, moral, human being.

in your opinion...which is subjective...according to God...no one is "good"...the only way you could be "good" is to NEVER have done anything "bad"...

I just wish some Christians would not judge me because I don't believe.

if you are truly fulfilled...why would that matter?