Do We Need Religion If We Have Faith?
Easter is over for the year and I hope you had a good one. Maybe this holiday held important religious significance for you, or maybe it was just a long weekend - a break from work and a chance to hang out with family and friends. For me, Easter is a time to focus on the ones I love, take stock of what’s important, whilst also giving thanks for all that I am blessed with.
This year, Easter had me thinking a lot about faith and the important role I believe it plays in everyone’s life. First, let me clarify what I mean by everyone needs faith. I am NOT saying everyone needs God or religion. I would not describe myself as religious, though I do have a strong faith. I believe the two are not the same thing.
To be religious, one follows the teaching of a particular religion. As I have never been baptized (my parents believed I should choose for myself when I was old enough) and I don’t follow the teachings of any particular church, I couldn’t be described as religious, though I definitely believe in God.
In writing this post, I have searched for a label to describe myself, though I am not sure why I feel the need. Perhaps it’s a sense of responsibility to clarify my ‘position’ before writing about a potentially sensitive topic, or maybe I’ve just been conditioned by the basic human need to define myself and my ‘kind’. At a base level, isn’t this what a religion does? It unites and labels a group of people as following an agreed upon belief system. By adopting the label, you are publicly stating which group you belong to so everyone knows.
I’ve searched for my group, but I’m having trouble because none of the labels seem to fit. I’m not an Agnostic or an Atheist. I thought I might be a Heathen, but upon examination, I am definitely not, and Pagan doesn’t seem right either because it’s often associated with witchcraft and being at one with the trees - two things I know very little about . The best label I have come up with so far is I am a Christian/Buddhist because I believe in God (or a higher power or the universe or Source - take your pick) and I believe in reincarnation. So, if you think that describes you, then give me a shout because it would be nice if I found more of my ‘kind’.
When I was a child, I didn’t like that I had no religion. It wasn’t that I couldn’t join a church if I wanted to; my parents were supportive of whatever choice I made. But I envied the other kids who didn’t have to think about such matters, who had been given their religious community, even if that didn’t mean anything on a day to day basis.
It’s fair to say, the majority of Australians are not actively religious. Although the 2001 Census found that 68% of Australians identify as Christian, only 17% of them go to church regularly, and 25% of Australians say they have no religion at all.
With a background like this, it’s probably no wonder that I have questioned the relevance of religion in modern life. When I was a young adult, just the word - God - made me uncomfortable. I associated it with people who would knock on my door and try to convert me, or people who abused and judged others, or committed heinous acts in the name of their beliefs. Religion in this form terrifies me.
It is only in my thirties after travelling a good part of this world and seeing many things - good and bad - that I realise I have always had spiritual faith. The only difference is it has grown clearer and stronger with the passing years. I believe in something more than myself, and what my five senses tell me is true. I believe that if animals have a sixth sense, then human beings must do too. I have spent most of my adult life honing this intuition and following it has always served me well. It is this innate knowing that believes with every fibre of my being that there is a higher power (or God) and it’s on my side. Hell, it’s on everyone’s side!
Atheists may say there is no scientific proof that God exists: faith is a feeling and one which may stem from “childhood indoctrination”. Personally, I think I am proof to the contrary as my faith in God is despite my background. But to be honest, where your faith comes from is a moot point. What’s wrong with faith as a feeling?
Don’t we see the world through a prism of perception? Isn’t all ‘truth’ an individual or commonly agreed perception? What if I go outside on a windy day and say it’s “cold”, while you say it’s “fresh and lovely”, who’s right? Aren’t we both stating what is true for us? If I look at my husband and say he’s the most handsome man I have ever seen, is this false because 100 other people don’t agree with me? I put to you that faith is exactly the same. We don’t have to agree on a common label or a common belief. The only thing that matters is we settle on beliefs that are true for us and which serve us, comfort us.
My God does not need to be relevant to anyone but me. That is the beauty of faith. My God is in all of us and around us, and between us. In my world, God is whatever you want it to be, as long as it makes you feel good. Whatever you choose to believe in - angels, God, Martians, Allah or nothing at all - make sure you believe in it because it works for you. It works for you if it makes you feel good. Any beliefs which fill you with fear should be disbanded because frankly who needs to be afraid of what they can’t see!
There’s enough ugliness in the world and on television to keep you awake at night, I say choose beliefs and thoughts which sustain you when the chaos of the world is too much to bear. Life is often unpredictable, uncontrollable and anxiety ridden so everyone can benefit from having a little faith in their life. If not faith in God, then at least have faith in your fellow human beings.
Faith is hope and the promise of brighter days to come. Sometimes faith is all we have. Maybe if we all agreed to have faith in each other, we wouldn’t need to separate ourselves with religious labels. Maybe we wouldn’t be invalidating and killing each other in the name of God or nothing at all.
Photo by Mr.Kris
It has occurred to me that some people may be offended by this post, but I am honestly not trying to be inflammatory. What I am trying to do is articulate some complex emotions and ideas I’ve had recently. I have tried hard to make my point while not disrespecting others, so please show me the same courtesy in your own comments.
I look forward to hopefully having an interesting discussion here.
Kelly
Thought provoking post, Kelly. I’m not sure how much discussion you want on this one, although sometimes it’s good to have people showing up to post on these very controversial matters.
I do want to press you on something, though. You say:
Arguing that truth is conventional can be troublesome. Take the statement “2+2=4″. Is it true because we agree on it? If we change our minds tomorrow, will it no longer be true?
Sometimes we speak about factual things, and other times are expressing our feelings. The reason the windy day can both be “cold” and “fresh and lovely” is because the two agents seem to be expressing emotions, to which truth conditions do not really apply. The point: some statements are descriptive and truth apt, and others are expressive and not truth apt.
I think you might like to read William James’ The Will to Believe. It’s not a quick read (something around 20 pages, methinks, but many people with similar sympathies like the fact that he advocates believing in the religious hypothesis when it’s an open question as to whether or not God exists. If you have problems finding the article online, let me know and I’ll send it to you via pdf. (if you’re interested, of course)
Lastly, the religious category you’re in may be Hindu, since many Hindus accept traditional Christian thinking as an alternate divine manisfestation. Food for thought.
I applaud your courage for putting this post out there. Great work.
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I actually just “stumbled” upon your thoughts. I’m glad I did though. Normally, I do not respond to things that I have read. This is actually one of the few times I have read something of this nature and commented on it.
Faith. Seemingly complex, but yet simple enough for a little child. What is faith? As a young child, my dad would always play with me by standing me on the kitchen counter and inviting me to jump into his arms. I remember an abundance of feelings flowing though my mind. Fear, excitment, adventure, etc. My blood would pump vigorously knowing that once I jumped I’d either fall or be caught into his arms. I thought, “Who is this man?! If I leap, I would be giving up all my control. Would he save me as he said he would?” Well… I jumped; not solely because he told me to, but because in times past he was there to rescue me. Again, faith. It is only as good as the object in whom it is placed. He was my good dad. One’s faith in someone or something is based on how well that object protected or supported that one.
God. What is God? Who is God or why should I even believe in God? Even better, how do I know God? These are all questions we have all had at one time or another. Wouldn’t you agree? Everybody has their own ideas about these questions. I too had to come to terms with these. I have sought and found answers. I’ve got one for you to wrestle with: Did mankind make God or did God make mankind? I propose to you that God made mankind and that all the important questions of life can be answered. I moved from beyond belief to conviction about who He is. I have been lovingly convinced.Your thoughts interest me greatly and are thoughtfully provacative. I look forward to the dialogue.
Your Intrigued,
Eric
Hi…
Found your blog to be interesting and I applaud you for thinking out of the box. More people should.( I was stumbling and came across this)
I think your point is to respect others, if you want to be respected.
I would just like to say,..in my experience, any human that does not have fear of God in them, usually are the ones hurting others and doing immoral things. If a faith…or whatever you wish to call it is only making you feel good no matter what, then it means you are justifying the bad in order to make it good. That is alarming to me.
I think..again the word instead of faith you mean is really respect. If we all respect each other’s choices and faiths. Then we can let go of prejudices.
I really appreciate your blog and the fact you you did not disrespect anyone. I pray you are blessed for this. peace be upon you.
you might consider looking at philosophy as a source of spiritual concepts and theories.
perhaps pantheism (in its various forms) — certainly a wide-spread nature religion without any
obligation to embrace either magic or oak trees. on the other hand, mythology would be another
deep source — especially for reintroducing a superior female spiritual principle, sometimes called
“the goddess”. This is an over simplification, however. see Marija Gimbutas’ pioneering Goddesses
and Gods of Old Europe. Of course, there’s Joseph Campbell — yet I prefer women who have translated
early Sumerian myths about Inanna. see Wolkstein Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth. Also, the
prayers and lamentations of Enheduanna priestess of Inanna at Ur. bipolar2
I am so greatful that I happened upon your site and subscribed. I grew up in a Christian family and as I grew up I also grew away from the fear that it heaped upon me. I am in the process at the moment of doing exactly what you are describing. I have a belief in a Higher Power and have been struggling with the idea that I had to have a name for it. I believe in God if you will but I cannot believe in a God who punishes. You are right there is so much ugliness and your writing is so very on the spot as to what I am trying to do and be in my life. Faith is such a complex and simple thing and something that is so easily abandoned yet found again in little everyday interactions with people and nature and pets. I really thank you for being so insightful. I do not take offense and I welcome the carefully thoughout approach to God as You Understand God.
No religion is omniscient; they all have the same unifying message of love and respect for each living being, and still there is resistance to accept these similarities. No matter anyone’s position, their neighbor should just shut up and respect it. Being atheist doesn’t hurt anyone anymore then being Jewish or Baptist. What defines our faith and our moral is our person, not our chosen scripture.
I am most like a Buddhist (which is a lifestyle, not religion), but I don’t need everyone to sit in meditation for me to respect their choices. In other words, don’t try to “save” me and I won’t you. Instead I’ll just invite you.
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Charlie
I’ll look for that article by William James. Thanks for the heads up.
I see what you’re saying with ‘truth’, but it seems that we’re getting into the territory of “If a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears, did it fall?” I don’t have a firm position on this yet, but I think I am leaning toward most ‘truth’ being temporary and prone to interpretation. Even the words “2″ and “4″ are just invented and agreed upon by us. 2 + 2 could equal 11 if an entire country were brought up to believe this was true.
Maybe I’m sounding nuts here because I am throwing ideas around myself, but I guess my main point is that people like to be right and we tend to believe that what we see and experience in life is real, and we think that EVERYONE sees the world the same way we do and this is not true. Give 10 people the same event and they will describe it differently. Even eyewitness testimony is being derided in court these days for the same reason. People are unreliable in communicating apparent “facts”.
So in a world where what we believe is a direct result of what we perceive, then my point is that having our own faith serves a purpose, but other than that, maybe we should all just relax with religion and let each other be, because we all think we’re “right”. And we are, but our “right” doesn’t have to work for everybody, or even anybody else.
Thanks for commenting.
Kelly
Eric, thanks for commenting and nice story about your dad. That’s a clear example of faith. In terms of your question, did we make God or did he make us, woah that’s big and I’m not sure I have a firm answer. Funny enough, when I was talking to my husband abut this post he posed the same question. I said to him that my instinct is we come from a higher power and eventually go back with it, so that would make God the originator of creation. But for me, that’s not some old dude with a beard. For me, God is everything and nothing, the source of all life, love, compassion and energy.
Thanks for stopping by and contributing to our discussion.
Kelly
Karen and Debra, thanks for sharing your thoughts with me.
I agree, faith and spirituality is a complex thing and I am still nowhere near sorted on every facet of what I believe. But I think that’s a good thing. Life should bge about learning and growing so I see it as right and natural that my faith and exploration of it has changed and grown with the years.
Karen, I was intrigued by your statement that your fear of God is what keeps you moral and on the virtuous path, so to speak. For me, I guess my experience is the opposite in that what I fear I fight. Maybe that’s the rebel in me. I guess I believe that teaching people to love and honour themselves and others is the way to promote understanding and empathy. When we feel loved and accepted I think we want to live up to people’s expectations. This is how I was disciplined in my family. Disappointing and hurting my parents made me feel far worse than being grounded or slapped on the behind. My mother was very big on honesty and empathy and “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”, which I think gives as good a moral code as one needs in life.
Again, I really apprciate your contributions ladies.
Kelly
Nicole - I think you and I are on the same page here. I agree that being an atheist is not any less valid than a religious affiliation. Personally, I don’t know how people get by in life without faith in something, but if they do, then all well and good to them. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Bipolar2 - I haven’t read enough philosophy, though my husband is very interested in that kind of thing. You raise some interesting ideas thatdefinitely warrant further exploration. Thanks for the information.
Generally though, I am not fazed by my lack of a “kind”. I don’t have to align my spiritual beliefs with any group. I doing quite nicely in my own little world.
I left the religion of my youth, but kept the faith. The religious part was rules and doctrines; the faith part offered comfort and trust in a higher power. One size does not fit all. We have to find what works for us and be tolerant of what works for others. That is peace.
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The title of this post alone really caught me because I am actually figuring this out right now. I have been born and raised SDA/Christian and suffered some real guilt with turning my back to some of the customs I was raised with but I just didn’t feel.. authentic. Lately I’ve had a bout with spirituality that not only blows my mind, but the benefits and connection have been growing exponentially and I’ve decided this is how I want to live my life. Does it mean I’m not Christian anymore- I wouldn’t say that. If anything, it has reopened my interest in looking into where I’ve come from and makes me want to learn so I can make a decision that is right for me.
I absolutely love your statement “My God does not need to be relevant to anyone but me.”
I hear the logical arguments, the “proof”, the “jokes”, whatever. Perhaps my resolve is coming with maturity and age but I tell you what. Even if I believed that a pink soda pop bottle had all the power i the world to make my life better and I wanted to live “right” by it, it’s MY personal truth and it improves my quality of life.
Anyway, way too many things have happened in my life for me to deny the existence of a spirit out there. I love to read and learn about different beliefs - I think that there is a wealth of wisdom to be learned. Even if I replace spirit or universe for God.. it’s my truth and has drastically improved my life.
I don’t know abut religion yet but I definitely know about faith and life without it- well.. I’ve had that and.. no thank you.
Excellent post kelly!
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Hi Kelly - This is a brilliant post. I definitely have faith, but I’m not sure that I believe in a particular God.
I have to wonder what would happen if many people didn’t have faith. With so many people making decisions based on Karma, or whether they’ll go to heaven, the idea of no faith at all is scary.
But, I must admit, sometimes I do wonder if this is all there really is. It’s not a nice thought, but what if human’s as a race are valuing themselves way too highly by believing there’s some higher purpose. It’s a sad thought, but I can’t help pondering it sometimes.
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I think you will enjoy the New Earth by Eckardt Tolle, you will find the classes on OPrah’s site fascinating. I am giving away a copy of the book of the book.
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Maggie
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i think more than faith is needed..just on my personal knowledge that faith WITHOUT works is dead. faith is no good if it’s not demonstrated. how do you demonstrate it. by beleiving in and doing what God requires of people that want to serve HIM. he has standards, you just can’t do whatever you want. too many people want their religion to revolve around their life instead of their life revolving around their religion. if it doesn’t suit them and their lifestyle, then they abandon their faith. being religious should not be that comfortable..usually anything that doesn’t require much work isn’t worth having.
.02
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Noa
“I left the religion of my youth, but kept the faith. …the part (that) offered comfort and trust in a higher power.”
Beautifully expressed. Thank you.
Jemi
I liked your comment about the pink sodapop bottle. I agree with you 100%. if it works for you, then it’s no one else’s business. And like you I have had too much happen in my life to not believe in a higher power. I didn’t really go into it within this post for various reasons, but God has been “proven” to me, and besides, when you have lost loved ones, especially too young (as I know you have too) I don’t know how one goes on without faith in the ever-after. I don’t know how I would have.
Cath
I think it’s natural to get down about the state of the human race sometimes, but I’ve found that the best thing to do when you feel like that is to connect with someone else, help someone, even if it’s just offering an ear. Do something selfless and you will feel better about yourself and that seems to flow on to feeling better about everyone else too.
Natural
Personally, I don’t believe God needs me to serve him or subjugate myself in any way, but I completely agree with you that action is an important part of faith, and anything worth having does take effort. I think it takes effort to respect and be kind to others, to be honest and ethical, and authentic enough to follow our own divine path.
It takes strength to walk away from a fight or to stand up for what is right, and I think all human beings are born with an innate knowledge of what is right. We can just lose our way for awhile, but I believe everyone can choose to be redeemed. But I guess I don’t believe all of this has to be provided within a framework of religion. I know atheists who are morally upright people; who are helpful, respectful and generous. In fact, a couple of them are in my family.
Natural, thank you for taking the time to share your beliefs with me. I do respect them and are glad that you have a faith that inspires and comforts you in this life.
I really believe that if everyone found their own truth and followed it and let other people follow theirs, the world would be a happier and more peaceful place.
Thanks for sharing, everyone.
Kelly
I have always maintain the belief that religion is man made therefore inherently corrupt but faith is God’s creation therefore it’s inherently good. While I agree that faith should make you feel good, however, one should be careful with this notion of feeling good. Is this feeling good hedonistic pleasure or is it spiritual goodness.
Like you, I am not a very religious man but I do have strong faith and like your parents, I try to teach my children to seek their own truth and spirituality.
Nice post Kelly.
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Interesting but I don’t see what all the fuss is about. Spirituality is between our God and us. Beliefs of all kinds, including religious ones, are simply over-rated. I find beliefs to be very limiting. But that’s a belief isn’t it.
In matters of spirituality I like to do my own thing and allow others to do the same. Labels only choose to bring us further apart.
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believe in yourself -trust in your own decisions
My mother was a Catholic,while I was baptised a Methodist, the same as my father.
I went to Methodist sunday school and many other religious groups.
My parents never tried to stop us ,encouraged us to have a open mind.
I grew up very curious about what all the fuss was about here I was Methodist and my other friends were something else depending on there parents.
So what I realised was all these different denominations they all had a something in common ,that is grouping of people and that is powerful .
So I trust in myself and believe what I feel comfortable with.
Whatever I’m prepared to give in life ,I’ll get back tenfold.
Enjoy our life and love ourselves.
Hi Kelly - great article! It’s such a delicate area and you managed to steer clear of the many sheer cliffs!
I’m a Zen person and what I love about Zen is that we try and drop our ideas of a ‘Higher Power’ or ‘God’. When we let go of such concepts we are open to experiencing the mystery beyond thoughts and words.
Hi,
From our childhood we are taught that to take religion as a guideline to choose the right from wrong. When we grow up people form their opinion. The voice inside the head becomes more powerful and religious teaches rarely impact any teachings.
For example, if someone things of killing someone ( drastic example, I know!), does he stop himself because his religion taught him that or because he thinks is morally wrong. Is there difference?
I suppose our faith has to be based on something!
On Easter day, I too wrote a similar soul searching post. It Doesn’t Cost Much To Consult With God
Shamelle
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I think this is a lovely post and you articulated your feelings so well! I really enjoyed reading it. I hate that I am in a hurry and don’t have time to fully respond to the entire post, but one of the comments really caught my eye.
“I would just like to say,..in my experience, any human that does not have fear of God in them, usually are the ones hurting others and doing immoral things.”
That is one of the most offensive things I’ve ever read! How many people have died in the name of religion? I cannot recall a single crime that has been connected to atheism or agnosticism. According to the CIA World Factbook, 4% of Americans are nonreligious. Think of all the terrible things that occur daily in the U.S. How likely is it that all of these are done by nonreligious people?
I also think it’s really sad that some people think that a fear of God is necessary in order to not commit acts that harm others. I don’t need to have a fear of punishment! I am just a compassionate, nonviolent person who only wants to help others.
Anyway, I consider myself a secular humanist. Have you read much about humanism, Kelly? It’s not a religion so much as a philosophy. I think you would find it interesting! Deism and transcendentalism are other intriguing philosophies you might be interested in.
In 1974, something extraordinary was revealed to the world. A modern-day miracle. It irrefutably proves the existence of a Supreme Being, Creator, GOD. It is not limited to a specific place or time. It is perpetual and can be verified by anyone at anytime. It is mathematical in nature, as math is the only true universal language and the most EXACT science. 1 + 1 = 2 No matter how you look at it, the answer will always be 2. This is the kind of proof humans have been searching for since the dawn of time. The real question is whether you are willing to accept the answers this miraculous evidence confirms. Many cannot, due to the human ego. Humans have great difficulty accepting new information that goes against their current belief. A perfect example is a male smoker who buys a pack of cigarettes, but returns the pack showing the picture of rotting teeth for the picture of the pregnant woman as that does not apply to him. It is shocking how easily we disregard the truth when it does not benefit or coincide with our desires. Would you rather find out now that you were misinformed and learn your purpose for existing? Or would you rather maintain your current belief system without verifying all information only to find out you were wrong when it is too late? The choice is yours. One thing is for certain. If you are sincerely searching for the truth, it should not matter where the answers come from, only that it is the TRUTH. Go to www.whyyouarehere.org and see the evidence for yourself.