Would There Be God Without Religion?

[jankren]

I think the concept of belief in god without believing a particular religion is ridiculous. The reason the concept of god exists is because some people in the past came up with sets of belief system with a figure of god or several gods in the center which turned into religions.

So would there be god without religion?

[cfmonkey45]

Yes, it's called Deism, the belief that there is some intelligence, but it really couldn't care less if you worshipped/believed in/prayed to it. In all honesty, it probably wouldn't even notice us.

[Fiyenyaa]

Yes, it's called Deism, the belief that there is some intelligence, but it really couldn't care less if you worshipped/believed in/prayed to it. In all honesty, it probably wouldn't even notice us.

This is pretty much it.
The god of Deism is pretty much beyond religion by definition.

[jankren]

Yes, it's called Deism, the belief that there is some intelligence, but it really couldn't care less if you worshipped/believed in/prayed to it. In all honesty, it probably wouldn't even notice us.

Deism did not even exist before the 17th century.

Im talking about the first root as in the 'chicken or egg' problem.

[Arch-hereticK]

Deism did not even exist before the 17th century.

I think you'll find the belief existed before then, even if there wasn't a name for it.

[Elfdude]

Im talking about the first root as in the 'chicken or egg' problem.

You are really asking a question fundamental to the entire atheism vs god debate.

It depends on what you consider religion and what you consider god really and whether you think it's permissible logically to believe in him. A dog is prone to believing that you + his leash is the 'god' of walks and when you pick it up he's going to get a walk despite the fact that most of the time I pick it up he's not.

Objectively we would say the dog created the god. From the dog's point of view it's understandable to worship the god with such fervor because it often means you'll get walks and even if you don't you'll get loved when the god takes pity on you. But we must also objectively conclude that the god is not actually a god. Similarly objectively we must conclude that humans created their vast pantheons of gods and/or that the gods they've created are not gods at all as there's no evidence that a god came first, further there is no evidence that if a god did come first that said god would in any way resemble any of the religions this earth has spawned. Thus all ideas on gods found on planet earth are entirely earthly.

Thus the religion probably came first.

[The Dude]

I reckon belief in god game first, ie the primal nature gods and all that. Eventually man found a way to turn belief into a device for power, culminating in the rise of christianity after the fall of the roman empire.

[Arch-hereticK]

Yup it is ridiculous, but so are many things when discussing peoples deepest beliefs.

[MaximiIian]

So would there be god without religion?

Conceptually? Yes. Theistic beliefs have existed before any religious structure was formed around them. And continue to do so- e.g., Deism.

From the theist perspective? Yes. Religions are human constructs built around human beliefs regarding the gods (or god, for monotheists). They would still exist regardless of humanity and religion.

[Poet]

I think the concept of belief in god without believing a particular religion is ridiculous. The reason the concept of god exists is because some people in the past came up with sets of belief system with a figure of god or several gods in the center which turned into religions.

So would there be god without religion?

No, because there is no use of a God which only exists but has not effect on our inner-self and our life. If he exists, for our betterment, as he is our creator, he would give some set of principles, some principles, not because he is a ruthless king and we are his slaves, but because he created us all and he knows what would be best in our interests in this world and world here after. Those sets of principles are called religions, so yes without religion there would be no God.

[The Dude]

No, because there is no use of a God which only exists but has not effect on our inner-self and our life.

Don't you think that's for god to decide?

If he exists, for our betterment, as he is our creator, he would give some set of principles, some principles, not because he is a ruthless king and we are his slaves

Except both Islam and Christianity treat god precisely as if he is a ruthless king with us as his slaves. There's a reason the word "God-fearing" exists.

[Poet]

Except both Islam and Christianity treat god precisely as if he is a ruthless king with us as his slaves. There's a reason the word "God-fearing" exists.

Excuse me only Christianity, not Islam. In Islam there is no pope between people and God and he who tries to come between us sinners and our merciful lord, gets his but whooped by us. In Islam God is a merciful and kind God. Some companions of Prophet (pbuh) came to his and said we have strictly taken decision that we would now not commit a single sin, can you imagine what he said, he showed his anger and said then Allah will destroy you and create some new followers who would commit sins and would seek forgiveness for them. There is no Pope and confession box between God and a Muslim in Islam. I enjoy being a sinner as I know my lord is merciful.

[Kamos]

Would their be an ideal of one specific deity? That's debatable. Would their be a feeling that there is a higher power than us, surely but without religion it wouldn't have all those silly rules and practices.

Excuse me only Christianity, not Islam. In Islam there is no pope between people and God and he who tries to come between us sinners and our merciful lord, gets his but whooped by us. In Islam God is a merciful and kind God. Some companions of Prophet (pbuh) came to his and said we have strictly taken decision that we would now not commit a single sin, can you imagine what he said, he showed his anger and said then Allah will destroy you and create some new followers who would commit sins and would seek forgiveness for them. There is no Pope and confession box between God and a Muslim in Islam. I enjoy being a sinner as I know my lord is merciful.

Many sects of Christianity denounce things like the Pope and sort out their own beef with him.

[Miracles]

Most believers now WORSHIP THEIR RELIGION not God.


The point of believing in God is to have some sort of relation with God.
That's why it is important to KNOW the truth.

Then again I'm more and more convinced that God is not for everybody. So to the majority the following applies: "Eat, drink, dance, love for we all die tomorrow and that's the end of everything and we'll all be forgotten "

with the following warning "The soul that sinneth shall die"


It doesn't speak of the physical death but it is speaking of the following death(2nd death) . . .and it applies to both believers and unbelievers as God is the God of all nations, of all races, of everyone not withstanding whether a person decided to put his faith in Him or not.

But then again some people would say forget about respecting God and we know everything and we know that God is just a lie.

Then again I know God isn't a lie so both opinion can't be true at the same time . . .I would bet my entire life to the notion that God is real.

[The Dude]

Excuse me only Christianity, not Islam. In Islam there is no pope between people and God and he who tries to come between us sinners and our merciful lord, gets his but whooped by us. In Islam God is a merciful and kind God. Some companions of Prophet (pbuh) came to his and said we have strictly taken decision that we would now not commit a single sin, can you imagine what he said, he showed his anger and said then Allah will destroy you and create some new followers who would commit sins and would seek forgiveness for them. There is no Pope and confession box between God and a Muslim in Islam. I enjoy being a sinner as I know my lord is merciful.

Only Catholicism has a Pope. Well, ok, Eastern Orthodoxy does too IIRC but he has a different function there.

Anyway, you didn't answer my other question. You presumed that "there is no use of a God which only exists but has not effect on our inner-self and our life". I asked you if that's not for god to decide. Why do you presume to tell god what he is and is not useful for?

[MaximiIian]

I reckon belief in god game first, ie the primal nature gods and all that. Eventually man found a way to turn belief into a device for power, culminating in the rise of christianity after the fall of the roman empire.

Yeah, except religion existed before the monotheistic religions became dominant. They simply weren't as aggressive or evangelistic, due to a different worldview.
And Christianity rose to prominence and eventual pre-eminence centuries before the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

Excuse me only Christianity, not Islam. In Islam there is no pope between people and God

When did he mention a pope or intermediary in his post? All he said was that both Christianity (Judaism, really, since the parts he's talking about are from the Old Testament) and Islam treat their god as a master, and we as its slaves. Islam's very name means "submission".

Now, there's a very good reason for this; both came from societies and time periods where slavery was simply a part of everyday life. It was the easiest metaphor for the comparison between an all-mighty lord and the meek, mortal, frail species of man.

[Dr. Croccer]

Saying that there is a God without religion is like saying that there are philosophies that aren't based on thinking. In most beliefs, a God exists for a reason, or/and everything exists for a reason, those reasons alone could be called a religion. The only belief that doesn't do that yet wherein there still is belief in God is Deism.

[Justinian]

The concept of a God must have existed prior to organized religion existing. People can create any fantasy to satisfy their emotional needs, regardless of whether or not there's an established Church -- it had to start somewhere.

[hellheaven1987]

There is no God in Buddism...

[jankren]

The concept of a God must have existed prior to organized religion existing. People can create any fantasy to satisfy their emotional needs, regardless of whether or not there's an established Church -- it had to start somewhere.

Actually I think you are right.

I guess for example I can make my computer god if I want without any religion.