God But No Religion

[modeller]

If we all beieved in God and a final Day of Judgement but no Religion at all would the world be a better or worse place. ?

[modeller]

It boils down to how you define religion. Had I not mentioned JD at all would you would still claim just the belief in God is a religion.?
I'm happy to accept your opinions being as I wasn't sure in my OP that JD was appropriate.
So may I ask the same question without JD.?
Here goes : '' If we all believed in God but no Religion at all would the world be a better or worse place. ? "

[vetuste_ennemi]

Neither. Ignorant bullies and thugs would create a god in their image and the kind and compassionate would create one in theirs.

[naomi24]

If we all believed that something created the universe, it would make no difference to the world. The difference comes when we believe that a god takes a personal interest in us promising reward in return for sycophancy, and punishment for failure. That is religion.

[pixie373]

I thought that was religion, modeller. How do you have god and no religion?

[naomi24]

Pixie, I think it's perfectly possible to imagine that something created the universe but without religion it wouldn't be necessary to worship that imagined entity or to think any more about it. You could just consider it an explanation - like the Big Bang.

[joko]

although the idea makes no sense - actually, in a way, a lot of people already live like that - in that many people will say they believe in god - but they don't pray or go to church, or really believe in some of the stories in the bible, such as noah, moses, loaves and fishes etc, they don't have crosses or religion paraphernalia in their houses, they generally don't do anything religious whatsoever.
i think also those people are the people who do not commit atrocities in its name.

under analysis and scrutiny their 'belief' would fall down, but in day to day life many live with god but with no religon...

[naomi24]

.... but those who say they believe in God even though they don't go through any of the ritual, don't distance themselves completely from the dogma. They still hope for an afterlife, for example.

[pixie373]

Yes, i suppose so, Naomi. I just think of anyone believing in a god as "religious" no matter what their lifestyle is. In that case, it would be exactly the same as if everyone did believe in the Big Bang theory, just by a different name (no worship)?

[naomi24]

Exactly. Perhaps we're in The Matrix. ;o)

[pixie373]

Mind you, as the OP starts..."if we all believed...". If we ALL believed in the same thing, no matter what it was called, it would be a more peaceful world.

[naomi24]

.... or if we all disbelieved .....

[pixie373]

Exactly...

[modeller]

My question was partly prompted by a regular church goer who told me he firmly believed in a god but didn't believe a word of what was written in the bible.

[pixie373]

Interesting that he still goes to Church then. Don't they read lots of bible passages?

[modeller]

pixie I wondered that myself , I think possibly he went because his wife did .

Recently a non believing ABer said she went because she likes the singing.

I find all sermons , and eulogies etc. nauseating but some fellow non believers do enjoy the hymns , so there may indeed be reasons why some go to church other than religion.

I know one church in a middle class area that always has a big attendance
because I am told " it's expected ".

[naomi24]

^^That's commonplace. Church attendance is often a social thing.

[mibn2cweus]

Belief in god pretty much opens the flood gates to belief in anything. Once the requirement for a prerequisite objective rational justification for ones arbitrary assertions has been suspended its deuces wild and anything goes from there on out. Those who ask for proof that their god does not exist are actually seeking your sanction upon anyway they care to choose to define what their belief in their god entails.

Belief in the arbitrary is an open invitation and welcome mat to anyone else's arbitrary beliefs that follow, no less their belief in their god given right to suspend, supersede and violate your own.

[Octavius]

"I find all sermons , and eulogies etc. nauseating"

I thought recently you said that you enjoyed going to them so that you could argue with the sermonisers.

[modeller]

Octavious if you bother to read my posts you will see I enjoy going to
Talks in Community halls where I'm repeatedly invited to challenge their
theist beliefs. You don't get sermons or eulogies in any community or social centres that I know of.
Nice to see your post . How about now answering the question ?

[modeller]

Octavious this may also answer your post , when boxtops asked me if I had to go .? My answer was:
//Yes I love being the voice of dissent .
I like being a thorn amongst 30 roses,. The wine, chocolate gateux , strawberries and cream , have some attraction as well. //
If I wasn't there they would all smile beneignly at the speaker and never ask a question let alone raise a query.