Which do you relate more to: Faith or Religion?

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   ReneeDC1979posted 11 years ago

   Which do you relate more to: Faith or Religion?

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   soconfidentposted 11 years ago

   I relate more to faith. It use to be religion, but faith gives me a more secure state of mind.

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      ReneeDC1979posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I am on the same side of the fence.  I think with religion there are too many rules and politics involved.  Unfortunately, religion takes God out of the equation in my opinion.  With faith, I just have to believe - follow God's word - and love;

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   wordsbymonicaposted 11 years ago

   To me, religion is a man-made construct.  One reason why there are so many different kinds of religions in the world is because each religion serves its own body of believers within the construct of their own belief system.  Each religion has its own guidelines, book of faith, concepts of sin and blessing, life and death, etc.
   
   Faith is more difficult because faith is often required of us at times when there are no clear answers to life's questions or problems.  There are many gray areas of the "law" that are infinitely difficult to interpret--which is reflective of the fallacy of religion being a man-made construct.
   
   To be a person of faith, I think, requires an individual to have a curiosity for goodness that seeks loving solutions to life challenges.  Take, for example, the biblical story of Solomon and the two mothers.  Solomon challenges the faith of each woman and relies on her faithfulness to her child.  This faithfulness to her child caused her to say, "Give my child to this other woman!  That way my child will still live!"
   
   Abiding faith comforts us in our darkest hours when we are most alone when a book of rules feels cold and isolating.
   
   These are words generated from my own life and faith experience and they are gently offered.

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   CloudExplorerposted 11 years ago

   Becoming a spiritualist is something that opposes most religious beliefs, but its something of a true freedom that doesn't count faith in God out of the equation. read more... read more

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   JThomp42posted 11 years ago

   I definitely relate more to my faith. Religion is just an organized way of controlling one's beliefs. I consider myself spiritual, saved by the grace of God through his son Jesus Christ who died on the cross for all. Religion will not get you to Heaven, salvation is the way.

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      lone77starposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      And could "salvation" be the true religion, and everything else that is called "religion" is merely earthly interpretation?

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      JThomp42posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I believe so lone.

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   calynbanaposted 11 years ago

   It depends on your definitions. If you mean ritualistic, list of rules religion than I would say faith. If you mean spiritual faith with no structure I would say religion.
   
   It is a fine line, and I think I tend to toe it.

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   cat on a soapboxposted 11 years ago

   Faith is my belief in God and my personal relationship with Him. Religion refers to the set of beliefs and doctrines that help to define the nature of my faith.

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   jansharesposted 11 years ago

   Hey Renee :-0 Good to see you here. Welcome to hubpages. My faith is very strong and feels bigger than my religion, which is a familiar tradition for me that I'm comfortable with. My religion is a vehicle by which my faith is expressed. I don't feel hindered by rules, doctrines, or politics.

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      ReneeDC1979posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Hey sis thanks for the welcome and the comment.  Also, thanks for introducing me to a resource/tool to utilize my voice and gift of writing.

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   lone77starposted 11 years ago

   It depends on your definition of "faith" and "religion."
   
   For many, "faith" means strong belief or confidence in religious teachings.
   
   For the skeptic, it's "blind belief" sometimes called "blind faith," but this last phrase, to me, is an oxymoron.
   
   To me, "faith" can never be blind, but I don't define it as many do. To me, "faith" is perfect confidence, and such perfection can never be blind. This is the perfection of Peter when he stepped out of his storm-tossed boat onto the unsettled Sea of Galilee to meet his master. For a moment, he had the faith to stand on that liquid surface. Confidence-doubt (physical dichotomy) is the antithesis of this "faith."
   
   I have experienced this kind of faith and have felt the warm embrace of the heavenly father. I have discovered perfect forgiveness
   
   For many, "religion" is denomination, earthly dogma and interpretation. But for me, "religion" is the body of truth that can set us free. For me, the search for "religion" is the offloading of selfish interpretation to empty our "cup," and the humility to let God fill that "cup" of understanding.
   
   I relate to both "religion" and "faith" equally, but only as I've defined them.

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