faith in a community

gotcha

is it possible to exercise your faith without joining a religion?...i asked the same question to my professor in theology and her response was...as human beings we have this nature of being social so it's always in a community that you could exercise your faith..there's not such a thing as "individualistic" faith because it is within a community that your faith can grow...what do u think? thanks.

pomegranate

Isn't faith what's between you and God?

Two is the smallest community, right?

You and God
Me and God
Him and God
Her and God

Gopher

Gotcha,

Your professor's assertion is not supported by scriptures.

Look at the "Faith" chapter, Hebrews 11. The first 2 individuals mentioned, Abel and Enoch, are mentioned as examples of faith. But they had no support! Enoch prophesied all by himself, in faith.

Sometimes religions (and their teachers) seem to actually interfere with faith.

GopherWhy shouldn't truth be stranger than fiction? Fiction, after all, has to make sense.
Mark Twain (1835-1910)

gotcha

thanks for the reply =)..i'm inclined to think so too because i would want to live a good life apart from any religion. i think that even if religion's purpose is to make better people...they always fail because they tend to go overboard (dogmatism) and those who say that they have faith but live lousy lives (practical atheism)...but i also agree with my teacher in a way, because it is in a community that you could grow...just for simple reasons like having a sense of community and a sense of the "other". ahhh and here.. for example i decide in the future not to attend meetings (because i still do attend), i think that i would still want to go to a church to pray and to give thanks (although i know that i could do this even if im not in the church)..maybe the way that i was brought up makes me feel that way.

barry

Rusticus; Where do you meet?
Justin; Where we want to and are able to. Do you believe that we meet together in a particular place?Certainly not. The god of Christians is not imprisoned in one place.He is invisible,he fills the heaven and the earth. He is
worshipped and glorified by the faithful everywhere

gotcha

thanks..but i've still got a question...does any of you here go into some kind of church?

kes152

Greetings gotcha,

If I may, you asked if its possible to "excercise faith" outside of religion.

The answer: YES!

What is faith?

Faith - Confident reliance (dependence) on the ability of a person, idea, or thing.

Abraham when told to leave his country to visit some strange land RELIED heavily on the ability that God would take care of him and tell him where to go.

Did Abraham need to be joined to a religion to do this?

John, when told to write down the things he saw, and will see, RELIED heavily that it was Jesus Christ whom he beheld and heard.

Did john need to be joined to a religion to do this? (He was in PRISION)

By confident belief that what we hear is really from God, we speak and do. we are cautioned not to beg off from Him who is "SPEAKING to us from the heavens."

We are told to leave religion, the unclean thing, and to SEPARATE ourselves from. And God will take us in. Hence we are TOLD to excercise faith OUTSIDE of religion.

And thus our brother said:

"Let us, then, go forth to him outside the camp (religion), bearing the reproach he bore,"

Hebrews 13:13, 14
2 Corinthians 6:17, 18
Hebrews 12:25

Peace to you!
Aaron

kes152

you asked what "church" I attend.

I attend only one "temple" and in that "temple" I seek the face of the Holy One of Israel through my Lord, Jesus the Anointed One. And it is in this temple that my Lord, the High Priest, speaks to me.

I hear his voice the same way I hear any other voice, and he who is speaking, I am under obligation not to beg off from him, but to obey.

1 Corinthians 6:19
2 Corinthians 6:16
Hebrews 4:14-16

Peace!
Aaron

Introspection

I would just point out that you can physically walk into a church and take in the services, but that doesn't mean you're attached in that you rely on it for support. As far as being part of a community goes, there is also the difference between what you can get out of it (perhaps a sense of belonging) vs. what you can contribute. It is entirely possible to contribute without expecting anything in return, and that also means you're a part of the community.

does any of you here go into some kind of church?

bjd4jc

Here is my take on this topic-

Heb 10:24-25
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
(NIV)

I don't think this scripture give a command but it gives great wisdom. You will find that people that meet together and are part of a community are stronger (in faith) then those that do not. And the kicker for me is "and all the more as you see the day approaching".

faith in a community

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