Ask the Patriarch 51
What Religion Am I? (2)
from Cecilia
To open a discussion on this article, please use the contact page to provide your comments.
I am 20 years old and need help. I was wondering if maybe you could help me. I believe that there is a God, but I do not believe in the bible or that Jesus is 'my savior' or that he was the son of god. Do you know of any books or anything that could help me further understand where my beliefs fit in? Thank you very much for your time. It means a lot.
the Patriarch replies:
Cecilia:
Thanks for writing.
I'm not aware of any specific book which deals with a generalized belief in God. You are certainly not alone. There are many others who believe in a deity, yet reject the various forms of traditional religion. I suspect that these people, many of whom keep their religious feelings private, outnumber any of the various Christian denominations.
So what do you do?
If you want to have a feeling of belonging to a group, then it is a matter of finding a like-minded organization. Many who think the way you do join a Unitarian or
Other options which you could research are Deism (There is a Creator god - who does not get involved in the world) Pantheism (God is everything and everything is God) or you could look at the various New Age religions (http://www.dmoz.org/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/New_Age/) and see what fits with what you think about your God.
As you look at various options, compare your thoughts about your God with their teachings. Consider what your god is, what your god does, what your god expects of you, what you expect of your god. Consider your view of the rewards and punishments of an afterlife. Perhaps you will find a match, perhaps not.
If you were looking for a definitive answer, I’m afraid I don’t have one. All I can give you are the above suggestions. I wish you luck in sorting things out.
Best wishes