Has religion served its purpose?

@josephw said
My "relationship" with the living God is based on what Jesus did on the cross to secure my eternal destination without any help from me.

This belief you have in your relationship with God is a religious belief. You are mistaken if you think your belief that you have a relationship with God means it is NOT a religious belief.

@fmf said
You are using, rather clumsily, a No True Scotsman informal fallacy.

Well, I suppose that ends it.

Unfortunately you are under the impression that God requires something from man in terms of his performance of "religious" activity to secure his standing with God.

In a sense that's a good thing, that is once you grind through that fallacy.

@josephw said
Well, I suppose that ends it.

Unfortunately you are under the impression that God requires something from man in terms of his performance of "religious" activity to secure his standing with God.

In a sense that's a good thing, that is once you grind through that fallacy.

All religions are different from each other. A religion can't claim it is not a religion simply because it is different from other religions.

Your self-servingly narrow definition of "religion", so that you can then claim that your beliefs are somehow not religious beliefs, is essentially a No True Scotsman logical fallacy.

@fmf said
This belief you have in your relationship with God is a religious belief. You are mistaken if you think your belief that you have a relationship with God means it is NOT a religious belief.

You are now merely juggling with semantics.

And missing the supernatural aspects of what it means to rely on and trust in your creator for your very next breath.

As intelligent as you are, the new birth would make you a dynamo.

Surrender. The peace will astound you.

@josephw said
And missing the supernatural aspects of what it means to rely on and trust in your creator for your very next breath.

All religious people believe in creators and supernatural things.

@fmf said
All religions are different from each other. A religion can't claim it is not a religion simply because it is different from other religions.

Your self-servingly narrow definition of "religion", so that you can then claim that your beliefs are somehow not religious beliefs, is essentially a No True Scotsman logical fallacy.

All "religions" are predicated on the same principle.

Work your way to God.

Not so Christianity.

Jesus paid a debt he didn't owe
I owed a debt I couldn't pay

Jeez FMF, at least try to comprehend on at least the minimal spiritual level.

RELIGION
Do this and live the law demands
But gives me neither feet nor hands

Relationship
A better way the gospel brings
It bids me fly and gives me wings

@josephw said
All "religions" are predicated on the same principle.

Indeed. All religions are about belief in and worship of a creator being. That's what they all have in common, aside, arguably from Buddhism and Confucianism

@josephw said
All "religions" are predicated on the same principle.

Work your way to God.

Not so Christianity.

Jesus paid a debt he didn't owe
I owed a debt I couldn't pay

Jeez FMF, at least try to comprehend on at least the minimal spiritual level.

RELIGION
Do this and live the law demands
But gives me neither feet nor hands

Relationship
A better way the gospel brings
It bids me fly and gives me wings

You keep reciting your religious beliefs, over and over and over again, as if it proves that Christian beliefs are not religious beliefs.

@josephw said
Jeez FMF, at least try to comprehend on at least the minimal spiritual level.

I have no difficulty whatsoever comprehending your religious beliefs.

@fmf said
Indeed. All religions are about belief in and worship of a creator being. That's what they all have in common, aside, arguably from Buddhism and Confucianism

You're missing the main factor.

Religion, of any kind, is fundamentally predicated on the principle of earning eternal life, or what have you.

With Christianity eternal life is a gift. It isn't earned.

@fmf said
You keep reciting your religious beliefs, over and over and over again, as if it proves that Christian beliefs are not religious beliefs.

You keep glossing over the points I'm making, and redirecting the narrative of the discussion to coincide with your personal viewpoint.

Very narrow minded of you.

Seriously not meant as a slight.

@fmf said
I have no difficulty whatsoever comprehending your religious beliefs.

On the contrary. You are making it evident that you don't.

Succinctly, all religions require adherence to a set of religious observances in order to please God.

Now think invertedly, then you will see.

@josephw said
You keep glossing over the points I'm making, and redirecting the narrative of the discussion to coincide with your personal viewpoint.Very narrow minded of you.

It's the other way around. You are defining "religion" in a very specific and narrow way in order to support your contention that Christianity is not a religion.

@josephw said
Succinctly, all religions require adherence to a set of religious observances in order to please God.

Your God figure requires you to worship him.

@fmf said
It's the other way around. You are defining "religion" in a very specific and narrow way in order to support your contention that Christianity is not a religion.

No. I am defining "religion" for what it is.

You really shouldn't have a problem with that since you know it's about the observance of practices with regards to any specific belief system.

What you're not grasping is that the observance of "religious" activity doesn't ingratiate the observer with God.

BECAUSE God, the true and living God, doesn't NEED anything from anyone.

God gives. Freely.

That should boggle your mind. It does mine.