A Religion Without God?

[WhySoSerious?]

I have two questions here...

Lately, I have just been feeling especially curious about trying out some various sorts of religions. I despair a lot over the thought of death and the 'order' of the world, so my boyfriend has suggested to me a couple times that I go to a church. I am considering it, but the problem is I just don't believe in god.

So I was wondering, is it possible to attend church or have some form of religion if you do not believe in god? I'm not really looking to believe in god, I don't think I can, but I'm looking for something. I just want to know if it's even possible for me to try out different religions without believing in a god, (at least not one like the Christian God or Allah).. or if I should forget about it. (Would it be offensive to go into a Christian church knowing that I will never believe in their God, but wish to take part in there religion, for example?)

Secondly, I was wondering what sorts of religions might be out there which would be... better suited, for someone who doesn't really believe in an omniscient God? I don't really know many religions, I mostly hear about religions when reading about extremists or the right-wing disadvantages of it in books and articles... so I want to see more than just that.

A thought which may be easiest to answer as well: Which is the most "liberal" religion you know? (I'm not over eager to have to completely reform my dress-code or overall lifestyle...)

[Arcenciel]

Before I became a Christian I went to this youth group with my friends where they believe that they ARE God, and that everything around them is a power, that is God. It wasn't a person or anything specific...it was just an existance within them. Kind of like part of your soul. I don't even know what it was called (the religion) but I know that the place was called the centre for spiritual living or whatever. It was alright, I met some great people there.

Even if you did decide to check out different churches or religious groups, you don't have to believe in their God right off the bat. You can always just explore.

Good luck

Jennifer

[Union Of V]

I'd be thinking about humanism. It's not a religion per se, but it has a religious feel to it, and not a god in sight.

Secular Humanism is a non-theistically based philosophy which promotes humanity as the measure of all things. It had its roots in the rationalism of the 18th Century and the free thought movement of the 19th Century.

Some factors that most Humanists share:
-Either they do not believe in the existence of a deity, or they don't really care about the topic.
-They believe that excellent codes of behavior and morality can be created through reason.
-Humans created the Gods and Goddesses in their own image.
-They are very concerned about human rights and equal opportunities for all.
-They tend to be at the liberal end of the spectrum on such controversial topics as abortion access; equal rights for gays, lesbians and bisexuals; same-sex marriage, physician assisted suicide, separation of church and state, etc.

[Dream]

Zen/Chan Buddhism

[Lugez]

Buddhism and LaVeyan Satanism (?) come to mind.

Even so, you don't really need to stick to a "religion," per se. There are also many different philosophies you can adhere to...Who says you need to become part of a group?

[eaty]

The one i can think of is Unitarian Universalist, which happens to be the church i go too so that i why i know a lot about it.

It isn't about God at all, it isn't about some higher "person" that you have to believe in. What it is, is a search for truth and meaning. How i see it is that it isn't about believing is someone, it is about believing in yourself and finding the meaning of life. It is pretty cool.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Universalism

There is some more info about if you are interested.

[InSovietRussiaORGASMGotU]

I don't see it as a problem if you go to a Christian church, although if it's an extremist church then I'd probably not mention I'm a non-believer. If it's not an extremist church, then why not? Some people there may not approve but overall, a church is simply a public meeting area.

You don't need to adhere to a certain religion because generally the word "religion" is associated with the belief in a god/goddess. Whether or not that deity is all-powerful or what that deity does isn't all that important so I'd rather term it having your own philosophy. In that case, I'd say humanism, shinto (more of a spiritual idea), LaVeyan Satanism, etc... .

Or, instead of finding a religion or philosophy that you like, why not invent your own? You can in a way blend some ideas from various philosophies combined with your own beliefs.

[Boo Ghost]

Well I liked the idea of Wiccan and agreed with most of its beliefs except the God and Goddess part. I just changed it around a bit and instead of believing in a God/Goddess I believe in the faeries as the 'god' type things except not in the way that they created us like Christianity.
Why not choose a religion that you agree with and if it has a God fashion it to suit you and take the God part out.
LeVayan Satanism is the only religion off the top of my head that I can think of without a God and I suppose Buddhism doesn't really have a God you worship.

[floatingangel]

hmm the thing about believing in a God is to not have a religion? a religion is about following a bunch of rules, but following God is about.. well... following God. since God interacts with everyone differently, believing and trusting in God and not being wat they call "religious" is about the most liberal you can get. (:

[Yen]

Well, it's been said, but Buddhism is something you may want to explore. It's about opening your own door to your own truth. Similar to that would be Aikido. It's not a religion, it's a martial art/ way of life that fits in with pretty much anything . It's about harmonizing yourself with everything around you, finding your own order, and bettering yourself for you. Very neat little things to look into, IMO. PM me if you're interested in either.

[footfoot]

I don't belong to any church and I don't believe in God, but I still consider myself "spiritual". It's faith without piety. I suppose the closest religion to my beliefs would be Unitarian Universalist if you wanted an establishment.

[Safire]

I believe Pagan beliefs are quite decent for those not believing in an omniscient God. In Paganism, there tends to be a unity, or sort of friendship, between the person and their deities (Pagan beliefs are polytheistic). It is not one that says the God/Goddess rules all and you are to follow their every whim.
There is also Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. Those I'm not so sure about. I have more thoughts toward Paganism than others, so I cannot provide much on other believes, other than Christianity.

Just look for what feels right to you. I eventually didn't feel comfortable with Christian beliefs and looked around. I stuck with what I found. Hopefully you'll find that nice little fit for you, as well.

Good luck!

*BB* Safire