Why do people think using the word "God" in something is religious?

2015-08-14T13:04:51-04:00

The recent discussions on adding "In God we Trust" to police and other first responder vehicles all seem to go down the road of mixing state and religion. (or separation of church and state - same idea/concept). Some have even related it back to the Bill of Rights, Constitution, and other historical documents and our "founding fathers". I think the article gives a very nice perspective and reiterates my thoughts as well that God and religion are two very different things. Religion has a place in MY life, but it's 2nd PLACE! People are 1st PLACE!

http://www.rebjeff.com/blog/the-difference-between-god-and-religion

The Difference Between God and Religion

They are not the same thing. Our society, it seems, has become so confused about religion that we don't really seem to understand what a religion is. Because of that, we don't really seem to...

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Aug 14 at 2015 1:07 PM

2015-08-14T13:07:24-04:00

It is not necessarily a religious word. It depends on the use and intention of the person using it. Could be a description of the God Zeus , etc.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Aug 14 at 2015 1:08 PM

2015-08-14T13:08:06-04:00

Thanks for sharing

Response by SPC Joshua Heath made Aug 14 at 2015 1:08 PM

2015-08-14T13:08:19-04:00

You, and others, seem assume that there is a god, or that there is only one god and that is the acceptable default expression of faith. The use of the term God to refer to a singular divinity is directly related to the Judeo-Christian/Abrahamic traditions, which have multiple religious expressions, but are still part of the same assumptive monotheistic worldview.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Aug 14 at 2015 1:13 PM

2015-08-14T13:13:52-04:00

We are a superpower because of our actions. We have spent blood and treasure to help the oppressed and have saved numerous countries at various times in our history. WW I and WW II are perfect examples

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Aug 14 at 2015 1:14 PM

2015-08-14T13:14:58-04:00

North Korea is full of hot air. I really don't believe militarily they are that powerful

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Aug 14 at 2015 1:42 PM

2015-08-14T13:42:02-04:00

Because of what the word God represents. The all mighty. The holy Father.

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Aug 14 at 2015 1:56 PM

2015-08-14T13:56:36-04:00

CMSgt Mark Schubert On my personal spiritual journey, I have a problem in the United States with any public entity using God versus using god. When it is capitalized, God is a name, a person, a singular entity as mentioned by SPC Joshua Heath. When god is not capitalized, then it is referring to the divine in general. If we want to use the general divine then no problem, the argument about religion, faith, spirituality, and all the Constitutional arguing that goes with it is rendered irrelevant.

Thing is, you will hear people who are atheists say "God Damn It!" That is less a reference to the god of the Abrahamic faiths, and more an expletive that could be replaced with any other expletive. By the same token, "Divine Damn It!" just wouldn't express the surprise, shock, anger, pain, etc... that caused the initial expletive to begin with.

I personally do not believe in the god of the bible. I think he is a great character in a work of fiction that was written as a moral guide, and book of laws for the Jewish People. I also think that a lot of what was written in there (as with all the mythos from ancient cultures) was written do to a lack of understanding of the world around them. Why is it bad to eat pork? Because they didn't know about food borne pathogens. They didn't understand that you can't undercook pork, and eat it without getting sick from it. What they did know is that people got very ill from it. They equated that with "God does not want us to eat this" so it was written in. Alcohol in Islam. Alcohol alters the state of the mind and body, therefore it must be god poisoning the body, therefore banned. A large portion of religious tenets are about control.

Now when it comes to God, god, gods, or goddesses compared to organized religion, the two do not mix well. Mainstream organized religion is about money and power. Those at the top live in opulent palaces, telling the masses that they need to keep sending their tithes to gain the favor of God. It has been the case for hundreds of years. Mainstream religion has caused more pain and suffering to mankind than anything else. From the time of the Romans, through the Spanish Inquisition, through modern times with the radicalized Islam, killing in the name of God has been a human endeavor for much of recorded history.

When I first started on my spiritual path, I used to say very mean spirited things about other paths. It wasn't until I came to two realizations that I stopped. The first was that if I wish to have my beliefs accepted and respected, then I need to show that same respect and acceptance of other's beliefs. Each person regardless of faith, spirituality, or even the absence of both is entitled to their beliefs, and should not be ridiculed for it. The second is that another person's beliefs have no bearing on my life. Why do I care if another person is Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Taoist, Pagan, or even Atheist? As long as they are not pushing it on me, and they are not a complete and total waste of human flesh let each be to their own beliefs.

On a personal note, I think "E Pluribus Unum" "We the People" or even "Semper Fidelis" (yes I am stealing from the Marine Corps) would be far better choices for our national motto as any of those indicates the true values that this nation was founded on.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Aug 14 at 2015 2:23 PM

2015-08-14T14:23:42-04:00

CMSgt Mark Schubert God tends to be used in texts and speech when the faith is associated with one God such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Lower case god is used in the Bible to refer to man-made gods of wood and stone and to people who looked at themselves as a god - long before Shirley Maclaine stood on a beach and said "I am God" in 2003 :-)
When asked what the greatest command was The Lord replied in Mathew chapter 22: 37 - 40 "Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. ’All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
The way believers in Christ show our love to God is by loving people and as Christ taught this includes enemies - those who despitefully use us and persecute us.
The Declaration of Independence as the nation's primary founding document went further than the previous monarchies of Europe which all claimed their Kings were chosen by God. This nation broke from that tradition and sought to establish a non-monarchy system of government built on God-given inalienable rights versus rights bequeathed by a monarch and feudal society with lords and serfs.
"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.-..."
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html
COL Mikel J. Burroughs, LTC Stephen C., MAJ Private RallyPoint Member, CH (MAJ) William Beaver, CPT L S, CW5 Charlie Poulton, SGM Steve Wettstein, SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4", SSG Private RallyPoint Member, PO1 Private RallyPoint Member, SGT Private RallyPoint Member, SGT Forrest Stewart, SGT Robert Hawks, SPC Private RallyPoint Member, PO3 Steven Sherrill, SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA. PFC Michael Miller,

Declaration of Independence - Text Transcript

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Aug 14 at 2015 4:28 PM

2015-08-14T16:28:46-04:00

Powerful. Thanks for sharing

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Aug 14 at 2015 4:31 PM

2015-08-14T16:31:10-04:00

There will be at least 3 major candidates and I would not be surprised if there were a 4th

Response by PO1 John Miller made Aug 15 at 2015 3:38 AM

2015-08-15T03:38:06-04:00

Chief, I think a lot of people just want something to be offended at!

Response by MSgt Jim Wolverton made Aug 15 at 2015 2:41 PM

2015-08-15T14:41:49-04:00

I'm not religious and as I've said in another post, I'm not sure I really believe in God but I'm not offended and it doesn't bother me, I'm from the South and grew up in the church. I think that people are too sensitive and easily offended.

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Aug 15 at 2015 3:54 PM

2015-08-15T15:54:53-04:00

CMSgt Mark Schubert, Every time I see, "IN GOD WE TRUST" I feel like religion is being shoved down my throat. I feel like someone is trying to bring me to Jesus. It is a major butt hurt event for me. What about separation of church and state? I don't feel like this but many do. I think its going a bit over board. That's like a woman seeing a picture of Bill Clinton and with this womanizing history and saying, "I feel like I am being sexually harassed.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 9 at 2015 12:50 PM

2015-09-09T12:50:22-04:00

What exactly does in “In God We Trust” mean? Is it intended as a slap in the face of those who don’t believe in any God? Is it intended to promote worship of male oriented monotheism and ignore the fact that millions of Americans worship a Goddess and/or are polytheists? Obviously “we” is not all Americans, so the statement is clearly inaccurate. Then there is the question of who’s God, the God of Greed, Capitalism and Money (aka Mammon), or the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob which covers just Christians, Muslims and Jews?

Since my polytheism is also pantheistic, with a little bit of stretching I can get around the God part, even though I still disagree with the “we” part. The next part though is also troubling and that is Trust. Trust to do what? Trust that the universe will unfold according to Odin’s plan?

“In God We Trust” is definitely not a motto for all Americans, and it seems to be diametrically opposed to our original motto “E Pluribus Unum” or one out of many because it doesn’t unite us in a struggle for liberty and justice. That, in my opinion, is what our motto should really be… Liberty and Justice for all. All Theists, all Atheists, all Rich, all Poor, all White, all Black, all Christian, all Pagan, all straight, all other… everyone.