When people are thinking about the association between humans and the different versions of God they usually link faith and religion into one category. But the truth is that these are two very separate things and that people experience them quite differently. There might be a Mississauga real estate agent who has faith but does not associate themselves with any particular church. On the other hand, everyone within a certain religion will have their own set of experiences and feelings when it comes to their faith, though they might follow the same core beliefs. Here is a little about each thing.
Faith is the confident belief in a person, thing, or concept. All you need to do to have faith in a power greater than life is to truly believe that they are out there and have some impact on our lives. Most of the people who have this kind of faith, whether they are learning English as a second language and follow Muslim practices or are an agnostic living in downtown Toronto, believe that there is some form of life after death. That faith and belief usually helps them to make decisions in their life and a distinction between good and evil.
Religion is a specific set of beliefs that concerns a cause or purpose of life. It is an explanation for why we are present on the planet and usually comes with a sort of roadmap of rules and practices for what we are supposed to do within our lifetime. If you are part of a certain religion you might take some time away from sitting out on Richmond Hill decks on a Sunday morning to attend a church service. And you might decide not to do things that are forbidden in the Bible, Torah, or Koran, for example.
Having faith in the Christian form of God means simply choosing to believe that this is the representation of a higher power that you feel is out there. Once you adopt religion you are signing up for an entire lifestyle of following its rules and practices. You are choosing to devote at least a portion of your life to God and, by doing so, are going to follow the rules that have been set out in the Bible. It is meant to dictate every aspect of your life, from how you do your work marketing Toronto real estate listings to who you choose to marry and make a family with.
Deciding whether you are a person of faith or a person who is religious is a very personal choice. Everyone needs to form their own relationship with God and while some need to attend church every Sunday to feel closest to Him, others are content just believing He is there while they are doing everything from cleaning strainers in the kitchen to walking the dog.
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