Non-theistic religions: what are this type of beliefs, and examples

What are non-theistic religions? We explore these godless religious belief systems.

Many religious movements have emerged throughout history, some of which still have millions and millions of followers.

However, not all religions share the same characteristics. In this article we will focus on the so-called non-theistic religions.. We will discover in what consists this type of creeds and which are some of the most representative examples that we can find.

What are non-theistic religions?

When we speak of non-theistic religions, a brief and rapid definition would be that they are those creeds in which the belief in a god does not appear or is not essential.. Therefore, they would be a set of beliefs and rules of conduct, with the difference with respect to theistic religions, which would not worship a god.

It may seem strange and even paradoxical or contradictory to use the expression non-theistic religions, but in reality this perception arises from the relationship that our society has traditionally had with certain religions, such as Catholic Christianity, and at a greater distance, Judaism and Islam. All of them are theistic, specifically monotheistic, which means that they believe in a single God.

In contrast to them, there are non-theistic religions. We will be able to see some examples later in detail in the following point of this same article.

Some definitions of religion introduce the element of belief in a divinity as one of the requirements, so that, for these descriptions, non-theistic religions could not be considered as religions. But other definitions, on the contrary, consider the possibility of having a certain creed and performing religious practices without necessarily believing in a god.

On the other hand, some authors prefer to distinguish some authors prefer to distinguish between the concept of religion and that of spirituality, as do the American professors Peter Mandaville and Paul James. According to their definition, non-theistic religions would fit within the idea of religion, since they do not establish the requirement of belief in a god or gods in order to be included in this category.

Examples of non-theistic religions

Now that we have a general idea of what non-theistic religions entail, we can draw on a number of examples to reinforce this understanding. Some of them refer to religions known to a large part of our society, while others may be more surprising.

1. Buddhism

Buddhism is probably the greatest exponent of non-theistic religions. With more than 500 million followers, practically 7% of the world's population, this religion is the fourth largest, behind the three great monotheistic religions mentioned above (Christianity, Islam and Judaism).

Like any religion, Buddhism involves a set of beliefs, such as the Four Noble Truths which, in a very summarized form, teach how to free oneself from suffering through the abandonment of desire and the attainment of nirvana. To achieve this goal, an eight-step path is proposed.

Likewise, concepts such as Samsara, which speaks of cyclical existence, or karma, which refers to the intentionality of actions and how it accumulates, are taught. In addition to these and other beliefs, they do talk about the existence of divine entities known as devas, but they are alien to us, so they are not essential for the creed.. That is why this is one of the non-theistic religions.

On the other hand, Buddha did not establish the idea that there was an omnipotent god who created all existence.He determines that this question is not relevant to his teachings. Therefore, although the existence of these devas is mentioned, it would not be a conception of a god as presented by monotheistic religions, for example.

2. Non-theistic or Quaker friends

Another of the non-theistic religions is that of the so-called Quakers or non-theistic Friends, who arose as a result of the Religious Society of Friends, a split from Protestant Christians. arose as a result of the Religious Society of Friends, a split of Protestant Christians, differing from the main group in not needing the belief in a superior being, i.e., God, to believe and practice the values that had been instilled in them.They differed from the main group in not needing a belief in a superior being, that is, God, in order to believe and practice the values that had been instilled in them.

Although the Quaker group emerged in the mid-17th century, in England, the group of non-theists began to have relevance during the 30's of the 20th century, when the Humanist Society of Friends was formed, which later became part of the American Humanist Association.

They did not formally conceive of themselves as one of the non-theistic religions until 1952, when they published a publication in which the non-theism of their creed was explicitly mentioned.

3. Atheistic Hinduism

It may come as a surprise that Hinduism is included in the non-theistic religions, as it has traditionally been identified as a polytheistic creed, that is, it has many gods to believe in. However, the reality is that Hinduism is a very broad concept, which encompasses very different ways of understanding this religion..

Therefore, within the more than 1100 million people who share this ancestral creed, with almost 5000 years of antiquity, there is a group that practices polytheism, another that would be defined as monotheist, another that believes in monism, and finally there would be atheists, who would be those who would turn that part of Hinduism into one of the non-theistic religions.

Even within that grouping, there are a whole series of strands. One of the most important would be the Charvaka, of a hedonistic and materialistic nature.. To a certain extent, its creed reflects the values of the epicurean philosophical movement.

4. Liberal Christianity

If it was surprising to include Hinduism among the non-theistic religions, it is even more surprising to do the same with Christianity. There is a branch of this religion, liberal Christianity, which embraces Christian teachings and values, but in a contemporary perspective. embraces Christian teachings and values, but under a contemporary prism and without the need to believe in God as this religion has traditionally done..

This side of Christianity appeared as a counterpoint to the strong atheistic rationalist movement, but also to the stricter dogmas of the Holy Scriptures and the dictates of the Church.

Another characteristic of liberal Christianity is the lack of the need to believe in the miracles of Jesus. On the contrary, it focuses solely on the teachings that he transmitted through his word, which for the followers of this non-theistic religion, is what is really important.

It should also be noted that liberal Christians are not the only example of religions without belief in a god that have emerged within Christianity, since the non-theistic Quakers, which we have already seen above, also represent a split within the bulk of this majority religion.

5. Jainism

Continuing with the list of non-theistic religions, we find Jainism. The Jains consider that there are natural laws of universal character, which would be in a certain way an approximation to the laws of physics. But They consider that all the elements that exist in the universe have always existed in the universe..

Therefore, they do not believe that there is a superior being, a god, who has created everything. It has simply always existed. On the contrary, they believe that there is the jiva, which would be the vital energy and souls, and the ajiva, referring to inert matter. Souls, like everything else, have not been generated by a god, but have existed and will always exist, throughout eternity.

Like Buddhism, in Jainism there are devas, celestial beings who would be on a different plane than human beings, but not because of that they are an omnipotent and creative deity to believe in. That is why Jainism is another non-theistic religion.

6. Philosophical currents

Although they are not a religion in the strict sense of the definition, there are philosophical currents that are so close to what we could include within the non-theistic religions that they deserve a separate mention. We have, for example, Chinese Taoism, whose principles serve for its followers to be in harmony with what they call Tao, which would be the way.

Ruism or Confucianism is another example of Chinese philosophy that approaches the religious way of life. There is also Epicureanism, established by the Greek philosopher Epicurus, 300 years before Christ. Pandeism or Deism would represent other examples added to what could be considered practically non-theistic religions.

Bibliographical references:

• Draper, P., Schellenberg, J.L.. (2017). Renewing philosophy of religion: exploratory essays. Oxford University Press.
• Granqvist, P., Mikulincer, M., Shaver, P.R. (2010). Religion as attachment: Normative processes and individual differences. Personality and Social Psychology Review.
• Herbrechtsmeier, W. (1993). Buddhism and the definition of religion: One more time. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. JSTOR.
• Taliaferro, C., Griffiths, P.J. (1964). Philosophy of religion: an anthology. Wiley-Blackwell.