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Belief, faith, spirituality, and religion in Howard City, Michigan are the focal points of topics in this guide.

These terms are often used interchangeably, although they have distinct definitions.

Faith may mean something different to each individual, from a generally religious attitude, to a specific set of beliefs, to a strong trust in God. In the context of theology, faith is a process of development, as a believer learns to trust that which he or she believes in.

Religions are systems or structures that consist of specific kinds of beliefs and practices, generally related to a belief in the supernatural, although there are non-deist religions, and a strong disbelief in the existence of a deity may itself be defined as a religion.

Although there is a form of spirituality that requires neither a belief in a deity or acceptance of religion, spiritual usually refers to spirit or the soul, as opposed to the body or material matters, and spirituality follows as the spiritual character, quality, or nature that results from a focus on the spiritual.

From a Christian perspective, spirituality occurs through prayer and living in Jesus Christ, in which the human spirit is transformed and sustained by the Holy Spirit.

Nevertheless, these terms are often used synonymously. Religion might be used to mean faith, while spirituality can be used to refer to religion. More accurately, however, spirituality and religion are a function of faith, requiring faith as the foundation. Faith is the guiding principle by which a person is either religious or spiritual.

It is possible for a person to have faith without being religious, particularly if faith is defined as the assurance of a belief. A person may also have faith and be religious, without being spiritual.

It has been said that faith is knowing, religion is doing, and spirituality is being. Religion and spirituality are not necessary in order for a person to have faith, but they are indicators of the depth of a person's faith.

The resources found in this guide will consist largely of online resources pertaining to ministries or places of worship in Howard City, Michigan, regardless of the specific religion, denomination, or sect.

According to a recent survey, residents of Howard City are less religious than the average Michigander or American. While 49.4% of Americans and 41.9% of Michiganders cited affiliation with a religion, only 30.8% of respondents in Howard City were religious.

Of these, religions outside of Christianity did not register as much as 0.1%. Although the majority of religious people in Howard City cited an affiliation with a Protestant denomination that was not part of the survey, or with various non-denominational Protestant churches, of those that were, the Catholics were the most numerous, followed by the Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Mormons, Pentecostals, Episcopalians, and Baptists.

 

 

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