Why do you believe in God?

[xvimbi]

Since we are going through a religious phase right now, I thought I'd throw out a critical question.

Why do you believe in God?

Choose from the following list of answers:

1. I don't know.
2. Somebody told me so (e.g. parents).
3. Everyone else around me does.
4. I have seen The Light.
5. I have thoroughly studied and compared all religions before I decided, without external influences, that my religion represents The Truth.
6. Other (please specify)

[Rob47]

God keeps me sane when nothing else can. (other)

your friend
Rob

[blindmouth]

6. i believe that there is a purpose to my life external to what i or others think.

anyways, im conflicted right now as how to celebrate Him. (in terms of religion) also, is a Christian heaven better than the Buddhist nirvana? one suggests eternal happiness while the other suggests eternal peace.

[blindmouth]

id like to address the fifth option. if one has or is "the truth", does  that person have  the stature of God? cause one could easily say that Satan himself is God. i used to know a satanist, and no, it doesnt involve the murder of innocents as a means for sacrifice. but i dont want to get into a discourse about satanism...

[Spatula]

4. I have seen da light

[xvimbi]

I guess, I should rephrase my initial question: What prompted you to believe in the god you are believing in? Choose from the answers in my initial post.

[brewtality]

1.  i  have no time for religion, but i can't definitely say that a higher power that created the universe doesn't exist.

[klavierkonzerte]

no.5
i belive in god because it gives me comfort to know that someone is watching over me and there is someone to go to when i'm in need.

to know that when i die i would be in a better place.

and it makes me a better person to live by gods teachings.
if i didn't have a religion why wouldn't i lie, be bad with my parents, steal etc

[monk]

I am God.

Or, put better: God is who I really am.

No need to believe in anything. (Belief is superstition, anyway.)

And no, i'm not a psychiatric patient. :-) If you think so, google about "advaita" or "satsang".

Best Wishes,
Monk

[Saturn]

6. God doesn't question my existence.  Why should I question his?  

[JK]

1. I don't know.
2. Somebody told me so (e.g. parents).
3. Everyone else around me does.
4. I have seen The Light.
5. I have thoroughly studied and compared all religions before I decided, without external influences, that my religion represents The Truth.
6. Other (please specify)

1. I wouldn't say I don't know why.
2. Nobody has ever told me to believe in God and I like to make up my own mind about things anyway.
3. Certainly never been true.
4. Nope.
5. Nope.
6. Because I do. Because believing in God gives me comfort, it is reassurring and gives my life and everyone elses life meaning. I am not a religious person, I don't go to church and I certainly don't preach religion to people, I also can see why people question religion and why people find it difficult to believe in God. But I still do, I'm not really sure why but I feel compelled to do so. It is impossible to know why we are here and why everything in the evolution of the universe has turned out exactly as it has done but believing in God is a way of explaining it all, when something bad happens its reassuring to think that it's Gods will and it happened for a reason unknown to us, whether this is true or not I have no idea.

(sh*t this forum's got really into this whole religious debate thing recently!)

[chopiabin]

#6 I don't believe in any higher power.

I have a question for those who say the believe in God for comfort: Is that the only reason why you believe? Because it is comfortable? That seems kind of weak. Generally truth isn't comfortable or convenient. I also think it's interesting that someone said that their belief in God prevents them from stealing etc.: The only reason you don't do these things is because your'e scared of punishment?

[klavierkonzerte]

what punishment would i recive if i lie or been bad with my parents??

nothing

and you can steal without reciving anypunishment.

[JK]

I have a question for those who say the believe in God for comfort: Is that the only reason why you believe? Because it is comfortable? That seems kind of weak. Generally truth isn't comfortable or convenient. I also think it's interesting that someone said that their belief in God prevents them from stealing etc.: The only reason you don't do these things is because your'e scared of punishment

Believing in God isn't a sign of weakness at all. And whats wrong with being comforted by believing in a higher power, if believing in God makes you feel better and makes you feel as if your life has more purpose as a result why should that mean that you're weak? Also I don't just believe in God because it is comforting to do so, I believe because I don't think all the things that we have on earth including music could have evolved the precise way they have without some other influence. Of course there is no proof that I can offer for this, but I just feel that the chance of things turning out the way they have is just so small that I am not willing to accept that it is simply by chance that we are here.  

Also I don't believe that you can say that people don't steel because they are scared of punishment, for example I don't steal because I think it's wrong to do so, which it is. As a result I wouldn't steal from anyone, the punishment is there in order to try and put off people who are tempted to. It is wrong to make the generalisation that people who don't steal are weak because they are scared of punishment.

The truth of what goes on in the world is not nice and by believing in God I am not burying my head in the sand and trying to become oblivious to the terrible things that go on, I see them everyday on the news and am not unaware of some the atrocities that take place. Believing in God helps to give people an explanation for why these terrible things happen, it is not that they are weak and can't accept that such things happen.

[Tennyson]

#6 I don't believe in any higher power.

I have a question for those who say the believe in God for comfort: Is that the only reason why you believe? Because it is comfortable? That seems kind of weak. Generally truth isn't comfortable or convenient. I also think it's interesting that someone said that their belief in God prevents them from stealing etc.: The only reason you don't do these things is because your'e scared of punishment?

Chopiabin, I absolutely disagree with your statement.  I believe that atheism is the "easy way out".  It takes someone strong, someone who holds true to their religious beliefs, to withstand the attacks by non-believers.  We live in a society where science seems to be the religion and everything that contains any kind of "spirituality" or "mysticism" is quickly shunned and passed off as foolish.  It is easy for someone to simply abandon their beliefs and denounce the existence of God (or a god).  

Believers are tried on a consistent basis.  Everyday they are contested, and yet they remain true to their beliefs despite society's sneering looks.  I believe in God because I want to.  There is no other reason.  My spirituality is based on past events and what I feel in my heart to be true.  You have seemingly turned yourself against these feelings, which is why it may not be easy for you to understand the justification of a believer's faith.

[chopiabin]

If any of you had actually read my post or those to which I was responding, you wouldn't be acting so defensive. I think it is fine if you believe in God but it seemed to me to be weak if the SOLE reason for belief was to gain comfort. If you truly believe that the only way to explain the universe is God, then  I respect that, although I may disagree. The reason why I said the thing about punishment was that klavierkonzerte said "if I didn't have a religion, why wouldn't I lie, be bad, etc." I didn't like the implication that without religion people would abandon societal morality.

Tennyson, I feel that the situation is exactly the opposite. This country is supposed to be founded on the separation of church and state, yet there are so many instances of religion being intertwined with governmental affairs.  Atheists also have to deal constantly with people trying to "convert" them.

[Rob47]

 Atheists also have to deal constantly with people trying to "convert" them.

I think it's not just atheist's who have to deal with Jehova's Witnesses.  

If you truly believe that the only way to explain the universe is God, then  I respect that, although I may disagree

Science explains it much better.  The Bible's story of Creation is full of holes.  If you believe that I think you should open your mind.  Contextually it's fine, but it is not a literal descprition of how the universe was created.

But I have faith in God.  I don't go to church, but I pray at night for my family and friends. It's a self thing.  You can't preach to anyone or it makes you condescending. It is purely for the individual. Look through the Bible if it helps you live a better life, but for myself it begins and ends with faith. That's it.

your friend
Rob

p.s. my bible is Bach the new testament being Mozart Beethoven Brahms and Liszt....and Stravinsky. Stravinsky can be Paul.

[Saturn]

Just curious here...

Science explains it much better.  The Bible's story of Creation is full of holes.  If you believe that I think you should open your mind.  Contextually it's fine, but it is not a literal descprition of how the universe was created.

But I have faith in God.

If you don't believe the Bible's story of creation, do you believe in God as a creator?

And if not, what is the role of the God you have faith in?

[jon]

Most of the people I know or associate myself with do believe in God, but if they didn't i still would belive in God.I am a christian and come from a very christian backround so i can understand why it would be easier for me to believe in God.There are so many ways that you can see the existence of God.For one i  find it very hard to believe in evolution and other theories that deny the Divine creation by a God.Personally i feel it takes more faith to believe in evolution than a Creator.Sure science explains alot of things, but how could this all come from chance?Everything in the universe is so orderly from the water cycle to photosynthesis to the perfect placing of the earth.How could this be some random chance?


sorry i havn't figured how to quote yet

on Sep 22nd, 2004, 5:38pm,Chopiabin wrote:

"This country is supposed to be founded on the separation of church and state, yet there are so many instances of religion being intertwined with governmental affairs."

This is a completely distorted view of what separation of church and state means.People have taken it out of its context and changed what it means.Separation of church and state is the idea that the church and the government should be separate institutions which meant that our founding fathers didn't want the government to impose things on the church that the Christian people should rule themselves. Not the other way around.This idea has been used  in so many court rulings that have taken every Christian idea out of public places.Such rulings such as taking prayer and the Bible out of school have been made law because of the distored view of separation of church and state.It's interesting to see the decline of any moral values in America after several of these rulings.In the past fifty years the stats have sky rocketed in such areas as crime,teen pregnancies and other areas.Yes we have come a long way in only two hundred plus years of existence but the founding fathers saw the importance of having a government based on Biblical ideas and this is why we are such a great nation.

[Spatula]

I guess you choose number 6

[chopiabin]

So Jon, you think that christian ideals should be imposed on the ideally free people of this country?
The founding fathers were escaping the government's religious oppression - they didn't want government to impose   religion on the people.

[chopiabin]

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?

[jon]

I said that our nation is great because most of our founding fathers had religous values.I didn't say that christian ideals should be forced on anyone,but i did say that the idea of separation of church and state when it is distorted has been used in so many senseless rulings.Am I imposing anything on you if i carry a Bible or if i pray in public?Do the ten commandments impose anything on anyone if they are displayed in a courtroom?


I don't think it would be much use debating your riddle and trying to tell you that God is omnipotent,He is a God of love since you are apparently an atheist.

[chopiabin]

So if I were a Christian it would be worth it? Can you explain the riddle?

The point is: Asking kids to bow their heads in school put pressure on them to do so - they feel somehow ostracized if they don't. I wouldn't want my children being asked to bow their heads at school - I feel that many parents of non-Christians religions would feel the same way.

Having the 10 commandements inside a courthouse implies that the court is ruled by the bible - that seems very unfair to non-Christians.

Also, having one religion endorsed (by having the ten commandments in a building payed for by taxes or having prayer in schools funded by taxes) by a government that is supposed to represent all the nation's people regardless of religion seems highly hippocritical. For the government to say that it is truly unbiased, it cannot endorse one religion over others.

[xvimbi]

Having the 10 commandements inside a courthouse implies that the court is ruled by the bible - that seems very unfair to non-Christians.

There is nothing wrong with the Ten Commandments, well, with numbers 2-10 anyway. The first one is the one everybody gets pumped up about. The others are nothing else than proper rules for a modern society. As such, they are nothing new. Many enlightened societies in the past came up with the same or similar rules.

And we all know, because Mel Brooks in "The History Of The World" unequivocally proved and showed it, that Moses did in fact receive three slates with 15 commandments, but he dropped one slate, so we have only ten commandments. Wonder what the other five were...