Why believe in god?

[Anonymous]

There are so many miracles we witness every day. Religion provides a framework for appreciating those miracles and mysteries. I am Christian because that is the framework I grew up with and am comfortable with, not because I think it is more right than any other religion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It makes no sense that life exists. It makes no sense that rocks exist for that matter. We all got here somehow. And that is why even very logical people believe in God. But it's just something that ypu know us true in your heart.

There's nothing logical about making up an answer to something you can't figure out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The God is truth argument was dismissed too hastily as too simple-minded.

This is not simple minded at all. Absolute truth exists.

Let us take the simple example of a shooting in a crowd, with ensuing chaos. Those present will report on what they saw, but they all had different vantages and each statement can be viewed at best as a small glimmer of the truth. However, there is one absolute truth to exactly what happened, even if we can only hope to get it approximated by witness interviews, forensic evidence etc.

God is this absolute truth and religion is our search for that truth. All those who pursue God are like Diogenes.

God is the absolute truth that allows shooting in a crowd with ensuing chaos and lets you into heaven if you believe in him.

It sounds so made up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are so many miracles we witness every day. Religion provides a framework for appreciating those miracles and mysteries. I am Christian because that is the framework I grew up with and am comfortable with, not because I think it is more right than any other religion.

What about all the horrible things that happen every day -- is religion responsible for those too, or just the miracles? If not, where do the horrible things come from, and how do you know?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_Wager

Why not? Really? That is a ridiculous argument! Why not believe in unicorns, jackalopes, and the old lady that lived in a shoe?

Because unicorns, Jackalopes and the old lady are not on record promising you eternal life if you believe in them, that's why -- and threatening you with hell if you don't believe in them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_Wager

Why not? Really? That is a ridiculous argument! Why not believe in unicorns, jackalopes, and the old lady that lived in a shoe?

Because unicorns, Jackalopes and the old lady are not on record promising you eternal life if you believe in them, that's why -- and threatening you with hell if you don't believe in them.

I have some beans to sell you.

[Anonymous]

Well religion works for me, OP. It doesn't work for you, don't see why you are struggling with this so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many miracles we witness every day. Religion provides a framework for appreciating those miracles and mysteries. I am Christian because that is the framework I grew up with and am comfortable with, not because I think it is more right than any other religion.

What about all the horrible things that happen every day -- is religion responsible for those too, or just the miracles? If not, where do the horrible things come from, and how do you know?

The fact that we are here, babies are born, the sun rises etc. are all miracles. Yes, they all have scientific explanations , but the fact that these complex processes exist in the first place is so incredible and mysterious. I think bad things happen because we have free will, but I think that argument about why do bad things happen casts doubt on the goodness of God, not the existence of god.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The God is truth argument was dismissed too hastily as too simple-minded.

This is not simple minded at all. Absolute truth exists.

Let us take the simple example of a shooting in a crowd, with ensuing chaos. Those present will report on what they saw, but they all had different vantages and each statement can be viewed at best as a small glimmer of the truth. However, there is one absolute truth to exactly what happened, even if we can only hope to get it approximated by witness interviews, forensic evidence etc.

God is this absolute truth and religion is our search for that truth. All those who pursue God are like Diogenes.

God is the absolute truth that allows shooting in a crowd with ensuing chaos and lets you into heaven if you believe in him.

It sounds so made up.

Your question was about the existence of God.

You are criticizing a decent argument for God's existence on the grounds that the advertised-as-simple example given to illustrate the argument doesn't jive with what you think the nature of God should be even though you don't believe in him.

Where do I start?.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many miracles we witness every day. Religion provides a framework for appreciating those miracles and mysteries. I am Christian because that is the framework I grew up with and am comfortable with, not because I think it is more right than any other religion.

What about all the horrible things that happen every day -- is religion responsible for those too, or just the miracles? If not, where do the horrible things come from, and how do you know?

The fact that we are here, babies are born, the sun rises etc. are all miracles. Yes, they all have scientific explanations , but the fact that these complex processes exist in the first place is so incredible and mysterious. I think bad things happen because we have free will, but I think that argument about why do bad things happen casts doubt on the goodness of God, not the existence of god.

You think little kids get cancer and die because we have free will?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Np here. I don't.

I'd wager those that do are afraid of death and it prevents them from being fully rational about it.

when you grow up with tormented with visions of smoke and flames and devil burning your body for eternity. Images pushed over and over on young innocent children by adults.

so maybe when you are a kid but once you become a mature adult with a functioning brain, how do you rationalize angels and devil?

he will be tormented with fire and brimstone
furnace of fire…weeping and gnashing of teeth

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because God is Truth, and I choose to live my life following truth. It's really that simple.

No, it isn't. If you need faith to believe in it then how do you know it is the truth? With faith you could believe in absolutely anything at all.

Here we go again... the old cycling argument...

If you would open your eyes and open your mind, you would know that God is Truth. But you've already decided that you are right and the hundreds of millions of people throughout human history who have had a personal relationship with God -- many through Jesus Christ -- are wrong.

Truth isn't decided by majority voting. Hundreds of millions of people throughout human history also saw women as chattel and believed that slavery is a natural order of things. That they had a personal relationship with God (assuming it was genuine) speaks of nothing but their need to have one. Just as people who believed slavery is a natural order of things needed it to be so to fit their needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many miracles we witness every day. Religion provides a framework for appreciating those miracles and mysteries. I am Christian because that is the framework I grew up with and am comfortable with, not because I think it is more right than any other religion.

What about all the horrible things that happen every day -- is religion responsible for those too, or just the miracles? If not, where do the horrible things come from, and how do you know?

The fact that we are here, babies are born, the sun rises etc. are all miracles. Yes, they all have scientific explanations , but the fact that these complex processes exist in the first place is so incredible and mysterious. I think bad things happen because we have free will, but I think that argument about why do bad things happen casts doubt on the goodness of God, not the existence of god.

So the fact that good and bad things happen and complex processes exist that can be explained by science are reasons to believe in a supernatural being whose goodness is doubtful?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The God is truth argument was dismissed too hastily as too simple-minded.

This is not simple minded at all. Absolute truth exists.

Let us take the simple example of a shooting in a crowd, with ensuing chaos. Those present will report on what they saw, but they all had different vantages and each statement can be viewed at best as a small glimmer of the truth. However, there is one absolute truth to exactly what happened, even if we can only hope to get it approximated by witness interviews, forensic evidence etc.

God is this absolute truth and religion is our search for that truth. All those who pursue God are like Diogenes.

God is the absolute truth that allows shooting in a crowd with ensuing chaos and lets you into heaven if you believe in him.

It sounds so made up.

Your question was about the existence of God.

You are criticizing a decent argument for God's existence on the grounds that the advertised-as-simple example given to illustrate the argument doesn't jive with what you think the nature of God should be even though you don't believe in him.

Where do I start?.

The response in question is not from OP. Besides, what does it matter if the person believes in God or not. the argument above DOES sound made up -- and like weak thinking too. People have been arguing God's existence for centuries and fewer and fewer people believe in him as time goes on, so maybe the arguments are not so good - especially now that we know so much more about science!

[Anonymous]

All arguments are made up by someone. What kind of critique is this?

The God is truth argument is not one of the traditional arguments for the existence of God. Is that what is throwing you off?

Where is the weak thinking here? I think it's quite difficult to argue that there is not an absolute truth. Don't scientists, whom you seem to revere, dedicate their lives to getting at some piece of this absolute truth? Is it hard for you to accept that nonscientists and people of religion pursue the truth as well?

An earlier PP based one of her arguments for God that fact that billions of people who live or have lived have believed in God. I thought that argument was weak, but your argument that the fact that fewer people believe in God than in days past throws into question the existence of God is equally weak.