Why believe in god?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, there is always your personal experience. You know - testimony.
Like the bible.

But that IS the source.
Much like we all agree to the principles of math, science, etc. ---
things that are proven and accepted.

Faith is PROVEN on an individual level.

If you took time to read the above post - you would see that.
But your argument is really to no end, for you.

I'm sorry you are having this internal conflict.

I'm not conflicted. I enjoy questioning people - even if they can't produce real answers.

I am perfectly comfortable with my beliefs. I have no fear of death and I know that I am serving humankind during this lifetime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, there is always your personal experience. You know - testimony.
Like the bible.

But that IS the source.
Much like we all agree to the principles of math, science, etc. ---
things that are proven and accepted.

Faith is PROVEN on an individual level.

If you took time to read the above post - you would see that.
But your argument is really to no end, for you.

I'm sorry you are having this internal conflict.

I'm not conflicted. I enjoy questioning people - even if they can't produce real answers.

I am perfectly comfortable with my beliefs. I have no fear of death and I know that I am serving humankind during this lifetime.

Do you believe that is serves humankind to challenge the credibility of belief system?
That you think all of these answers are not "real" says a lot about your self-righteousness.
There are many who just do not think so highly of themselves.
Has nothing to do with sheepishness, insecurity, or fear.

I don't fear death. I too am serving humankind. I have had horrible things happen to me.
Matter of fact - I am one of the most logical people you would probably ever meet.
I believe in God.

I believe in Science.
I believe in Jesus Christ.
I believe that these things don't contradict.
I believe it is possible for there to be a transition in time, in a way that we cannot imagine.
I believe we have a spirit, a soul, and a body.
I believe all forms of life are connected through a creator.

History has demonstrated time after time, that through time, knowledge is revealed about science, physics, matter --
And the more we know, the more we realize how connected we are.

How can you POSSIBLY believe that little bitty you is all there is to it?

Can you imagine how many livable planets and life forms are in that galaxy compared to ours yet we could never reach it. 1 billion light years from earth. To travel only 4 light years away takes about 81,000 years to travel with our current technology.

Has it ever occurred to you that maybe God isn't a man, or a woman, but something greater than your mind can comprehend?
Something so great, that it cannot be revealed to you or you would not be able to take it?
Like electrical current unregulated through a power socket.

Only a person that is searching for self-gratification, and has something missing, asks so many questions from others. Whether it is from curiosity, or if it is to affirm your own belief.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, there is always your personal experience. You know - testimony.
Like the bible.

But that IS the source.
Much like we all agree to the principles of math, science, etc. ---
things that are proven and accepted.

Faith is PROVEN on an individual level.

If you took time to read the above post - you would see that.
But your argument is really to no end, for you.

I'm sorry you are having this internal conflict.

I'm not conflicted. I enjoy questioning people - even if they can't produce real answers.

I am perfectly comfortable with my beliefs. I have no fear of death and I know that I am serving humankind during this lifetime.

Do you believe that is serves humankind to challenge the credibility of belief system?
That you think all of these answers are not "real" says a lot about your self-righteousness.
There are many who just do not think so highly of themselves.
Has nothing to do with sheepishness, insecurity, or fear.

I don't fear death. I too am serving humankind. I have had horrible things happen to me.
Matter of fact - I am one of the most logical people you would probably ever meet.
I believe in God.

I believe in Science.
I believe in Jesus Christ.
I believe that these things don't contradict.
I believe it is possible for there to be a transition in time, in a way that we cannot imagine.
I believe we have a spirit, a soul, and a body.
I believe all forms of life are connected through a creator.

History has demonstrated time after time, that through time, knowledge is revealed about science, physics, matter --
And the more we know, the more we realize how connected we are.

How can you POSSIBLY believe that little bitty you is all there is to it?

Can you imagine how many livable planets and life forms are in that galaxy compared to ours yet we could never reach it. 1 billion light years from earth. To travel only 4 light years away takes about 81,000 years to travel with our current technology.

Has it ever occurred to you that maybe God isn't a man, or a woman, but something greater than your mind can comprehend?
Something so great, that it cannot be revealed to you or you would not be able to take it?
Like electrical current unregulated through a power socket.

Only a person that is searching for self-gratification, and has something missing, asks so many questions from others. Whether it is from curiosity, or if it is to affirm your own belief.

Thanks for the extra large image from your google search.

I am quite content with my life, yes.

And I will continue to question . . .

The stagnant mind doesn't question.

[Anonymous]

And the established mind doesn't doubt.

You're welcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And the established mind doesn't doubt.

You're welcome.

Thankfully, scientists question.
And there are plenty of cancer survivors who are grateful, too.

You're welcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And the established mind doesn't doubt.

You're welcome.

Thankfully, scientists question.
And there are plenty of cancer survivors who are grateful, too.

You're welcome.

I never said that there is a fault in questioning.
Quite the contrary - I agree, the stagnant mind does not question.
Truth won't falter, no matter who challenges it.
Like I said, there is power in the established mind in truth as well.
Many scientists believe too, you know.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God gave humans 'good dreams'

" I call good dreams: I mean those queer stories scattered all through the heathen religions ..." See more here: http://home.earthlink.net/~mysticalrose/pagan4.html

About why I believe in God? Because I believe - in the bones of my bones- in absolute Good and Evil (not socially constructed) and without a God is hard (impossible) to justify that.

Why Christianity? Because it is the only religion I know of that at least claims that God came down to suffer with us.

About evil& suffering-the only really big argument agaist God IMO- if God is big enough to be mad at ( for not stopping evil), he is also big enough to have some reason for it. It helps that, as stated above, according to Christianity, He came down to take a share of it, so it's not like he was all talk.

And if we don't appreciate it, he sends us to burn in hell for ETERNITY

I subscribe to the idea that we are all going to be with God, if we want to. Some will prefer Hell to God. Read 'The Great Divorce' to see what I mean.

Oh right -- we should read a whole book to understand your great wisdom

It's very very short book! And yes, it is fiction- so what? (for the other poster who complains about that). There is truth in fiction books.

Also, I told you in brief what I mean: most theologians dont have a fire and brimstone view of hell. It is most like a choice that turns into an addition: God is like getting clean to an alcoholic, first you dont want to, then you cant. In this view, God just lets you go to hell bc thats where you want to be.

It doesn't really matter what theologians and novelists think about hell if there's no reason to believe in such a terrible place

That was in reply to a poster whi complained about the Christian God sending people to hell. It mattered enough to that poster, since he/she made an issue of it. If you don't care for it, no problem at all.

That was me. The statement stands. It wasn't a complaint about the Christian God, it was a statement. The punishment for not accepting Christ as your savior is hell - which is very well known in Christianity and the reason why missionaries try to spread the Word -- to give people the opportunity to accept Jesus as their savior, so they can avoid hell.

Statemement stand, sort of. One, you need to define hell. I gave you "my" definition which is fairly mainstream - hell is separation from God. Two, hell is not punishment for not accepting Jesus. Hell us default state : accirding to Christian theology, we are all drowning and God is offering a floating device. Your choice to take it or leave it.
They might be all fables all right, but at least get your fables right if you care to discuss them at all.

Wait, why should she define "hell?" That's so relative, what would be the point. I for one would believe in god(s) before I believed in hell. I can say with 100% confidence that there is no Christian hell. About gods, I am agnostic because if you define god as conscious energy I might be able to squint and visualize that. But no hell. And no divine intervention either.

Reading people's NDEs make me even more certain that there is no hell.

I agree with the believe in God before Hell. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that there is no need to believe in afterlife of any sort in order to believe in God. Ancient Israelites did not have an idea of afterlife, yet they believed in God. It is more genuine faith if you don't expect anything in return.

However, I asked for a definition of hell from that poster because if you are going to dismiss Christianity based on the 'problem of hell', then you might want to define hell beyond the cartonish/allegorical 'fire and brimstone' . After all, why would God force you to be with him if you don't want to? I really think some people would refuse heaven if asked. In fact, you can kind of see it happen here and now. Don't you ever wonder at people who seem to make themselves miserable but seem to like that?

[Anonymous]

I wonder how attractive belief in God would be if there were no afterlife attached to it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how attractive belief in God would be if there were no afterlife attached to it

not attractive at all

That's why religion is selfish. It's all about being temporarily good in order to secure a spot in the afterlilfe.

that's all . . .

Who's kinder? the atheist who volunteers at homeless shelters or the Catholic who's tithing $100/week each Sunday b/c his kids attend the local parish school and he's drummed up some business after mass?

I think we all know the answer to THAT question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how attractive belief in God would be if there were no afterlife attached to it

not attractive at all

That's why religion is selfish. It's all about being temporarily good in order to secure a spot in the afterlilfe.

that's all . . .

Who's kinder? the atheist who volunteers at homeless shelters or the Catholic who's tithing $100/week each Sunday b/c his kids attend the local parish school and he's drummed up some business after mass?

I think we all know the answer to THAT question.

Some religious people are selfish, some give unstintingly of themselves. The same is true of atheists. Try to accept and understand that others may not see the world as you do, but may nevertheless be admirable.

[Anonymous]

Please separate God and religion. They are two different things. Religion is man made. God is not. You are speaking from a place of judgement and ignorance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please separate God and religion. They are two different things. Religion is man made. God is not. You are speaking from a place of judgement and ignorance.

I'm glad that you, at least, are not judgemental. But I'm game to get into the issue of what is man-made.

To an atheist, God is man-made. And many believers would agree that our concept of God is a man-made attempt to understand something that is far beyond our full comprehension

On the other hand, religion, to many adherents, is given to them by God Himself.

I love verbal nit-picking. Just call me Parsin' Jones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Thanks for the extra large image from your google search.

I am quite content with my life, yes.

And I will continue to question . . .

The stagnant mind doesn't question.


Ummm.... You're not "questioning" anything. You're completely sure you know all the answers. All of the answers.

You also said in another post that you "love verbal nit-picking." Which, translated, means snark and insults and the sort of childish semantics games that most of us got over in high school.

Tell us why this is any different from "trolling"???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Thanks for the extra large image from your google search.

I am quite content with my life, yes.

And I will continue to question . . .

The stagnant mind doesn't question.

Ummm.... You're not "questioning" anything. You're completely sure you know all the answers. All of the answers.

You also said in another post that you "love verbal nit-picking." Which, translated, means snark and insults and the sort of childish semantics games that most of us got over in high school.

Tell us why this is any different from "trolling"???

Does it occur to you that ^^this^^ is snarky and insulting and childish?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Thanks for the extra large image from your google search.

I am quite content with my life, yes.

And I will continue to question . . .

The stagnant mind doesn't question.

Ummm.... You're not "questioning" anything. You're completely sure you know all the answers. All of the answers.

You also said in another post that you "love verbal nit-picking." Which, translated, means snark and insults and the sort of childish semantics games that most of us got over in high school.

Tell us why this is any different from "trolling"???
You have your posters confused. I'm not the questioner, I'm "Parsin' Jones", who jokingly said I love nit-picking, in response to the one who called me ignorant for not separating God from religion. Of course, I might have been mistaken in assuming that was a reference to my post saying we should not judge each other by how we treat God but by how we treat each other. If the charge of ignorance was intended for another, I apologize, although I still think far to many posters hurl charges of ignorance at each other.