Why do you believe that there is a god?

[BigDanes89]

I'm 50/50 on believing in God because Science has proof for their observations and Religion has such a HUGE following that there has to be some Truth to it. Also, I refuse to believe that our lives are over when we die because we have so much power/energy as a human being, it can't just go away with in a blink of an eye. I was raised Catholic, but the thirst for knowledge got me thinking...

 

[antonlavey]

Originally Posted by sillyputty

Originally Posted by ayejreeun

Waits for the Atheist to bash religion and the arguments that follows

its unfair to say atheist "bash" religion simply because we disagree with it.
To most of us, its the same as making fun of astrology, or homeopathy, or tarot card reading horoscopes. 

qfe

 

[classy freshman]

bookmarked

 

[noblekane]

Originally Posted by NikeAirForce1

Originally Posted by NobleKane

i believe in god. however i do not believe in judging anybody. if you dont believe in a god good for you. if you do good for you too.

what i dont like however is people trying to force their beliefs on anybody as if someone who believes in god is actually bothering you or vice versa...


whether you spend all your time trying to make people believe or not believe, you need to get a life and mind your own...

1. This is all voluluntary.
2. Why do you say that I need a life? I wonder if you passed judegement on me with this thread... Hmmm....

3. You didn't answer the question.

why does it matter to you so much? is your life that empty that you must try and bring other people down?

seems like it. you are on a %@+#+*% SHOE message board asking this question. Why dont you scoot your %*! on over to some christian board if you are so curious no?

but if you must know when i was a little boy nobody ever told me about god but vaguely remember watching a cartoon on hbo that refered to god. at the time my parents were drunks and %@+#+*% losers. just straight blowing money and partying everyday straight grimey always fighting. cops almost coming to the house everyday. i remember a fourth of july when both my mom and dad were letting off shots in a full park on the 4th of july and being rushed to the car afterwards speeding off. i dont know what made me do it but i started to pray every night after that day and asked god to please make the %%$$ stop. guess what? it %@+#+*% worked.

you can say it was just my parents getting their act straight. or you can just point to what ever scientific reason BUT nothing happend until that day that i prayed.

keep in mind im a %@+#+*% 8 or 9 year old kid... but that always stick in my mind...

so much i can say that would lead me to believe there is a god i would be here typing forever. brushes with death many times. countless blessings financially and healthwise you wouldnt even %@+#+*% believe it. all the stupid %%$$ i did when i was young... bull %%$$ i put myself through that i got out of. i know its my hard work that made me overcome and succeed but i should have died when i was 2 years old or so thats what the doctors told my parents. they gave me no more than 3 weeks to live. but here i am...

You might call it luck. But i believe there is a god because nobody has that much luck.

And you can bring up whatever you want. talk about other believers that died hoping on a miracle but you will never change my faith.

Like i said you can believe whatever you want. I dont care if you dont believe in a god. it means nothing to my life if you dont.

So to answer your question why do i believe in god? Simple. Because i can...

if you want to reply with a smart %*! comment go ahead. I do not care...

  

 

[antonlavey]

Originally Posted by smoke ya later

Originally Posted by knnyngo

da tide goes in, da tides goes out...




you can't explain dat.

actually the moon controls the tides

He was making fun of Bill O Reilly


How does airplane luggage always know where to meet you? Can someone explain that to me?

 

[antonlavey]

Originally Posted by FOG

Atheist sit in a room alone on timeout all day?

And are you saying religious people are motivated by reward? That sounds like some selfish Sh$t to me

 

[fulltech]

I believe in God, but I never feel the need to break someone out of their religion
my brother and I are the only christians in a buddhist family, I'm just glad that they accept us
in my opinion, that's what matters to me. if you accept each other's beliefs, it can evolve to be a better relationship between people

 

[mycoldyourdone]

Originally Posted by FOG

that means you all get the same thing

 

[scottyhoward42]

For those who believe in a god, it's usually centered around the idea of faith, so you asking them to explain why or how is pretty much a null point.

I'm not agreeing one way or the other, as I have a scientific background (B.S. Bio, finishing DPT), but you are probably right in that many people believe simply because someone tells them it's the right thing to do. Everyone who is involved with religion should take a step back as an adult, analyze their beliefs and then decide when to make a rational decision on the matter, or it may be a developing process across your life span that calls you in and pushes you back out. That's why it's a personal thing for everyone.

I kind of look at mainstream religions (Islam, Christianity, Judaism and all of their sects) as the oldest game of telephone, you know you tell one person something and it gets passed around to the last person at which point it is radically altered from the original message. It's not the details, texts, duties, sacraments, etc. that are at the root of all religions across time dating further back than those which I stated. The ultimate message is to do good and treat other people respectfully. If you need a "reward" for that, then you're right it is selfish that those people aren't embracing the true idea. You may say you treat people great and do good things naturally without the concept of god, and hey that works too for some people.

1 thing I find weird is the fact that only 4% of all that is in the universe is tangible "matter", the other 96% of EVERYTHING is dark energy and dark matter and as of now we really don't know what the hell it is. I'm not saying it's a god or anything spiritual, but it just reminds me to be open to the possibility of this world being a lot different than we commonly perceive it to be. The space age is not even 100 years old, our lifetimes are a mere speck in the history of humanity, earth, and the universe. Great advancements have been made in the past century but neglecting to realize there is a far future beyond your death keeps your mind stuck in this shortened time frame. Who knows what will be revealed.

 

[scshift]

Originally Posted by NikeAirForce1

So your god has talked to you? That's why you believe that a god exists?� I noticed that you capitalized God.� I assume you believe in the Judeo-Christian God then?� Did you choose him, or is he the one and only god?

I noticed you said that you used logic to conclude that God exists because the universe has to have started from something.� Why don't you apply this logic to God as well?� Why is God exempt from this line of reasoning?� Did he tell you this?

All you're doing when you add God in is creating another unnecessary step to the question of where did everything come from.

Us <-- Universe <-- ???
vs.
Us <-- Universe <-- God <-- ???

Adding in God does nothing to help us understand our universe.

What do you think when Stephen Hawking and other scientists (our equivalent to Einstein and Hawking) says that God is not needed to created the Universe?� Scientists can explain the origins of the universe without God already.

First off, if you want to have a sensible discussion then stop saying things I never said.

I never said God has spoken to me. I doubt he has, and even if he did I would never have heard it, or noticed it. I capitalize God because I believe in monotheism. It doesn't mean I disagree with those who believe in other gods, or multiple gods, but what I believe in is one god. I capitalize it because it's a name, and it's respectful. "god" is a noun. "God" is a being (in my view). Did I say I believed in the Judeo-Christian God? No, I didn't. I will not discredit those religions either.

Just because one religion is different does not mean that they disagree with each other. I do not think any religion is wrong. To me, religion is a personal spiritual part of your own life that is up to oneself for interpretation and development.

I exempt God from the logic of "everything was created by God" because by definition, God is the creator. The creator does not need to be created. As for the "did he tell you this?"... you're trying too hard to argue and you're sounding like a bigot. You should have respect when you counter me, as I have done for you.

I'm not trying to understand the universe. I'm not trying to have a place to go when I die. I'm not trying to have someone help me cure me of disease. I believe in God as part of my spiritual part to me. I believe I have a connection with him (and NO, he has not spoken to me or anything as you might infer). I don't look around for God and interpretation, I look to myself.

As for your past part, I could care less. They didn't disprove the idea that God exists, they simply said a way exists without God. I'm not changing up my logic because someone said my beliefs could be possibly incorrect.

Either argue me with facts or stop, because like I've stated before, if you have no facts, then we are both arguing a battle neither one of us will win. I know my argument skills. When I can't argue due to lack of facts, I accept that. If you want to go on and throw points out with absolutely zero credibility behind them besides "well you can't prove it either", then we can stop right then.

 

[sillyputty]

Originally Posted by Clevereddie

Originally Posted by Lalph Rauren

go to church my man

i think its a hispanic thing that we go harder for it but its obvy i mean u tell me who made earth the sky and us?

this nt anyway my 2 cents

I went to Catholic school and did my communion and confirmation and I'm not going to lie, they brainwashed me.
The answer to whatever science can't answer is always God.

Humans use this as an alternative to things we can't answer. 

We have faith because we are scared, because we don't have the answers to things. 

We have hope because we can't control things. That is why most people believe in god. 

Also Fear, we believe in God because we are afraid of what will happen to us after we die. We do good to go to heaven. 

Like someone once said, "I don't believe in God, but I am afraid of him."

You have faith because you can't accept that its better to say "i don't know" rather than to just assert that you really understand certain things. Its better to be honest with yourself as opposed to just asserting something that you really don't know.

Hoping and wishing for something doesn't make it more probable. Wishing for an A in class or that you get the job interview doesn't make it more probable. Its a waste of time to want to think that your WISHES can change things. 

You fear god? Thats not a loving god. Furthermore, you only believe in an afterlife because you were told to. There is nothing inherent in it. Do all other living beings when they die go to an afterlife? Bacteria through dogs? Fungi to birds? Your concept of heaven is flawed. Your concept of hell is flawed. Its one big giant lie that has be perpetrated by millions who choose to overlook the inconsistencies they face in their faith and refuse to look at evidence to the contrary simply because they "are afraid" to. How do you even know your god is the one in charge? There are thousands of others that could equally have served the same purpose. 

Its selfish to assert that something awaits you when you die. Its a coping mechanism to deal with the finality of death and many here seem to be unsatisfied that THIS IS IT. You just WANT there to be something. No proof or evidence says anything awaits you. 

Anything that tells you to believe without being able to ask question is not worthy of being followed. 

 

[beware the underdog]

Atheist gotta to be the most insecure people ever.

 

[sillyputty]

 

[supermanblue79]

Originally Posted by sillyputty

Atheist with science background... checking in...

Will be watching.

Christian with science background...checking in...

I believe because HE is.

 

[scshift]

Originally Posted by Beware The Underdog


Atheist gotta to be the most insecure people ever.

Not all of them, I know some that don't believe in any gods but still respect other religions and spiritual beliefs.

It's the ones that need to go around trying to debate religion and how they're correct with just as much proof as a religious person who are incredibly insecure

 

[the natural mystic]

I don't believe in a god at this point. I think people worry so much about the afterlife, to the point that they don't enjoy this one. My belief is that when I die, I will be in the same place I was before I was conceived or born. Therefore death does not scare me.

If anything in life, my goal is not to follow a higher being but become a higher being.

The hypocritical aspect of many religions is downright deplorable. This is probably my biggest problem with most religions. How can Jesus/yahweh say all men are created equal but then tell you how to be a slave master over someone else? He tells you how much you can sell them for and how you can beat them until close to death. Here is the proof:

"When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished.  If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property.  (Exodus 21:20-21 NAB)"

Its still as gross if you read the rest of the passage with the context. There are plenty more verses like this in the Christian bible. I refuse to believe in a religion or god who allows this.

Now even after all this, I still have tolerance for the next man despite his creed, ethnicity and beliefs. Tolerance is a major key in my quest to become the higher being.

Ok I'm done now.

It's disgusting to me

 

[sillyputty]

Originally Posted by Supermanblue79

Originally Posted by sillyputty

Atheist with science background... checking in...

Will be watching.

Christian with science background...checking in...

I believe because HE is.

Where is your proof that god exists?
and saying "I believe because HE is" is not proper grammar. 

 

[retro23j]

Originally Posted by Supermanblue79

Christian with science background...checking in...

I believe because HE is.
  

*spirit successfully stirred*

 Oh my. This all the way.

 

[sillyputty]

 

[supermanblue79]

Originally Posted by sillyputty

Originally Posted by Supermanblue79

Originally Posted by sillyputty

Atheist with science background... checking in...

Will be watching.

Christian with science background...checking in...

I believe because HE is.

Where is your proof that god exists?
and saying "I believe because HE is" is not proper grammar. 

I've been out of school a long time.  Proper grammar is not as important these days.

I'm the proof.  All of the things that HE's done in my life are all the proof that I need.

 

[sillyputty]

Originally Posted by scshift

Originally Posted by NikeAirForce1

So your god has talked to you? That's why you believe that a god exists?� I noticed that you capitalized God.� I assume you believe in the Judeo-Christian God then?� Did you choose him, or is he the one and only god?

I noticed you said that you used logic to conclude that God exists because the universe has to have started from something.� Why don't you apply this logic to God as well?� Why is God exempt from this line of reasoning?� Did he tell you this?

All you're doing when you add God in is creating another unnecessary step to the question of where did everything come from.

Us <-- Universe <-- ???
vs.
Us <-- Universe <-- God <-- ???

Adding in God does nothing to help us understand our universe.

What do you think when Stephen Hawking and other scientists (our equivalent to Einstein and Hawking) says that God is not needed to created the Universe?� Scientists can explain the origins of the universe without God already.

First off, if you want to have a sensible discussion then stop saying things I never said.

I never said God has spoken to me. I doubt he has, and even if he did I would never have heard it, or noticed it. I capitalize God because I believe in monotheism. It doesn't mean I disagree with those who believe in other gods, or multiple gods, but what I believe in is one god. I capitalize it because it's a name, and it's respectful. "god" is a noun. "God" is a being (in my view). Did I say I believed in the Judeo-Christian God? No, I didn't. I will not discredit those religions either. 

You believe in a monothestic god
Doesn't that make sense to you? You follow a religion!

Surprise. 

You DO disagree with those who believe in other gods. That is inspired only by a judeo-christian mindset. 

Also if you read the bible thats that a major sign.

I don't understand why people feel they have the liberty of just saying well i believe in "one" god not many...that whole idea started with judaism because it eliminated the "pagan" or "other" gods that existed before it. I heavily suggest you do some research on the history of major world religions and the existence of gods. 

Just because one religion is different does not mean that they disagree with each other. I do not think any religion is wrong. To me, religion is a personal spiritual part of your own life that is up to oneself for interpretation and development.

If you don't think any other religion is wrong, why don't you follow it? This is an entirely valid question.
Just saying, "because I can" does NOT answer anything. You have to understand this. You say you're free to believe it just "because"....that not only makes no sense, its also incredibly dangerous. 

Obviously the existence of one god impressed you more than others. Think of it as a bidding war for contracts in the government. What was the benefit of the god you believe in? 

I exempt God from the logic of "everything was created by God" because by definition, God is the creator. The creator does not need to be created. As for the "did he tell you this?"... you're trying too hard to argue and you're sounding like a bigot. You should have respect when you counter me, as I have done for you.

You're exempting "god" from logic? Thats the problem here.
EVERY OTHER FACET of your life you apply the same rationale, except for god. Why? That doesn't make any sense. God in other cultures doesn't mean a "Creator" so already your understanding of what and who your god is as well as the realm it operates in is limited by a cultural context and most likely a religious one. You just dont want to be labeled but want all the benefits of the association. 

Also, why doesn't god need to be created? Why can't the universe have always existed? You're not proving your point here. If you assert god always existed, where is your proof? You must back up your claims with consistent and constant research or evidence. Failing to do so does not legitimize your claim. 

Also, demanding respect is not going to happen. You can't get offended when people don't agree with your god. When you explain why you dont follow or believe in the other 3000+ gods that have ever existed, i'll go one further explain why I don't follow YOUR god. You're a solipsist. It only exists in YOUR mind. 

Its not a bad question to ask "did he tell you this" ...in fact if you assert such things where did you get this information? Why does god have to grant eternal life? Did god have a son named jesus? Did you think god did the things in the bible? Well congrats, you're a christian. And once you understand your bias as it relates to where your information comes from, you will see how flawed your argument is. 

I'm not trying to understand the universe. I'm not trying to have a place to go when I die. I'm not trying to have someone help me cure me of disease. I believe in God as part of my spiritual part to me. I believe I have a connection with him (and NO, he has not spoken to me or anything as you might infer). I don't look around for God and interpretation, I look to myself.

You're not trying to "understand the universe" ? Well just stop the argument then. Others have presented countless arguments that not only have explained the existence of laws of the universe but have done a great deal to empirically get people up to speed on how things work. If you don't care then don't ASSERT ARGUMENT WITH NO FACT. Thats unfair and dishonest.
This entire sentence/phrase confuses me. You're simply WANTING there to be a god. You WANT there to be some mystical magic entity that "guides" you...Looking to "yourself" is what you SHOULD be doing. But calling that "god" is ...for lack of better word, INCREDIBLY dishonest and tantamount to just being patently ignorant. 

As for your past part, I could care less. They didn't disprove the idea that God exists, they simply said a way exists without God. I'm not changing up my logic because someone said my beliefs could be possibly incorrect. 

You can't disprove a negative. Its a mathematical and logical fact. 
Also when someone says "i'm not changing my logical because someone said my beliefs could be incorrect" that is when the argument is over. You don't care whether or not your ideas could be true or false. You just want to be free to do and say whatever you want in the face of concrete evidence to the contrary. You want to ignore the science and logic that you benefit from on a DAILY basis because you would rather be mentally selfish. Thats childish. You have to be open to the idea that you can accept and assess new information to come to a better understanding. You're essentially saying, "everything I learned from 0-18 years old is all I need and i've closed the door and lost the key." How can you be reasonable with an attitude like that?

Additionally, the burden of proof is on YOU my friend. Disprove why I don't have a pink pony cooking dinner in high heels right now. You can't. You can't disprove a negative. The burden of proof is on the person making the claim. You have to provide evidence to support your claim. Thats how science works. You introduce a hypothesis and you gather data. If the data supports the claim, the hypothesis is supported. If the data doesn't then the hypothesis isn't supported. 

Data and evidence are ALL we have. If you can't support a claim then there is no basis for believing in it. I don't believe in god to be cool or trendy or liberal. I do it because there is no evidence to date to support the claims of existence of ANY god that can't be explained though a better understanding. Neuroscience, psychology, economics, biology, physics and mathematics have explained a lot of the phenomena and "data" once used to suggest the existence of a god. 

Explain where your evidence is behind your claim and i'll see if that makes sense to believe in god.

Its the same thing when you go to court. Where is your evidence to PROVE or REASONABLY SUGGEST that this person is guilty? Remember you are innocent until proven guilty. 

Either argue me with facts or stop, because like I've stated before, if you have no facts, then we are both arguing a battle neither one of us will win. I know my argument skills. When I can't argue due to lack of facts, I accept that. If you want to go on and throw points out with absolutely zero credibility behind them besides "well you can't prove it either", then we can stop right then.

Appealing to the authority of your supposed credentials doesn't solve anything tough guy. 

You are the one who says "i dont want to understand the universe" or "i believe because I want to" 

Those two sentiments speak back on your argument here. You have yet to suggest any evidence for your beliefs besides essentially claiming "the evidence only exists to me" 



 "If you talk to God, you are praying; If God talks to you, you have schizophrenia. If the dead talk to you, you are a spiritualist; If you talk to the dead, you are a schizophrenic." -- Thomas Szasz

 

[sillyputty]

Originally Posted by The Natural Mystic

I don't believe in a god at this point. I think people worry so much about the afterlife, to the point that they don't enjoy this one. My belief is that when I die, I will be in the same place I was before I was conceived or born. Therefore death does not scare me.

If anything in life, my goal is not to follow a higher being but become a higher being.

The hypocritical aspect of many religions is downright deplorable. This is probably my biggest problem with most religions. How can Jesus/yahweh say all men are created equal but then tell you how to be a slave master over someone else? He tells you how much you can sell them for and how you can beat them until close to death. Here is the proof:

"When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished.  If, however, the slave survives for a day or two, he is not to be punished, since the slave is his own property.  (Exodus 21:20-21 NAB)"

Its still as gross if you read the rest of the passage with the context. There are plenty more verses like this in the Christian bible. I refuse to believe in a religion or god who allows this.

Now even after all this, I still have tolerance for the next man despite his creed, ethnicity and beliefs. Tolerance is a major key in my quest to become the higher being.

Ok I'm done now.

It's disgusting to me

I agree with you bro. 
When you investigate the religious documents or books of most faiths you'll see how incredibly misogynistic and backwards it all is. They only choose to highlight the happy go lucky phrases and overlook all of the massive inconsistencies in the text. Its very dishonest. 

 

[sillyputty]

Originally Posted by Supermanblue79

Originally Posted by sillyputty

Originally Posted by Supermanblue79

Christian with science background...checking in...

I believe because HE is.

Where is your proof that god exists?
and saying "I believe because HE is" is not proper grammar. 

I've been out of school a long time.  Proper grammar is not as important these days.

I'm the proof.  All of the things that HE's done in my life are all the proof that I need.

What has "god" reasonably done for you that you didnt do yourself?

Why does "god" get all the credit when you've worked long and hard to change your life and to move forward? You do all the work and this entity gets all the credit?
What happened to rewarding yourself and thanking yourself for being successful? Where was that god when you were down and out? If this god is responsible for the good then it is responsible for the bad and lowest moments of your life. You can't ignore that consistency.

Saying "you're the proof" doesn't explain anything. Nor is that a convincing argument. You can't skate from the argument saying "well i have my proof so there" Thats unfair and illogical. You have not asserted what reasonable proof this is for your argument.

Additionally, not being able to explain things does not mean there is a "god" nor does it mean that it works in your favor. 

Your faith and beliefs like all other notions or ideas are not free from criticism or analysis. Religion is not exempt from being challenged. 

 

[sillyputty]

This is all I hear when people say that god changed their life:

 

[sillyputty]

[font='Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

[/font]