Christians/all religious people: How do you "know" God exists?

Question

Just curious, but are there answers besides "I just know" or "the Bible/some other religious manuscript says so"?

You've all proven my point nicely. All I'm getting are variants of "I just know."

Answer 1

There is no rational way to prove god.

Those who claim the "complexity of the universe" fail to understand they need to violate their own argument to reach the conclusion they want. That is, they say "life is too complex" and they propose as a solution a "complex being" that started the complex universe. They beg the question.

When they state that everything has to come from something, they propose a "being that came from nothing" to validate their argument, they beg the question again.

When they claim life can't be created but it has to come from life, they propose a "living being that didn't come from something alive" to validate their argument, begging the question again.

Really, all I see are fallacies "masked" as evidence. I've concluded it's all about faith, no more.

The statement that the existence of earth and universe as evidence for god is a fallacy as well, we don't have any empirical evidence of the "source", that is, god, and we don't have empirical evidence of universe creations, we can't conclude anything but to assume things, and assumptions are not truth per se.

That's why I'm atheist. Used to be a believer, but lost the faith, and without faith, the whole idea can't be hold together.

And I've read the bible and the so called "prophecies", I think we should remind Jim B that jews read the prophecies everyday and they aren't converting to christianity, that's how "plausible" the prophecies are.

Answer 2

You can't prove God exists - or does not exist.
In the 14th century Thomas Acquinas wrote the Summa Theologica (or Theologiae), part of which proposes logical "proofs" that God exists - they're really logical arguments.

"According to St. Thomas Aquinas the existence of God is proved, as in Aristotle, by the argument of the unmoved mover. There are things which are only moved, and other things which both move and are moved. Whatever is moved is moved by something, and, since an endless regress is impossible, we must arrive somewhere at something which moves things without being moved. This unmoved mover is God. It might be objected that this argument involves the eternity of movement, which Catholics reject. This would be an error: it is valid on the hypothesis of the eternity of movement, but is only strengthened by the opposite hypothesis, which involves a beginning, and therefore a First Cause.

In the Summa Theologiae, five proofs, the famous quinquae viae (five ways), of God’s existence are given.

i. First, the argument of the unmoved mover as explained above;
ii. Second, the argument of the First Cause
iii. Third, that there must be an ultimate source of all necessity; this is much the same as the second argument;
iv. Fourth, that we find various perfections in the world, and that these must have their source in something completely perfect.;
v. Fifth, that we find even lifeless things serving a purpose, which must be that of something outside them, since only living things can have an internal purpose."

Thomas Acquinas is probably as close as you'd get to "proofs" and the "big bang" theory of how the universe started does suggest a "first mover" or "first cause". Also, the intricate operations of the universe which scientists are trying to understand, would also suggest that it is not random but planned or designed by a higher intelligence.

You may want to discount mystical experiences, but every culture and every age has had its mystics who claim to communicate with the divine, e.g. St. Theresa of Avila (see her Autobiography). Can all those people all over the world be wrong?

But the bottom line is still belief. The chance that God exists is 50-50. I choose to believe.

Also, when you pray for something you thought was impossible and your prayers are answered, you tend to believe.

Answer 3

Because of all the wonderful things that have happened in my life. I have made some pretty dumb choices and somehow I always wind up with what I need just when I need it. Like when my rent was coming due and I was laid off and just did not have the money to pay it. I thought for sure we were going to be homeless then I went to the mailbox and found a check in there that not only covered the rent but kept us afloat until unemployment kicked in and I started back to work. I have several stories like that I could tell you but unless you have been there it is hard to understand how I know it is God but I do.

Answer 4

That's the thing, they always say they "know" but you can never really know. You can only believe and have faith that in the end you were right. Theists are going to say "I just know" because they believe really hard and base their existance on it. I think it's a gamble because when a theist submerges themselves in their religion, a lot of the time they will to loose themselves in the process and live for their afterlife(by doing whatever they have to do for it) when the only knowlege we have of an afterlife is mere speculation and hear-say. I think an afterlife is a nice thought & I think the concept of god is a flawed idea but no matter what you can't prove or disprove either.

Answer 5

The best evidence I can tell you about is fulfilled prophecy. A prophecy so strange that seeing it fulfill makes non believers wonder if it isn't so and strengths the faith of believers. One Problem, You have to read the prophecy and it is in the Bible. How many of the non believes will go and check it out? Its the 22 Psalm I see the Crucifixion of Jesus in it. I see things this passage says that couldn't have been self fulfillable. If you really want evidence and you aren't just bad mouthing Christians like so many on this list do go read it. You can see a King James Bible on line so you don't even have to buy the book.. http://www.hti.umich.edu/k/kjv/

Answer 6

OK... Now tell me Do you really think we are a part of an infinite series?, I think there was "Someone" or "Something" that did things first... We call that "first Cause " God.

According to Newton any body that is not moving stays like that until something gives some energy to it so it can move; but I think there must be "something" that moved first ( or has always been moving) we call that God.

Have you seen the order of the universe? Normally if you do something at random the most probable thing to happen is somethin chaotic. I really do not think that all this order is just coincidence... Who ordered the universe? I guess it is a superior order... We call that order God.

Hope this is useful :D

Answer 7

How do you know God DOESN'T exist? According to the question search I just did that question in this form or another has been asked 1,313 times. Do a search first honey. You might just save yourself 5 points and avoid pi$$ing other people off.

Answer 8

There are may proofs. But fundamentally people are biased. You are biased, I am biased we all are.

There is proof on both sides. The proof on either side is not concrete. We believe or don't believe based off of our biases. If I want to believe then I will look at the proofs and say aha so obvious. If you do not want to believe you will look at the proofs and say aha so obvious. It was so obvious we came to two different conclusions.

This just doesn't hold true for religion, we are biased in many ways, it is human nature. Who wants to be wrong.

Answer 9

This question is getting way too old. Look all around you and see Him through the beauty in the sky, trees, wildlife, flowers. The kind Chrsitan people. God is everywhere. He does not have to prove Himself to you or anyone else. God is who He is and He does exist. You have to prove yourself worthy of Him.

Answer 10

"Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so!" J/k seriously though, I know God exists because He has answered my prayers. Yeah that might sound dumb but I've talked to Him. Felt His presence it's hard to explain but He's there. I think even the "best" Christians doubt.