How can you be so sure of God?

Question

I’ve been to a few Christian based forums and it makes me cringe because I see the same arguments used by atheists to disprove Christianity, the only difference is that these arguments are being used by Christians to disprove other religions. I also see them in use by Muslims trying to disprove Christianity.

How many of you really believe that your version of God is real, and how so? Do you not realize that other people believe their version of God is Real, and also believe you are irrational, illogical, and have been deceived?

It gets to the point that when I read apologetics I feel that I am listening to a bunch of lawyers.

Do not mistake this post as an insult on you. I want to live a meaningful life just as many of you do and I can not figure out how you are able to do it. I can not narrow my mind to the point of denying everything that conflicts with religion.

Thank you all for your answers. I still have a long ways to go, but this has helped out.

Answer 1

I don't need to worry because I don't hold the answer nor am the example of perfection. Jesus is.

Answer 2

I can be so sure that the God of Christianity is the one, true God because I have done my research. Many people who "claim" to have done their research do not. They do not think about the origins of the materials they want to claim as authoritative. In fact, one of the best ways to talk to such people as you describe is to ask them what the source of their information is. Most of the time they cannot give it to you and when they do, it is not a very valid source.

With Christianity, we have to look at the validity of the Bible to find out if the source is valid. When you look at the Bible, you see an extreme difference between it and what the others claim as their sources (if they do indeed actually give you some name of a source).

If the Bible is valid, then so is Christianity. If Christianity is valid, then it is the only way to God, as Jesus Himself says in the Bible.

A person who claims they are sure God does not exist is a liar. Follow: To make this statement, they would have to all the knowledge in all the universe. If they have all the knowledge in all the universe, then they are, by definition, god. Since they cannot deny their own existence, they cannot possibly say definitively that God does not exist.

Most people who claim to be atheist have chosen to refuse to believe in God, even though a part of them knows He is there (if not, then why do they try so hard to get others to think their way?).

There was a man named Josh McDowell who set out to disprove the Bible and show it up as a bunch of hooey. He was very much into logical arguments and research. During his study, he came to the only conclusion he could from what he had found: there IS a God and the Bible is what tells us of Him. Try looking for some of McDowell's stuff that shows how prophecies that were made thousands of years ago came true hundreds of years after they were written. In fact, over 400 prophecies came true in the person of Jesus Christ. I can't even write the number of chance to 1 that would be. It is astronomical. Try that with any other religion and the prophecy factor fails every time.

Answer 3

Hi, Code... no, your post was not insulting at all. As a Christian, I have often had the same reservations.

I don't think people do it purposefully; I think it is just difficult for many people to *really* see something from someone else's perspective... and truly realize that the other faith thinks the same thing about their faith as they think about the other faith.

[Everyone thinks they're right. Everyone thinks the other guy is someone they just need to share the "truth" with, until he recognizes his error.]

So many of the arguments that are made in support of a particular faith suffer that blindness and aren't truly effective.

I'm the "philosopher" type, and when I was younger, I wasn't sure how to relate to people on a human level -- it wasn't one of my strengths. What I was good at was "arguing theology/philosophy," and my idea of sharing myself with others was pointing out what was flawed in their comments.

Yeah, I meant well, but I was probably very annoying... and every time I was in a conversation like that, I remember how unsettled, and tense, and fearful I was.

What if someone proved me wrong? What if there was a question I couldn't answer? What if I had made a mistake in my logic? I would look stupid, and like a fool, and would show that I had chosen to believe something I couldn't prove to be reasonable.

When your faith is simply an intellectual one, as soon as there is a spot that you cannot explain, or a place where your beliefs seem contradictory, the world literally falls apart.

I really don't think that "arguing theology" is that effective. I think you described it aptly: It sounds like a bunch of lawyers arguing, and the winner isn't necessarily the one with the "truth," it's the person who can argue the best or happens to have the best ammo in their belt.

Regarding your last point, though, I wouldn't say you have to narrow your mind. I can see how it's that way for those compelled to be right all the time.

But for me, it's simply been a process of weighing things out and deciding (to me) what the most likely, most real, and most meaningful decision would be.

My head knowledge has now been tempered with almost forty years of real life, and in the process I've learned some truths about how people work, how to relate to someone else, what decisions end up being good for people and relationships, as opposed to others -- all things that I could have never learned through a book or through mere logical speculation.

For me, God has seemed the most plausible, and He resembles the God of Christianity.

But it's really not about debating the ideas. I think the most compelling faith is the one that's lived out. People will argue until they're blue in the face, but you know what people are won over by? They're won by how others treat them. It's won through how we relate to each other. Any purely intellectual faith is simply cold and dead.

You're right, I can't prove to you that my God is real. For me, He is. I could be wrong. I don't think I am, but I'm a human being, with mortal eyes, and there are just some things I can't know with 100% accuracy. But I have committed myself to what I believe is true, and I'm a participant in my own faith.

You know, my faith would not "work" for you, because faith is not inherited -- it is learned, and earned, and derived from living out the choices you've made. Each person has to walk the road themselves, and decide as they go what they are willing to believe and commit their lives to.

Anyway, yes -- there's a lot of arguing. I'd say, don't weigh a particular faith negatively because of how some try to defend/promote it. Find the core beliefs of the faith, live them out, and determine what is worth following.

Answer 4

"Do not mistake this post as an insult on you......I can not narrow my mind...."

You raise a number of interesting issues. What you need to understand is that apologetics is becoming more of a club for want to be tough-minded Christians. If you look at such philosophers as Kant or Kikergaurd (sp) you will see them moving not from Dogmatic assertions as much as a true search for answers. Marcel may actually be the best example of moving logically toward the idea of a transcendent ultimate being. Newman who was one of the earliest forms of apologetics as we know them today represents a shift towards a mass appeal version of pseudo-philosophy for believers.

Please understand that most Christians are unable to defend their belief and they are perfectly entitled to a lack of a response. There is enough literature that is able to support their presumption as you would have it. Besides faith is commonplace for the theist as well as the atheist. As far as deciding which path. Well that is a good question but you need to set aside a great deal of time and structure your question much more concisely. Lastly, one of your original observations makes me grin. In a debate between Kai Nielson and JP Mooreland (of which was concluded to be a victory for the theist, however I consider it an obvious draw) it is recognized in the preface that of the 25 arguments for theism and 5 against, the atheist is merely inverting the logic of the theist. Honestly the doctrines of Christianity were intended first for the livelihood of the believer and now since modernism Christianity has been growing, slowly but surely to become more responsive to the skeptic. However I feel a large representation of logical positivism in the skeptic and he wields his sword of empirical evidence with a magicians prow ice for prolonging assumptions rather than searching for truth. However it must be noted that theist are equally guilty of this yet it is still not the nature of the believer to be willing to search a response to every query raised by the skeptic. Feel free to refine your question and I will respond in kind with a more poignant response. Best of Luck!

Answer 5

I bear witness to the fact that God is a loving God who knows us intimately in this Age of Grace. He wants us to listen to His Son, who speaks for Him...He is the Word of God. How do we know that?

For me, I had just left an abusive relationship and my
life was on the line. My husband had a gun out and was
going to shoot me. I ran...and got on a plane to San
Fran. On the plane I was shaking uncontrollably and
looked out the window...we were above the clouds...the
beauty of what I was looking at just flooded me until
nothing else was there...peace filled me. I heard
myself say, "God, if you're really there...I put my
life in Your hands. I've failed miserably at
everything...I can't do it anymore." And then I
finally started crying. The sobs came from deep inside
me, all the repressed fear, hurt, pain came flooding
out. And then I heard a gentle whisper in my
head..."I've always had you...you've never been out of
my sight...I even saw you when you tied your first
shoelace." And then it was like a liquid warmth filled
me. I thought I would melt into oblivion. It was like
I had given Him my mess, and He would give me His
help. And He did.

When I got off the plane it was as though everyone
went out of their way to help me. I found a place to
live, a job, and found that I was right across the
street from a christian community. After I got settled
I heard the gentle voice again. He said, "I want you
to meet My Son." So I went into a meeting at the
christian center and heard about Jesus. I learned
about the Gift God offers through Him. And having
experienced God first hand I had no trouble receiving
what His Son had to Give, and what He had to Say. So,
it didn't begin with a Book for me, it began with an
encounter. The Book came later.

Seek the Son while He may be found...once you pass through Him by accepting His Gift, then He gives you His Spirit to teach you and show you all that He wants you to know. He uses the Bible, other people, situations...but you're no longer trying to figure everything out yourself. You are given a Helper.

Answer 6

I believe there is one God. I also believe that for different faiths and different people he may go by another name than the one I call him perhaps instead of Jesus he is called Allah (I'm sure that's miss spelled) but who is to say that he is not all one in the same. The humans change the name and alter the text but maybe he is all the same God. I am certain there is a God and the only proof I need is to look at my children. How anyone with children can not be certain of the existence of God is beyond me.

Answer 7

after having a baby, i realized there is no computer in the world that can figure that kind of stuff out. the key word in all religions is faith. it's pretty much how you are raised. to bad terrorists believe that their God belives in murder. my belief is to love and help each other and to stop and smell the roses sometimes instead of "this is my territory and you must believe as i do" i am happy for simple things, like being able to work, hear the birds chirp, see the ocean. i hope you find what makes you happy inside because that is where God is.

Answer 8

I am Catholic, but I believe that we all can't wear the same size jeans, nor can we worship our God in the same way. I think it was planned somehow that there would be different religions. They all benifit the world in some way by there different belief systems. I don't however understand athistic point of view, as I know God. It's a love, like the love I have for my kids and my husband.

Answer 9

well said i agree, I'm an atheist my self raised by a Jew(who will never no I'm atheist I'm a teen so that might still change) but as for as i can tell god is and imaginary friend for grown ups just try to have fun while your here your only on earth once, unless your a serious dick if there is a god he should welcom you with open arms for having fun with the life he gave you live by some morals and you cant go wrong

Answer 10

Perhaps part of what is confusing you is that you believe there is a “version” of God, like God 5.2 upgraded to God 6.0.

God is more than man can fathom, therefore man cannot accurately relate what might be the will of God. Man tends to perceive God as someone, and that is the first error. God always was and always will be. What man does is use what they believe they know of God and pervert it to fit their agenda.

God created the universe. Man is part of that universe. Mankind can live in harmony and continue God’s creation to infinity, or mankind can pursue their separate agendas and destroy God’s creation. God did not create us to suffer, but gave man the ability to alleviate suffering.

Religion is the guide man uses to find God. Any religion that guides man to destroy man is not leading anyone to God.

Answer 11

Have you ever had a prayer answered? There is no way to deny that God or Allah or whoever exists, I am Christian so I believe in God. I think that when a Jew, a Muslim, or a Christian prays it goes to one force of nature whom I choose to call God and others choose to call Allah but regardless of who prays they are all answered in amazing ways.