All these people who believe in God, what proof do they have?

Question

I genuinely cannot understand why people have an undying belief in God when we have man's inhumanity to man. Can anyone tell me where is this proof that gives them this blind faith - whatever their religious beliefs. I once "did believe" - but, not any longer in this mad, cruel, world.

I thank you all for your indepth time-taken answers. Perhaps Yahoo, should allow a 1st 2nd & 3rd best answer system. I am closing this down, because of the volume of answers received in 13 hours. So - am putting it to the vote. Also a way of averaging percentages, perhaps.

Thank you everyone.

Answer 1

They have no proof, as there is no proof...
That's why the only way they can be suckered into it is via the con of faith... Fortunately I don't have the need or ability to blindly believe, and have no faith.
Show me the money! (or shut up) ;-)

Answer 2

Much of it is down to the kind of environment we grew up in and how strong and consistent the influences were that shaped the person. I associate with certain families who live the 'traditional' christian lifestyle: church every Sunday, participate exclusively within the church community, have a strong family unit which stretches back over the generations within the same church, they reject the external world and its decadence - i.e. their kids do not come to the birthday parties of kids who are not 'sanctioned' believers. There are many people of such backgrounds who really are the backbone of the Anglican Christian Church - they don't really ever step out beyond their very closed world which is dictated by the interpretations made from the bible.

There are others who did not have the consistency of a christian upbringing but instead had a dramatic conversion that changed their life. That happens usually in response to a severe life trauma.

So they do not have any proof, but faith. Where does this 'faith' come from? I don't know, but they do use it a lot to justify there own inhumanity to others.

Answer 3

The people who believe in God don't have any proof.

Sometimes they will cite the Bible, but that is not evidence unless you believe it is true.

There is no proof that there is no God either.

So it's an open question.

Some people find that very irritating and have to keep scratching.

However, I do think that the onus of proof belongs to the believers, but then I would, wouldn't I, as I'm an unbeliever.

I am not an unbeliever because I find this world horrible, I just don't see the necessity for God, don't feel any need for God, and even if I did, I could not accept the Bible or any other religious book I have read, nor could I belong to any of the religions I know about as I think they are all so far from any truth I recognise.

To me the most important thing is truth. Maybe that is my God, but I wouldn't worship it or pray to it or ask it for anything.

Sometimes the truth is "We don't know."

Answer 4

Belief is a funny thing. I don't believe in this God you are talking of but i do believe in some sort of quantum laws that we, as humans, are subject to. Sometimes i wonder if there is a masterplan or even a blueprint for evolution but then i'm just happy with my conclusion that the universe is the chicken, although i still haven't decided where the egg fits into the equation.
My faith is not blind though, i am allowed to question it. And on that thought i will leave you.

Answer 5

I believe the answer is deceptively simple, and it can and should be applied to ALL faiths including Atheism, Agnosticism and all branches of philosophy dealing with the nature of being. For every sentence ever written in any sacred text in any language from any and all eras, we can do just one simple thing to guide and expand our understanding of our experience in the material and spiritual world. The simple thing that we can do is this: wherever and whenever the word "God", ( regardless of language ), appears insert instead the word, "LIFE" or perhaps "LOVE"! These words have universally accepted, uncomplicated meanings and through the dissemination of these simple messages we need have no more Holy Wars because we all have the proof and understanding we need to live as one big family. Who could deny the existence of life or love? That, I believe is all the faith, hope and belief and proof anybody needs......

Answer 6

Your question itself contains the answer you need. "Proof" and "belief" are able to function exclusively. You do not need one to have the other. Whether a person believes in God depends on personal experiences and the right kind of mind, not hard proof.

People who do believe would tell you that their proof lies in things that have happened to them or the way they percieve the world.

For example: I knew of a highly religious Jewish couple who met in and survived the concentration camps in the Holocaust. They believed in God and believed that He had meant for them to meet there and live through the ordeal. They felt that their love and survival were proof of His existance. Other people will say that common beautiful things such as the sunrise, or trees, convince them of the holiness of the world.

People who do not believe will tell you that their lack of belief comes from the same things: personal experiences.

Often these people, at least in my experience, will also cite the atrocities committed by human against human; the Holocaust again provides an excellent example. A nonbeliever would take the same "proof" as the believer and interpret it in a completely different way.

I think that's what makes faith such an interesting subject.

Answer 7

There are three levels of understanding I used when my kids were small.

1) I hear you.
2) I understand you.
3) I agree with you.

Understanding is not the same as agreement. You can understand Hitler's plan to improve the Human Race by shooting the deaf and the cripples, but, I hope, not agree with it.

Given the number of Hindus, Jews, Christians and Muslims in the world, you should understand that religion has value to some people. You don't have to agree with them.

If there was a proof - a proof as clear-cut as a mathematical proof for the Pythagorean theorem - that John Wesley was right and everyone else was wrong, we'd all be Methodists. We aren't. Ergo, there is no proof for religion.

So - don't struggle for proof. Struggle instead, as Micah said, to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with thy God, (whoever He or She may be).

You can't do everything. You can do one thing. You can make the world a better place, one very small step at a time.

PS The Buddhists, Taoists and Confucianists do not have a prophet at the center of their religion; they have wise, but human men. That is why I left them out of the first list. You could call them "Non-prophet" religious groups.

Answer 8

I agree with most of the answer and am disappointed at some however and I speak from very personal experience even the most avid atheist at the end of their lives however it will end will always utter their last phrase" oh god help me" so at the present time when your living life to the full remember at the end of it you will also say "oh god help me" because then you will be too afraid to require proof all you will need is hope.and faith. because for some people the thought of dying and not having a next step in which they exist together with everything they will miss from this existence is too much for the mind to tackle and a belief that something is waiting after death comforts them and prepares them for the eventuality of death even if it means believing in something with out proof other wise what was the point of being here at all.

Answer 9

I have an undying belief in God, but not because of something I can prove. My faith is based on something I believe in.

My parents attended church, and I went a lot as a kid. I listened to and believed the biblical stories and sermons that I heard in church, but when I grew up, I rejected them. I guess they eventually felt too phony to me. And I discovered that some of the people who claimed to be holy were anything but. Some were hateful and self-serving, and that's not what church should be about.

Giving up my beliefs was difficult. I worried about going to hell because I didn't believe in the "thruth" I was being taught, and I also felt like an outsider. So for a long time, I kept my true feelings to myself.

For a while, I tried to not believe in God, but I discovered that I couldn't. I was raised to believe, and the belief gives me comfort.

When I say I believe in God, I'm being true to myself. But at the same time, I know that God might not exist; that He might be a figment of my imagination. ... I'm OK with that. It's a belief. It's not something that I or anybody else will ever be able to prove.

I respect people whose faith is based on what's in their hearts, whether they're Christians, atheists, Muslims or scientists. I reject Bible-thumping, self-righteous preachers who claim to know what God has planned for the world. I think they're more into self-service than community service, and I don't believe their hearts are good. I also reject scientists who say there's no room for religion.

So much in the world is about faith. Even some things about science require a leap of faith. I've never seen an atom, but I believe they're the building blocks of matter. I've never seen anything evolve (since evolution is such a slow process), but I believe in evolution. And I believe current scientific theories that things that seem to be solid are mostly empty space.

I respect folks whose beliefs are heartfelt and not generated by hatred, jealousy or other negative feelings. It's the people who practice bad religion (or bad science) who give it a bad name.

Like you, I also believe that this world can be mad and cruel. Despite that, I still have room for God. I can't help it. Believing there's a good power greater than me helps me deal with the madness and cruelty.

Answer 10

Man creates the world he/she lives in, create their joys and destructions - God gave man, the gift of life, the gift of choice.
I think man has more likely abused the choices given.
We have free will.
You are free not to believe anymore, although I'm very sad to hear that.
We are free to believe.

Is it Gods fault the world has evil - or is it the fault of man?
Its very easy to blame God when things don't go our way.
But in turn, is that not a self centred attitude?
"All is not well in world, I have not been given all i want therefore he cant exist".
The people that dont have choice, the people that are literally trapped - honestly, I dont know why God doesn't help them, maybe because it was the work of man that made them suffer, it is now man's responsibilty to help them out of that. But I cant answer that definatively.

There are two types of atheists.

1. The type that chose not to believe, and then get on with their lives.
2. The type that say they dont believe, but then constantly tell the world they are wrong for believing, and how silly they are.
This type, I think deep down, wonders if something is there; is maybe scared, angry, so they try and justify this with a constant telling all that God doesn't exist, in the desperate hope that one day someone will give them a definitive beyond all proof answer of yes or no and they can stop wondering.

Of course the same could be said about Christians who constantly shove their religion down other peoples throat.
I am a Christian , but i do believe there is a difference between trying to brainwash someone to believe what you believe, and guiding them towards christianity.

No one has the answer. No one.

But we are all allowed faith.

Answer 11

Faith. A lot of things don't have "Proof" But we believe in them anyway right? Well, the proof is in the experience. If its proof youre seeking. ...open your heart back up like it once was....you will find your answer there. I am sorry for what bad things have happened in your life. Just remember. People can be "mad" and "cruel" not God. I'm guessing you're looking to place the blame on someone or something. Its ok. Talk to him. no really. Tonight when youre alone, talk to him as if he were a really good friend that you can just open up to. If you feel you hate him and blame him....well, tell him that too. He's there for you just waiting. If you don't believe then and your world is so bad then what have you got to lose? God bless you. Take care.