Personally, I'm an agnostic. I think theists and atheists both make some good points, but niether has the whole answer. But if God is real, why is there so much difference of opinion? Shouldn't it be obvious? Does God only reveal himself to some? If so, why?
I could go on with the questions, but you catch my drift.
2006-09-11 16:49:00 · 24 answers · asked by Subconsciousless 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The human brain is pretty amazing thing. Babies start off with no abstract thinking ability whatsoever, and very little knowledge of any kind. Children don't start to develop abstract thinking until they 8 years old or more, and then it takes a few more years before they start developing critical thinking skills. In the meantime, they absorb the beliefs of those around them. Religions are very powerful cultural forces. The promise of nearly infinite reward countered with the threat of nearly infinite punishment is going to get the attention of anyone who doesn't have the critical thinking skills to see how unlikely that is.
Couple that with the fact that is just absolutely mind boggling that anything exists at all. The question "Why are we here?" is often cited as the deepest philosophical question, but I think it is masking the even bigger question: "Why does anything exist at all?" The truth is that neither science or religion has a good answer for that question. Religion claims to answer it by asserting that God created everything. But it seems to me that all theories of God are pretty weak theories. They have absolutely no predictive power. And saying "God created the universe" is next to useless, because the real question is why does *anything* exist at all? If God created the universe, then what created God? Theists say that God has always existed, but then why isn't it acceptable to say that the Universe has always existed?
So, for these reasons, I feel strongly that Religion does no better at answering the big questions than Science does. And that makes even me a little uncomfortable, and I happen to be someone who has a very high tolerance for uncertainty. I like big problems.
I think this last point is maybe the best answer to your question. For reasons that are not obvious, some people tolerate, and even seek out uncertainty. Others dislike uncertainly greatly, and would prefer to be given a foundation that seemingly removes nearly all uncertainty.
2006-09-11 17:09:21 · answer #1 · answered by Jim L 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is only one God. Religion seems to get in the way resulting in different opinions. God is real and he reveals himself to all who accept him. Read the bible and pray and God will reveal himself to you. You know that there are very few true atheists because when one gets in real trouble, danger or illness they cry out to God. John 3:16 start there.
2006-09-11 23:59:01 · answer #2 · answered by linda l 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
for some people god is a way to feel secure about life, some use god as an excuse explain the unexplainable, and others just believe. religion is different and everyone has one no matter what you believe. i personally am a Wicca i believe in a god and goddess and that is because that's what's right for me. hope i helped.
2006-09-11 23:57:26 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
How many people have seen a dolphin? Or a panda bear? Compared to how many people choose to believe in them because of what other people have told them to believe?
Some people believe in the divine because they have faith, and that faith arises because people they trust told them to believe. Some people believe in the divine because they have faith, and that faith arises from their own glimpses and experiences. And some people believe in the divine because their lives have been touched directly and conclusively, and faith is no longer an issue.
Everyone is different. Everyone chooses what to believe based on their experiences. Some people seek out experiences, some wait for them to happen, and some avoid them.
Whenever talking about God, there is the process of trying to explain the infinite within mortal minds and describe it in words. Of course there are going to be differences in interpretation.
2006-09-11 23:55:17 · answer #4 · answered by coragryph 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Religion is a personal thing. While I might have plenty of personal proof, that shows me that my personal religious path is true and correct for me, I can't show any of this to you to prove that what I believe is real.
The reason one must have faith in a religion in order to follow it is because there is no definite proof. If I find definite proof of a pink elephant (like a large pink elephant for example) I can share that with anyone. But there isn't definite proof of deities, that is kind of the point of religion. There are only acts, phrases, thoughts, visions, etc. that prove to you that your personal religion is true.
2006-09-11 23:55:23 · answer #5 · answered by WatersMoon110 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because some people chose to think everything is material in life, and some people have felt the presence unexplainable to them. Altho some people blindly believe in god even if they never felt his presence just as a shield, this is what gives the real believers of god a bad name.
If you really want to seek the truth, it will come to you , all you gotta do is ask, deep inside your heart. Dont tell me you never felt anything supernatural? anything out of the ordinary?
Science is a discovery we are barely scarthing the surface of, so it will never be able to give proof of god, as it is our own creation and discovery.
2006-09-11 23:57:26 · answer #6 · answered by DudeWantsAnswers 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There no diffrence anywhere about the existence of God The diffrence lies in the interpetation of beliefs.Do you stop beliving in eating food just because worldover people of every nation are opinionated on your choices? Can you know what is good and true by merely sampling whatever just because its right infront of you? Do you discover to uncover? iam asian muslim that my calling but dont take my word. Discover to uncover.God willing, you'll see.
2006-09-12 00:13:17 · answer #7 · answered by cittamara 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It really depends on how people tradeoff the "search for truth" vs. "comfort".
Some personality is genetic...and some people are not comfortable probing the limits of their beliefs, whereas other people are not satisfied with "God must have wanted it that way."
2006-09-12 00:10:56 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The reason for differing opinions is because we are being fought over right now in the supernatural realms. If you listen to God and pray that He reveals the truth to you, He will give you the truth. Stop treating God like He is way up in space, He sees you where you are right now, and longs for you to know Him more. In fact, I'm going to pray that His presence comes into your room right now. All you have to do is speak out loud when you read this. It's not magic, just the authority you have being made in His image. Your words have power because of it. Get humble before God, He hates pride, remember one last thing, He loves you more than anything, believe that He wants you to know him and pray with me. "God, I open my heart to you. I desire to feel your presence with me. I'm sorry for closing my heart, I have no excuse. But right now, I want to know that you are real. Please God, send your Holy Spirit into this room and fill me with a hunger to know you more. Just come in Lord. Come in and let me soak in your awesome Holy presence. Blast me with your awesome presence Father. I want to pickle in your Glory." Then soak and meditate friend. May god give you intimacy
2006-09-12 00:07:19 · answer #9 · answered by Jeremy H 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
other people did not accept God..they just seem to believe that
God is just there to manipulate their lives..but for me,God is
always there for me no matter what the time of the day...i love
God more than anything else...
2006-09-11 23:56:34 · answer #10 · answered by lyne 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋