I have prayed to God and have felt his presence in my life. I have felt his sweet forgiveness and I have felt a confirmation that the Bible is the Word of God. But how can I know this is not all in my head?
Before I go on I want to clarify something here: Jesus is a big part of my life and I feel like I have a personal relationship with Him. I'm not one of those people who is looking for an excuse to leave my religion.
But this question has really got me curious. Mostly, I'm just interested in having this question answered so that I can move on and continue on in God's work.
I would appreciate it if only people who believed in God (or at least in a supreme being or supreme force) would answer this question. I am not interested in having people take advantage of my question and try to "convert" me to atheism or any other form of belief that won't accept the possibility of a Supreme Being.
2006-09-22 14:27:23 · 35 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Faith.
There's no real way to know that God is real in terms of empirical observations. It's in you. Your heart. How you feel. How you think. What you do. Your experiencs in life.
You can't imagine everything that happens in your life.
There are certain instances where you feel protected by God and others feel it too.
If God is just in your head then that means the majority of the world is insane as well.
As long as it feels real to you... and it helps you get through life and maintain strength and composure, just believe.
Belief is knowing it's going to rain, faith is carrying the umbrella.
2006-09-22 14:32:27 · answer #1 · answered by falzalnz 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm an atheist, but I won't try to convert you. I think conversion is wrong. Instead, I'll give you a reason that in the end turned me completely from God, but it might help you stay close to Him.
Faith is twofold. There is the intellectual side of faith, where we believe in a supreme being that is absolutely beyond us. God is absolute, God is everything, God is omnipotent and omniscient. It's the God we think about, the God we conceptualize. This is the kind of God whose nature theologists and philosophers argue about.
The other part of faith is what you feel. It's instinct, relating your feelings to your life. It's referring to God as "He" or "Lord", though God clearly cannot be male if He is everything, nor should we necessarily refer to Heaven as a kingdom after a human-made political system. We do this anyway, because it feels right. This part of faith also deals with the little irrational superstitions we have, like belief in luck, or yelling at a TV screen as if it can hear us.
Both parts are based in humanity, both are important to the religious. These feelings can be interpreted one of two ways as far as I can tell, maybe more, but here are the ones I know. Either: God gave all people a channel that allows us to feel Him in an instinctual way because we could not possibly hope to feel His presence as a whole; or these feelings are a by-product of overimagination which was useful early in our evolution for recognition of real dangers and threats. I agree with the latter interpretation, but you might decide that the former is correct.
2006-09-22 14:52:07 · answer #2 · answered by Fenris 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Did you create yourself? Did your parents create themselves or the love they share? Did they create their heritage and national origin?
Did they create the world they live in? The trees, the mountains, the air, the ocean, the sky, the heaven, the stars? How could all this be a random occurance? The Universe is a highly organized place.
Man did not create this order. God gave man the ability to know and love Him. What you believe is up to you.
Think of a masterpiece say like the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci.
Could the artist have created this painting if he were not a master? The fact that this painting is a creation of his (Da Vinci) mind is proof ofthe fact that it did no create itself.
In order for creation to be perfect its Creator must possess all perfections. Think and pray. You will decide whats best for you.
God bless!
2006-09-22 14:38:06 · answer #3 · answered by Ahab 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You say that you have felt His presence and His sweet forgiveness. You say that Jesus is a big part of your life. . . .that's how you know that God is real. When you want proof of His existence, you are thinking in the physical world. We sometimes think that this life is the real truth. When you have faith in God, then your are thinking in God's world.....the REAL world. We are on this earth and in this life for only a split second in eternity. God is eternal, and I want to go live with Him when I die.
2006-09-22 14:51:32 · answer #4 · answered by Art T 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Base this on what the bible says, not just what you feel.
God is real because there are many many stories in the bible where God has revealed himself to humans. To know who God is we must look at Jesus.
God's Spirit bears witness with your spirit that you are His child. see Romans 8:16 You should "know that you know" when you listen to your heart. Faith is in the heart not head: Rom 10:9
2006-09-22 14:35:20 · answer #5 · answered by Sporadic 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You just answered your own question, "I have prayed to God and have felt his presence in my life. I have felt his sweet forgiveness and I have felt a confirmation that the Bible is the Word of God".
You felt hid presence, it's not only in your head.
God bless!
2006-09-22 14:33:20 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well you can look at history books that actually support the "stories" in the Bible which would then demonstrate that the Bible itself is an historical document. You can read CS Lewis`s novel the case for christianity in which he makes a completely logical, intellectual, and academic arguement which explains why God must exist. You can look closely at the alternative...which would be to not believe which would mean you have no reason to follow any laws in society because there are no consequences beyond your life here and now.
OR you can listen to your soul speak quietly to our Lord and feel the warmth of His love for you and for all creation...and choose to believe in His reality. "...as for me and my house we shall serve the Lord"...
2006-09-22 14:39:37 · answer #7 · answered by Therapist King 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Look at the world (nature) around you. How else could something so beautiful and intricate be created without God? Definitely not by accident!
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2006-09-22 14:37:16 · answer #8 · answered by opal63 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You've taken your first step towards maturity. Questioning established dogma is the only way to live, and this goes for all areas of life, not just religion.
I urge you to explore many belief systems and keep searching until you find something that WORKS FOR YOU. It can be an established belief system, or something entirely of your own making. You can even choose to spend your life questioning, or simple believe in nothing. It's all up to you. Just find something you feel comfortable with, do not hurt yourself, or anyone else, and you'll be fine.
It's all part of being human.
2006-09-22 14:32:23 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Most of your doubts would disappear if you Were Baptized in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit infilling gives you a booster shot so to speak of the Lord and His life giving power. Seek out a full-gospel or Charismatic group or church. They can tell you more about it and the completely biblical basis of it.
2006-09-22 14:33:26 · answer #10 · answered by Makemeaspark 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋