Atheist and Agnostics, please. What would it take for you to believe in the God of the Bible?

Question

And if you believed, would you worship Him?

Thank you to those that are answering this question seriously. It was not meant to be condenscending.

Actually, darkness, I'm the opposite of you. I used to be an atheist, and now I'm a Christian. I wasn't indoctrinated into it, and I didn't research other things. Why do you all believe that Christians haven't looked into other faiths?

Excuse me, I wasn't indoctrinated into it, and I DID research other things.

Answer 1

1) Prove to me God exists.
2) Prove to me your God, the God of the Bible exists.
3) Clear up all apparent contradictions in the Bible.

If I believed, I would worship Him.

Answer 2

Excellent question.

The bible is such a confused amalgamation of poetry, contradictions, and nonsense (no offense intended) that it is honestly almost impossible to imagine believing that it has much truth value at all.

I suppose, however, that if new evidence of this god's existence became apparent (such as verifiable miracles) I might come to believe that he exists. But even then, based on your condition: "of the bible", there would be the difficult process of trying to reconcile the fact of this god's existence with the fact of the many contradictions in the bible. I suppose it might be possible for this newly (finally) revealed god to clarify which parts of the bible are accurate and should be retained, vs those parts that are nonsense and should be disregarded.

Then it might be possible for me to believe in this god of the newly revised bible.

I would never worship any god. What good would that do? What kind of god would want that?

And by the way... many people assume that religious people have not seriously considered alternative religions because a huge majority of religious people have only been the religion they were "born into" i.e. taught as a child. It's just a generalization.

Answer 3

A change in the way the religion works. A serious overhaul of the idea of sin. God him/her/itself explaining to believers that using the Bible as an excuse to judge or hate others goes against the very point of Christianity.

If I believed, I would not worship in the traditional sense. I don't feel a need to outwardly express my beliefs. It's a personal matter. Considering many of the churches in my area want a say in politics, continue to build gigantic expansions on their buildings, yet don't pay property taxes, I don't want anything to do with the physical houses of worship here.

There's a lot more, but these would be my requirements. And this is why I will probably never believe.

Answer 4

Exactly the same thins that would take to make belive in Zeus or in Thor (nordic Gods). If you read their mythology you are most likely to find it a lie, well, we atheists see the myth of christ the same way. You believe in it because you where indoctrinated by your parents to do so when your brain was developing and you weren't smart enough to make your own mind because you were just a kid. That's why if you see something horrible when you are a kid, you are most likely to be traumatized all your life. Kids are impresionable, that's why is easy for parents to make them belivee in santa or in the boogey man, only they insists more with religion until it tatoos on your brain and you are officially brainwashed. I was born and raised catholic, I went to a catholic school but I was able to overcome the fear of "hell" that was imposed on me since very little and to see the truth, hopefully that would happen for you too someday. BTW, did you know that the bible says that is better to have sex with a prostitute than masturbate?

Answer 5

I do not know if there is a God or if there isn't one, but I am actively trying to figure that out. If there is a God, I am not going to assume that it must be the God of the Bible, for there are many other non-biblical religions out there which could possibly be correct. Whatever I find out to be true, I will follow. I cannot see myself following a religion I don't believe in. As far as your main question is concerned, I do not know what it would take. Perhaps a combination of things. Perhaps just one thing. Maybe I'll witness something extraordinary that will change my life. Maybe I will just see things differently one day. If I join a Bible-based religion it would have to be one that accepts the fact that the Bible is not infallible. Clearly it is an imperfect record.

I just noticed your additional comments... would you mind answering the following question for me? http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AmZ5.aBq6b8CJBKbIpeAl5vsy6IX?qid=20061222151235AAgKmIy

Answer 6

I used to believe. Now I'm an atheist. Why do people assume that atheists and agnostics are uneducated heathens. I used to be like you. I spent years deciding what I believe. Have you given any other ideas a chance? Thought outside your indoctrination. What would it take for you to give atheism a chance. Why are christians so afraid of researching any other perspectives. Afraid you might find the truth?

Answer 7

What would it take for you to worship the Muslim God. Or the Hindu Gods, they are older than your religion you know.

As your question is a two part question, for me to believe in God, would well take the abscene of blind faith. See there is a difference between faith and blind-faith. You have faith that your physical lover won't do you wrong. You have faith in yourself. These are physical, changable, observable entities.

What religious people have, that is blind faith.

Considering the answer to the first part of your question, the answer varies. At the present moment I can not believe in something with blind faith, as there is no sign of what religion is right. No one religion is any more special than the other, and the Bible actually has the most scientific contradictions of them all due to its complexity.

I can not worship a God, through blind faith or not, that would send people to Hell for choosing the wrong religion. Turning our eternal resting place into nothing more than a lottery.

Answer 8

Truly a good question, well set out and asking if one would worship...

Ok... for me to believe in the things the Bible says and god as stated by the bible, it would take the return of Jesus from the deadand for me to see him. Then I would expect for him to do the things it says in the bible.

Then for god I would want god to appear to me (sans drugs to make this happen) and I would expect this figure to do anything I ask for proof, so I'd ask something that would totally defy the laws of science and physics, something scienficically impossible. I'd imagine that even after all this I'd be skeptical but lets say I do accept there is a god as written in the bible, I still wouldn't worship him. I would respect god but not worship. I wouldn't see fit to lower myself before anyone. I'm no-ones servant or slave or anything. I am me but I would respect god. Good enough?

Answer 9

For me to believe in the God of the bible, I would need firm proof of the one and only true religion. Especially not random christianity with no denomination, because that is just too retarded to accept.

Answer 10

Honey, don't waste your time. Those who choose not to believe either do not need or do not understand what they have lost. For some, it makes little difference. All we can ask of the non-believers is that they let be those who still have their faith, because for some, faith is all they have.

Merry Christmas.