How sure are any of you about your beliefs and what makes you so sure?

Answer 1

Personal experence.

Several years ago I had an unusual experience concerning an uncle, a distant relative who lived over a thousand miles away.

While driving my car I suddenly felt the unmistakable presence of this relative that I hardly even knew. He was more like someone I had heard about than someone I knew. It was very strange; it felt as though I was momentarily lifted right out of my physical body. I seemed to be suspended somehow beyond space and time, bathed in a love so intense It felt like I could have just disappear into it at any moment if It would have let me. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it seemed to last forever at the same time. I realize how crazy this must sound. The experience was so strong that at first I was afraid I was loosing my grip on reality. I finally managed to chalk it up to an over active imagination.

Three days later I got a call from my aunt telling me that this uncle we are talking about had gone into a coma and died the day I had the experience. It felt like ice water had been poured down my back when she told me this. I had lost any real ideas of God or faith and had become somewhat of an atheist. Needless to say this experience caused me to rethink some of the conclusions I had come to.

I feel blessed to now understand that even in our darkest confusion something loves us so much that it went out of its way to assist me and bring me back to a state of absolute certainty about Gods love for us.
During the experience it seemed like there was a vast amount of information that I was somehow allowed access to. One thing that I came away from this experience understanding beyond any shadow of a doubt was that any Idea that God is unhappy with us or would judge or allow us to be punished for any reason is simply impossible.

I can’t explain the love I felt with words. They simply don’t make words big enough or complete enough to do this. The only way I can begin to convey this love to you is to say that there was simply nothing else there. Nothing but love. No hint of judgment, no displeasure of any sort. It is as though God sees us as being as perfect as we were the day we were created. It is only in our confused idea of ourselves that we seem to have changed.

I hope this is of some help to you. Good luck. Love and blessings.

Your brother don

Answer 2

I am perhaps 99.9% sure of my atheist beliefs. I used to be a fake (forced) catholic. Actually, I was a highly doubtful agnostic, who was forced to attend mass until I was 18.

As a 10 year old, I was perhaps 90% confident that no gods have ever existed. As I learned more, that % kept rising. I remained a highly-inquiring agnostic for about 20 years, as I explored different arguments for the existence of gods.

When I was about 30 years old, and my belief percentage hit about 99%, I began to wonder if I should simply consider myself atheist. I researched epistimology (the philosophy of knowledge) and science and learned that even so-called "facts" are often not perfect or 100% certainty, but the possibility of them being wrong is so small that it is completely unreasonable to retain any doubt. Examples of this are the scientific observations about gravity and evolution. This helped me to declare myself an atheist, even though I am still open-minded and willing to change my position based on new knowledge.

Today, I know that, SO FAR, the only somewhat-reasonable justification for believing in anything supernatural is some kind of direct revelation or experience. I can respect people that believe in god(s) for that reason, even though I suspect that most of them are mistaken.

SO FAR, in ALL history, there has NEVER been verifiable evidence of ANYTHING supernatural, and NONE of the philosophical arguments for god(s) existence are sound.

It's notable that most of the religious responders to this question will say they are 100% certain; i.e. close-minded. No offense intended toward them; I just mean to stress that they don't really think about alternatives.

Answer 3

Absolutely certain. The existence of a deity would logically lead to free will. As free will cannot exist in the universe under the laws of physics, then the existence of a deity is disproven by modus tollens.

And before someone says, "but I make choices all the time!" -- computers make 'choices' all the time too... based on their current 'state' (that is, what is in memory), its inputs (that is, its instruction), it produces an output and moves into the next state (that is, changes the memory in some way, even if just to update the instruction counter). This is the same principle of human consciousness. Neural computation (your brain), cellular computation (such as the Game of Life), and von neumann computation (your computer) are provably equivalent.

You are a computer housed in some really nifty peripherals.

Answer 4

I'm fairly certain. Of course, one reason for this is that I don't have a hardcore belief. I don't really believe much of anything, because nothing jumps out at me. I am an agnostic atheist instead of a gnostic atheist. It's not that I believe there are no gods; I simply don't believe in any gods.

But, there are some things that I'm pretty certain are false. The notion of a god that wants everyone to worship him is patently ridiculous (Islam, Christianity, etc.). If a powerful being wants people to worship him, then he would let everyone know he exists. Instead, he chooses to reveal himself to only a minority of the people. That's not a convincing argument.

Another claim that is false is the notion of a loving, omnipotent being punishing people for doing what they feel is right (most fire-and-brimstone sects of Christianity belong here). That is as paradoxical as saying that dry sand is wet.

So, I've dismissed a few religions from the realm of possibility, but I don't deny that one of the other religions *could* be right. But those religions don't care if I worship their god, so it doesn't really affect me.

Answer 5

Tomorrow I see the surgeon. Then I will know if I have cancer and if I do how long I have to make sure my loved ones will be cared for. Other than making sure that is done I am not concerned. God has asked me to trust His, I do. He asked me to obey His.. well that has been a failing for me but Jesus promised to cover my failing with His own righteousness. I trust His to do as He promised. Sound like blind faith doesn't? It isn't. He has given me reason for faith in science, in my observations of the world, and in His word.. This is enough to make me confident enough to face the end of my natural life with assurance of a greater spiritual life ahead. I have offered the beginning of this evidence to anyone who will ask. So far all of the people on answers who have read my writings have ignored my offers. I have even posted it in some of my answers. Still I see no one coming forward with either acceptance or a challenge. Except that I don't want to leave my bride alone in the world I would really like to go now. God has given me peace about His will for my future.. Jim

Answer 6

How do you know that you are in love? How would you quantify it? What physical proof or evidence could you give that you in fact love?

My point being, religion is a personal matter. It relies on resonance in the same way that loving another relies on resonance. If it fits, if it resonates with your being, if it literally sings to and with your soul, it is 100% correct. For the individual and the individual alone.

Answer 7

We study from the Berean's to envision each and every element we hear from others with the scriptures. no longer in basic terms most of the scriptures taken out of context like loads of CULTS do yet all scriptures. you could tell a CULT while they say you could not understand the bible with out their guides and teachings, some like the JW's could additionally inform you in case you only examine the bible on my own with out their guides, you will revert to believing as different Christians do no longer with the aid of fact the JW's do and could have confidence.

Answer 8

The Bible is the true inspired word of God. It tells how we got here,how sin started,why we die, and how we are to live our lives toward God and other people (Ten Commandments) It tells how we can save our souls in the afterlife through Jesus. What better book do you need?

Answer 9

I am 100% sure of what I believe in. I am sure because, God has sent me a spirit helper to confirm them.

Answer 10

Being an agnostic myself, I'm open to any belief that provides sufficient proof and evidence. So far, I'm leaning toward evolution, but my mind isn't completely closed just yet... lol