Do you believe in God? and why or why not?

Answer 1

No, because i believe to treat something as false until sufficient evidence is produced for me to think it true

Answer 2

No, I don't believe in God. Here's my reasoning:

First, you have to define the term "God." The problem with most theists is that this term is a moving target.

In addition, because there is no evidence either for or against the existence of God, you cannot use deductive logic (a+b=c; therefore c-b=a). You can only reach a conclusion by inductive reasoning using the balance of evidence (90% of A is also B; C is B, so the chances are 90% that C is also A).

I will assert (and others may shoot this down) that the only RELEVANT definition of God states that he intervenes to circumvent natural laws.

If God circumvents natural laws, then it is impossible to understand natural laws. All scientific findings would have to include the stipulation, "it is also possible that these results are an act of God, a miracle, thereby making our research meaningless."

However, since we have been able to expand our knowledge of natural laws (evidenced by every appliance in your kitchen), the scientific method works in this discovery. And the likely conclusion is that God, at least the intervening kind, does not exist.

Additionally, if God is defined as all loving, all powerful, and all knowing, then it is impossible to explain suffering. Either God is not all loving (he acts sadistically), not all powerful (he cannot prevent suffering), or not all knowing (he created suffering by mistake because he didn't know the consequences of his actions).

If God is less than these and/or does not intervene in our existence, then he is either non-existent or irrelevant. The classic argument is that I cannot prove that a china teapot is orbiting the sun directly across from the earth's orbit. But while I cannot prove this is not true, the evidence against it is compelling.

The evidence against God is equally compelling, and while it is not possible to prove beyond any doubt, it makes more sense to live your life as if there were not God.

It is more compelling to me that humans have invented God to reflect the thoughts of the ruling powers in a particular time. Because humans are always looking for reasons, when none are found, it was the natural inclination to declare the cause to be "God" (or gods). As the faith grew, miracles and laws have been ascribed to this Divinity, and an orthodoxy grows up around it.

Now it seems unhelpful to believe in such superstition. The only matters that aid in our ongoing well being are work, location, health, sustenance, and pure, blind luck.

So that's why I don't believe God exists. And you know what? It's okay if you do believe God exists.

Answer 3

No. Like the first responder, I require evidence to believe in anything. Noted Catholic theologian Hans Kung, in a huge book entitled Does God Exist?, examined the issue in excruciating detail, and concluded that the existence or non-existence of god could not be demonstrated on the basis of logic or evidence. I agree (for somewhat different reasons). It follows (proved) that any such belief can have no consequences in the real world; all such beliefs are useless and a waste of time. See also Dawkins' The God Delusion for a good examination of the question.

Answer 4

Though initially I received Christ as my Savior (by accepting His death on the cross), by faith, I have come to know G-d on a very real and personal level. Because He has given me (us) a brain, He doesn't expect us to toss that out (necessarily) to believe in Him. One of the things in recent years which I've come to understand, is the incredible complexity of this whole universe. Everything all around us speaks to that. There is an interrelationship between all of the various systems which cohere and function as a whole. Take a look at how things are between men and women and how they change together over time. When a man is in his youth, he is extremely eager to sow his seed in whatever bed he can find available, and due to the fact that young women are extremely able to conceive children during this time, they tend to be (or used to) rather more choosy about when this might happen and who it might happen with. Men give love to get sex and women give sex to get love. Advance the clock about 30 years and everything is topsy turvy. To this you also add the fact that their offspring are in their twenties-thirties, and thier parents are either dead or near nursing home age, their is a change on the dynamics of the relationships. This is one aspect, and only one aspect of the human dimesnion which reveals the complexity with which G-d made man.

Look also at the complexities of the life cycycles in the earth. Look at the fact that here we have human beings, and these human beings happen to need shelter for privacy, and there happens to be wood and other materials to build houses, in addition to the knowledge, ingenuity and ability man seems to have developed with which to utilize the raw materials. Man also needs a certain amount of food each day, and there is an abundant supply of it for his consumption. Here we have essentially two aspect to things, and that is only as far as man is concerned, to say nothing of the rest of the world and the way it all works together in harmony.

I have placed some links here, the first is my apologetics site and the second is one of inspiration and edification.

Answer 5

I follow science very closely.

Superstring theory has shown that what we call matter doesn't really exist. Everything you see and touch is actually made up of packets of energy, emerging from a background sea of energy, held together by fields of energy.

Quantum mechanics has shown that reality as we know it does not exists independantly. Only probabilities exist until a conscious observer is present at which point reality is chosen and observed.

Therefore, consciousness and energy not only pre-exist all-that-is, but work together to create all-that-is.

Now take a look around you. This Earth is so big it looks flat when you're standing on the surface even though it's a globe. Jupiter is a hundred times bigger than Earth, and the Sun is so big that it constitutes 90% of the mass in our solar system all by itself.

Our sun is an average sized star among hundreds of billions in the Milky way galaxy alone. There are hundreds of billions of observable galaxies, which means we can visibly see more stars than there are grains of sand on every beach in the entire world.

All this is spread out in a space so vast we must measure it in light years. A light year is almost 4 trillion miles, and we can see across 14 billion light years of space.

Cutting edge scienctific theory posits that our visible universe is likely only one bubble of an infinite number of other universes floating in the vast sea of creation.

Remembering that all of this is formed by a consciousness acting upon an energy field, how could you possibly define a conscious energy so unimaginably magnificent to form this creation in any other terms than God?

The problem is that people have the wrong ideas about God. They think God is supposed to micro-manage the minute details of everyone's lives, so when bad things happen they blame it on God - or worse - decide that God doesn't exist.

In reality, we are God's children. Every loving parent does their best to help their children lead happy and productive lives. But every child has a mind of their own and makes their own choices in life.

God didn't make us robots. No. He gave us the gift of free-will and thereby made us co-creators with him. He allowed us to enter into this magnificent journey of physical life so that we can make our own choices, experience the results of those choices, and eventually return those experiences to him.

He also put into place certain immutable laws, such as the laws of cause and effect. As you sow, so shall ye reap. If we make choices that radiate the Love of the Creator we work our way back to God. If we make choices that seek to control or dominate others we remove ourselves further away from God. This is the process of soul evolution, which every living creature is undertaking.

However, God is perfect Love. He waits with eternal patience for us to learn the lessons of Love and find our way back to him where he welcomes us as long-lost children.

There is no hell, there is only separation from God and the journey back to God. God is waiting for you...

Answer 6

Anyone who says they believe in God is probably a liar or ignorant. God is pretime and prespace, were you there to witness and know? But Jesus we can believe in- He walked this earth and intermingled with humans. He was compassionate and exemplarary, so much so that for me, He is my God!

Answer 7

Yes, Had an experience, made a believer out of me. No religion. Child of light.

Answer 8

Which god? Thor? Apollo? Cupid??

In any case... I don't believe in ANY god ever created because they all have the same amount of evidence of existing: zero.

Answer 9

i think its good to believe in something wether its god or anything. it gives you a feeling of safety when your alone, or if your scared, faith helps in times of pain. i dont think i believe in GOD god but i do think theres something out there looking over us to make sure that were ok

Answer 10

No, because if God were real he'd be smiting people down left and right with lightning bolts.