What makes people doubt that God or a Higher Power/Being exists?

Question

I've seen many people ask the question: Why do people believe in God?

I'd like to hear both sides of the story. So for those of you who have no faith or don't believe, what are your reasons for doubting?

There are so many people who do believe - they've seen the love and act of God, and they've had near death experiences and saw the light..

I'm not hating on those who don't believe or are unsure.. I'm just curious as to why you would just rule out the possibility of there being a God.

The Christian God is a God of love - Who wouldn't believe?

*LASTLY, WHY NOT TAKE A CHANCE AND BELIEVE THERE IS A LOVING GOD? IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S LIFE AFTER DEATH, SO BE IT - BUT WHAT'S GOING TO 'HURT' YOU FROM BELIEVING?

Answer 1

I have to say that it is through pure logic. Since I was very young, it just made no possible sense to me. I cannot see the beauty in the sunsets and forests and say that a being created those with purpose, because that same being created intolerable amounts of suffering in nature as well. I can see these near death experiences of seeing the light as being explained by a person's psychological fear of death itself and the need for meaning. And while I have nothing against people who are religious, I do think that the belief in a god or gods can be terribly harmful to a society when in an extreme and fundamental way.

Answer 2

this is a really good article...the science behind near death and the light and all that jazz.

http://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/debates/afterlife.html
if you want knowledge READ READ READ.

If God is love why are all these verses about Killing on behalf of your Chrsitian God:

Deuteronomy 17:12 NLT
Leviticus 20:13 NAB
Exodus 22:17 NAB
Proverbs 20:20 NAB
Leviticus 20:9 NLT
Leviticus 20:10 NLT
Leviticus 21:9 NAB
Exodus 22:19 NAB
2 Chronicles 15:12-13 NAB
Zechariah 13:3 NAB
Deuteronomy 13:13-19 NLT
Deuteronomy 22:20-21 NAB
Deuteronomy 13:7-12 NAB *kill ppl from other religions
Deuteronomy 17:2-5 NLT
Leviticus 24:10-16 NLT
Romans 1:24-32 NLT
Exodus 31:12-15 NLT
2 Kings 2:23-24 NAB
1Samuel 6:19-20 ASV
1 Kings 20:35-36 NLT
2 Samuel 6:3-7 NAB
Isaiah 14:21 NAB
Ezekiel 9:5-7 NLT

I have more but, yeah I see the Love!!

Answer 3

hmmm, i could on and on with this answer. The simplest answer that i can give is "self introspection". My biggest source of faith is through my own realized experiences, which includes dreams coming true, personal miracles at the most opportune times, the gifts and blessings i've received that i think would be absolutely horrid to simply pass off as "mere circumstance".

On a more grandeur scale, i invite you to read a book by Bill Bryson called "A Short History of Nearly Everything". It's a very informative and funny read, at the same time. It basically gives a glimpse into the stunningly astronomical odds that had to have existed for human life to simply have "popped up" into existence.

Further, I look at life that exists around us, the symmetry and the chaos, both. Look at the birds all flying in the sky - turning as a group on a dime, fishes swimming in schools all travelling together, the instincts of creatures, there is way too much life out there for me anyhow, to brush off as a random act of chance.

Answer 4

Careful. You started out asking why somebody would "doubt" ... but then switched to asking "why you would just rule out the possibility of there being a God."

Two different questions.

The people who "doubt" generally do so because there is no proof.

The people who are convinced atheists often don't rule out the possibility, but find the idea unnecessary, and somewhat *difficult* to believe. For example, they can find no logical reason why a God would produce all of creation, create humans with the capacity for thought and reason, then demand faith from those humans to believe in Him, and then purposefully remain hidden. While I don't agree with this position, I understand it.

Answer 5

I do not believe in God because the universe appears to be a cold and terrible place that will not let gentle life dwell on this rock for much longer.

I would love to believe that there is a loving God up there who is well beyond our ability to imagine him but there nonetheless. Unfortunately, I can't believe anything unless I see it. I will die having never experienced alot and that will be it. If I believed in curses I would say that I am cursed. Most fortunate are those who are still children and can have faith without proof. My golden years ended before they began.

Answer 6

don't know what is in the mind of a person who doubts; could be the part of their being that they think they are superior to a God that created everything; they are exercising their freedom of choice; some people have faith without seeing and others need something in order to have faith which then nullifies the meaning of faith; it is something that you know in the core of your being; you don't need someone in a pulpit to tell you and in fact, man is just man and subject to sin; you can't blame God for what man has done to his church on earth for the love of money, power and greed; I go to church b/c I follow my faith; for my time with God; I don't follow the priest , I follow God. I can't imagine a life without faith. There are signs all over the world but even if God came down , there will be people who will say he is not; those people have faith in trying to disprove God to say that everything that is here is here just because? so I guess they have figured out the universe and now I am waiting for their book on how I know everything about everything.

Answer 7

Bertrand Russell was a famous philosopher and mathematician and pacifist. Someone asked him whether he believed in God. He had a simple answer. "I refuse to believe in something for which there is no evidence." Now you might say that he's wrong because you--personally--have seen evidence of God, but that is a dangerous road to walk. Lots of Islamic fundamentalists call the United States, "The Great Satan." Now, you could say that they are wrong, but they could say, "We are right because we have evidence." I think Bertrand Russell's view makes a lot more sense. There have been thousands of wars and millions of people killed for the sake of religion. How many wars have there been over math? Not too many, I bet.

Answer 8

There is no reason to believe. There is no proof a higher power/being exists, just a lot of mythology throughout history. The "light" people say they see when near death isn't proof of any gods or afterlife...although it may be proof that they saw what they hoped to see and/or were told they would see when they died (the power of suggestion can be very strong).

Answer 9

It really doesn't matter what I believe. We lack the imagination to even come close to conceive of what is. Trust me on this one. The Eagle Nebula, for example, hosts a multitude of new planetary nebulae. There are worlds and worlds within this universe. I am hopeful that we will continue to exist. It will be amazing when we learn what is really going on. I for one believe it has nothing to do with some strict authoritarian jealous omnipotent white man with a beard.

Answer 10

I believe in God (actually gods), just not the Christian God. My experience with God has shown me that His nature is quite different than outlined in the bible. For others, their disbelief is due to lack of personal experience and lack of physical, recordable evidence.