Why do you believe in God?

Question

No answers needed from those that don't believe in God, thank you.

I acknowledge that this questions has been asked several times before, but I want a real answer. When I say real answer, I don't want you to say "Because it's the truth!". I want you to tell me why you think it's the truth. What makes you so right? Justify yourself. Real reasons for believing in God.

This is mostly for Christians, because they're the ones that are usually the worst in answering these questions.

Go!

fireball226, I asked the question. What I then requested is that you actually answer the question instead of not giving me an actual reason for believing (just like you did!). So as long as you answer the question I asked, there are no problems from me.

Don't support your beliefs with other beliefs, unless you can justify those other beliefs with a good reason.

And if you have experienced a miracle, can you please describe it and how God relates?

Answer 1

I believed in God when I was a child, mostly because my parents and sunday school said he was real.

When I was about 12 or so, I decided that if God was real, I wanted a relationship with him, and to know him for myself. I'm a scientist and was always naturally inquisitive. I need to know why I'm believing something, and to be able to test it myself. I started praying every night, and paying attention to what happened. In a matter of a few months, I saw my prayers getting answered, one after another, over and over again. It was happening so rapidly (sometimes in seconds or days), and so frequently, sometimes in very dramatic ways, that I could not deny that God was real and prayer worked.

That period of time built my faith and got rid of any question in my mind that God is real. I started "moving on" in faith; learning about God, as in learning the Bible by reading it at home and going to church and Bible study. I also stopped doing things I believed were sin, as to be obedient to God. I also would ask questions in prayer about things in the Bible and in life that I didn't understand. I got answers and wisdom that worked. I've had a relationship with God ever since, and he's moved mountains in my life. I still pray and have continued through the years to see God move. I'm now 29.

For me it's not a matter of me being arrogant and just wanting to assert that I'm "right." It's a matter of personal experience, and a personal relationship that built over time. If you want to know more about my testimony, feel free to email me.

Answer 2

Because the only other alternative is spontaneous generation, and that simply cannot be true. Besides the universe was proven to be non static meaning, it has a begining. It makes sense because an infinetly old universe, would require an infinite amount amount of time to reach this point. So anything dwelling within this dimension of time requires a begining, therefore something outside of this universe must exist, without time. This is simply God. Also the fine tuning of the universe proves a God. Because its ridiculous to believe that order and life, came from a simple cell. Nobody could believe that the carving of the presidents could happen by random chance on Mount Rushmore. Yet we are supposedly supposed to believe in evolution when there is no transitional forms in the ground. Billion of years should result in infintite amount of evidence.

But it requires more faith to be an Atheist than a Christian. All creation testifies of the genius of God. Sure we might not be able to see him face to face. But almost everything we know about, requires faith. I could doubt the history books, but I choose to believe.

Then there is the evidence of prophecy. I we will leave that out, because only those that seek will understand.

Answer 3

Over the years I have come to know and know of many ex-Christians most of whom were well-churched, their numbers including former ministers, apologists, missionaries, theologians etc. Why should such people leave Christianity? These people are the best versed in Christianity and yet they leave despite so much personal and professional investment in their religion, enjoyment of their time as believing Christians and social pressures to stay. How can this happen if the evidence for Christianity is so good? If supernatural Christianity is true, shouldn't they have known better?

But what if the history and philosophical and moral implications of the various branches of Christianity are very different from that which is traditionally taught? The painful fact for many Christians is that through research and thinking this is the conclusion to which they often come. Why else should all these people leave, contrary to their world-view, culture, professions, and heavy investment in Christianity? Why would God go to the trouble of incarnation and crucifixion only to allow genuine seekers to find Christianity untenable, or give "spurious" experiences and "incorrect" interpretation to those who spend so many years trying to be Christians? From our research and testimonies it is apparent that Christianity is not what we once thought it was.

Answer 4

I believe in God because when I am going through something terrible and I pray to God it usually turns out okay. I believe in God because I was raised in a church and have witnessed his miracles at hand. I had a church member who was dying of cancer and the doctor said three months tops to her. We all prayed everyday for her to get better and today she is celebrating her 90th birthday party and she is cancer free for about six years now. I like this one phrase "When science fails than comes God"

Answer 5

For one I beleive the world is too complex and amazing to have not been created by a higher being ex.-the food chain, the cycle of rain, the human body and mind. Also when I look at my son and think about being pregnant and giving birth to him I know there is something there it's just so amazing.

Answer 6

This is yahoo answers, quick answers quick responses, if you want the "justified" version you can contact me, I'd be willing to chat to explain. But everything is quick here, not many that will type out full answers, and that question is loaded.

Answer 7

This is the letter I am writing to my archbishop

I have grown greatly in my faith the last couple years. During eighth grade and freshman year I was a really mean person. I didn’t have much faith. I thought that this was just who I was and who I would always be. Then slowly over the next couple of years I realized that people can change. I didn’t have to be this mean, evil person. As time continued on I gradually became more and more caring, and as a result I became more religious. This year, especially since the start of confirmation classes, I have been exploring my beliefs and the beliefs of Catholicism. One the beliefs I have discovered is that God is love. That love truly is the answer for the world today. I realized that if I could become a more loving person, then the world would be a little closer to the world that Jesus wanted.
The transformations I have had during the past three years are amazing.
There was a girl that I knew, that I was really cruel to all throughout eighth grade and freshman year. The summer after freshman year is when I went through my greatest changes. I started to become a more mentally strong person. At this point I realized that what I was doing to her was wrong, but I didn’t have the courage to say I was sorry. As my life continued into my junior year I realized how much I had hurt her. At this point I was truly sorry for what I had done. I had become a nicer, more loving person, but I still didn’t have the courage to approach her. Confirmation retreat is when I underwent my final transformation. After the first day of the retreat nothing had really happened, so I was kind of disappointed, but then Saturday night everything changed. I underwent Reconciliation, and I could feel the Holy Spirit inside of me. After that with the help of my friends, I was able to approach her and talk to her about what had happened. We have grown to become friends after all that has happened. I truly have changed spiritually as a person the last couple years, and I couldn’t be happier.
I now am able to stand up for what I believe in. Some of my other beliefs include that most religions have some truth to them. Most religions believe that we should be kind to other people, which is one of my main beliefs. Another main aspect of my life is music. During eighth grade I mainly listened to rap and other kinds of vulgar music. My music tastes have changed significantly since then. One of my favorite radio stations now is 105.3 the fish, which is a Christian music station. The way I discovered this station is very interesting. I was having a bad day, and at that time I was having difficulties sorting out my beliefs. I went in my car to get something and I turned on the radio for a second. A song I did not like was on the radio so hit tune, which changes the station, and held it down in frustration for a second. When I let go I heard the words, “Jesus is the answer for the world today above him there’s no other Jesus is the way”. I was moved very deeply at that point. Those words gave me hope. Another thing that happened to me was on retreat. I had previously written a paper for my Theology class titled God is love. In this paper I had written about how Jesus is with us at all times. During the retreat our youth group leader was passing out stickers with different sayings on them. The one that I received said, “God is love”. Later that night she was passing out wristbands. Mine had crosses on it, and the words, “He lives.” I have never felt God more than I did that Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Jesus truly is the answer for the world today. During the past year I have become who I have always deep down wanted to be. I am now a loving, caring, hopeful, friendly, and determined Christian man. The only problem I have now is insecurity. Human beings have an innate desire to be loved. I just hope I don’t do stuff just to get other people to like me. The acts Jesus did were moral and great, but not everyone liked what he was doing. I have to stay strong and believe that what I am doing is what Jesus would have done. I have grown into one of the most religious people that I know. Something feels wrong when I am not wearing my cross around my neck. It seems that every night I am debating with people about God. I believe that God has called me to do something huge, and I am ready to do whatever he wants me to. I don’t necessarily pray to God, I more have constant communication with him. I am always talking to him, and he always responds in some way. I want to confirm my baptismal faith in the Roman Catholic Church so that I can become the man Jesus would want me to be. As I am writing this letter I have the song “Best Man I can be” playing in the background, and I have realized that through God I can truly become the best man I can be.

Answer 8

Why do you care why people believe? Only to try to throw their individual opinions and beliefs back at them? A real reason why I believe in God....because I DO! Now prove to me why that isnt real.

Answer 9

I believe in god because, I have seen real evidence of his presence in my life. After reading the bible, and praying, he has proven to me, over and over, that his word is true, through answered prayers, and through trying to disprove him by going against his laws, and having to see first hand what sin does to my life, cause and effect is real, gods story of creation, goes right along with science, do you really believe looking out at all those other solar systems that there is no author to our creation? God is real, god is love, god loves you. God Bless

Answer 10

A two-year-old boy was once staring at a heater, fascinated by its bright orange glow. His father saw him and warned, "Don’t touch that heater, son. It may look pretty, but it’s hot." The little boy believed him, and moved away from the heater. Some time later, after his father had left the room, the boy thought, "I wonder if it really is hot." He then reached out to touch it and see for himself. The second his flesh burned, he stopped believing it was hot; he now knew it was hot! He had moved out of the realm of belief into the realm of experience.

Christians believed in God’s existence before their conversion. However, when they obeyed the Word of God, turned from their sins, and embraced Jesus Christ, they stopped merely believing. The moment they reached out and touched the heater bar of God’s mercy, they moved out of belief into the realm of experience. This experience is so radical, Jesus referred to it as being "born again." The Bible says that those who don’t know God are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1; 4:18). We are born with physical life, but not spiritual life. Picture unbelievers as corpses walking around who, by repenting and placing their faith in Christ, receive His very life. There is a radical difference between a corpse and a living, breathing human, just as there is when sinners pass from spiritual death to life. The apostle Paul said if you are "in Christ," you are a brand new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Those who now have God’s Spirit living in them will love what He loves and desire to do His will; they will have a hunger for His Word, a love for other believers, and a burden for the lost. The Holy Spirit also confirms in their spirit that they are now children of God (Romans 8:16). Those who believe on the name of the Son of God can know that they have eternal life (1 John 5:12,13).

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, "My speech and my preaching were not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God" (1 Corinthians 2:4,5). What Paul was saying was, "I deliberately didn’t talk you into your faith, but I let God’s power transform you." He didn’t reach them through an intellectual assent, but through the realm of personal experience.

Suppose two people—a heater manufacturer and a skin specialist—walked into the room just after that child had burned his hand on the heater. Both assured the boy that he couldn’t possibly have been burned. But all the experts, theories, and arguments in the world will not dissuade that boy, because of his experience. Those who have been transformed by God’s power need never fear scientific or other arguments, because the man with an experience is not at the mercy of a man with an argument. "For our gospel came not to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance . . ." (1 Thessalonians 1:5).