God, people who do and don't, and Whys and Hows?

Question

3 Part Answer.

~ Is there a God, Yes or No? ~

If yes:

A. Why do you think so?

B. Is there some sort of compelling text (direct quote) to back it up?

C. Was there a time in your life when you didn't?

If no:

A. Why do you think not?

B. Is there some sort of proof or data to support your answer?

C. Was there a time in your life that you did believe?

Please don't judge me for asking. Please answer each part, (A-B-C.) I think we can all benefit from knowing what motivates people in this area and enable more current rebuttals for another time. So in other words be nice, it's a survey, tell me your story.

PS. to ensure that this doesn't get personal I won’t choose a best answer, I am however going to leave it up to the voters. I encourage you all to keep checking in on this question for when it does go "in voting," cast your votes.

Not targeting a specific religion. Only questioning the motivation to follow or not to follow a religion.

Answer 1

I prefer to separate God from religion. It sounds ilogical, but I think humans created religions, not God.
And, I can't prove the existence of God, but is something that makes me feel better.

I believe in things that help others through difficult times or just to be a better person.

If somebody kills other people "in the name of God", then that's wrong.
But if they do good "in the name of God" ,then I think it's perfect.

Answer 2

The personal experience of each and every individual on this planet has some experience with God. No body really argues with that. It is when we try to share that experience with others that the real conflict arises in that we don't all agree with the inadequate explications others give of what the general definition of that experience is. And we aren't supposed to agree to the detriment of our individual experiences. What is best then is to listen to some of the other ways people explain that and then when we all have a small part to include in some way we have all agreed then even though not in the same way.

Answer 3

I think that there must be something out there bigger than all of us, maybe not better, or more altruistic, but there has to be something.
A. Everything comes together too well, there are too many coinsidences/ I hate to think that when i die i just fade away, and rot in the ground.

B no text

C When I reached my lowest point, I started to realize that God or what ever it is out there isnt what the Bible describes, how could something so seemingly altruistic allow its "own creations" to suffer and torment each other, just let its planet get destroyed. But after that point in my life, I realized there has to be some good out there, b/c otherwise the universe couldnt survive

Answer 4

I don't believe there is a God. I believe this because there is nothing to prove or disprove him. He was created by man, not the other way around, to give people something to believe in. And that's fine, for them.
I believed when I was little, as my faith allows. (I'm Jewish). There was all the praying to Oh Lord, our God...and everything like that and I got sucked in. As I got older, I could read about other religions and learn more things. I didn't have to believe what I was told, I could question it. And that's what I do.
As for my belief in God, I can most definitely say it's more of an Agnostic approach. Atheism is when you don't believe in God. Agnostics believe that there may or may not be a God. And not knowing is what makes it so exciting for many.

Answer 5

yes i think there is a god
ive been brought up as a chrisitian but dont think just because i am a christisian i have a one sided mind.
and no there wasnt. Well heres my theory everyone agrees that there was a man named jesus christ . They also believed people became martyrs for him, because of his death. Those martyrs saw jesus and believed he was god. When he raised from the dead and came out of his tomb they saw him. Everyone agrees that Jesus' body was taken from the tomb. So if he did not really raise from the dead, why would his friends/disciples/others die in his name? message me or email me if you want to hear more on my theory [e-mail]

Answer 6

I don't believe in god, I don't think it makes sense.
When people create things they make them in a way that they understand, as the bible says (ha ha) in their own image. All of history is backing this up. People create things that have a duality. We have female and male; good and evil; we even seperate our emotions into opposites. We think like that because nature is like that night and day; two genders, opposite seasons. Why would a single omnipotent god create such a dual world? This is just not how things work for anyone, duality would never cross his mind. This world is not in his image.

Answer 7

Yes, there is a God! Whenever I pray, he answers my prayers......He's my only friend. I believe in his spirit. I know he's always by my side. That's why I don't fear anything....I can do everything through God who strenghens me..If there is no God, I may as well die.

We don't have faith. That's why all the bad things are happening in the world. God is good...It's a good thing to believe in God, why won't you?

You all sinners may say whatever you want, I WILL ALWAYS BELIEVE IN GOD !!

Man, the world is so evil....I can't wait for the end of time. You all make me sick, I'd rather be with God than with you all in the world.

Answer 8

i wont say whether there is a god or not but i haven't came through anything as a god...
if there is a god, he belongs to the nature too
so the limitations of the nature applys to god too so even there is a one there's no reason to be a slave of him or to believe in him or to fear...cause as i told u the same conditions should apply to the god as for the rest of the world

there was a time that i did believe in god....but my feeling were changed after listening to the valuable teachings of buddhism..
one thing that it inspired me was that in all other religions tells what to believe but in buddhism it tells the way to believe instead of what.
learn more on-line from www.bswa.org

Answer 9

A. 32 people being gunned down by a nut.= no God to stop it
B. How many of your prayers have been answered=no proof
C. I don't think so,nothing I have seen or heard has ever made me think other wise. Until he or it talks to me personally
then there is no God.

Answer 10

I prefer not to use the term God, but instead call it my higher power. Yes, I believe there is one higher power and each religion in the world calls it by the name they deem appropriate. But I believe we all look to and pray to the same higher power, no matter what name we give it. I also believe that our higher power resides within each of us. I don't know if you've ever heard this quote, but I think it helps explain what I mean about the higher power residing in everyone. The quote is, "The eye with which I look at God (higher power) is the same eye with which God (higher power) looks back at me." To me this means that God (higher power) is in all of us.

A. I look around me and all the beauty I see makes me believe there is a higher power who created the universe and everything in it, including us. I don't believe it all just happened by chance. This doesn't mean I don't believe in evolution. It means I think evolution could be the plan our higher power chose to create the world and everything in it.

B. I don't need a compelling text or direct quote to feel that I am a spiritual person. I have faith and having faith in something means you truly believe in it without needing proof. That's the very definition of faith: believing without asking for proof. I believe that if you have to ask for proof you actually don't have any faith.

C. As a child I was raised by an atheistic mother and a father who had renounced the Catholic religion. My mother told me the bible was just like my fairy tale books. That it was just stories with no basis in truth. Children tend to believe what their parents tell them. As I entered my teens many of my friends of all different religions asked me to attend church with them. I have attended churches of nearly all the major religions and many of the minor and sometimes very strange ones. For a long time I was confused by the different beliefs within the Christian religion. Each church had its own dogma. I finally decided I had lived my life so far without religion and that I could continue that way.

When I was in my late 20's and early 30's I felt something was missing in my way of life. I became friends with a group who helped me understand that I did not have to subscribe to the Christian religion and all its dogma to become a spiritual person. What I needed to do was decide what I believed in without any outside influence. I spent much time thinking and meditating and finally decided I did believe in some sort of higher power and that this made me not a religious person, but a spiritual one. There is a great difference between the two. I have found many people who call themselves religious only display that religion on Sunday morning in church in front of their peers and pastor. As soon as church is out, they turn back into the backstabbing, backbitting, unsympathetic, uncompassionate, phony people they really are. I believe Catholics are the worst (was married to one for a while - a very abusive one). They run in to confession on Friday night, don't feel the need to attend mass on Sunday, and feel that since they have confessed and been forgiven for their sins of the past week, they are free to go out and commit more in the week ahead.

I have found people who believe in a higher power and describe themselves as spiritual to be compassionate, loving, and able to forgive and, most importantly, FORGET. I work at my spirituality every day and feel stronger in my faith as my spirituality increases. I am at peace for the first time in my life and am happy with my life. I give thanks every day for all the wonderful things I have and am content with what I have - not always feeling I need more, more, more things to make me complete.

Hope this wasn't too much rambling. I tried to answer you seriously and thoroughly.