If you believe in a higher being, what is your reasoning?

Question

What I'm trying to say is why do believe what you believe, and what is your proof? And I'm looking for actual solid, physical proof, not reasons like you dreamed it or something. (Links, pictures, and such could be helpful.)

I'm a firm agnostic and secular humanist and I'm just curious to hear what people have to say, not picking an argument.

Answer 1

Pascal tried to answer that same question.
This is what he came up with :

You live as though God exists.
If God exists, you go to heaven: your gain is infinite.
If God does not exist, your loss is nothing.

You do not live as though God exists.
If God exists, you go to hell: your loss is infinite.
If God does not exist, you gain nothing & lose nothing.

With these possibilities, and the principles of statistics, Pascal has demonstrated that the only prudent course of action is to live as if God exists. It is a simple application of game theory (to which Pascal had made important contributions) (taken from Wikipedia)

Answer 2

Do you expect a person to prove God exists using physical science or are you interested in some of the reasons for believing that God exists? See, if you have proof of something, what need is there for belief? Belief is accepting what isn't yet proven. Does that mean we cannot believe anything unless it has absolute proof? No. Beliefs can rest on solid reasons (even evidence) and yet not have absolute proof. Small Example:

I can believe that mom is at home right now because she doesn't have her car today and I called her 15 minutes ago at home. Without absolute proof, that belief would be reasonable based on the information. All of us have beliefs, without absolute proof, that are informed by knowledge, evidence, and reason, and are very sound. People do have beliefs that are very uninformed or misinformed and are ludicrous. But all belief is not that way, and can be very reasonable depending on its information.

To see a spiritual God, where would one look? Be careful that you're not narrowing in only on the physical realm to find someone spiritual. I don't believe that God can be proven in absolute physical terms because we are looking for someone who is not physical. That means God can't be disproven in physical terms, either.

But since God is said to have created the physical universe we would naturally assume there are signs of that fact in the phyiscal realm. We can use the knowlege and evidence we do have, and then belief to lead us to a conclusion one way or the other about God. But remember, not having absolute proof doesn't eliminate our ability to believe something solidly and be correct about it. And a spiritual God should be looked for in the correct way.

There are physical reasons that point to the conclusion that the universe was created by God. But there is far more evidence than just physical. If you want to discuss any of this further, I'm open to it.

Answer 3

There is no PROOF of anything. None that God exists none that spontaneous life generated here on this world.

There are thee major evidences that I am aware of:
1. There isn't enough time for the small rodent like mammals left after the last extinguishing event to bring them to the size and variety of the mammals the roamed the earth during the last major ice age.
2. Viruses have been known to man for approximately the last 200 years. During that time there have been billions of generations, yet never has a virus jumped species. Yes the have varied but they remain viruses..
3. The chirality that exists in both proteins and DNA. Each of these optical isomer that are used to make up the strings that support life are have their peculiar handiness. For proteins it's all "L" for DNA it's all "R"... If even one of the opposite hand isomers get mixed in the string will fall apart.. No protein string and no DNA, therefore no life.. The interesting thing is in nature these isomers are produced in a 50/50 mix. Even with our present level of science we don't know how to separate them...

I this these three evidences are strong evidences that A greater intelligence than ours must be in charge... Jim

Answer 4

Every effect must have a cause. This universe and everything in it is an effect. There must be something that caused everything to come into existence. Ultimately, there must be something “un-caused” in order to cause everything else to come into existence. That “un-caused” something is God.

Every culture throughout history has had some form of law. Everyone has a sense of right and wrong. Murder, lying, stealing, and immorality are almost universally rejected. Where did this sense of right and wrong come from if not from a holy God?

The Bible tells us that people will reject the clear and undeniable knowledge of God and instead believe a lie. Romans 1:25 declares, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is forever praised. Amen.” The Bible also proclaims that people are without excuse for not believing in God, “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

Answer 5

I look at lifeforms them selfs with all of their complexities. I look at the earth and nature and how it all works together. And all the planets and stars and whatever else is out there in space. And I think did all of this just happen? Well, maybe but it just does not seem plausible. Then I look at myself. I have a conscience. I know when something feels right or wrong. I have emotions, I feel love, hate, anger, joy...etc. I love music and art. Am I just here by chance, do all these emotions and feelings mean nothing? And then I realize that there must be a creator a higher power. It is the only thing that makes sense to me.

Answer 6

I can't offer proof (and I don't think anyone can, seeing as God, being supernatural, cannot be studied directly), but I think the preponderance of the evidence favors belief- I think there are too many things that we more likely acquired them from a higher being that also has them than from a naturalistic universe in which they would otherwise be absent. For example, we can sense no intelligence nor consciousness in matter itself, yet we possess both. While we can't rule out that we always possessed them or that we acquired them from a naturalistic universe that has neither, is it not a more believable scenario that we obtained them from a being that can give both because it has both itself? The same could be argued, perhaps to a lesser extent, for free will and our senses of beauty and morality (although one could argue that both are merely illusory, I would think it more likely that they seem real because they are).

Answer 7

I believe in the godhs of my ancestors because my ancestors did. I know, I know, it sounds a little circular, but bear with me here . . .

We cannot know what is TRUE, or even if there is one singular truth, anymore than we can say with any *proveable* certainty what, other than rapid and unsightly decomposition, happens after death. But we can say with some authority what was DONE and PRACTISED and THOUGHT by our own ancestral cultures before the perversion from Rome spread across the world.

All else being equal, the worldview of one's cultural heritage is likely to be one's most satisfying spiritual "fit" and make the most sense. The question "what is most true" is nonsensical, really. It's better to ask "what works?" or "does this praxis/worldview add to my luck, or detract from it?"

As far as Pascal's wager, the Dread Apostle Paul once wrote "if Christ be not risen, I am of all men most miserable." HE KNEW IT WAS A BAD TRADE! And . . . since I don't believe Christ to be risen, or even a real historical personage, I choose not to be miserable with ol' Paul.

Answer 8

You are asking me to reason something that defies reason.
I am a person who has seen miracles in his life and I don't think it was anything but God.

I could tell you how I've seen the hand of God heal cancer, and how I've seen prophetic word handed down through the Holy Spirit. All of these things can be explained away as "freak accidents" or "blind luck". I don't believe in luck. I believe that everything happens for a reason, even the bad things.
I hope this makes sense....

Answer 9

When someone explained the gospel of Jesus Christ to me, I was amazed and believed it right away. My life was in a condition at that time where I was very receptive and 40 years later I still believe. Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life, and I believe. I also have my heart set on heaven, "the blessed hope"

Answer 10

my reasoning is, what have i got to lose? i don't need any evidence, i just figure that as long as i have faith, and there is the possiblity of a reward for that, i'll believe in it, why not? if it turns out to be not true, there's no punishment involved. i don't push my beliefs on anyone else, and i dislike when others do it to me, it's one of the most unattractive qualities.