Is your belief or non belief the result of your life experiences?

Question

And if so, who is to say one experience is any more or less valid that another?

Answer 1

My beliefs ARE the result of ALL of my life experiences. And as Taliesin said, ALL paths are equally as valid if they contribute to the overall spirituality of the universe. I would add only this: "Whatever works for you to help you to achieve unity with your spiritual existence is the BEST way to follow" All other ways infer that you are just going through the motions.

Brightest Blessings,
Raji the Green Witch

Answer 2

I would say it goes the one way as often as the other: an experience may direct one to a particular spiritual goal or value,or a spiritual value may direct one to an experience they might not otherwise have sought out; or,if the experience was not of one's choosing,your "spiritual environment" may determine your responses. All experience - inner and outer - is valid simply because it exists. As far as categorising them,that would be in terms of personal importance or spiritual significance and would not approach the question of "validity" - which many people would consider to be irrelevant anyway. Many of my beliefs probably are developed from experiences,but many experiences are either a result of my spiritual goals and values,or are textured by them. The question of validity doesn't really apply.

Answer 3

Yes my belief is based on my life experiences with God. I can't judge other peoples experiences, no more than they can judge mine. I don't try to force my religion on anybody. If they don't want to hear what I have to say that is their choice. But every person who has faith and every person who doesn't have faith both think their way is the right way. That is just the way it is. If I didn't feel that my beliefs were right for me, I wouldn't believe. Just the same as a non believer thinks that there is no God, they think they are right. If you did not think your way was more valid, then you would find another way.

Answer 4

My nonbelief is clearly the result of the fact that I've never seen any evidence for the existence of a god, and neither, apparently, has anyone else.

My experience isn't any more valid than anyone else's, but of course were there a god, someone would be able to present some evidence of that god, and therefore my conclusion is more valid than the conclusion drawn by believers.

Answer 5

yes, my belief is based in my experience. the second part of your question makes no sense....or rather is so simple minded that anyone would wonder if you truly mean what you have written. Personal experience is ALWAYS valid to the one who experiences it. It doesn't matter a damn, if it is valid to anyone else.

Answer 6

Not at all. My non-belief is the result of never having seen any evidence to support the existence of the supernatural.

Answer 7

No, my belief is by the grace of God, faith He has portioned out to me and the work of the Holy Spirit in revealing God to me. If it is an experience, then it would have to be the experience of God's revelation of Himself to me. This experience is more valid than any other.....to know the true and living God in a personal way.

Answer 8

I beleive that occurences can cause people to discontinue their beleif in GOD. If people understood what the bible really says they would understand that GOD gave us free will to make choices of our own. It is called free will. He did not want us to be robots. Jesus told his deciples,"Beware I send you out as sheep amongst the wolves." Satan tests us to try and make us lose our faith because he knows GOD will not intervene. For instance when a loving parent loses a child the first thing they think is that GOD took that child. It was not GOD that took the child but satan. I'm not saying the child is with satan I'm saying satan caused the childs death. We all make choices everyday, but I think when you are choosing whether or not you want to beleive in GOD it is probably the most important decision you will ever make so you should be well informed.

Answer 9

Yes, and no, and you're quite right, no-one has the right to say any path is more or less valid than another. All paths are valid as all paths contribute to the universal plan and all paths lead to the divine.

Answer 10

For those who were indoctrinated into religion from childhood, I would not call that "experience"....I'd call that "unthinking acceptance". And no, it's not valid compared to those, and not just atheists, who have researched, thought about, and choose their own path.