What makes YOU believe, or not believe in God? (Writing a book, need help)?

Question

I'm currently writing a book about living in modern society and am now at the point of discussing religion but don't want to just express my own atheist beliefs... so was wondering what makes you believe, or not believe, in a God (of any religion).

Most people are raised to believe what their parents did, but how do YOU know it's the truth? I'm not asking you to prove that God exists, such a thing would be almost impossible, but what makes YOU believe he does.

Any answer welcome.

Before you make accusations, Frederick, I have read the Bible front to back, as a child went to Sunday school and have since studied various religions as part of my further education as well as in preparation for this section of the book.

This was a question designed to get personal responses about why YOU believe or don't believe. Read the question, and then make pathetic personal statements please.

Answer 1

I am an agnostic/atheist.
I allow that there is a TINY, miniscule possibility of a god, or gods.

I was raised CofE protestant. I learned that a religion can be manipulated to mans desires (CofE is basically the church of King Henry VIII's divorce)

I joined the Mormon Church. I learned that every other church is wrong, and why.
I read the bible through, literally every single verse, front to back, several times, and realised that it contains more garbage than I learned about at sunday school

I also learned how easily a religious feeling/response can be induced, using correct emotional atmosphere

since leaving the Morg, I have investigated several 'belief systems', all have left me cold

Answer 2

I was raised in a non-faith home, although both my parents were raised in christian families, neither of them followed the faith, I wasn't christened, we never went to church. I moved 6 years ago, and the first person I made friends with was a christian, and I rejected her beliefs, like I had rejected the beliefs of all other christians, including the man I married, who fell away from his faith after he met me. If I believed anything, it was that God was a stern old man ready to condemn me if I did wrong, but I also believed in reincarnation, I held tarot parties and I tried to contact the dead through mediums a few times, got into astrology etc.
My new friend invited me to her baptism and I went as it meant a lot to her. 3 people gave their testimonies, and I started to feel this stirring inside me (I know now it was the Holy Spirit) as they talked about how they really had a relationship with Jesus. They truly believed this, and these were very sane sensible people. The pastor stood to talk about how everyone looks for different ways to find peace, to fill the hole inside with alcohol, drugs, sex, money, possessions....but more people than ever are on anti-depressants. He said that Jesus could fill that hole. I was on anti-depressants at the time. I started to feel I was the only person there, I cried quietly. The pastor said that if anyone wanted to be blessed by Jesus, raise your hand, and I raised mine, couldn't believe I was actually listening to this stuff, after all, I knew it was rubbish, right! Well as he said, 'bless you' I was filled with an amazing feeling of love, joy, peace, anything good, I had it, and I felt that God was there, had always been there, and would make everything all right. I didn't know it then but I'd just been baptised in the Holy Spirit, I'm in the UK and we don't talk a whole lot about the Spirit so I was really surprised. I was also healed of depression in that instant. So I became a Christian, I'm intelligent and I studied the claims of the faith and the Bible and have not been disappointed. 2 years later my husband came back to church too, and my kids both chose the faith too. Now I can stand up and tell people that I have a real relationship with Jesus.

Answer 3

I have always believed in a god. To me atheism takes more faith than belief in God. I look around and see all of creation or what ever you would like to call it (trees, flowers, animals, people, stars, planets, etc.) and know that this is not just random chance.

Even though I was raised in a Christian home, it took me quite a while before I came to a faith in Jesus as my Lord and Savior and acknowledged him as God. There are lots of reasons to believe in God and to believe in the Christian faith. One of the many reasons, for me, was that it makes the most sense over any other faith (i.e., religion). If you accept that there is a God (which I did and do) then you realize that there is a greater difference between that God and us as there is between us and a cockroach (or pick what you will to be insignificant). I also can see that we fall far short of what God would expect of us (based on any of the religeous faiths). Christianity is the only faith where it is not up to us to work out our own salvation, which when you think about it is pretty much impossible. God worked out a plan for us.

So, that is part of how I got to where I am today. Greatly over simplified, but gives you an idea.

Answer 4

What proof is there that He doesn´t exist? I mean... it´s really down to what one believes... or chooses to believe. I think there are a lot of things on this Earth that are impossible to explain... that go beyond science and logic.... I believe in God because I´m sure there is more to life than we know. I believe there is a purpose to life, I believe there is an afterlife where ultimate justice or order awaits, and that suffering and doing what´s right means something. I dont feel I´m fooling myself, or being overly hopeful, nor manipulated by anyone.... it just feels logical and right to me. I think it´s just as impossible or crazy to think that everything is as it is due to chance and circumstance than to think that there is a God. And what do I lose by believing in God? Nothing... There is no benefit to be atheist... so why choose not to believe when there is reason and a strong possibility that a God and an afterlife does exist? We´ll find out when we die.... until then, I´m happy and content believing what I believe. I just try to be the best person I can be, and when or if I am to be judged, I at least will know that I tried.

Answer 5

I believe in God because the truth is self evident. The words in the bible talk to me. Have you ever had your heart burning?
"My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me" John 10:27. Jesus said this, his voice is found in the bible. Can you prove to me that the bible contradicts it self? Can you prove that it is just any other book? Have you ever felt that there is something missing in your heart? That no matter what you did, in the end of the day you still had that feeling. Why? Some many people try to fill the spot with any thing you can imagen. I used to feel that way. But the only way it can be fill is with his love. Why are we here? Where did we come from? What is our purpose? All this can be answer in the pages of the Bible. Faith is the answer. Explain to me this...How is it possible that it was predicted by name the person who was going to be the downfall of Babylon. That man is Cyrus. It was prophesied before his birth. I challenged you to study Daniel Ch 2. It will be intersting. I leave you with prayer and hopefully this could help you. John 8:32. May the grace and love of God be with you. Amen

Answer 6

I was raised as a methodist and went to church twice a week until I was in my mid teens, at this point I decided that I didn't actually believe that he existed and I stopped going. My family were ok about this, although I am still the only one out of my family that does not 'believe' still. I find it hard to believe in something that I cannot see or feel, and going through school I was bombarded with the facts of evolution and I found it hard to accept the two as a juxtaposition. I got confused with it all, but then I decided that I would just believe in what I truelly thought was right, and that is people. I beieve in people and nature. Oh there is sooo much to say, I love talking about this stuff, I respect all peoples views..but I am very keen on my own too! If I am not making any sense...quite possible as I am rambling a bit please feel free to contact me...([e-mail])

Answer 7

Well God is considered a deity but it makes more sence that the Earth formed due to natrul causes then a almighty being just coming along and deciding that he wanted to create man,that said the flood of noa,man,and jesus can all be explained without God,noah's flood could have been the ice caps still melting after the ice age,jesus is self explenatory "when a mommy and a daddy love each other so much...you get the drift of it"even though marry said she was a vergin dose not make it true,and man can be explianed like this,when the Earth was forming cells may have exsisted and multiplyed and multiplyed,then eventuly formed into a living being,that living being could have then evolved over the years and thus formed man.

Hope my little explination clarified enough.

Answer 8

Although I do not believe in the Abrahamic God, I still am compelled to believe in a universal force that encompasses us all. Maybe it is not so recognizable in our lives or doesn't have such a history as Christianity or Judaism or Islam, but its around us I believe.

I believe because the theory of Evolution, which I believe in, doesn't explain or have an answer for the beginnings of life.

Also there are too many coincidences in life to make life a coincidence.

Answer 9

Nothing makes me believe.

I do believe though.

It's not a choice, it is a feeling deep down in my soul. I don't 'know' if there is a higher power guiding me, I was not influenced by my parents views. I just know, just like I know the wind exists even though I can't see it. It is that intense feeling, when you just know, I can't explain, when it happened, how or why I believe.

It is a feeling of inner peace and calm when I meditate and pray, when finally the answers seem clear and apparent. The times of dispair and the only comfort I found was in prayer.

I do not want to change the views of the world, my religion and my inner strength are so tightly bound and it is a very hard thing to explain.

I do hope this helps.

Answer 10

I would like to believe in a god, or at least some sort of master plan (actually what I would like to believe is that this is not all random pointlessness) but what makes me not believe is simply the inability to believe. When it comes down to it and when I am utterly honest with myself, I do not believe that God exists. At least not a "personal" God. Maybe some entity bigger than our minds are capable of understanding had some part in creating our universe - no way of proving or disproving this - but as soon as people who do believe in God (of any faith) try to tell me that there is a personal "one to one" thing going on then I know that this is something within them selves (conscience maybe?) which I absolutely respect but I just don't have that relationship. Could go on for hours but won't!