A lot of athiests ask why relious people, of whatever faith, believe in God. I'm wondering why don't you?

Question

I didn't believe in God for a long time, but then came to the conclusion that God is real. I think I know all the reasons you don't believe, simply because I lived it--not believing I mean. I'm wondering if any of you have any unique thoughts on this, rather than the same old, same old.

Answer 1

Because I had the opposite experience you did. I believed in God for a long time, then came to the conclusion he didn't exist

to the guy below me: quit being a hypocrite. A lot of Christians say the same thing- "you never were a real believer in the first place" Who are you to tell someone what they did or did not believe?

Answer 2

I don't believe you are a former non believer. I believe you have always been a christian because mommy and daddy told you to. No religion makes any sense. The only thing that makes sense is rational thought. As income and education go up - belief in God goes down. Listen to the debates between the noted atheists and the noted religious people. It's a train wreck for the religious people.

But honestly - if people need a belief in god to get through - I'm all for it. Live and let live - peace be with everyone. The ONLY thing I have against religion is when people say that their belief is the only possible option - and everyone else is wrong. And then it turns to extremism.

Answer 3

I, on the other hand, believed in God for a long time, but then came to the conclusion that God wasn't real.

I know the reasons you believe, because I lived it- believing I mean.

Does my story, and the stories of others here, make you think twice about your decision?

Answer 4

I'm not saying I don't believe. But I'd like to have some sort of evidence, that has yet to come to light over the past 2000 years. Science discovers and reports things daily. Where are the bible-thumpers with their proof these days? Prove to me that a dude built a ship big enough for two of every animal in existence, and I'll still ask you to prove how he captured them, kept them alive, and bred them. If you explain that, I'll forget the theory that God asked him to do it all. I mean, come on, the bible is more far-fetched than any nursery rhyme in existence.

Answer 5

I think some people are more mentally predisposed than others to have blind faith. Personally, as an atheist, I can't make myself believe in God, I can't quite comprehend it. Sometimes being religious can help you through a tough time. I've known people that needed that sort of constant support given by religious communities. I think some people feel the need to believe in something that is bigger than them and choose to focus that through a religion. I don't think organized religion is right, or necessary for everyone, definitely not for me. It's not a central part of my life, not believing in God. I rarely think about it. It's just a part of who I am.

Answer 6

You have never spoken to me about my views on god,still you presume to think that you know why I don't believe.I have nothing to prove to you since there is nothing and you have nothing to prove to me for the same reason,there is nothing.Since you presumed to know the reason why i don't believe,I will presume that the reason you came to the conclusion that he is real is because of a weakness.Why don't you come up with some new angle on your mythical divine being instead of the same old,same old.

Answer 7

There are far to many reasons to address it in this tiny space.

But they all basically add up to two simple concepts:

1) It is ridiculous, the concept of god just does not make sense and can not stand up to even the most basic form of scrutiny.

2) It is a by product of our need to survive in the primitive wilds as a community and to comfort us in our fears of the unknown and death.
a) these same fears that led to religion were then adopted by leaders as a means of control for the masses as can clearly be seen every day on the news.

It is so presumptuous and arrogant to assume that out of the huge, fascinating universe a god would chose to create such a tiny minuscule life form and spend all of his/her time and energy trying to manage it with rules and intervene only in what we perceive as our ancient past.

We are such tiny creatures in this vast universe, we are completely insignificant in the scheme of things that it is our mass delusions of grandeur that creates god to make us feel secure and safe while we fly through this giant pinball machine of a galaxy at a quarter of a million miles per hour.

Answer 8

a. Not all religious people believed in a creature god.

b. Why should I believe in a fictitious creature that never show his face at all?

c. You come to the conclusion because you think he is real? Just because you are alive therefore there is god?

d. I had wanted to believe in a god / gods when I was much younger, but as I grew older, more indication shows that there are no such creature.

Answer 9

Nobody can prove any gods, much less a specific god, exist; many people will tell you their god exists but no others, but will never be able to prove it, even if they think so. Some will threaten you with eternal pain or promise eternal joy to get you to believe in their god; these are all stories, created for people who were scared long before we understood the universe. Now we have no more reason for these superstitions.

How terrible the bible in particular is:
http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/
http://www.evilbible.com/

What's the origin of the Jesus stories?
http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jcpa5.htm
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/origen048.html
http://www.geocities.com/paulntobin/jesus.html

How silly and horrible religion in general is:
http://godisimaginary.com/
http://whywontgodhealamputees.com/

The alternative:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/
http://www.infidels.org/
http://www.positiveatheism.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Universalism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_humanism

So... how did you decide which god to believe in, out of the thousands dreamed up? Did it happen to be the same one your parents told you was real?

Answer 10

Too much to say to type it all in here, I'll have to settle for giving you a link that states most of my views on this quite admirably:

Why Not Believe? Reasons Why Atheists Don't Believe in Gods
http://atheism.about.com/od/aboutatheism/p/whynotbelieve.htm