How did you come to believe (or disbelieve) in the God of your understanding?

Question

Was it a dramatic "burning bush" awakening, or the sum of an investigative process?

Again, I am not a believer but I am curious about how both believers and non-believers come to conclusions.

Answer 1

It is so rare to get to use the same answer twice in one day. Logic kicked in.

Lets say there is an all powerful God. Would he care if a bunch of ant-like morons worshiped Him? I doubt it. If YOU were worshiped by ants or amoeba, you would not even know it. Why would a God, on a a completely different plane of existence care if you worshiped Him? Ever see "Men in Black II" where the little creatures in the bus station locker worshiped "K." It is so funny because of the absurdity of it. The worshiped agent gets nothing out of it. The furry creatures only get a tiny feeling of things being better because they think their God will take care of them.

Now, here is the $20 question. Why would God, an all powerful being, want his creations to waste their time worshiping Him? Why would he want us to chant in church? What possible benefit would there be for this Being?

Now, lets look at this from a "sales" point of view. What is the benefit for Church leaders to lie to us and make up a God that does not exist. They get the gold. Do Church-men accumulate gold, money, power, land, buildings and prestige? yes, yes they do. Would people lie to get these things? Yes, Yes they would..

So, that in a nutshell is why I am where I am.

In addition, there is the little matter of my old parish priest making sexual advances to me when I was 10 years old and one of his altar boys. I figure, if he is God's chosen, I don't want that God.

Answer 2

I was born a Hindu and rejected it because I felt that it was too ritualistic. I then investigated a number of "major" religions including Islam, Christianity and Buddhism.
None of these did it for me because most professed to be the "only way" to the Truth. At about the same time I left for college and had the opportunity to take a number of courses on comparative religions as well as the sciences (major: physics). I made the realization that I did not have a need to believe in a personal god (although I did not resolve the issue of a creator god until later). Everything in my own life and the world around me could either be explained by a natural mechanism, or I could see how a natural mechanism could explain it even if I did not know that explanation. This also allowed me to dismiss ritual and dogma from "religions" which I saw as institutionalized.

As of now, I am agnostic but sway toward a belief in a creator god. I do believe there is truth out there in both the sciences and religious/spiritual investigation including the teachings of a variety of religions. So I seek that truth by educating myself and continuing to keep an open mind. In the mean time, I'll just keep trying to do the best I can.

Answer 3

My family is of a certain belief, so I grew up in that. Some understanding came from that.(understanding, not belief or acceptance. As I got older and came out of the rebellious period, I wanted to know "the right religion". There is none.
Religion is wrong, in the sense that it shouldn't be ritualistic.
Your (as a point of reference I say "religion") but it's actually a "belief" or a way of life; living life by the faith that you have in your beleif.As I got older I researched more and found that the information I found had overall truths. As I delved deeper, it showed me the path that I needed to take. Fortunate for me, it wasn't too far from where God had placed me but still had a ways to go before wisdom came into the picture..
Then one day, I realized I was somewhere in my life that I didn't want to be and I couldn't get out. I prayed and not too long after answer came. and I knew that I knew from Who.
I can't do it on my own, I need help from someone bigger.
Can an apple make itsef last longer? Can other apples make that one last longer? Poor illustration granted but we as it needs to connect with the bigger power. I can do all things in Christ Jesus who strengthens me. Hope I helped answer your question.

Answer 4

I look at all around me. I read about all the interesting and complex components found in nature. Man now tries to duplicate processes found in nature and praises himself for designing such great things. I read history, especially the famous words, "He who does not learn from history is doomed to repeat it." Ancient history shows when Bible prophecies were made and fulfilled. Sometimes hundreds of years apart with nothing to connect them. One could raise doubts if the prophets knew the people involved or the fulfiller (?) had an interest in making certain prophecies true but there was none. I see scientists who deny processes exist until they conveniently "discover" them and take the credit like the water cycle from clouds to rain to water to clouds or the concept behind velcro--bugs walking upside down on glass.

All this leads me to the conclusion, it did not get here by accident. A much higher intelligence was involved. The Bible has been proven true for millennia. It says that one has a name, Jehovah.

Answer 5

whether Jesus and God are co-equivalent, co-everlasting, have been debated for over a Millennium already. i replaced into instructed by potential of a Seminarian which you will teach by potential of the Bible that Jesus and God at the instant are not the comparable by potential of in simple terms utilising the Bible on my own--that's why he would possibly under no circumstances try this, he relies upon upon dark Age councils (and he's no longer Catholic) to make certain his Church doctrine. i think that there are some scriptures that would supply you the belief exceptionally if taken out of context (like the daddy and that i are one), which could lead on one to the top that Jesus and God are one, yet once you have been to take all the scriptures from the two components of the argument and line them up--what conclusions do you come back to? in case you or every physique has no longer performed that once which condemns the different factor to hell--how can that guy or woman think of God is particularly happy with them and needs them in His presence? i do no longer ascribe to the Trinity (any version of it and there are various), and that i'm grateful that God Himself is my decide and no guy or council of adult adult males are. The scriptures say to have self belief that Jesus is the savior--and that i do. The scriptures say to produce end results of the spirit--and that i think of I do--I even have grown spiritually. The Scriptures say to discover ways to coach ourselves authorized--and that i do. The scriptures say artwork out our very own salvation--and that i do. The scriptures say to repent of sins--and that i do The scriptures say "be ye clean that bare the vessels of the Lord."--and that i attempt to be, and if I shrink to rubble, I repent. by using fact the be conscious "Trinity" isn't interior the Bible---i know of no scripture that asserts you are able to have self belief it.

Answer 6

I just answered a question similar to this one. I came to believe by first being told about God, then investigating whether or not it rang true to ME. I have listened to others describe their feelings and experiences but that is not how I came to believe. I think we all need something to believe in whether it's God or ourselves and what we see with our own eyes. I wanted a way by which I could judge my actions, a way that I could rest assured that I was not here by accident or for absolutely no reason at all. It has been hard for me though. I am not quick to believe everything I hear so it has taken at least 5 years for me to feel comfortable saying that I do believe in God and His Son and the bible. I was a bit zealous for a while. That didnt feel right so I sat back and tried to reevaulate whether I really believed what I was "preaching". I was horrified to realize that I had become a hypocrite. I am not by any stretch perfect and I wondered how I could have the audacity to tell someone else they should be. Now, however, I do not judge in the way that I used to and if I catch myself doing it I remind myself how I was and in some ways still a hypocrite. My walk with God is difficult, fantastic, amazing, awful, glorious, and terrifying all at once. He is who He is and I cannot put a humans face or ways on Him. It is a process for me and I do it gladly sometimes and others I fight it. In the end though, I will never deny to myself or anyone else that I have given my heart to Him the same way that some give their hearts to their lovers. I fall often from what I believe He has asked me to do and sometimes I stay down for months at a time, but He picks me back up with a steady,loving hand and He either puts me back on my feet or carries me for awhile. I've turned my back on Him for what I believed was His betrayal of me last year. I was so angry at Him that I refused to have anything to do with Him. When I was done being angry, I ran back to Him fearing that this time He would finally be done with my stubborn self. He held out His arms, Father to daughter and took me back in. For that and that alone I could never deny Him or His love for me.

Answer 7

Hello i came to the [Seventh Day Adventist] Church as a very young person via a bible study course that someone handed me but i stayed because the person God put to me was someone i could see a bit of Jesus in that person, you see NO ONE will care how much you know until they see how much you care. Find out more for yourself free bible lessons www.amazingfacts.org God bless.

Answer 8

He called me. He showed himself (his nature) to me personally by bringing me out of a bad situation, started up a relationship with me, & completely changed my life. I can talk to him and expect an answer even when the answer isn't what I expect. This relationship is something that all born-again Christians have. So, either we all really do know God or we're all schizophrenics. lol.

Answer 9

I started praying,, and having experieces in prayer, I never I have heard an audible voice, but felt to do things, like to start reading my bible. I had a dream about a church in another town that i had never been to. I went and found the church and have been going ever since.

Answer 10

I did not lose my faith in there being some sort of higher power, what I lost was my faith in organized religion. The years of watching the hyprocrisy just got to be too much.