Is belief a choice?

Question

Is there proof that belief is a choice?

Can you, for the next 10 minutes, believe that the Quran is the perfect word of God?

How long would it take you to convince yourself of something you know isn't true?

Merrybonder: Do you see a contradiction in your answers?

Answer 1

Yes, it is a choice. And the answer is never.

Answer 2

Belief is a choice that is heavily influenced on the environment and culture you grew up in. You can always change your beliefs, but when you grow up indoctrinated in something it takes some effort or perhaps extreme event to shake those indoctrinated beliefs.

For example, you don't seem to believe that the Quo'ran is the Word of God. But if you grew up in an Islamic family, would you ever question it? Just because someone's beliefs are different doesn't mean they are wrong. For the record, Islam is an Abrahamic religion just like Judaism and Christianity, and if I'm not mistaken Islam recognizes Jewish and Christian texts as the Word of God. They just also believe that Mohommad was a prophet of God too, which the other two religions don't recognize. But I believe that Islam recognizes Jesus as a great prophet as well, but don't believe he is God.

What does that say about the comparative open-mindedness of the three religions?

Answer 3

Belief is a choice. God gave man free will. You did choose to post this? Or was is some sort of survival instinct?
No I cannot believe that the quran is the perect word of God. You cannot have two pefect words of God and they say different things. Only one can be perfect, just like only one winner.
If you know something is not true then you are already convinced, denial is something different.

Answer 4

Eleventy,

If your are speaking of "belief" in terms of being saved or born-again, then the answer is no. In Luke 8:12-14 we read, "Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
14And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection."

Most people think they have a "choice" or whether to "receive Jesus" or not. This is a lie that satan has propagated. In John 6:44 the bible states, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."

The word "draw" can be understood if we allow the Bible to define the word. In Matthew 26:51, Mark 14:47, John 18:10, John 21:11, Acts 17:6, and Acts 21:30 the word "draw" (drew-pst tense) means to pull toward regardless of any resistance. You can understand this as drawing a sword out of its sheath or drawing a net of fishes to shore or directing a prisoner to court. In every instance the resistance to the drawing is overcome. The term "draw" describes God's action on those whom He is going to save.

In John 1:12, 13 the word "received" is often looked upon as making a choice for Christ. But in verse 13 we understand what God is saying. When one gets saved, it is as a person being born. It just happens. When a woman goes into labor, that child is going to be born no matter how long it takes.

Answer 5

"Is there proof that belief is a choice?"

Whose "proof" and whose "belief"? The question and its answers are too nebulous.

"Can you, for the next 10 minutes, believe that the Quran is the perfect word of God?"

That's just silly. Time has nothing to do with the question, especially in the "on and then off" way you pose. I believe that the Quran and Prophet Mohamed are but *two* of the many ways that God/Divinity has communicated with humanity over the centuries, such as the Vedas, the Bible, Prophets Jesus, Baha'ullah, the Buddha, etc.

Just as there is no one way to climb Mt Everest, or one aircraft manufacturer, likewise there no one way to God/Divinity/Nirvana.

~baptized, Confirmed, practicing Lutheran, Methodist, or United Church of Christ member for 50+ years

Answer 6

You asked something similar earlier. I was distracted by a shiny object, but I have been thinking about it.

See, I don't believe my atheism is a choice. I observe and interact with the universe, and from these combined observations I conclude that it is unlikely supernatural entities are looking over our shoulder much less are busy judging us. And that is only AFTER I had been told about gods in the first place, otherwise I certainly wouldn't have come up with the concept.

On the other hand, I have seen a lot of Christians say "you have to believe before he will reveal himself". Which, although I don't like to say it, does suggest there is some element of telling yourself it is real to religious belief.

Thing is, you have to be told about Gods (whichever one you pick) before you can start believing in them. Whether that story convinces you has to do with too many factors to make even the broadest of estimates.

Answer 7

The choice we have is whether or not to admit to ourselves some facts that might go against what we now believe.

If you taste an orange and it tastes good, then you can believe that all oranges taste good. Then if you get an orange that tastes bad, you have the choice of adjusting your beliefs that all oranges are good to something like: most oranges are good, but there are a few bad-tasting ones.

But belief and faith are two different things. Since there is little or no emperical proof for the things we have faith in, speaking spiritually, we have more of a choice: we can believe what we intuit in our hearts to be true, or go with our brains, saying "If I can't measure it or reduce it to an algorhythm, then it ain't true."

In that instance, belief is a choice. In the presence of compelling emperical proof, there isn't much choice.

Answer 8

Everything here is a choice. As we grow and learn (speaking for those that grow and Learn) we change our belief system frequently. once upon a time I believed in the tooth fairy, santa, the easter bunny. As I grew and learned I know longer believe in them or a multitude of other things I used to believe in. I believe we all face father alone, noone else by our side.
It is my duty to learn all I can to make the right decisions. The only thing on this earth that I am sure of is : If there is more than decomposing at the end than showing/sharing love/fellowship as best that you can and try not to judge others as best as you can then you got a better shot than anything else of getting back to father.

Answer 9

Like I say all of the time, "You can't believe what you don't believe." That's why Pascal's Wager is a crock of hooey and why, in the outrageously absurd likelihood that there is actually a place called heaven and I don't qualify, God will take one look at me and say "But he was so damned sincere and honest in his conviction, let him in anyhow." I know, some of you are thinking "No, Bubba, you're just damned." Speaking of the Quran, I could look at the it for the next 10 millenia and not believe that it is the perfect word of anybody.

Answer 10

belief is a choice and no...i cant believe for 1 second that the quran is the word of God

Answer 11

Belief is a lack of knowledge. You can choose not to learn more on the subject, which might force a logical person to abandon their beliefs. You can choose to continue trying to validate your belief. You can choose to never consider any beliefs. In the end, however, belief (or lack thereof) is the natural response to the information you currently have on an issue. Whether you take steps that could alter those beliefs is the choice.