So, say I do take you up on Pascal's Wager. How would I go about making myself believe?

Question

pwwwatson, I already DO make a conscious effort to treat the people around me with kindness. Still don't believe...

Answer 1

you just stop thinking and always read the bible

Answer 2

First off, I am an atheist so take what I say however you want. I consider very carefully. The bible says that in Heaven you worship god continuously. Would you enjoy that? If not, then would it really be heaven? And if god "made" you enjoy it, would you still be you? Would going to heaven "destroy" your true personality? Is it worse to go to hell and retain your personality? And many say that hell is the absence of god. Would that bother you? I don't know think hard on it, be true to your own beliefs, and if you don't know, there is no problem with saying that you don't know.
Oh and to all the people who are insulting about Christianity, or any religion really, grow up. None of your answers show any thought, you are just sitting around pointing and saying "hehe, you're stupid." I think you have some issues to work out on why religion pisses you off so bad. Some people need it or prefer it. If you truly were secure in your nonbelief, you would truly not feel the need to mock people, rather you would just share your knowledge on why you made your choice.

Answer 3

That's the catch to Pascal's Wager; it assumes that faith is just a matter of verbal confession and not a in-the-marrow, bottom-of-the-heart, way-of-life belief. True faith is deep, whole, solid and complete, not just a default option for when everything else fails.

Also, the faith that is acceptable to God, COMES from God.

Answer 4

This is my experience. Visit many non-denominational, and denominational Churches. Compare doctrine, rules and beliefs. Though I mean no great disprespect, stay away from LDS, JW, and RC, to get a better perspective, and less hoops to jump through to be one of "them". I did this for 5 years. I now attend a Lutheran Church, I am NOT a member, but they put no pressure on me and are very welcoming in my search. They have helped me with my many questions, and know that I was more of an agnostic when I first began visiting their Church.

Answer 5

You cannot,not by yourself. You need to let the Holy Spirit of God to guide you and there is no shortcuts to a spiritual maturity.

Satan hates the word of God because it reveals the truth about Jesus Christ, our hope of salvation and the eternal destiny facing each of us between heaven and hell. If you do not put the full armor of God, His Word, around you...you ( generally speaking, not just you ) are a very easy target to satan.

One thing I want to say , you do not have to be a bad person to miss heaven. All good people do not go to heaven, all forgiven people go to heaven. If you do not let Jesus to save you, satan has already won you over.

The tombs of Muhammed or Buddha or Confuscius are occupied, but the tomb of Jesus Christ is empty to this day. It is by resurrection that Christ is declared the Son of of God with power, and it is by the resurrection that His atoning sacrifice is declared to be accepted by God. This is the center of the Christian faith. With it everything stands or falls.

I do not know how it happens to the other people, but God gave me a hunger in my heart, the hunger for His Word. I had attended my church for about three years before His Word truly openend to me and I did not feel like I am a spiritual fake. It is His promise that when you seek Him, you will find Him. Religions can mess things up, that is why it is very important to follow Jesus in seeking the truth. : )

Answer 6

How do you make yourself believe? Honestly, there is nothing that can *make* you believe. There is nothing that can *make* you choose anything. That's part of what seperates a sentient being from an automaton.

You just have to chose to start believing. Just like you just have to choose to start being a diligent worker, or choosing not to be angry. That's what makes belief a thing of faith. If someone or something could make you do it, it wouldn't be faith.

As far as things you can do to bolster belief...that depends on the person.

I, for one, see God in nature. I love to go to the mountains or see the beauty of a forest. I love seeing animals in their true natural habitats. I marvel at sunsets, no matter how many I've seen. I love to lay out and stare at stars for hours. I am amazed at the power of rushing water, or that wind can have such strength. The sound of rain fascinates me. I just sit in His creation, amazed that He would bless me with something this incredible.

I also see God in science. I know, sounds kinda backwards to what you hear from a lot of Christians, but studying astrophysics and microbiology increases my faith. I love that things are so far away in space, and so huge, and moving so fast, and that chaos and order dance around each other to create nebulae, stars, blackholes, novae and countless other phenomena. I search out articles that talk about new planets being discovered, or of tidal forces on Europa, or about studies of stars 10 billion light years away. I am astounded by molecular structures and how such tiny building blocks can be so intricate. I love that every year we find a new subatomic particle, and we have built nano-sized "trucks" to transport nanomaterials.

I also see God in the human mind. That chemical reactions and electrical impulses correspond to the smell of fresh baked bread or laughter boggles my mind. I love that we are mapping what areas do what, and that individual neurons can be devoted to an idea. I love that we can be random and spontaneous and aren't driven by set rules. I love that we are even cognizant enough to be debating this issue.

There are as many ways to see God as there are people to see Him. The real issue is of seeing things through God, rather than God through things. I see the same astrophysical research that atheists do and I stand amazed that God would work everything out so neatly, and they see that everything is so neat so there need be no God.

Faith, as it were, is a matter of faith.

Answer 7

Just be honest with yourself I think. No offence, I am not a religious nut but the only way to find out if there is a God is to look at yourself. Can a beautiful and intelligent person like you just happen by chance?

Answer 8

It's not about making yourself believe, but about being willing to believe - which are two completely different matters.

I don't have to be convinced to act in accordance with scriptures, but I do have to act with an open mind; with a willingness to believe. That's how trust is formed. You don't trust before experience with a person, but no matter how many good experiences you have with someone, you won't trust if you are unwilling to trust. If you go in _willing_ to trust, and your experiences foster trust, trust is built.

Belief is fostered much in the same way.

Answer 9

Better yet suppose I take you up on the wager, and stay as I am - if I win then there is no afterlife and you can't pay me; but if I lose, we have gambled and that's technically a sin.....

Answer 10

you would consciously make an effort to be kind to every person you meet, speak to etc. not a false gushy kindness but the kindness that reflects real love and concern for another human being - then believe God loves you more and is with you - in the end your light will burn brightly and you will believe

Answer 11

Wow, Jillary. I had to thumbs-down your answer without even reading it just to remove it from my page. It was hogging all the space. Next time just put a freaking link here.

Sorry, Betty. I think you were born without the religiogullibility gene. No way to fix it now.