Questionnaire - What are the main reasons for people believing in God?

Question

I'm doing a questionnaire for my Religious Studies class, and I'd thought I'd ask here, since people here are generally very nice, very quick, and very informative.

So here are the questions. I am genuinely interested in this stuff, and not doing it just for homework. If you have more you want to add, then that's more than welcome, since every little helps! :)

1) First of all, which religion would you say you belong to?

2) If you lack belief in God, what led you to come to that conclusion?

3) If you are religious, do you think your upbringing highly affected what you believe in? (e.g. your parents' beliefs)

4) Have you explored any other religions deeply?

5) What is your faith to you? Have you ever had doubts, and, if so, how did you regain your faith?

6) What do you think of other religions? How do you know your religion is the right one?

I'd ask more, but there's a char limit. D: Oh well. It shall be interesting to hear the replies! :)

Answer 1

1. It makes more sense than anything else.
2. end.

Answer 2

1.) Well I don't really say I belong to a "religion" b/c to me religion is boring and a waste of time. I say I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. So I guess if I had to give a religion I would say Christianity.

2.) I used to not believe in a god...well I just didn't care to be honest. I didn't care so I never really gave religion a look.

3.) My upbringing was way jacked up bro...depressed mother, angry father....so definitely not an upbringing thing.

4.) Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Atheism, and Judaism.

5.) My faith is the only thing I can really count on in this world. I mean everything else is here today and gone tomorrow. I feel that my faith is the only thing I have that has a true foundation. Of course I've had doubts, but instead of giving up I researched more and more until I got my answers. In a sense doubt helped to deepen my faith.

6.) The only other religions that I felt had a somewhat legit claim were Islam and Judaism. I found it funny that these religions along with Christianity all had many of the same/similar religious leaders/stories. However, the only religion that I felt held together under scrutiny was Christianity. I know that if I claimed to be God, which Jesus clearly did, it wouldn't take you a single minute to disprove my claims. The same would probably go for you, however with Jesus this just isn't possible. We, just like the people who persecuted Him 2000 years ago, cannot disprove Jesus' claims as being God....Why??? It just doesn't make any sense unless He really was who He said He was....or at least that's how I feel.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

1) First of all, which religion would you say you belong to?
christian/baptist
2) If you lack belief in God, what led you to come to that conclusion? I don't I believe there is a God and always will b and no one can tell me there isnt!

3) If you are religious, do you think your upbringing highly affected what you believe in? (e.g. your parents' beliefs)
In some ways I do, however I know people who didnt even know anything about God untill attending church.

4) Have you explored any other religions deeply?
no, and why would I need to? all I know is that Im happy the way Iam and I feel God is with me not saying that every religion is bad....its just I know in my heart this is the right one for me!

5) What is your faith to you? Have you ever had doubts, and, if so, how did you regain your faith?
my faith means everything to me! I think people go though things where they asked themself if there rly is a god, then u seen that everything around u is pointing to him and u know that there is no other explation! I regained my faith by asking God to forgive me for thinking the things that I did and I believe he did!

6) What do you think of other religions? How do you know your religion is the right one? I think I explained that in question 4

Im glad to have helped u! I hope everthing worksout!

Answer 4

The mathematician Pascal said it was a good idea! Check out Pascal's Wager on wikipedia.

1) First of all, which religion would you say you belong to?
Protestant Christianity

2) If you lack belief in God, what led you to come to that conclusion?
G-d is not obvious. Even if I stipulate that He existed 2000 years ago, there hasn't been any concrete undisputable direct evidence in the past 1,970 years.

3) If you are religious, do you think your upbringing highly affected what you believe in? (e.g. your parents' beliefs)
Yep. My parents are Protestant Christians too.

4) Have you explored any other religions deeply?
Nope. Would you swallow "Xenu brought billions of people to Earth in DC-8 airplanes and stacked them around volcanoes and blew them up, then collected and brainwashed their ghosts?"

5) What is your faith to you? Have you ever had doubts, and, if so, how did you regain your faith?
A matter of convenience. Hey, I can walk into any protestant church and have a dozen instant friends. Beat that!

6.a.) What do you think of other religions?
Too expensive. Some require money, some require time.

6.b.) How do you know your religion is the right one?
I don't. Protestant Christianity has a pretty good cost/benefit ratio though.

Answer 5

1) Christianity (broadly defined, not the Fundamentalist variety)

2) N/A

3) Heh heh, yes of course my upbringing was highly influential in my beliefs. But I hardly hold to my parents' beliefs. We don't exactly see eye to eye on a lot of things.

4) Yes, and I'm always exploring. I still tend to come back and reinterpret other religious truths through the lens of my own Christianity. But I'm deeply affected by other religions, particularly Buddhism, Taoism and Judaism.

5) There's always doubts. Doubt is the seed of faith. You first have to ask questions; then you can come up with answers. Solid Faith is based on a well-reasoned search for answers.

6) All religions are simply quests for the Truth. So it's not a matter of mine being 'right'. It's just different ways of perceiving things. I learn more from listening to others' perspectives than trying to enforce my opinions on others.

Peace to you.

Answer 6

1) None.
2) I don't lack a belief in God. I just don't believe in yours.
3) I'm not religious, though I was raised Jewish, and still consider myself one. If you're not Jewish, you wouldn't understand, so just move along to...
4) "Deep" is non-specific. My answer would be meaningless, if we can't agree on the word "deep."
5) I have faith in a generally ordered universe. I've never had a reason to doubt it. When I pray, it is to find comfort and strength from within
6) Religion is fine, until:
a) someone with the ability to wage war or harm life does so in the name of their God. Then it blows BIG TIME.
b) religious people attempt to turn their beliefs into a Way of Life For the Rest of Us. Then it blows BIG TIME. I can't say that I practice a religion, so I can't really answer part 2 of Q 6.

Answer 7

Hey I'm a follower of Islam (a Muslim).

I have a firm belief in One Almighty God (Allah). Everyone please listen to these lectures.They are very interesting! The first one is proving the Existence of Almighty Allah by Dr. Zakir Naik and the second is proving that Almighty Allah doesn't have any partners associated with Him. When I say that Almighty Allah doesn't have partners associated with Him, I am saying that He doesn't have a mother, father, or a begotten son. No one is equal to Him. I am not sure of the second scholar's name.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=E2s14T6x5AM
http://youtube.com/watch?v=POaxlkSC3NQ&mode=related&search=

My parents have taught me many things about Islam. However, they never forced Islam down my throat and they have always supported my decisions. I chose, by myself, that I wanted to follow Islam. I really got into studying Islam at around 14 years old (I am almost sixteen now).

In Islam, it is encouraged to study other religions also. One needs to get the entire picture and to see what other religions have to say. I have an interest in all of the religions. I have read quite a bit on Christianity and a little on Judaism. I looked at Taoism, Buddhism, Hinduism also, but not in depth.

I believe 100% in Islam. I believe it is the correct religion, however, some people's beliefs are different, and that is fine, I respect that. Whenever I have any questions on Islam, immediately, I try my best to look for the answers. I want to learn more and more about Islam.

I respect all of the other religions. All religions teach good things. No religion teaches you to hate. There is always a peaceful message in every religion, despite what some people say. I believe Islam is correct because it makes the most sense to me. Many, many other people are seeing the truth in Islam. In Islam, there is proof and there is faith. As you are probably aware of, Islam is the fastest growing religion. There has to be a reason! People are finding the peace and truth in Islam.

Your questions are very interesting and I appreciate them.

I hope my answer has helped you.

Thank you for your time.

Answer 8

1) I believe in God, I have no religion.
3) I have held My beliefs all my life, not formed by my parents or influences during my upbringing.
4) I have searched all religions, but my heart tells me, I am on the right path.
5) I have never had doubts about my beliefs, but I found it necessary to explore other beliefs to have a better understanding of my own.
6) With other beliefs I see a lot of falsehoods, lies and twisting of Gods words.
I know within myself, that my beliefs are the "right ones".

Answer 9

Christian. No lack... Out of 3 older brothers and both parents, I have always flown solo in my faith. I've studied some, but not deeply...for nothing compares to Jesus. I have never once doubted God and my faith in Him. I have had many valley experiences where I have been through much fire, testings...but I can't and don't want to shake how awesome God is to me. God makes my life worth living, without my faith I would die alot sooner from sheer misery! I do not focus on other religions because God Is Love. For this reason alone eliminates all others.

Answer 10

What is the main reason people don't beleive in God?
Since this is the minority and thus the abnormality it seems a better question.
Here is the answer: Becuase they are evil.
What is evil? Evil is the opposite of good and good is everything that God is and thus dose and thus becuase he has the welfear of man close to his heart commands man to act. If man dose he is good and if no he is evil.
We must therefore conclude that all mankind is evill according to God (He can not lie.)
So being evil (It is the natueral state of things since Adam fell.) we can chose to repent of our evil and turn to God for mercy, or (the most common approch.) say we do not consider our deeds sins and thus except no responsibility for them. Now for some in the second group they can not convince themselve that their sins are "no sins" and therefor by reason are force to conclude that they are sinners again they could repent and look to God but they chose instead the delution that their is no God and thus no judgment for their sins. This the same reason some non-atheists do not reject the exsistence of God but instead they make a new god after their own desires "A god of love" that will not punish people in "Hell" for their sins. I personally prefer the atheists to these irrational relgionists who seem to think that a god that will not punish evil can somehow be recond a "good" god anymore than a judge that lets murderers walk free to kill others can somehow be a good judge. Their "god" and the "judge" are evil. And if that be the case we are all in for some trouble.
I have heard that religion is just a cruch. I always thought this to be a rather foolish statement since the God that more beleive in can just as likly send one to heavan or hell. Yes Heavan would be great, but Hell would be just that. But just blacking out wouldn't really be that bad after all it aint Heavan but it aint Hell either. Thus I must conclude that Atheism is a better cruch than Christianity, Islam, or Judism which in their true forms profess a heavan and a hell.
PS

robforgotit

The same reason we send our children to get educated as opposted to letting them do what they want all day. Becuase children are children and adults make the decistions, they can and must ultimatly make their own disitions as adults and when they are adults they will. And traning in religion never stopped the worlds great atheists from rejecting God and the morals that come with religion. Adolph Hitler (Rasied Catholic), Joseph Stalin (Raised Russian Othodox), Trotsky (Rasied Jewish) and on and on....And none of these religions teach people to Murder the mass for political or idological ends-that where atheism is for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 11

1. Buddhist (was raised Catholic)
2. The lack of evidence that He ever existed and His portrayal in the Old Testament as being vengeful and violent. I could never contemplate a perfect entity acting in such a way.
3. My parents belief in Catholicism taught me to have much respect for their beliefs. Their open mindedness allowed me the freedom to study other beliefs as well, which led me to Buddhism.
4. I have studied, and continue to study many other religions. I am always interested in hearing the beliefs of others and learning about other faiths.
5. Buddhism openly encourages you to question everything that it teaches and only to use it in your life if you find it helpful and true after much contemplation. Therefore, if I doubted anything I learned in Buddhism, I simply do not include it in my practice so I do not need to "regain" my faith. For example, I believe that the story of the Buddha taking several steps after his birth is just a story, I do not believe it actually happened. However, since I was not "forced" to believe it was true, I did not suffer a loss of faith over it.
6. I think most other religions have something of value to others. I am all for any religion that encourages its followers to be kind to others and to live in peace. I think there is no one "right" religion. We must all find our own paths.
Namaste!