I am an atheist. Give me one good reason why I should believe in God?

Question

And don't just say "because if you don't, you'll go to hell". I actually want a good logical reason for why god exists and why I should convert. Don't base your answer on previous assumptions. I want to know about some compelling evidence or reason why I should believe in god.

Atheist: I'm with you on that one! I'll get the chips.

Answer 1

Oh, this should be fun to watch!

Answer 2

There are philosophical reasons for believing in God that you may not have considered. For instance, Plato's "Gyges' Ring." Turn the ring and you become invisible. What would you do if you had no limits as to what you could get away with? What controls you? Your upbringing? Governments? Nothing? By definition, if you are an atheist, turn the ring and you are one dangerous person. No God, so enjoy life because the time you have on this earth is all there is, make the most of it. For a Christian, ideally anyway, we have a different situation of ethics that are in place because of biblical teachings. It doesn't have to be Christianity though that should convince you of the existence of some higher power. But we can at least establish an agnostic belief, if nothing else, that will give you principles to live by.

Or, how about "the allegory of the Cave"? Someone to bring you out of the shadows that you have been used to, showing you the Truth. Plato saw the person that leads one out of the shadows as a philosopher king. But since we are talking about ethics, we have to have someone greater than a philosopher or governments themselves to reshape our thinking. Again, we come to the necessity for the existence of God, otherwise we have no idea if we are being merely led out of shadows and into more shadows. Our external entity here cannot be man, or we would have to worship him. And this has been tried, World War II comes to mind and Hirohito not being the god he told the masses that he was. Hitler and Saddam both had Gyges' Ring for a short time, unlimited power with only the morals of other nations to stop them from their crimes. Where did those morals come from? "One nation, under God," largely influenced by Judeo-Christian ethics in its government.

Anyway that's my logic, and I'd welcome any private e-mails you'd like to send in rebuttal to this.

Answer 3

Honestly no person can give you a reason. It has to be a choice you make for yourself. Do I think your going to hell? No Why? Because being atheist in itself does not make you a bad person. I think if you treat people good, if you are a good human being than you'll be in Heaven.

I believe in God because He/She has got me through some times I would have never been able to get through alone. I believe Jesus did die for all mankind. He was alive and was crucified and History and Science backs this up. The tomb, the shroud, Mt. Calvary was all found.

But it's up to you and no matter what you choose to believe it doesn't make you wrong.

Answer 4

I am also an atheist, and I don't see proof that God "exists," but I do see that believing in a higher power can shape some people's lives into a more positive experience. Some people become more accepting and tolerant of others because of their religion, some people become more hardworking because of their duty to God, some people become more happy with life because they find hope when they previously didn't have a will to live.

I am not saying you have to believe in God to be these things. In fact, I am atheist yet I like to think that I am accepting and tolerant of all differences, hardworking, and living life to its fullest potential. It's just whatever works the best for you to reach these ideals...whether it's believing in God or something else that motivates you...is what you should follow.

Nobody can tell you that God exists, unless of course you see God yourself. Hey, if God came up to me and said, "Yo, I exist!" even my atheist self wouldn't say, "NO, I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!" Most people who believe in God believe in him not because there was "solid proof" that s/he existed, but because they have faith...

So don't follow something just because someone tells you to. I am 17 right now and I have thought a lot about religion - I still do. I have decided that for now, I don't believe in God (I was never raised with any religion whatsoever - I've never even been to a church, I've only been to a temple once for a bar mitz vah. My mom is shinto and my dad is buddhist by association, but niether were raised strictly religious. My mom says she believes in a god, I don't know about my dad.) However, I wouldn't mind if in the future I did become religious for one reason or another. I still have a long time to change, and decide! As long as your mind and heart is in whatever religion you choose to believe, it isn't "wrong." It's only wrong if you never question it, and just blindly follow a faith because that's what everyone else is doing.

Good luck, and I hope you find something that satisfies you.

Answer 5

Man may say that he doesn't believe in God, but who gives him the power to say this? When death comes, this speaking power ceases—so who is giving the power of speech? Has the speaking power come automatically from stone? As soon as the speaking power is withdrawn by the Supreme Authority, the body is no better than stone. The very power of speech is proof that there is a Supreme Power who is giving us everything. A Krishna conscious person knows that whatever he has is not under his control. If we do not believe in God, we must believe in some power beyond us which is controlling us at every step, call that power God or nature or whatever. There is a controlling power in the universe, and no sane man can deny it.
Krishna was present 5000 years ago on this earth and appeared just like a human being with supernatural power. At that time, however, ninety-nine percent of the people could not recognize Him as God. They could not recognize Him because they had no eyes to see. How is it possible to recognize God? He can be recognized through supernatural power, by the evidence of authorities, and by scriptural evidence.
As far as Krishna is concerned, every Vedic authority has accepted Him as God. When He was present on earth, His activities displayed were superhuman. If one does not believe this, it is to be concluded that he will not believe whatever evidence is given.

Answer 6

There isn't a good reason for you as a person to convert. Unless personally, you seek spiritual guidance, or an event has given you the need for a higher being for consolation. I view religion as a spiritual crutch, or perhaps a mentality. I really don't know you as a person, but you know what's right, and as long you hold onto that ideal, nothing anyone says will really sway you.

Answer 7

Because I have personally met Jesus. He installs fence for us.
Wait you asked about God. Since you're an atheist, you have already made up your mind. Nothing no one tells you will change your mind. Be at peace with that decision! In the famous words another atheist, George Carlin "When you get to heaven and are standing in line, pick the religon where the line is moving the fastest!

Answer 8

There is absolutely no need to believe in a God. Also there is no harm if you believe in one. God is something like an unknown 'x' we use in maths. Once you come to realise the truth religions or atheism is meaningless. That truth is absolute. Religions and even atheism signify the paths to find the truth. By themselves they are not important. Once you have reached the destination there is no more use and need for the vehicle.
Incidentally in today's world we need less of religion and more of spirituality.

Answer 9

I don't think you can give me a good reason to not think some higher power is out there so we're even.
You could look at it this way, A couple hundred years ago no one knew about radio waves but they existed, a few centuries ago no one knew about all of the planets, but they existed. Just because there is no proof is not proof. We are perhaps beyond and will always be beyond proving the existence of God, but then that's why there is faith. why atheists think they have no faith is beyond me, since i think it takes as much faith to say there is no God as saying there is.

Answer 10

Can you prove there is no God?

Evolution says we all evolved from animals, is there any proof? Has anyone ever witnessed these changes, sure not major changes but little by little? No, no one has ever witnessed evolution.

Though I may not have proof of God, you can't proove that there is not a God.

All I can tell you is what I know from the Bible, which says
"A fool says in his heart there is no God"

We are fearfully and wonderfully made. We grow in moms belly for 9 months, we come out and are dumb to the world, we have to learn how to do everything from eating to sleeping and everything in between. I believe in God because I believe we didn't just come from some animal, that a higher power (GOD) had his hand in making me who I am today. He put me here on Earth to do his will. He will not make you believe in him. He gave us a free will to choose, just as he gave Eve when she was decieved by the devil. And he gives you the free will to choose him. I really pray that you will choose him.
God sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, please don't reject him let him in your heart. He will lead you places you never would dream of. God Bless

Answer 11

One good reason: It is more convenient within a society that prevalently holds the belief to agree than to dissent.

Good reasons to believe can be provided, it's logical arguments that would indicate that this belief would correlate with reality that don't exist.