If you see a bird flying, do you "choose" to believe the bird can fly? Can you tell yourself, "I choose to believe the bird can't fly", and actually believe it can't fly? Ofcourse not! Then it's subconcious isn't it? Can you choose not to love your mother?
I say this because I have numerously heard Christians say people choose to be homosexual Oo um......??? People choose to not love Jesus. People choose not to believe in the bible. Since when did subconcious feelings become a choice? You tell me.
2007-10-28 20:50:51 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes, I've read the Bible and I wen't to a Christian school. I know pretty much everything there is to it. And I don't choose not to believe, I just don't believe in it. It isn't a matter of choice, but rather common sense.
2007-10-28 20:54:07 · update #1
M Stoned, if you're not really convinced, how can you actually believe? Can you choose to believe that you can fly?
2007-10-28 21:00:17 · update #2
If your girlfriend told you she didn't have an affair, do you "choose" to believe or not believe? If you know she's that kind of girl and your friends saw her in the act, can you "choose" to believe her? No. You either believe or you don't, which is subject to change but not by choice.
2007-10-28 21:04:57 · update #3
Didn't expect a straight answer, and I got no surprise... - -"
2007-10-28 21:09:17 · update #4
The Bible says what is right and wrong anything else man says what they chose to believe is right or wrong, yes you can chose not to love your mother, not to love God, not to love Jesus you can even chose to believe you can fly or that the bird can't fly but this will not make it so, so therefore you have people believing what they want to believe rather than what is fact or truth, and this is why there are so meny diferences in religious opinion of what is right and wrong and people saying, "truth is whatever you want it to be." So yes you can chose to believe the truth by researching til you get the truth or you can chose to believe what you want to believe by just believing regardless!
2007-10-28 22:42:35 · answer #1 · answered by I speak Truth 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think we've lost the meaning of what it means to "believe." When you use the word "believe," you mean "to agree to a proposition." I believe birds can fly. Well, most birds, anyway. Unfortunately, I think when Christians say "believe," in general, they mean the same thing. "Do you believe that Jesus lived, died and rose again on the 3rd day to pay the penalty for our sins so that we don't have to burn in hell?" They are asking, "Do you agree to this proposition?" If you do, then you believe it. But I think that "believe" is more appropriately defined as putting your trust in, and depending on. For example, I could say that I believed that the chair that YOU are sitting in could hold me up. But I wouldn't really "believe" it until I sat down in it. In other words, you live like it's true. (I'm not sure a lot of Christians who "believe" live like it's true.)
Now with the homosexual thing, you have to realize that not all Christians think that it's necessarily a choice. For me, the jury is still out on that one. Who knows for sure? All I know is that homosexuals are people that Jesus loves, and I should too. End of story.
So with that said, I do think that belief (as I defined it) is a choice. People show you what they believe by how they live, not necessarily what they say. Happy choice-making!
2007-10-29 04:16:12 · answer #2 · answered by Sweetfeet 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We humans have been given the blessing/curse of FREE WILL.
That is a heavy burden at times. We are allowed to CHOOSE to either believe or not believe. The consequences for those choices or exercises of our free will can and does distort our perceptions.
When we gain control over this 'gift' and learn to use it correctly is when we are enlightened.
2007-10-29 04:06:22 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, believing isn't a choice. You can only choose when you know. Since belief in God is something you do without knowing, it can't be called a choice. A better word would be "guess". We do not believe in the existance of God so much as we guess there is a God.
2007-10-29 04:02:34 · answer #4 · answered by foru0810 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
(2 Timothy 3:14-17) You, however, continue in the things that you learned and were persuaded to believe, knowing from what persons you learned them 15Â and that from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through the faith in connection with Christ Jesus. 16Â All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, 17Â that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.
...you were persuaded to believe..,..
2007-10-29 04:53:13 · answer #5 · answered by pugjw9896 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As long as you're alive you believe something, that life is worth living. Non-belief in anything is not humanly possible. Which is better, to believe the truth or lies?
2007-10-29 04:06:00 · answer #6 · answered by single eye 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
depends on the individual i suppose,, coz for any human there consists of two types of believes , one he gets urged to choose due to sub-conscious and another one he chooses himself with a conscious mind,,,and after a bit of thinking,,,,,, so its a bit varied in thought as far as principle of believing is to believed,,,, This too is a matter of choice ,,,,:)
2007-10-29 03:56:45 · answer #7 · answered by I M Stoned 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you know what is meant by "A Leap of Faith"? I think you will find your answer there.
2007-10-29 05:12:01 · answer #8 · answered by Spock 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋