What purpose does it serve a person to believe in a god?

Question

Since I am an atheist who lives a whole, happy, and healthy life without any belief in a god then what purpose does it serve a person to believe in a god?

Honest personal answers that are not religious text related please.

Michael - I have no belief in god because there is no evidence to give reason to believe in one. Just as there is no evidence to give reason to believe that there are invisible gnomes in people's gardens.

Answer 1

yes, like sweeny todd said... for status and to give some invisible structure when they feel they cant run thier own lives properly and need someone or an org to tell them how to think and make decisions for themselves

Answer 2

Well your case is a rare one, my friend. Everyone has his worries, problems, troubles, sufferings etc etc.

You asked for personal answers, so I'll try to avoid relating to religious texts. Belief in God does give security and confidence that there is Divine Mercy, Justice, Wisdom, besides other things we need in order to survive in this life and have a better other life.

Belief in God is a social necessity. Police is not enough to stop crime, but, rather, having a conscience and feeling the presence of a God that is on your side, that helps you without the need to steal, and that CAN punish you of you behave bad.

When a person loses a dear family member, faith helps a lot to pass through this difficulty, knowing that there is another life where you could meet with your loved ones. Knowing that everything has a reason, and if you don't know it, then God does, and we should accept His Wisdom.

There are more details, maybe never ending, and they do serve normal people who usually have some problem in their life and find a lot of solace in God.

Peace/salaam.

Answer 3

"God" is a label that tries to define the next phase. Does an atheist believe that there is no existence beyond death - chemically? That as you reduce back to carbon the physical remnants do not take on a new existence after the human form?
I see in all things a great and infinite potential for more than I could comprehend. I am positive that that I will exist beyond death. I find that "God" is a familiar term that people use to say "I believe in something...." everyone knows what it implies but the individual versions are immeasurable, ultimately forcing people to say they don't believe in "God" to defend a different view. I think that many use the concept in vain as it simply serves as a preparatory tool for dying, accepting death or more positively transformation. To accept "God" is to embrace an idea that you will leave this world to move onto the next. Then comes the part where everyone feeds personal needs with arguable definitions, and selfish motives. I don't care what you call it just understand the bigger picture.

Answer 4

A belief in god serves the following purposes for many people:

1. It helps them to grieve for departed loved ones, as they feel that they have gone to a better place and that one day, they will be re-united with them.

2. It helps certain people to move forward in a positive way in this life, if they believe that death is not the end. A lot of folks would say that if you die and then there is nothing, thay life is pointless. (I accept that the atheist argument is the reverse of this). In other words, faith = hope, for theists.

2b. It comforts those who are terrified of death, that there is an afterlife and that they will be in peace.

3. It helps to establish a feeling of what is right and wrong, through religious texts and teaching.

4. It provides an explanation for non-atheists, regarding how the universe got here.

Most atheists would of course argue against all of this, but my list (and other items I've missed) provide the flip side to their opinions.

Answer 5

Einstein, who wasn't a particularily God believer, said (paraphrased), there has to be a superior entity that constructed this existence as it is so complex. Many erudite quantitative scientist have concurred with this notion. God could mean a being, like as in alien from another time, dimension, universe, etc. We could be an experiment. If you read the Christian bible in this context, you probably will find it fascinating. For example, He rose in a cloud. What was that cloud? God appeared as a burning bush. Why a burning bush? Words used to describe the creator, like infinite, superior, " I am who I am." may give an inquisitive person a thinking out of the box experience. Explore it from a quantitative versus a qualitative experience. Let me know what you discover!

Answer 6

Within the structure of a religious world of spiritual power and thought combining meditation thou seek inner sanctions of happiness and content in life.

It may have started in the Stone Age of the homo sapians who connected with the death of loved ones who die. To be able to explain why the seasons come and go. To relate tribal law and myths of why when and how they came to be.

The world of agnostics views linger on the tongs of most who have had some religious teachings and have now awaken to the scientific views of how why and when did this universe and others that we don't know about came to be.

In short we can say a God-man made this so or we can ponder our thoughts to Darwinism and look to the heavens for answerer's in a test tube.

Answer 7

Honestly, I can't put my purpose for believeing in god into words.
its so much more than that.
A long time ago i didn't believe in god either and i was a healthy person and i thought i was happy.
when i accepted christ i realized that i get unconditional love from him and no matter what i do or how much i screw up he will always love me. Just knowing that made me happy.
and about what you added after that.
Just because you can't see something doesn't mean its not there.
See the mind always wants to ask why?
and Its hard for humans to grasp their mind around something that can't be answered.
Well yeah.
i hope i helped.

Answer 8

Only a few things:
1) Knowing that this life isn't going to end up rotting in a grave.
2) Knowing that God love you and will take care of you.
3) Learning the truth, which eludes people smarter than I am, it has to do with spiritual things, and those certain more intelligent people have no clue, that's comforting.

Answer 9

Well, it's like asking, what is the purpose of your whole world view?

What is the purpose of your "atheism"?

By the way, which things you believe in that make you believe in the non-existence of god? Do you have any evidences that he does not exist or you just believe he does not exist irrationally (without any evidences for that)? (If latter, that makes you a believer).

Answer 10

as one individual quoted "do each and every thing for the honour of God" you are able to serve God on your daily residing. we are to love God with all your being and others as your self. i can serve God with the aid of serving others. Doing my activity. Going to college. yet in all issues keeping Him in innovations and doing all issues as though i exchange into doing it for Him. it quite is a tall order and probable you will never meet all of us who can say they have ever completed this completely even nevertheless it quite is a few thing to attempt for. that's the attempt that counts. wish this solutions your question, I wasn't specific precisely what you have been asking.

Answer 11

The purpose for me is that I just *believe* there is a God. It is very hard for me to believe that everything just got here by chance. I do believe in scientific theories as well, but to me science is the "how" of God's magnificent creation. I'm sure you believe in science too. I call it God and you call it science. Same thing, different word.