Why should i believe in god?

Question

My mother believed and went to church every sunday for 70 years when she died in her sleep she was clutching the bible. The reason i ask my question is if she believed so much why did god let her die with nothing, i don't believe in god and i own my own business home and three cars , married to a beatiful woman with two kids going to college in three years and we could not be happier, what is god doing that would make me stop doing what i'm doing and pick up a bible?

And please don't tell me it's for my soul in the hearafter because i lived for over 30 something years and have not met one person who said that place actually exists.

I'm asking because i was thinking about my mother today when i was settling her debt account and she used to always say "God would make a way for me" but she died with nothing.

Answer 1

Maybe you shouldn't i'm happy without him or her or it.

Answer 2

Let's see what may make you pick a Bible... once you realize that one day... you may experience what your mother did but instead of having in your hands God, you'll have your car, maybe all twisted around you while driving depressed after becoming broke due to future bankruptcy in your country and finding out that your beautiful woman is cheating on you for the money you can no longer provide. Fact is days will be over no matter how big your business is, no matter how huge your car or bank account is. And then what will you have?
It's hard to think about death when you are living, and even harder when you are living the American dream. But that's what it is, a dream. Sorry to announce ... but dreams don't last forever.

Please consider this as coming from your best friend. Otherwise I would not care to answer this profound question.

Best regards!

Answer 3

You mother died as rich as Jesus.

Here life is short and full of trouble, trouble is all around, sickness, death and accidents that injure or kill to make life hard or cut it short, disasters are
everywhere and that is what the bible is saying, the end is death here, then
the plan of salvation.
So it is not what you have here that your going to die and leave behind, that counts, but what you will have in the new heavens and in the new earth where you mother will have it all.
Do you believe that here you are dying every day? Eccl.3:19-21; 12:7;

What will you have in the new heavens and in the new earth? 2Pet.3:13;

Abraham, Gen.13:2; Lot, Isaac and Job were very rich here.
Here does not count as the end here is death, so these were ever aware that they were living in an earth they did not create and having wealth on soil they did not make, so they were thankful to the God for giving them the opportunity to be here and thankfulness and being grateful kept them from being trespassers and made them elligible to be in the new heavens and the new earth, where there is no death. Matt.6:9-13; John 14:13,14,28; 16:23,26; 17:3;

Answer 4

You can't believe what you don't believe. It's not a choice, either you do or you don't. Some would say it's not our place to question what God chooses or chooses not to do. Some say that when he's not there when we we need him the most, it's because he isn't there at all. Only you can decide what you actually believe. Promises of eternal life is like a carrot on a stick, but that's only based on wishes and hopes and is not sufficient reason to believe in something as reality. Some of the people answering appear to have interpreted your references to a successful life as a sign that you are filthy rich and that all you care about is money. I don't believe that that's what you intended or that wealth is what you hold most valuable. Hard work provided you with financial security such as we all need. Waiting on God alone will never supply that security and there's a real good chance that it's because he doesn't exist.

Answer 5

Belief in God (or some Higher Power whatever you want to call it) is like putting capital letters and reasonable punctuation in your sentences. It shows where things begin and end so that we make sense and understand each other better. Without either one, we appear to be selfish nitwits no matter how good our ideas might be. Pain can even make us blind to a miracle: which is the ultimate foolishness. So don't despair!

As for "defining" God, the one thing I know is that He (or She or It) is infinite. So it's only normal that such a being will always be beyond my understanding. Then again so is Love, and though I sometimes lose faith in it or have a hard time finding it, I am sure it does exist. It's not Love's fault I get lost sometimes, but it sure feels better when I find it again, that's for sure!.

As for the self-righteous nitwits who might quote scripture to show you where you're wrong, don't let 'em bother you. Jesus himself had a few choice words for them in his day (when they were called the Pharisees) -- and along with most of the greatest men and women who ever lived -- his own moment of doubt.

Answer 6

I know why I believe in God. Every beat of my heart, every breath from my lungs, every conscious moment, the ground I stand upon, the eyes I see through, the music, the laughter, the tears, the pain, the joy, the light, the darkness.

Our existence isn't an accident. It is his gift. When you believe in him, he reveals himself to you and you become caught up with living in eternity. The kingdom of God has already come to dwell with humanity. He came as a tiny baby, born in a stable, had no house, car, kids, and only walked on the earth for 33 years. But while he was here, he healed the sick, freed people held captive by fear, demons, sins, and the relentless evil power of hell. I have a gift from him called faith which gives me the peace that surpasses all understanding. My college degrees, kids, house, cars, husband, beautiful community, and peaceful neighborhood can end this evening, but I will remain alive in him forever.

Answer 7

In my heart, God is very real. Not the one deplicted in the bible, along with it's fairy tales (my opinion only) , not the guy nailed to a cross, not the one hellbount (ha) to ultimately torture you forever amen if you don't see it his (her) way. God is not a religion, but a way of living. God simply wants us to love and nuture and open our hearts to one another...period. It doesn't include holidays, where we dread family gatherings, maxing out our credit cards, and religious ceremonies. God isn't affiliated with a Buddah, the Pope, rosary beads, hannakah, nunneries, psychics, saints, temples, baptismals, etc., etc... That's man's work, not God's. If we all undertood God's plan and true love for us, we wouldn't be having wars, afraid of an Armageddon, giving tithings to empower a church in order to buy our way to a ficticious heaven. God has something wonderful beyond what our pea brains could ever imagine in store for us after we exit this life...don't have a clue what it may be..just know. And God answers my prayers, the ones I only say in private in the inner chambers of my mind. And they don't include clutching a religious token. Whether your an Atheist, a Buddist, a Jew, God loves you. There's not going to be an ultimate punishment of lake of fire for your beliefs or non belief. JUst be the best person you can be and when you wanna talk to the big Guy, don't worry about going thru a middleman!

Answer 8

the way i see it every person has a god. that's why there are many religions others believe in science
or "money". I was baptized catholic as a kid, grew up fearing god and still did some evil,could you imagine what could have happen if i didn't believe in my god. so i believe that the belief of a superior been is to keep us from doing further evil.
don't take me wrong but when you die you are going just like your mother all your earthly possessions are staying behind to make trouble for your heirs

Answer 9

1 Co 15:49-57
And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.

50I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
55"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?"
56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Answer 10

Why did _you_ let her die with 'nothing?' You're the one who has three cars, owns a home and business, and has enough money to soon put two children through college.

(You may have and probably did financially help your mother, but you don't mention that anywhere in your question.)

If your mother died with 'nothing,' it is because she and/or your father either didn't or couldn't adequately save or invest toward her old age when she was younger.

I suspect, though, that your mother died with something--the 'something' that kept her going through the financially difficult final years.

God is love. Love gives you strength. Love cannot prevent misfortune from happening. You don't have to read the Bible to find that strength, but you do have to have faith.

Seenotes--What you said was beautiful.

Answer 11

If you don't believe you have any reason to believe in God, why are you even asking? Something inside of you feels compelled to ask, and until you figure out what that need to know is, no one will be able to answer that question for you. There had to be something about your mother's faith which you still acknowledge as valid, or you would have no valid reason to be asking about God. And the strange thing is, you didn't ask "why should I believe that God exists? You asked why should you believe in God. Whether you realize it or not, the two are not the same. I think you already accept the existence of God, and are only asking why should you have faith in God, since you think you're doing just fine without God.

After all, you boast about how much (material earthly treasures) you have acquired without faith, and your mother having died with what you perceive as nothing. You are making a comparison of yourself with her as to which is more important. And for your mother, she already answered that question. For her, it was the relationship she had with God, not how much He could or would give her. So let me give you an earthly comparison.

Which would you rather have?
1. A healthy and enduring relationship with you wife and children.
2. All of the wealth and accomplishments you could ever dream of.

For your mother, she chose #1. Because an enduring relationship with God is indeed number ONE.
And just for the record, I question whether I actually have one. But I do remember what it was like to think I did have one. It's the difference between chaos and clarity. Your mom had clarity. The must still be something in you to recognize the presence of chaos, despite all of the THINGS you have.

Oh yes. If there is any one thing you need to believe, believe this. THE LAST THING ON EARTH YOU WANT TO HOLD UP TO GOD AS PROOF OF YOUR OWN SECURITY AND INDEPENDENCE, ARE THE VERY THINGS YOU HOLD SO DEAR TO YOU. NEVER EVER CHALLENGE THE AUTHORITY AND POWER OF GOD TO REMOVE WHAT YOU HAVE AS PROOF OF YOUR ABILITY TO DO WITHOUT HIM. UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO DO WITHOUT ALL OF THOSE THINGS YOU HOLD DEAR TO YOU!

I need to ask you some more questions of my own.
1. Do you have any real reason to believe your mother didn't love you?
2. If you do believe she loved you, do you think she didn't regularly pray for you?
3. If you're not her only child, are you the only one who denies a relationship with God?
4. If you do have siblings, and all of you are as prosperous as the other, are you using your combined prosperity as evidence of God's inadequacy?
5. If you are her only unfaithful child, are you judging yourself better than your siblings, if they are as impoverished as you perceived your mother to be?
6. Why is the accumulation of wealth and prosperity so important to you? Would you not have peace without it?

Shingoshi Dao
2007.Nov.29 Thu, 19:42 --800 (PST)