Christians, do you believe out of ignorance based fear or knowledge based love? Basis for your belief?

Question

DO you fear the unknowns of death, or do you love god because you have some proof of the afterlife and of the existence of god?

For the record, A lack of belief need no foundation. the daming lack of a foundation for theism suffices atheism. Atheism has nothing to hold up, what does it need a foundation for?

Red, touching story, it is exactly this type of annectdotal evidence that perplexes me. I believe that you are convinced of the story, but I also believe that without one iota of emprical data to back up this sort of story... it is complete B.S, false memories are common among children who want to please a parent and support them in some beleif they hold, as you grow older you accept these things as true memories. but if you examine your story, go talk to the doctors etc... if you were dead when you got to the hospital, you would have been declared dead and sent to the morgue

ector, when I refute testimony, I try not to mock people, and I avoid the personal attack,

BTW, when my neice was 5 she nearly drowned, she was unconcious blue grey, all tht jazz, she is 20 and agnostic.. she didn't see any vague "Guy" who told her it is time to go back... she wasn't standing on the edge of the pool, she was out of it, no memory of the time she was knocked out..

Answer 1

IcePig what an appropriate pseudonym...I'm anything but ignorant...I believe because I have sought the truth and found it in what I have lived and witnessed...

Everyone fears the unknowns of death...if you don't..then please come to my house and we'll test your resolve...slowly so I can monitor your departure...

And on what do you base your beliefs? Ignorance or fear?

Answer 2

If I reach the end of my life and find there is no heaven I will not regret living my life based on the belief of a loving, forgiving God who wishes us to love and forgive each other. It is the basis of my hope, my joy, and yes at times, my anguish--for I know what I could be, and am not yet. My faith does not rest on promises of an easy life in this world, but in the hope of a transformation into a being capable of loving as Christ loves me. That process begins in this life, and is completed in the next.

Edit--sorry, you asked for proof. If we were talking face to face, it would be different, but some things are too personal for me to put on the Internet, the mockery of what I experienced would be too painful. Sorry if that seems like a cop-out.

Edit--Pig, I didn't mean you would mock me, but was referring to other people who don't have your civility. One or two such people are on here. :)

Answer 3

One need not fear something in order to believe it exists. There are many people who have experienced the presence of God and the afterlife. For them, that is all the proof they needed. Others must find their own way toward that which is unknown to them.

Answer 4

The basis for my belief has been an experience of the presence of God in my life, coupled with study of His word over a period of ten years...and coming to find it tested and true.

And to Red: Thank God dearest, that you are alive. Thank you for that story.

Answer 5

Jesus said not to go to the Left or the Right. But that is exactly what we have in our world. Human Nature, (Emotionalism), leading to extremism. The Left and the Right. Liberals and Conservatives. One extreme to the other.
When the uninitiated read Wisdom Teachings, they see only contradictions. The wise see Wisdom as seeing all sides of the issue. As ourr Creator wants us to make informed decisions, and have an even mind.

Answer 6

look, if Christians are so off of it ,and believe in GOD whether out of fear or love a n d are wrong leave them alone.Don't you think GOD knows when to give people fear to teach them wisdom and love to establish them.he is sovereign all mighty......christians are his business,not any body elses.

Answer 7

I love God because I know there is more to life than the physical body. When I was five, I lived out in the country and the only contact with the outside world was TV or when we went into town. My parents were not religious and NEVER talked about God and neither did any of my family.

We had a pond in the back yard that we would skate on in the winter. I was in a hurry one day and took off for the pond while my brothers were still getting ready. I knew better but I wanted to skate. As I cut through the weeds, I fell through the ice and I tried to get out but was overcome by the cold and slipped under the water. The strange part is I suddenly saw myself from the outside and then I was standing at the edge of the whole looking at my body under water. I was dead. I saw my brothers come out and they were joking and laughing until they saw the hole and didn't see me on the ice. My older brother got a pale look on his face and slid flat up to the hole and looked in and screamed when he saw me. He had my other brother run and get my parents as he reached in and pulled me out. I could see I was not breathing and was blue grey. My dad ran up and grabbed me and hugged me and started to cry. He ran to the house where they tried to warm me and get me breathing but nothing worked. They drove me to the hospital and there I heard them talking. They were praying to God and saying "God, I'm not sure if you are there or not but if you save my son, I will be in your debt for the rest of my life."

I heard all this while I was with them and I was way down the hall from my body. I would walk between my body and them. I could see the doctors working hard to warm me up and get me breathing again.

I then saw someone I knew didn't fit in with the rest and he looked right at me and said, it's time to go. I asked him where and he said I had to go back. The next thing I know I felt horrible pain and was coughing up water.

After I was in recovery my parents came in and I told them that They are in debt to God for life and they said "What?" I told them what I saw and heard and they dropped to their knees and cried. They confirmed what I saw and heard. There is no possible way for me to have known what I did unless I was out of body. No way to be out of body unless there is a spirit.

That is why I believe. And that is why my whole family believes too. We know for a fact that there is more than the physical body.

Added: Icepig, It is not a false memory. I remember it as if it were yesterday in crisp clear detail. My parents and I never talked about it and it was a family experience. My WHOLE family remembers it the exact same way.

And your ignorance is astounding regarding hospitals. If a parent runs in with a child, they don't just throw you on a slab in the morgue. They work on you for a bit to see if they can bring you around. Even back then they knew that kids are resilient and people that fell through lakes could be revived long after normal people would be dead.

And just the final nail in your coffin, I did go back to that hospital years later and the Doctor that worked on me was still there and he remembered the incident. It changed his life too. Being a Doctor, he was a non-believer until I came into his life. He thanked me for giving him faith. It changed his life forever.

But we all know that there is not a damn thing in this world that will change the minds of the ignorant like you. You could have God himself appear right in front of you and take you to another planet or stand on the Sun without getting harmed and you would just think you were hallucinating. People like you are sad. You live your life not believing anything that your senses can't experience and even then you still question some.

I feel sorry for you and those like you. So empty and shallow.

But don't worry, God believes in you and will forgive your ignorance.

Answer 8

I do not fear death. I have proof that no matter what happens, the Lord will be with me. I believe in the afterlife.

Answer 9

I disagree. whilst i became switched over, it became not out of concern. It became extra out of prefer. After examining the Bible for a whilst, I stepped forward a healthy concern of God because of the fact he will self-discipline His infants whilst they sin.

Answer 10

I feel that a search for truth is rewarding of itself. I feel that knowledge of scripture has brought me more understanding of, and harmony with, the Creator YHVH.