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Why do you believe in god?

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BTRA

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So here I am; bored, tired, and thinking about the world as I fall asleep and I can't help but wonder why people are Christians and believe in god? Is it social pressure? Family pressure? Do you go just to tell people that you went to church today? Is it a routine?

Would you change your beliefs if there was overwhelming evidence against it? Would you just dismiss it? Do you like going to church? Do you use it to meet girls?




Please has a reasonable discussion. I'd like to see peoples thoughts on this!
 
Why is it necessarily Christians? Don't others believe in God too? Either way, my belief is grounded in faith, nothing more and nothing less. I don't have any evidence, no real pressure either. The fact that you can't disprove God has no real affect on me either.Just my faith, people everyday question it and many look down on me because of it but that's ok. If someone doesn't believe in God, that's their decision too, so whatever. But as for me, it's just faith.
 
Topicality question: do you intend for people to respond to other people's reasons at all?

Not sure why I'm asking, it'll happen anyway...
 
At times like this I wish GAF had a "hide thread" button to avoid the onslaught that's about to begin, specially from how the OP worded his post.
 
Not god per se, but reality, life and the universe we live in is such a complicated incomprehensible mind fuck that there must be some kind of plan or blueprint here, anyone who thinks this is all just an accident hasn't thought it through enough.

And if we can trace all life back to the amoeba, where the hell did the amoeba come from?
 
Whether or not I believe in a god depends on how I wake up that morning.

However, I have no belief in a religion. Limiting what is inherently almighty by placing it in humanistic terms, and often with equivalents/enemies seems foolish to me.

On days when I do believe in a god, I also believe there is no such thing as good and evil, for a god would have created everyone with the understanding of how they will act, as influenced by their environment/others.

It is amazingly difficult for me to explain the incomprehensible power of a god, perhaps that is why traditional religion has had to humanize even limit the powers of an almighty.
 
I hate this thread already. Damn my concern with other people's shitty reasoning and empty philosophy.
 
I believe that there are forces at work that humans will never be able to comprehend, I think it would be nice to take it one more step and define those forces as possibly sentient. I guess I do believe in God.

Off-topic, while I'm sure that DC, Marvel, and the US have laws against the following, yet it exists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olr2Cr3LHbE
 
To be completely blunt. I just don't know how else to explain all the shit I've seen happen in my life. I am not talking "ooh why couldn't I get that loan for my new car" kind of crap.

Talking about people wasting their lives away from depression, death for no apparent reason, random tragedies to the kindest people I know. It makes no fucking sense to me at all.

If I didn't believe there was some sort of reason behind all this shit I'd end my life right now.
 
i don't want to post in this thread i don't want to post in this thread i don't want to post in this thread i don't want to post in this thread i don't want to post in this thread



AkuMifune said:
And if we can trace all life back to the amoeba, where the hell did the amoeba come from?

If there is a "plan" or "blueprint", where did it come from? And who designed it? And where did that entity come from?
 
This will not end well. You sound disrespectful in the way you word your complex questions. I suggest you study this particular topic very well until you are ready to ask them. Otherwise, this is just child's play. I guess that's what you want because this is Neogaf after all.

I guess I'll sum it up by saying that people do what they want, because different things work for different people. Nobody is wrong, nobody is right. They just decide to follow a different path with many "rights" and "wrongs." Faith is just one of those hard to grasp topics. Just think, that they think of you the same way you think of them and you'll realize that you should just let them be.
 
BTRA said:
So here I am; bored, tired, and thinking about the world as I fall asleep and I can't help but wonder why people are Christians and believe in god? Is it social pressure? Family pressure? Do you go just to tell people that you went to church today? Is it a routine?

Would you change your beliefs if there was overwhelming evidence against it? Would you just dismiss it? Do you like going to church? Do you use it to meet girls?
Well this isn't condescending!

Please has a reasonable discussion.
Uh huh...
 
Sharp said:
Just in case.
Just wait for it to backfire when it turns out that only people who believed in said God are punished.

Pascal's Wager only works if the possibility of reality is limited to only either the Christian religion and no God at all. And even then... I'm sure some Christians would object to the nature of your belief.
 
Is there a reason to believe in God? The answer would be: "When I die I will go to this cherry-happy golden world where:"

a) I can get a bunch of virgins
b) Worship God every fucking hour of my eternal life

I find B) extremely boring, A is at least compelling, but I gotta blow myself up to achieve it, so if I follow Christianity I'll end up with B. Not much of a benefit to believe in God right =(
 
Because I was diagnosed with a tumor on my spine, and two days later a spinal surgeon dropped from the sky.

if you spoil shit=you get banned
 
I believed in God because I was raised as a christian and went to church twice a week. I think people mostly believe because of tradition and because they want to think they will meet their deceased friends and relatives in heaven some day and everyone will be happy.
 
icarus-daedelus said:
You missed a joke about a vengeful god there. Try harder next time!

Sorry too consumed with Kojima hate and I've run out of wood to make crosses to burn on the Kojima fangirls lawns. GRAAAAAA! HATE! HATE! HATE! >:O
 
Gildor said:
I believed in God because I was raised as a christian and went to church twice a week. I think people mostly believe because of tradition and because they want to think they will meet their deceased friends and relatives in heaven some day and everyone will be happy.

brobin001.jpg


Just find it funny, that's all.
 
Joke answer...just in case there is heaven :D

The real answer: I was raised Catholic, don't practice it. I just think all the things we consider "religion" is something man-made.

However, I believe in the existence of a higher being, which most refer to as God, but I don't believe in practicing a certain religion. I find the notion of praying to God and hoping things just change is ridiculous. No offense, but the believers can pray all they want if that makes them feel better at the end of the day. I think of prayers as a form of meditation, not something like, talking to God and hoping that he'd listen to me and have my prayers answered.

I just acknowledge that there is something greater than us out there, but it's just there, it doesn't guide or manipulate what we do here. If he does manipulate something in our lives, man he's pretty cruel.
 
What makes you think I believe in God?

Oh, and I tip 20%

And global warming is real, but people are being too alarmist about it.

And the only tragedy about abortion is that it has clogged up legislative progress in other areas for thirty years running.

Circumcision isn't inherently one thing or the other, just an arbitrary distinction that should be left up to the parent.

ANd Wii is not a fad.

There, I think I've got most of it covered.
 
icarus-daedelus said:
More like Deism, really.

Or that. But.... doesn't Deism believe in GOD? It's strange when you put on words.

Agnosticism believes in a higher being,
Desim believes in God.

WTF is the difference? I have no clue. Or I just burnt a mind fuse and confused all my terms.
 
There's a tremendous difference between a personal god and a god. You should probably define which one you are more interested in knowing about.
 
I'm not gonna discuss my personal thoughts here, but can't it simply be human nature to believe that man must put their faith in a higher power to explain what occurs their surroundings. Can't we agree that pretty much every major civilization/people had in some way realized that some things were not in there control and created or found a way to praise those they believed had said control?
 
Juice said:
What makes you think I believe in God?

Oh, and I tip 20%

And global warming is real, but people are being too alarmist about it.

And the only tragedy about abortion is that it has clogged up legislative progress in other areas for thirty years running.

Circumcision isn't inherently one thing or the other, just an arbitrary distinction that should be left up to the parent.

ANd Wii is not a fad.

There, I think I've got most of it covered.


Death penalty is wrong.
 
I'm odd in the sense that I believe that everyone perceives God differently but God can still be described, but part of that description includes the descriptions of the atheists and this is all true.

This is not really logically consistent in three-dimensional space, but I was raised by someone with a strong appreciation for the Catholic mysteries. So I am used to koans as a tool rather than an obstacle.

I'm not a Christian for values of what you probably mean in the OP; I believe Jesus was a prophet of God though and I am down with his teaching. I actually had a hard time with the whole Jesus thing until I found the Muslim model of Jesus and that works much much better for me.

Anyway, the reason I believe is that I've had particular experiences in my life. One was triggered by a fall that almost killed me, one was triggered by what was probably my first panic attack. Others have been brought on by participating in different practices with different people, or meditating by myself.

Many, many many of those experiences match the descriptions given by others. Thomas Merton is probably the most accessible person I can reference. Other people are people I've met, who can tell me they know what X is like and they really do.

I put a lot of thought and time into this. I was an atheist for a while as a teenager; I was a marauding agnostic for a long time in college when I felt like I was no longer at home in the Catholic Church and didn't have a home anywhere anymore. I tried things that didn't work for me (I am not very good at yoga). Finally I found the people who have similar enough perspectives that we can all believe in God together in our ways and help each other out.

But I don't believe that anyone else needs to believe in God in particular. I believe that there are people in the world who need faith to be fully who they are, but I also think that there are atheists who are living the purpose of their lives (mainly to be happy but maybe also to be a rock star or a good dad) without any theist component.

But it's definitely not social pressure. I don't do it to meet girls...although as a female nerd I have so many male social groups, the meditation and prayer groups I'm in contain most of my female friends...

And it's not family pressure, either. When I was a happy Catholic, it used to piss me off SO MUCH that going to Church was what my mother wanted me to do. I was like FUCK ASS I am not doing this for her but she is all smug FUCK ASS

Now I am kind of a stealth weirdo because I don't really want to upset my mom with all my appreciation for non-papally-approved religion. She is a nice lady after all and it's so much easier now that we don't live in the same house.

PhoenixDark: :lol :lol :lol :lol
 
I pretty much believe in whatever I feel like. Within reason.. I.. guess.

For example, I think that sentient entities on par with humans is probable or at least possible. Perhaps there can be sentience outside/beyond the physical. Or perhaps it's emergent from different physical combinations, be it carbon-based or other. These ideas are interesting to me. I think my life would be enhanced or at least more entertaining if I believe in these types of things. Therefore, I do. (or do I?? I sometimes have trouble deciding/figuring out if I actually believe something or just really like an idea and want to support it or just like lying to myself/others. Maybe it's all of that).

So for now, what I think I believe in:
- "life" and/or existence has no true meaning. It's best if you just enjoy it and establish that meaning for yourself (with the asterisk of keeping it reasonable and not purposefully bringing misery/suffering to others, because that's not cool!).
- there may be gods or entities that are somehow interested in human lifeforms. but on the whole we're nothing special and don't get super special status in anything. That doesn't mean humans should feel any less about themselves though.
- the type of "gods" I like tend to represent justice, reason, compassion, and creativity, so I like making up gods that fit those ideas (or maybe they are divinely inspiring me.. sure! go for it!)
- the universe is amazing and wonderful.

Why do I believe these things despite there not being much in terms of proof? Because, as stated, I think it's not detrimental to believe this way. Plus, it adds interest to my viewpoint on life. Keeping myself entertained is very important! My family did not raise me to be religious (just bits and pieces of Buddhism, ancestor worship, ideas of Catholicism), so that may be why I'm so eclectic about my beliefs. I actually think most people believe in whatever they think is beneficial, interesting, and compelling (maybe in that order?). Otherwise, why would they believe it or continue to believe it beside brainwashery? This goes for every other belief besides religious ones as well.

So although I am generally fascinated by religion and organized religion (I like reading about different positions/rankings/hierarchies, etc.), I know that I can't be bothered with actually adhering with most of that stuff and it would require extensive brainwashery for me, so I don't believe in it or practice anything as remotely structured.

I'm just pretty much "spriitual"/a deist. I believe in the possibility of gods. I don't think I like the thought of singular overlord unless it's something undefined and confusing.. like a mass of chaos.
 
I know its agnosticism, just didn't want to use that word here.

I don't think believing/practicing a religion is a bad thing though. I personally think it is one useful teaching tool for kids while growing up.

I just can't stand those people who pray and pray and do nothing else but pray, and believe their lives will be better. My aunt is like that :/ It just doesn't cross her mind that she has to take actions if she wants her life to be better, not just by praying.
 
Juice said:
What makes you think I believe in God?

Oh, and I tip 20%

And global warming is real, but people are being too alarmist about it.

And the only tragedy about abortion is that it has clogged up legislative progress in other areas for thirty years running.

Circumcision isn't inherently one thing or the other, just an arbitrary distinction that should be left up to the parent.

ANd Wii is not a fad.

There, I think I've got most of it covered.
But were GOOD SIR do you stand on Too Human?!?!

FOR or AGAINST

great damage to society depends on this answer
 
scola said:
But were GOOD SIR do you stand on Too Human?!?!

FOR or AGAINST

great damage to society depends on this answer

I think it's pretty clear at this point Too Human is harmful to society. It thinks it's relevant but it's really just destroying the industry.

Oh, and yes, death penalty is bad. Natalie and Scarlett may both coexist, but Natalie's a better all-around choice. MGS3 earned GOTY over GTA:SA. Apple shit is priced similarly to Dell's if you don't consider BTO options. The Mazda 3 is apparently the answer to every entry-level car question. The key to long threads is publicly admitting that you're a porn star.
 
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