Why do you believe in God?

M

matnay

Registered Senior Member
To any theist out there, please list your major reason(s) for believing that your religion is the truth. Try to keep the reasons short and only list the major ones that remove all doubt for you.

I'm very curious about this because religion has somehow managed to have a very long life. It's astounding to me that anyone faced with modern science and knowledge could possibly continue to take religion seriously. So I wonder what goes on in the mind of the theists here who continue to believe.
 
Originally posted by matnay
To any theist out there, please list your major reason(s) for believing that your religion is the truth. Try to keep the reasons short and only list the major ones that remove all doubt for you.
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1. I do not believe in organized religion.
2. I believe in the idea of a Creator. Who or what the Creator is or
is not isn't important. Our perception of our Creator is a very
personal perception and, therefore, no 'organized' religion could
reach our understanding of or relate to us in any way that would
agree with our personal and individualized perceptions of God.
3. The Creator is a force of positive energy that created us and the
world around us. We are One with the Spirit of God that created us,
and we are all interconnected with the universe through the Spirit
of God.
4. There is only One Spirit that dwells within the vessel of the
entire human race. Carrying the Spirit of God in the vessel of the
human race is the sole purpose for our existence. In that respect,
there is no need for any kind of 'salvation' by any deity. Our
existence in the here and now is a gift for us to use to perfect
our souls. We each share a part of the One Soul, One Spirit of God.
5. Since the Creator lives within each of us (whether we recognize it
or not), we are One with God. Therefore, we are God on Earth. It
is very possible that the universe was created from deep within
our own human psyche.
6. The fallacy of religion is that it encourages us to look somewhere
'out there' to find our deity who promises salvation when we need
to look no further than into our own hearts. "The kingdom of God is
within." It's that simple.
7. As long as there are organized religions who teach that the human
race is sinful and will never see the face of God, there will be
lost souls. There is no greater deity than the human race.
 
M*W is missing out that there is also another who has a very large kingdom and our sin is just a glimps of him.

Becoming One with God does not mean that you are God. Would you really want your free will taken away by a spirit who calls himself God?
 
Re: Re: Why do you believe in God?

Originally posted by Medicine*Woman
1. I do not believe in organized religion.
2. I believe in the idea of a Creator. Who or what the Creator is or
is not isn't important. Our perception of our Creator is a very
personal perception and, therefore, no 'organized' religion could
reach our understanding of or relate to us in any way that would
agree with our personal and individualized perceptions of God.
3. The Creator is a force of positive energy that created us and the
world around us. We are One with the Spirit of God that created us,
and we are all interconnected with the universe through the Spirit
of God.
4. There is only One Spirit that dwells within the vessel of the
entire human race. Carrying the Spirit of God in the vessel of the
human race is the sole purpose for our existence. In that respect,
there is no need for any kind of 'salvation' by any deity. Our
existence in the here and now is a gift for us to use to perfect
our souls. We each share a part of the One Soul, One Spirit of God.
5. Since the Creator lives within each of us (whether we recognize it
or not), we are One with God. Therefore, we are God on Earth. It
is very possible that the universe was created from deep within
our own human psyche.
6. The fallacy of religion is that it encourages us to look somewhere
'out there' to find our deity who promises salvation when we need
to look no further than into our own hearts. "The kingdom of God is
within." It's that simple.
7. As long as there are organized religions who teach that the human
race is sinful and will never see the face of God, there will be
lost souls. There is no greater deity than the human race.
Click to expand...

Outside of my own personal thoughts, that was one of the best interpretations of my own belief system I've ever heard.

I too use the term Creator in place of the word God. I also do not consider any of earths religions to be even close to reality.


A phrase I heard many years ago that remains in my thoughts and one that I think may just explain a lot.

"We are not Humans having a Spiritual Experience, We are Spirits having a Human Experience. "

This phrase tells me that reincarnation may very well be a reality. But, like everything else, it's all just theory, as there are no facts.
 
matnay - I think that goes to show the extremely low level of real-world understanding of people who are mentally damaged enough to believe in mythology.

They cannot even understand the question. Let alone speak an answer.
 
Re: Re: Re: Why do you believe in God?

Originally posted by VRob
Outside of my own personal thoughts, that was one of the best interpretations of my own belief system I've ever heard.

I too use the term Creator in place of the word God. I also do not consider any of earths religions to be even close to reality.

A phrase I heard many years ago that remains in my thoughts and one that I think may just explain a lot.

"We are not Humans having a Spiritual Experience, We are Spirits having a Human Experience. "

This phrase tells me that reincarnation may very well be a reality. But, like everything else, it's all just theory, as there are no facts.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your kind words, and welcome to sciforums! As for reincarnation, I don't believe that each of us has a separate soul, just a small part of the One Whole Spirit of Our Creator. I believe what occurs at the death of the body (our Earthsuit) is that portion of the Spirit of God that we contained in our being does not die but returns back to the consciousness of the Whole to prepare the way for another human being who needs to learn and atone for specific things before death of the body occurs again. A lot of times this same portion of the Spirit of God returns within the same family. How many times have you heard someone say that a child "reminds" them of another departed relative? There is no death to the Soul.

I hope you enjoy this forum, and I certainly hope to read more of your posts!
 
matnay:
Two main reasons:

Religion fills deep needs. Acceptance, power, unconditional love, having something to submit to, a sense of purpose in a meaningless universe, liberation from fear and above all a hope in a life following this one.

Those who didn't agree faced being killed in torturous, sanguine ways. Few people want to die like that, thus those who disbelieved left little record of their rebellion.
 
Thanks for the welcome Medicine*Woman,

My thoughts on reincarnation have no definitive boundries. But, I do think there may be something to it in theory.

I think our current religions has far too many unanswered questions for their to be so many believers. My beliefs are personal and are full of questions, with no answers as of yet.
 
Why do I believe so strongly?

Originally posted by matnay
Medicine*Woman,

You stated what you believe. But why do you believe it so strongly?
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I guess the answer to that is that I have spent a lifetime pondering the reality of God and the Universe and my place in it. Our belief systems are very personal entities so, of course, I believe strongly in my perception of what I think God is. Because of this, I could never tell someone else that unless they believe what I believe they will burn in hell, etc. I can only express what I believe and why I believe it. If others find my beliefs plausible, then I am happy to share my personal beliefs with them. What I have written here on sciforums about my personal faith has been revealed to me through prayer and meditation and from the people I've met along the way. Life is the most precious gift we have to enrich our soul.
 
You're not answering the question. You believe it because you've thought about it? That doesn't even make sense. You believe it because it suits you? Why does it suit you?
 
My beliefs...

Originally posted by Xev
You're not answering the question. You believe it because you've thought about it? That doesn't even make sense. You believe it because it suits you? Why does it suit you?
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I've more than "thought about it." I've studied it for a lifetime. I've been a devout Xian, and it was neither spiritually fulfilling nor truthful. I needed answers, and I searched for them. I continue to read a lot, and I am finding more and more people believe as I do. My beliefs don't simply "suit me." They "are" me. When I went searching for God, I found myself and that is where I find God. I cannot answer your question further in any attempt to make YOU believe what I believe. I can only state what I believe. You do not have to agree with me.
 
Xev people naturally are hungry for eternal life? if it did not exist, why would people want it? "Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy? Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare. Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting coveenant, the benefits assured to David."(Isaiah 55:4) So if we did not have to have purpose, meaning and unconditional love, then why did we evolve into a creature needing it? See my questions on the existance of the soul. I don't see any medical explanation for personhood because it's a miracle that we see, hear, eat, and speak all at the same time.

70,000 saw the mystery at fatima.
http://www.fatima.org/

We have photographic evidence and witness of the apparition by people of many different faiths.
http://www.zeitun-eg.org/
 
M*W:
I'll accept that, it's actually rather close to what I believe. Not about God, but about one's beliefs reflecting one's self.

okinrus:
We're alive. We want to live for as long as possible (unless our standard of living really sucks), thus we want to live eternally.

A thing doesn't have to exist to be desired.
I've always wanted a fire-breathing dragon. I'd like to ride Odin's horse, Sleipnir. I'd also like a spaceship.
See?
 
Xev,

I was raised in an Italian Catholic family. I went to church and did all the necessary requirements asked by the Church. I continued this until my late teens when I realized I was just there because I was told to be there.

Since then, I have seen the corruption in the Catholic, and taken an interest in theology. I have not studied every faith, but I have yet to find a religion that says 'We don't know, but this is what we think'. Until I do(& agree with their thoughts), I will continue on my own.

I think too many people try to pigeonhole people into specific groups. You're a Catholic, your a Muslim, yuo're an atheist, ect....

I just like to say I believe in a Creator, but I'm still searching.
 
A thing doesn't have to exist to be desired.
I've always wanted a fire-breathing dragon. I'd like to ride Odin's horse, Sleipnir. I'd also like a spaceship.
See?
Click to expand...
My definition of eternal life is different than yours. It's complete happyness, trust, and love. The eventual state of dying only brings us closer to God because we already have eternal life within us. This is what people search for in religion.
 
Still searching...

Originally posted by VRob
I just like to say I believe in a Creator, but I'm still searching.
Click to expand...

For those who think they've found God in a particular religion have found nothing but that which is of the world.

For those who continue searching for God will eventually find God right there within their very own soul.

It's really not complicated at all.
 
Okinrus:
. It's complete happyness, trust, and love. The eventual state of dying only brings us closer to God because we already have eternal life within us.
Click to expand...

Thank you.
As I said:

"Acceptance, power, unconditional love, having something to submit to, a sense of purpose in a meaningless universe, liberation from fear and above all a hope in a life following this one."

This is what people search for in religion.
Click to expand...

I'd say that this is often what people search for when they search for anything.
 
I think too many people try to pigeonhole people into specific groups. You're a Catholic, your a Muslim, yuo're an atheist, ect....

I just like to say I believe in a Creator, but I'm still searching.

VRob,
This is a view that I can understand. The fact that you're still searching is the important thing.

On the other side we have religion, which establishes a specific set of answers. My original topic and question was geared primarily towards those who believe in a certain organized religion. What do you consider absolute evidence supporting your belief and debunking everything else? What forces you to believe in one certain religion, and none other? State the facts, not your feelings.

Example:
Why do I believe in life on other planets?
1) There's so many planets and stars out there. Life most likely exists somewhere else out there too. There are no arguments that have convinced me that earth is unique.
2) There have been many sightings of UFOs in our skies.
3) I have been abducted by little green men before.
 
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