Justifying ones' beliefs

[timmeh]

This is a plain and simple question, which I'm sure has been covered before, but indulge me.

How do you justify your belief in a god?

 

[MissLady]

For me it's cause there have been times in my life and I think I may be at a current point in my life where if it wasn't for Him...things would be even worse for me than they are. I just have this inner knowledge that He's there and He's keeping me hanging on.

 

[timmeh]

But what made you actually think there was a god in the first place? How did you reason this in your head?

 

[MissLady]

I grew up with my Christian grandmother. I never thought there WASN'T a God.

 

[timmeh]

So you've been told since day dot that there is a god? Have you questioned this later in life? How does one back up their claim to a god to themselves as an adult?

 

[ebia]

This is a plain and simple question, which I'm sure has been covered before, but indulge me.

How do you justify your belief in a god?

To whom and for what purpose?

 

[Armistead]

Good question. When I was a younger Christian, it was mostly due to fear, believe the best you could because of not wanting to be tortured forever, not admitting ever to doubt.

Certainly, when you live in a culture that promotes a belief as truth, it has some impact on ones judgment. When I was younger, prayer was in school, ect. Also, religion was considered a good thing. Obvious, you learn about God in some sense through Christmas, ect. Culture has changed and "God" just isn't taught or pushed in culture today and is viewed mostly negative.

Like most, I would love to have 100% proof of God. But God requires faith now. My belief in God for me is a decision, not without doubts. I have no formula, nor does one exist, but if I have 70% faith and 30% doubt, I chose to operate on faith and declare that I am convinced God exist.

In the end, one must decide when they look at creation and ask, did it just happen out of nowhere or is some being responsible for the billions of processes that must take place each day for life to exist. I think it takes greater faith to be an atheist than it does to believe.

We also have prophecy that is so detailed that I don't see how it can be ignored.

Of course for many, the problem is more related to exactly who is God, not that he exist.

 

[timmeh]

To whom and for what purpose?

To yourself. What purpose? To try and discover if what you are believing is correct or not. I am someone who needs to know that I am believing as many truths as possible and disbelieving as many untruths as possible.

 

[timmeh]

I grew up with my Christian grandmother. I never thought there WASN'T a God.

Do you think that if you weren't brought up being told there is a god and therefore having it an integral part of your belief system, you'd entertain the thought that there isn't a god as an adult??

 

[timmeh]

Good question. When I was a younger Christian, it was mostly due to fear, believe the best you could because of not wanting to be tortured forever, not admitting ever to doubt.

Certainly, when you live in a culture that promotes a belief as truth, it has some impact on ones judgment. When I was younger, prayer was in school, ect. Also, religion was considered a good thing. Obvious, you learn about God in some sense through Christmas, ect. Culture has changed and "God" just isn't taught or pushed in culture today and is viewed mostly negative.

Like most, I would love to have 100% proof of God. But God requires faith now. My belief in God for me is a decision, not without doubts. I have no formula, nor does one exist, but if I have 70% faith and 30% doubt, I chose to operate on faith and declare that I am convinced God exist.

In the end, one must decide when they look at creation and ask, did it just happen out of nowhere or is some being responsible for the billions of processes that must take place each day for life to exist. I think it takes greater faith to be an atheist than it does to believe.

We also have prophecy that is so detailed that I don't see how it can be ignored.

Of course for many, the problem is more related to exactly who is God, not that he exist.

Thanks for your honest and open reply!
Why do you think it takes more faith to be an atheist than it does to be a believer?

 

[HighwayMan]

Because of everything mankind is truly about - Philosophy, Art, Morality. Biologically these might be the products of our bigger brains, but the reason for them is the blessing a divine source - which I chose to call God, has given us. Through them we are always reaching out towards God (whether we recognize it or not), always searching for something more, something bigger. No other species possesses this. This is why "the kingdom of God is within us", this is why there is anything good at all about humankind, and this is why God loves us despite the horrors of life - because he has given us a piece of himself.

 

[Joykins]

Not only have I been taught from day one, I have a sense of God's presence a lot of the time. Yeah, I know it could be a brain chemistry thing but deep down I don't think so you know?

 

[onemessiah]

This is a plain and simple question, which I'm sure has been covered before, but indulge me.

How do you justify your belief in a god?

Honestly, I really don't think anyone NEEDS to justify it. If it gives them what they need, then does it really matter how they got it?

What does concern me is when it starts infringing on other people's rights and liberties. And there is no way to justify that.

 

[timmeh]

Honestly, I really don't think anyone NEEDS to justify it. If it gives them what they need, then does it really matter how they got it?

Different strokes for different folks. I need to be able to justify my most important beliefs.

What does concern me is when it starts infringing on other people's rights and liberties. And there is no way to justify that.

I totally agree, I think this is the biggest problem with organised religion

 

[timmeh]

Because of everything mankind is truly about - Philosophy, Art, Morality. Biologically these might be the products of our bigger brains, but the reason for them is the blessing a divine source - which I chose to call God, has given us.

What makes you think god is the reason for these characteristics?

 

[HighwayMan]

What makes you think god is the reason for these characteristics?

Well the only thing i believe for sure is that there is something
beyond the physical responsible for them, something bigger and better out there. While that does not immediately mean it is God, the next step is trying to figure out what that something might be, how might it work. Throughout history people have struggled to define it themselves, creating various different incarnations of that something, often calling it God or Gods. And from all the different versions, I feel that the Christian one might be closest to the truth.

 

[timmeh]

But why? What makes you believe there is a something at all?

 

[HighwayMan]

But why? What makes you believe there is a something at all?

I believe I addressed that in the first post, but again - everything that really makes us human - Philosophy, Art, Morality. If they were not a product of something else then they would be meaningless and useless. The only way they can really be explained is through the divine. Again - their physical characteristics may be derived from the brain, but that does not account for their idealogical reasons.

Basically, the existence of ideals. Ideals are not physical, they are not something that can be put under a microscope and defined. They are proof that there is more to life than we can define with our physical senses.

 

[Tinker Grey]

I believe I addressed that in the first post, but again - everything that really makes us human - Philosophy, Art, Morality. If they were not a product of something else then they would be meaningless and useless.

Why? Why meaningless? Are these things meaningless or useless to the people around you?

Perhaps you mean ultimately meaningless. Why is the ultimateness important?

The only way they can really be explained is through the divine. Again - their physical characteristics may be derived from the brain, but that does not account for their idealogical reasons.

What makes you think there are ideological reasons?

Basically, the existence of ideals. Ideals are not physical, they are not something that can be put under a microscope and defined. They are proof that there is more to life than we can define with our physical senses.

What does it mean to you to say "ideals exist"? Why couldn't ideals arise from the brain function as a way for the species to process and generalize information?

 

[Lord_Barthok_Soc]

Forgive me if I presume wrong, but I think I know where timmeh is coming from. Personally, I am a highly critical and analytical character; if I believe (in) something, or have an opinion etc, I have to make sure I pull it to pieces and understand it, really know it first, in order to have any peace. I'm not sure "justify" is the best word to use, though.

How do I justify believing in God? I don't. I justify the things I believe about God, (theology & doctrine etc) but not my belief in His existence. I have personal evidence to believe in God, but that's not justification to anyone but myself. I couldn't prove to you God exists any more than you could prove to me He doesn't. It's experiential.

I never used to have a real reason to believe a god exists, nor any reason to disbelieve. I was fairly neutral on the whole theism matter, if anything atheist and certainly hostile to Christianity as a religion. What changed? I was open to the possibility, I sampled, looked at the evidence/results and over time grew more and more conviced God exists. Now here I am, several years later, halfway across the world paying to serve others instead of working to earn (a lot of) money, fighting for my beliefs against the Christian majority and experiencing God in a way I never could have imagined.

Do I doubt? Occasionally. Am I insane? Possibly. But I have faith that the God I know exists is out there and with me, based on what I have experienced in life thus far.

Did that make any sense?