What does it mean to believe in God, and how do you do it?

[Uber Genius]

I've been trying to figure out how to believe in God for a while now, and I always end up questioning my own motives. For one thing, I end up thinking that wanting everlasting life or just to have something in common with people who share my political views and moral values might be selfish.

I also get very caught up with the difference between wanting to believe in God, hoping God exists, and actually believing with certainty and knowledge that God exists. I've been in the first two situations many times, but I don't know that I've ever been in the third one. And I suspect the third one is what I would need to be able to call myself a Christian.

I'm a very philosophical person, and I end up coming very close to believing and stopping just short of actually believing in the supernatural. For instance, I start thinking about how most people are willing to do horrible and immoral things if they don't believe in a higher power, and how a lack of Christianity can lead to people relying upon externalized morality to the point that if they can get away with something, they'll do it because no one is watching them or because society doesn't currently regard it as wrong. I see the immorality and the degraded lifestyles a lack of belief produces in people. I can understand why it is a social good for people to accept the Christian religion and follow the moral codes suggested by it.

I also think about things like Plato's theory of forms, and wonder if simply the fact that the concept of God exists in our minds is enough to prove his existence. But then I realize that this doesn't point to any particular god, and may only be proof that there exists some sort of higher power without telling us anything about its nature. It also potentially suggests that God's existence is dependent on people believing in him or upon people existing to perceive his existence, which would seem to be an inappropriate conclusion.

As things stand, I find myself thinking I must be an Agnostic, because I'm always wondering what sort of higher power exists, and whether I just want it to be the Christian God because that falls in line with my culture... or whether it's actually plausible that this is more correct.

I keep trying and failing to come up with something that holds up to my own intellectual scrutiny. One time, I even reached as far as wondering whether "The word was God," means that the text and the ideas of the Bible itself are God, and that the eternal life promised to believers is actually related to being remembered or recorded by future generations somehow. I know that's quite a reach and probably wouldn't be acceptable.

So my question is, what do you have to do or believe in order for it to count as believing in God? Also, how do you get to a point where you can know that God exists and not doubt it?

Good news is you are a very philosophical person!

Www.reasonablefaith.org

Natural theology. Videos, debates, "Philosophical Foundations of The Christian Faith."

 

[Celestial Warrior]

Usually people who don't believe in God have to have a serious situation arise that will cause you to be desperate enough to ask God for help. IF this happens to you (heaven forbid) I promise that if you ask Jesus for help, he will answer you and help you to see that God is real.

Other than that, if you don't already believe, there isn't anything that is going to cause you to see the existence of God other than a time of desperation where you have no other avenue but to plead to God that he hear your cries.

The Lord Jesus is real and if a desperate time ever comes in your life that is severe enough that you ask God for a miracle, GOD WILL ANSWER YOU and then you will see he is real.

I've been trying to figure out how to believe in God for a while now, and I always end up questioning my own motives. For one thing, I end up thinking that wanting everlasting life or just to have something in common with people who share my political views and moral values might be selfish.

I also get very caught up with the difference between wanting to believe in God, hoping God exists, and actually believing with certainty and knowledge that God exists. I've been in the first two situations many times, but I don't know that I've ever been in the third one. And I suspect the third one is what I would need to be able to call myself a Christian.

I'm a very philosophical person, and I end up coming very close to believing and stopping just short of actually believing in the supernatural. For instance, I start thinking about how most people are willing to do horrible and immoral things if they don't believe in a higher power, and how a lack of Christianity can lead to people relying upon externalized morality to the point that if they can get away with something, they'll do it because no one is watching them or because society doesn't currently regard it as wrong. I see the immorality and the degraded lifestyles a lack of belief produces in people. I can understand why it is a social good for people to accept the Christian religion and follow the moral codes suggested by it.

I also think about things like Plato's theory of forms, and wonder if simply the fact that the concept of God exists in our minds is enough to prove his existence. But then I realize that this doesn't point to any particular god, and may only be proof that there exists some sort of higher power without telling us anything about its nature. It also potentially suggests that God's existence is dependent on people believing in him or upon people existing to perceive his existence, which would seem to be an inappropriate conclusion.

As things stand, I find myself thinking I must be an Agnostic, because I'm always wondering what sort of higher power exists, and whether I just want it to be the Christian God because that falls in line with my culture... or whether it's actually plausible that this is more correct.

I keep trying and failing to come up with something that holds up to my own intellectual scrutiny. One time, I even reached as far as wondering whether "The word was God," means that the text and the ideas of the Bible itself are God, and that the eternal life promised to believers is actually related to being remembered or recorded by future generations somehow. I know that's quite a reach and probably wouldn't be acceptable.

So my question is, what do you have to do or believe in order for it to count as believing in God? Also, how do you get to a point where you can know that God exists and not doubt it?

 

[juvenissun]

So my question is, what do you have to do or believe in order for it to count as believing in God? Also, how do you get to a point where you can know that God exists and not doubt it?

There are different levels.
For beginner, the requirement is pretty simple.
It is getting harder as you believes more.
And it is kind of hard to do at a very high level.

For me, the entrance condition is that I claimed that Jesus Christ is my Savior. Of course, when I claimed that, I have now idea on what was I doing.

My first real step is to believe that there is a possibility of God. I think you have already been there. But without the entrance condition, it would be hard for you to continue.

The second level, I struggled to believe that God should be real, otherwise, many thing won't make sense. I don't think you are there yet.

After many years, now, my belief in God is: How could I do better so when I see Him, I would be praised by Him.

 

[Greg J.]

I've been trying to figure out how to believe in God for a while now, and I always end up questioning my own motives. For one thing, I end up thinking that wanting everlasting life or just to have something in common with people who share my political views and moral values might be selfish.

I also get very caught up with the difference between wanting to believe in God, hoping God exists, and actually believing with certainty and knowledge that God exists. I've been in the first two situations many times, but I don't know that I've ever been in the third one. And I suspect the third one is what I would need to be able to call myself a Christian.

I'm a very philosophical person, and I end up coming very close to believing and stopping just short of actually believing in the supernatural. For instance, I start thinking about how most people are willing to do horrible and immoral things if they don't believe in a higher power, and how a lack of Christianity can lead to people relying upon externalized morality to the point that if they can get away with something, they'll do it because no one is watching them or because society doesn't currently regard it as wrong. I see the immorality and the degraded lifestyles a lack of belief produces in people. I can understand why it is a social good for people to accept the Christian religion and follow the moral codes suggested by it.

I also think about things like Plato's theory of forms, and wonder if simply the fact that the concept of God exists in our minds is enough to prove his existence. But then I realize that this doesn't point to any particular god, and may only be proof that there exists some sort of higher power without telling us anything about its nature. It also potentially suggests that God's existence is dependent on people believing in him or upon people existing to perceive his existence, which would seem to be an inappropriate conclusion.

As things stand, I find myself thinking I must be an Agnostic, because I'm always wondering what sort of higher power exists, and whether I just want it to be the Christian God because that falls in line with my culture... or whether it's actually plausible that this is more correct.

I keep trying and failing to come up with something that holds up to my own intellectual scrutiny. One time, I even reached as far as wondering whether "The word was God," means that the text and the ideas of the Bible itself are God, and that the eternal life promised to believers is actually related to being remembered or recorded by future generations somehow. I know that's quite a reach and probably wouldn't be acceptable.

So my question is, what do you have to do or believe in order for it to count as believing in God? Also, how do you get to a point where you can know that God exists and not doubt it?

I just finished writing a post for a thread about faith/believing in God, which you might find interesting or useful, @jeremy1988:

"how can you know the bible to be true?"