Why believe in what cannot be proven?

[Pastafarian]

It is a simple question, really, but one that no one wants to answer. Why are you theist? Why blindly follow the stories written down by your fellow man?

 

[R3quiem]

It is a simple question, really, but one that no one wants to answer. Why are you theist? Why blindly follow the stories written down by your fellow man?

Ok, I'll bite.

I believe in religion because of Jesus. He performed tons of miracles in front of hundreds or in some cases thousands of witnesses.

More importantly, He made so much sense. All of His teachings are still 100% applicable today- unlike the scriptures of most other religions, or even the old testament. His parables still make perfect sense even 2000 years after they have been said. He was incredibly wise and pretty consistent with His teachings. Also, unlike other religious leaders who come to be served, Jesus made it clear that he wanted to serve us, and was not above getting down and dirty. He had few posessions, washed people's feet, and eventually suffered and died all for us.

Don't misunderstand me. I don't "blindly follow stories". I believe in learning and figuring out for yourself what is right; I believe in science. I was an agnostic for a while, and researched many of the world's major religions. I was born a Christian, left for a while, then came back with more faith than I had before.

You ask, "Why believe in what cannot be proven?".

Why do you reject something because you haven't had a lot of contact with it? How can you be sure there is no God, when you've only lived in an infinitely small part of existence?

 

[calidog]

Why believe in what cannot be proven?

It is that unprovable part of us (our soul) that connects with Gods word.

Ecc 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has set eternity in their heart, without which man cannot find out the work that God makes from the beginning even to the end.

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

 

[salida]

Pastafarian--

Ha, that nobody wants to answer? Really? I would be more than happy to answer this. The Bible is the most true book in the world. I'm a christian first spiritually and then for intellectual reasons secondly. This isn't the book section, but have you ever read Evidence That Demands A Verdict by Josh McDowell (it would stand up in a court of law concerning the evidence of the bible) and Examine the Evidence by Muncaster (who was a former atheist)? In addition, One Man Adam by Hugo Ross? - it traces the genetics from Adam and Eve to us - this book can be found on www.reasons.org - its a belief and science website - the website creator has a PhD in Chemistry. One can't prove many things using the scientific method of things that we know exist.

Biblical Evidence (Scratching the Surface Only)

Internal Evidences
Prophesies that are confirmed within Bible

- Life of Christ
The Tribe of Judah, Gen 49:10 - Luke 3:23-28
(Genesis was written 4004 BC to 1689 BC)
(Luke's time period is 60-70 AD)

Royal Line of David, Jer 23:5 -Matt 1:1
(Jeremiah 760 to 698 BC)/(Matthew 60-70 AD)

Born of a Virgin, Isaiah 7:14/Matt 1:18-23
(Isaiah 760 to 698 BC)/(60-70 AD)

**I can list at least 20 more of these.
-Rise of Empires
In the book of Daniel, Chapter 2 - four kingdoms are described in the interpretation of the dream of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greek - Daniel 8:21, 10:20) and a fourth great kingdom to follow - part iron and clay - which is the Roman Empire - during this empire Christ came and the church was established - Daniel 2:44.

-Historical Accuracy
The Bible is loaded with historical statements concerning events hundreds of years ago, yet has not been proven incorrect on any.
(Bible compared to other ancient documents):
New Testament - starts at 25 years - between original and first surviving copies
Homer - starts at 500 years
Demosthenes - at 1400 years
Plato - at 1200 years
Caesar - at 1000 years

Number of Manuscript Copies
New Testament - 5,686
Homer - 643
Demosthenes - 200
Plato - 7
Caesar - 10

Consistency
Written by at least 40 men over a period of time exceeding 1400 years, and has no internal inconsistencies.



Claim of Inspiration
It claims to be spoken by God, 2 Tim 3:16-17). No other religious book makes such claims.

External Evidences
(Prophesies Outside the Bible)
These cities were prophesied to be destroyed and never be built again.
Nineveh - Nahum 1:10, 3:7,15, Zephaniah 2:13-14
Babylon - Isaiah 13:1-22)
Tyre (Ezekiel 26:1-28)

Bible before Science
He hangs the earth on nothing - Job 26:7
(Job was written at least 1000 years ago - some scholars think it could be even 3000 years ago)
Note: Man only knew this for 350 years
Earth is a sphere, Isaiah 40:22
Air has weight, Job 28:25
Gravity - Job 26:7, Job 38:31-33
Winds blow in cyclones, Eccl 1:6

Documents that Prove Bible is True
Gilgamesh Epic, The Sumerian King List, Mari Tablets, Babylonian Chronicles

Archealogoical Finds
Excavations of Ur, Location of Zoar, Ziggurats and the foundation of Tower of Babel

This is your answer. One has to outright ignore these facts to reject them.

 

[hlaltimus]

It is a simple question, really, but one that no one wants to answer. Why are you theist? Why blindly follow the stories written down by your fellow man?

I'll never be able to top Salida's response, but one reason why I believe in God is simply this: Too many answers to prayer to believe otherwise, which answers could never be accounted for by mere chance alone. In every Church that I have been in I've seen this over and over again. As long as the law of probabilities still governs the world of random "chance", mountains and mountains of examples of prayers which were answered specifically, unsolicited and totally unpredictably demand that someone had to be out there both listening to and responding. It simply must be.

 

[ebia]

It is a simple question, really, but one that no one wants to answer. Why are you theist? Why blindly follow the stories written down by your fellow man?

How do you blindly follow a story?

 

[Aprill]

I'll bite....just because I used to ask this question in High school myself.

Blindly following a story would mean every person believing in God, would be lacking in intelligence. So therefore, I believe I am not a complete idiot, and that other cultures, Chrisitan or not have similar stories for things that happened in the bible. So, yes it's a story but how do you explain cultures from all over the world, including tribes that weren't really known of, having the same flood story? The same Creation stories?

Yes, you could explain by saying someone told them, but logically before the technology of today...it wouldn't be possible...

 

[salida]

Pastarfarian--

The random chance myth is just that a myth. Darwinism isn't true and is scientifically impossible. Its like saying my car was made by throwing a bunch of parts in mid air and it became a car by chance.

The structure of a cell in the body is much more complicated than our automobiles - and the probability for this to happen at random is zero.

 

[wmc1982]

big difference with proof in human thought, and spiritual thought.

You can't prove to me, or yourself that you exist. So why believe in yourself?

You really can't prove or disprove ANYTHING. Everything science does is "prove" beyond reasonable doubt. Science cannot produce facts. Only something above our context can prove anything within our context. This is called the spirit world, which is very real and currently active.

 

[Key]

Hi and Welcome to CF !

It is a simple question, really, but one that no one wants to answer. Why are you theist? Why blindly follow the stories written down by your fellow man?

There have been some great answers so far, to these Questions, but, I'll take my stab at them.

"Why am I a Theist"

Well.. truth is.. the Alternative seems too impossible to believe.

"why blindly follow stories written down by my fellow man?"

Well.. it all started in grade school.. when the teacher handed us textbooks, and it seems to have carried on all the way into college, however, it was at college, that I started to question validity of the textbooks...

A few years later.. I became a Theist...

Hope this Helps.

God Bless

Key

 

[Digit]

It is a simple question, really, but one that no one wants to answer. Why are you theist? Why blindly follow the stories written down by your fellow man?

Hi, welcome to Outreach.

I feel you have a loaded question, as you state we are blindly following stories. This is not the case. I doubt there is anyone here who follows without question. I believe for a few main reasons. First up, Jesus was a real man, he lived and we know this from sources outside the Bible. Secondly He fulfilled over 300 prophecies, a great deal of which would be completely out of His control had He intended to fulfill them on purpose. In addition these were witnessed by hundreds of people, including the resurrection. Thirdly I feel I've experienced God working in my life, to help me and bring about many changes that have all been for the betterment of my character and my relationships with those around. If I look back to several years ago when I was handling this myself, I can't really imagine me doing a worse job. Lastly, I have faith in the message that is preached. In salvation from our sin, from our wicked ways and want to believe that I can shed the evil from my body and turn from sin with the help of God. There is nothing I disagree with in the Bible, and actually, based on that, I have no reason not to believe in God.

Hope that helps!
Digit

 

[mpok1519]

It has to do something with what you feel, in your heart and soul, not what you've read, or what others believe.

 

[OldChurchGuy]

It is a simple question, really, but one that no one wants to answer. Why are you theist? Why blindly follow the stories written down by your fellow man?

I am a theist by choice. The beliefs I have are purely subjective in that I cannot prove the existense of God. I believe in the existense of God due to various personal experiences that I cannot rationalize as random chance working in my favor. That does not mean random chance did not work in my favor, just that I have trouble believing it.

I don't see myself as "blindly following stories written down by my fellow man". As a Sunday School teacher, I have had to do a fair amount of study and research particularly when teaching high schoolers. There are many views and interpretations to the Bible (as evidenced by this thread if nothing else) and all of them have credibility to their supporters. For me, it is up to the individual to determine what they will or will not believe.

Sincerely,

OldChurchGuy

 

[Lludmila]

Well if you look at in another way................... :

Doctors say that small doses of aspirin daily can reduce your risk of a heart attack. We believe them, right? They're almost certainly correct and I am not doubting that bit of medical "proof."

However, very few of us on CF have really conducted that kind of research ourselves. We are relying on the experts.

How can we know they are right? For myself it is just easier to believe them. I do not put blind faith in doctors; I just choose to believe.

 

[x0xJesusIsLovex0x]

I know, I'm 15. Not much of a help, but I want to share you my story. =)
Yes, no one can prove that this 'religion' is real. But it is, some people had to learn it the hard way, which I had too.
He's out there.
He's always looking down at you and helping you.
Don't worry. He's there, when you need Him. Just ask for Him.
For my knowledge. He's real. No doubt about that.

 

[dvd_holc]

It is a simple question, really, but one that no one wants to answer. Why are you theist? Why blindly follow the stories written down by your fellow man?

You first ask "why do I believe in what cannot be proven?" Well no, we can't force you to understand and accept the God revealed in Christians...and because of this you charge us with inability to prove our faith...however; all history is un-provable in great many aspects because though we might be able to repeat certain aspects of the events we can’t repeat them thus creating that proof which you require of Christians.

American Revolution, Civil War, WW I, WW II, Holocaust...all happened, but are they repeatable? No, you can't repeat them exactly in a control laboratory, nor would any body want to. However, each of these events had lasting effects that generated responses. As it is, you will say we have certain physical evidence which can be observed and evaluated for these events.

Indeed, we have concrete evidence to Christianity, Jesus, and God. There are certain archeological evidences that have been found. There have been developments in Christianity that have been stimulated by historical physical events. And, there a great deal of knowledge that is waiting to be evaluated.

All evaluations need to be tested and dealt with, but the testing of Christianity is not completely in history. No, the evaluation of the present is the test bed. Christianity can be tested through learning the ideals and living them out. Hence, the major proof of a Christian is not all of history…but the witness of the Christian who implements the achievements of the historical Christ.

 

[MrsHolwager]

What would you do if after all the time you spent on earth you didnt believe in christ, didnt follow his word of basically have anything to do with him? Then when it's time for you to go or god comes to take all who are worthy of him you find out that he really does exist. Are you prepared to spend possibly eternity in hell just because of the simple fact that you didnt have faith in him? Everyone is trying to explain that his miracles where preformed in front of 100's and 1000's and even more people. Sorry if I offended you or it seems I was to harsh but thats my point of view and I hope you can respect that.

 

[jpzer01]

Guys, guys. A personal experience does not register as proof, the ontological proof of God is a very weak philosophical argument. Also, Moses did not write the first books of the bible, there were four sources that disagreed on the very nature of God. For example, in one account God intervened directly while the other with a proxy (see the speaking bush of fire).

For the historical value of the Bible, Archaeologists in Israel found that many buildings' dates were off by sometimes a even few hundred years.

You cannot prove the existence of God.

 

[ebia]

Guys, guys. A personal experience does not register as proof, the ontological proof of God is a very weak philosophical argument. Also, Moses did not write the first books of the bible, there were four sources that disagreed on the very nature of God. For example, in one account God intervened directly while the other with a proxy (see the speaking bush of fire).

For the historical value of the Bible, Archaeologists in Israel found that many buildings' dates were off by sometimes a even few hundred years.

You cannot prove the existence of God.

He wouldn't be much of a God if you could.

 

[mpok1519]

for hunger, there is food.

for thirst, there is water.

For our belief in something greater than ourselves, there is faith and God.

i don't know why humanity would sblimate through a collective conscious that God exists, but humanity has, continuing to do so. Our beliefs and ideaologies and ideas of what God truly is differs generally from person to person, but in essence, it maintains the same characteristics.

to an atheist, god is within the forces of nature.
To a pantheist, God is everything and everything.
To a theist, God exists sometimes all around or only for a moment.
To a deist, God created the universe and is just watching it unfold.

yet we all have hunger, we all thirst and we all need to feel as if we aren't just hunks of biological matter floating on a blue rock in space just goin along for the ride for eighty years, and thats it. We live, we die, thats it, and theres notrue point to even living.

thats why we need God, so life can go on, for if we didn't have God, or simply a belief in God, people would destroy each other out of inherent human nature to divide, and conquer.