Why do YOU believe?

[ephraimanesti]

He does have a point from an intellectually sound stand point. He's asking a bunch of devoted Christians (hence you won't find too many overly devout Christians on this website, why would they care?)... So the sample population for this data can be considered unreliable.

UNRELIABLE? No, i would say that the sample population's--i.e. Christians'--response illustrates the Truth of Christianity and why it has grown and prospered for 2000 years, and will continue to do so until our Lord returns.

Christianity is based upon experience, NOT doctrines. If the first Christians had not experienced personally that which they later wrote into the New Testament, the Christian Faith would have been stillborn and would be nothing more than a footnote in the annals of the Roman Empire--rather than the Roman Empire being a footnote in the annals of the Church as it is. And had not believers continued experiencing God to the same extent over the past 2000 years, we would all probably be atheists. As it is, our God is faithful and His written Word leads us to the same experience of Him that its writers experienced. That, after all, is the basis of our Faith.

A BROTHER/FRIEND/SLAVE OF CHRIST,
ephraim

 

[Tinker Grey]

The only conclusion to draw from this data is that the (overwhelming?) majority of people who frequent the ExC subforum find their primary (a word I emphasized several times) reason to believe is that they experience God.

I've read some research to suggest that option #1 is actually more common. If that is true, it is probably due to the wording that that doesn't appear here. I suspect, for example, if I worded it "God explains the universe/everything", it would have gotten more hits. Ah well ...

I actually respect the answer given ("experience"). It is the primary reason I don't believe. I think it is defensible to say that the reason you believe is that you have experiences that you can attribute only to God. OTOH, I don't think it is reasonable to be surprised when people who don't experience God respond "well, that's good for you, but ...".

It would have been interesting (and more difficult to analyze) if we would have gotten a wider distribution of answers.

But, watcha gonna do...

LogosRhema, I'd be interested in understanding what you thought was surprising. (As noted above, I thought option #1 would have gotten a few more hits.)

 

[ephraimanesti]

The only conclusion to draw from this data is that the (overwhelming?) majority of people who frequent the ExC subforum find their primary (a word I emphasized several times) reason to believe is that they experience God.

Yes, i would consider 75% somewhat overwhelming!

I've read some research to suggest that option #1 is actually more common. If that is true, it is probably due to the wording that that doesn't appear here. I suspect, for example, if I worded it "God explains the universe/everything", it would have gotten more hits. Ah well ...

I actually respect the answer given ("experience"). It is the primary reason I don't believe. I think it is defensible to say that the reason you believe is that you have experiences that you can attribute only to God. OTOH, I don't think it is reasonable to be surprised when people who don't experience God respond "well, that's good for you, but ...".

It would have been interesting (and more difficult to analyze) if we would have gotten a wider distribution of answers.

Well, analyzing, researching, conclusion drawing, theorizing, reading, etc. will only get ya so far. Sooner or later--hopefully sooner--yer gonna have to face reality. The personal experience of God, tasted and reported by Believers, is open to all.

A BROTHER/FRIEND/SLAVE OF CHRIST,
ephraim

 

[ebia]

Because I can't not. Which category does that go in?

It strikes me that all but the first two possibilities you give are reasons one might want there to be a God, not reasons why one would actually think there was one. Picking any of them would seem awfully like admitting to wishful thinking.

 

[Tinker Grey]

Why can't you not? (Does that help?)
Or, perhaps, why did you first believe if you'd like to answer that.

If you can't answer in good faith, that's ok.