Why do you believe in god?

[HappyFlappyTheist]

Very basic question and concurrently a very complex one.

My personal reason?

-I believe in a god because of the apparent mathematically ordered and precise composition present in molecular/atomic/-to a certain extent- quantum physics, the absolutely insane (1 quintillionth) precision that had to be associated with the big bang for it not to collapse, as well as the dilemma of wether or not the laws of physics could have spontaneously arouse and so perfectly governed all.

I'm really interested to read your personal reasons and stories of what caused you to believe!

[bippy123]

Very basic question and concurrently a very complex one.

My personal reason?

-I believe in a god because of the apparent mathematically ordered and precise composition present in molecular/atomic/-to a certain extent- quantum physics, the absolutely insane (1 quintillionth) precision that had to be associated with the big bang for it not to collapse, as well as the dilemma of wether or not the laws of physics could have spontaneously arouse and so perfectly governed all.

I'm really interested to read your personal reasons and stories of what caused you to believe!

All very good reasons happy. For me the foundation is objective morality , the pure agape love I see in people like my dad , and my close knit group of friends which for me is Christ like . The message of Christ.

In my late twenties I explored other religions like Buddhism (which I was very intrigued with since I was a passivity by nature ) Islam, spiritual mysticism and other beliefs .

Secondary reasons are some of the reasons u stated: the fine tuning of the universe , near death experiences (which is slowly getting closer to medically proving life after death with the recent sam parnia aware study but also the specified complex information within life .

[Kurieuo]

I believe because either I'm delusional or I see truths that others are blinded to.

My preference is to take the more positive position on that for myself.

[abelcainsbrother]

I would say first I believe in God because Jesus saved me but also because there is more evidence for the bible and what it says compared to other religions I've researched.Bible prophecy is what God uses to prove he is the true God over all other god's Isaiah 46:5-10.

[bippy123]

I believe because either I'm delusional or I see truths that others are blinded to.

My preference is to take the more positive position on that for myself.

Good one man lol.
When my grandfather was physically saved by an angel of light frim being murdered by 7 people on the beaches of Egypt he mist have felt delusional at first , but what are the chances that his 7 would be murders were also delusional to the point if running for their lives when they saw the angel.

[1over137]

Very basic question and concurrently a very complex one.

My personal reason?

-I believe in a god because of the apparent mathematically ordered and precise composition present in molecular/atomic/-to a certain extent- quantum physics, the absolutely insane (1 quintillionth) precision that had to be associated with the big bang for it not to collapse, as well as the dilemma of wether or not the laws of physics could have spontaneously arouse and so perfectly governed all.

I'm really interested to read your personal reasons and stories of what caused you to believe!

It is awesome, isn't it? The so wonderful, symmetric physics laws of our world. Like really some Great Mathematician behind it.

But I would not believe in personal God if He has not come into my life.

[Kurieuo]

Very basic question and concurrently a very complex one.

My personal reason?

-I believe in a god because of the apparent mathematically ordered and precise composition present in molecular/atomic/-to a certain extent- quantum physics, the absolutely insane (1 quintillionth) precision that had to be associated with the big bang for it not to collapse, as well as the dilemma of wether or not the laws of physics could have spontaneously arouse and so perfectly governed all.

I'm really interested to read your personal reasons and stories of what caused you to believe!

Just wondering. Something that has puzzled me about Deism, is if true, why would God bother creating?

To me God creating reveals that He must be personal, and so I'd expect to be knowable in some way.
Otherwise God just wouldn't have bothered at all right?

There is also a lot of good and beauty in the world that would need explaining.
I mean if God exists why did he bother creating such a stable world and essentially what I'd call a good creation overall.

I find it hard to believe that a God who could be bothered ultimately being responsible for such beauty, you know caring enough to enable life to reproduce and all, the anthropic principle of the cosmos which looks as though things were designed for us, that God would then just take a hike and withdraw.
Don't you feel that way at all? Puzzled as to why God would just leave it all.

So Deism just doesn't seem plausible to me.
I'd be interested to know what turned you back off your Catholic (?) roots away from Christianity towards Deism?

Also, happy to seriously answer any questions myself.
Just really don't know where to start. Belief is such a complex thing really.
That any answer would feel a bit inadequate I feel.

[Silvertusk]

Mainly apologetic reasons - like some that has been stated before also things like the arguments WLC uses in his debates.

But probably the real reason why I believe is because the alternative is too horrific to bear. A world without God is a world I do not what to have existed in. If God does not exist then were is the justice for the millions of people who have needlessly suffered and died in pain and agony. Where is the justice for the child with bone cancer. Where is the justice for the 6 million jews who died in the holocaust. Were is the justice for the people beheaded by the IS.

And also what is the point of anything. God gives everything meaning. He gives my life meaning. He gives love meaning.

If all that is just false hope - then so be it - however luckily I have mountains of evidence to back up my faith.

Silvertusk.

[Jac3510]

My personal reason?

I want to. Meaning, purpose, the promise of justice, the hope of the next life, comfort and peace in times of distress, the knowledge of being loved unconditionally and the psychological stability that provides, etc. Then there's the fact that, historically, I was raised to believe in God, so it's a part of my cultural heritage. Granted, none of that means that God does exist. But I think apologists and philosophers tend to ignore the emotional piece of the discussion.

My intellectual reasons cover some of the same that have been mentioned above, but to state my own:

1. The contingency of the universe as demonstrated in the classical cosmological arguments;
2. The objectivity of morality and natural law;
3. The historicity of the resurrection of Jesus;
4. The credibility of Jesus Himself in His claims to divinity;
5. The fulfillment of prophecy, which is to say, the miraculous;
6. The possibility of rational thought as entailing the necessary existence of "the supernatural";
7. The presence of the miraculous in my own life, including the circumstances of my birth (my mother was not supposed to be able to have children, yet she was healed of an incurable condition to permit it);
8. The subjective experiences I have had with God throughout my life

I suppose I could offer more arguments that I think demonstrate or imply God's existence. But you asked for the reasons that I believe God exists. Those are the ones that regularly influence my thinking.

[HappyFlappyTheist]

I spent about an hour and a half writing a very elegant response and explanation of my views. I then went to post and it said I needed to log in. I logged in and it was all gone. I'm so very sad.

[HappyFlappyTheist]

I'll address a part of my previous speech.
Why am I no longer theist? Too much cultural baggage.
Why am I a Deist? Theist without cultural baggage.

I wrote about 2 paragraphs about each of these, I'm very hurt it got deleted still.

[Jac3510]

As someone who tends to write long responses, one of the things I learned to do a long time ago is hit Ctrl+A Ctrl+C before I hit submit. In other words, Select All/Copy. Has saved MANY a post of mine!

I'm sorry you lost that work. I know it is terribly frustrating.

[HappyFlappyTheist]

I love your reasons Jac, you have a wonderful balance of faith,fact and reason.

[PaulSacramento]

I believe in Christ as my lord and saviour because of Personal revelation.
I defend my belief based on reason and observation of the world around me.

[HappyFlappyTheist]

Mainly apologetic reasons - like some that has been stated before also things like the arguments WLC uses in his debates.

But probably the real reason why I believe is because the alternative is too horrific to bear. A world without God is a world I do not what to have existed in. If God does not exist then were is the justice for the millions of people who have needlessly suffered and died in pain and agony. Where is the justice for the child with bone cancer. Where is the justice for the 6 million jews who died in the holocaust. Were is the justice for the people beheaded by the IS.

And also what is the point of anything. God gives everything meaning. He gives my life meaning. He gives love meaning.

If all that is just false hope - then so be it - however luckily I have mountains of evidence to back up my faith.

Silvertusk.

"God gives everything meaning. He gives my life meaning. He gives love meaning."
It's incredible that faith in God has touched your life in such a way. It's inspiring how much meaning he gives you.

"however luckily I have mountains of evidence to back up my faith"
This seems to be a common theme here ( not taking away anything from people who don't have this theme, I still have 'mountains' of respect to those who don't); that's awesome and certainly not what I'm used to from my talks with eccentric evangelicals and mormons.