Why do you believe in god?

[Danieltwotwenty]

I believe in God because I think he is self evident in nature and an innate knowledge within us.

[dfnj]

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!

The idea "laws of physics could have spontaneiously arouse" is purely a anthropomorphic point of view. We have limitations. An omnipotent God both exists and doesn't exist at the same time. Omnipotence means all possibilities at the same time.

I believe there is no evidence for the existence of God. Each of us has to choose to believe in God not because of any reason. A choice is not based on reason. Otherwise if a choice is based on reason it's actually a decision. Choices can be rational but some are irrational.

But to answer your question a little more directly about 15 years ago I was posting on usenet-news. There was a forum called atheism vs Christianity. I was participating in the discussions. I thought the atheists arguments were a little too rational. Plus there are only so many times you can hear someone use the flying spagetti monster in an argument and still take it seriously. Also I thought some of the Christian arguments were a little incoherent. So I decided to start arguing the pro-Christianity position against the atheists. It's a much more challenging point of view to argue. After a while arguing with atheists about the existence of God I started to believe my own arguments! I haven't reverted back since.

Here's why I believe God exists and there is life after death. Reality always turns out to be much stranger than anything we could have ever imagined.

[dfnj]

So out an infinite number of these events, one of them is this one.

Thats quite the god, to know the spin of every electron at all times and places.

Can God have a thought so complex that even she can't understand it? Of course he can. An omnipotent God is every possibility at once.

"God is in the rain." V for Vendetta

[Danieltwotwenty]

So out an infinite number of these events, one of them is this one.

Thats quite the god, to know the spin of every electron at all times and places.

Can God have a thought so complex that even she can't understand it? Of course he can. An omnipotent God is every possibility at once.

"God is in the rain." V for Vendetta

I always though omnipotence means that God is all powerful according to his own character, well at least that is the orthodox Christian view, so God cannot do what you are suggesting as it is not logical, which is against his character.

[RickD]

So out an infinite number of these events, one of them is this one.

Thats quite the god, to know the spin of every electron at all times and places.

Can God have a thought so complex that even she can't understand it? Of course he can. An omnipotent God is every possibility at once.

"God is in the rain." V for Vendetta

I always though omnipotence means that God is all powerful according to his own character, well at least that is the orthodox Christian view, so God cannot do what you are suggesting as it is not logical, which is against his character.

Absolutely Daniel!

[Silvertusk]

I believe there is no evidence for the existence of God. Each of us has to choose to believe in God not because of any reason. A choice is not based on reason. Otherwise if a choice is based on reason it's actually a decision. Choices can be rational but some are irrational.

Sorry but you obviously have not looked hard enough - I came to Christ through evidence. I certainly thought there was enough of it and I am nobody's fool.

[Kurieuo]

So out an infinite number of these events, one of them is this one.

Thats quite the god, to know the spin of every electron at all times and places.

Can God have a thought so complex that even she can't understand it? Of course he can. An omnipotent God is every possibility at once.

"God is in the rain." V for Vendetta

I think you're confused, and don't really understand omnipotence.

[Silvertusk]

So out an infinite number of these events, one of them is this one.

Thats quite the god, to know the spin of every electron at all times and places.

Can God have a thought so complex that even she can't understand it? Of course he can. An omnipotent God is every possibility at once.

"God is in the rain." V for Vendetta

Omnipotence only means one can do what is logically possible - not absurdities.

Saying for instance that "Can God create a stone so heavy he can't lift" is like saying "Can the Sky eat pink aadvarks?" It is an absurd sentence and makes no logical sense.

[Onetheist]

I think it is clear that energy came from energy, matter came from energy, consciousness came from the conscious energy that was already there. Spinoza's "one substance" theory makes a whole lot of sense to me. The something that exists, exists infinitely in every possible way, in order to be able to exist at all. Among the infinite "everything", includes "consciousness" and intelligence, which give this one substance the attributes of choosing what and how to create. That one is God and for me there is no other logic that can explain all that we see and feel. To me modern science is the kicker. When I read about cosmology, the big theories and so on, there is more evidence for me to be in complete awe. Having said all of this, I have always known in my heart, but recently I have had a lot of time to put things together like never before.

[abelcainsbrother]

I believe in God first because Jesus saved me when I was about 12 years old and I have never forgotten what happened and I believe salvation by Jesus is the greatest proof God is real and those who deny God have never truly been saved.I am a Christian who has done a lot of research into the evidence for Christianity and I believe I can present it to nonbelievers with the best of them but I still say if you want to truly know God is real and you want evidence he is real then you need to get saved by Jesus because it is the greatest evidence out of everything we have to prove God is real.

The new atheists want us to jump through hoops to try and prove God is real just so that they can explain it all away with talking points but we as Christians cannot fall for it and must remember Christianity was built on a simple gospel message and we do not need to change it just because atheists think so.

I think we need to only present evidence on our terms not on their terms and present a simple gospel message to them,evidence is good but without Jesus it is'nt going to matter as much than if they experience salvation by Jesus themselves.

Jesus did not tell us to prove he is real and even though we do have a lot of evidence for our faith we do not need to abandon the simple gospel message.We also don't need to water down God's word trying to make it more acceptable to the world which is what I see many Christians doing but we need to present it as the truth and without compromise.

[stuartcr]

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!

I believe in God because it just seems like I should...I think it's because of the way God made me. I don't question why, nor do I need proof.

What I don't believe in, is the concept of false gods. I don't see how that could be possible, if there is only one God. I think the idea of false gods, is entirely made up in order to give someone's particular idea of God more validity. If a Christian, Jew, Muslim, etc prays to God, it's received by the only God there is.

[jlay]

I have recently been watching several testimonies of people who have come to Christ in adulthood. One was a Jewish lady who was even head of her local synagogue, another a drug using-wild as a buck, skateboarder. Interestingly, in none of those situations were apologetics questions even an issue. Yet, all of these testified to ample proof and convincing for the convert to entrust themselves to Christ. My own conversion, although as a youth, was similar, and the most convincing things in my faith are not my study of apologetics, but how I continue to see God work and minister in my life and the lives of others I know.

[Kurieuo]

I have recently been watching several testimonies of people who have come to Christ in adulthood. One was a Jewish lady who was even head of her local synagogue, another a drug using-wild as a buck, skateboarder. Interestingly, in none of those situations were apologetics questions even an issue. Yet, all of these testified to ample proof and convincing for the convert to entrust themselves to Christ. My own conversion, although as a youth, was similar, and the most convincing things in my faith are not my study of apologetics, but how I continue to see God work and minister in my life and the lives of others I know.

Personally, I think belief in God is the most natural things.
We're wired to believe and acknowledge God intuitively.

Is it any wonder as far back as we can go, we see people at all times having beliefs to do with God?

Any apologetics or arguments for God's existence, is really to try undo the stitches -- remove the obstacles -- that humanity has created in desiring to bury God.
But it seems, when one is ready in life for God and no longer has strength to resist, belief seems to be one of the most natural things.

[NobodySpecial]

If I didn't believe in God then I would also believe that life has no meaning. I'd believe that no matter what I did in my life, given enough time it would be forgotten. Taken on a grander scale - this planet has finite resources and people continue to reproduce essentially unchecked - so to believe that existence occurred by happenstance would (or did) lead me down the philosophy path of realizing the futility of existence. Those were dark days until I decided to go on a search for truth. I'll spare you all the details but essentially my search convinced me that this world is currently being ruled by Satan (the god of this age). That revelation caused me to make the deduction that if Satan really existed then God must also existed. After that I started reading my Bible - met Jesus, He changed my life and confirmed His existence over and over again through answered prayers - and now I'm here.

[RickD]

If I didn't believe in God then I would also believe that life has no meaning. I'd believe that no matter what I did in my life, given enough time it would be forgotten. Taken on a grander scale - this planet has finite resources and people continue to reproduce essentially unchecked - so to believe that existence occurred by happenstance would (or did) lead me down the philosophy path of realizing the futility of existence. Those were dark days until I decided to go on a search for truth. I'll spare you all the details but essentially my search convinced me that this world is currently being ruled by Satan (the god of this age). That revelation caused me to make the deduction that if Satan really existed then God must also existed. After that I started reading my Bible - met Jesus, He changed my life and confirmed His existence over and over again through answered prayers - and now I'm here.

It amazes me, all the different ways that God uses to draw us to Him.

Welcome to the board NobodySpecial.