Why do you believe in God?

Rabies

Why do people believe in God? I'm not asking is there a god or prove it, but why personaly do you believe in God?

Do people believe in God because they were brought up in a household where regular trips to the church on sunday were mandatory? Or maybe like here in Ireland the church has/had a strong influence on education. During my time in primary school in the early-mid eighties there was no talk about other religions in the class room. Our religion was definite and right.

Do people believe in God because they were almost brain washed as children? Its like the propoganda the media churns out during war times. Over time it will influence people deeply.

If you believe in a God do you believe in another persons belief that their God is the true being and created this world or does it come down to a simple case of "I'm right and your wrong".

CathyMoran

I was not brought up in a religious household - sure, I was sent to a convent school but my parents did not force me to go to mass when I expressed a prefference not to. I am a scientist among many things. However when it came down to it when I was in my early 20's my then partner was very sick in hospital and I was very worried about him - I went into the Oratory and felt peace - have been going to mass ever since. In terms of God, while I am a practicing Roman Catholic I am not against other religions - we all just call God by a different name. Maybe I am a la carte in that I just take out the peace and love in the religious message but I would not be without it either.

Excelsior

I came to belief in my late teens having been an atheist for years. I came to believe in God because of intellectual honesty which prompted prayer and the response to prayer which I keenly felt over a prolonged period. I went to a typical primary school, meaning Catholic in ethos and was taken to mass as a child but contrary to the oft-repeated belief on Boards.ie that this leads to brainwashing, I think the lukewarm nature of that "indoctrination" led to my atheism. Ask yourself: If it was brainwashing, surely it would be more effective? How many of your peers are Catholics? How many of the Catholics are ala carte? That is not what the education system had intended.

As a Christian, (non-denominational but part of a Presbyterian church, btw) I would fight passionately for the freedom of religious conscience in all places at all times. If atheists were in trouble for what they believed, I would be the first out on the streets to fight for their rights. Yet while I am feverishly protective of people's right to believe as they please, as an intellectually engaged Christian I can't pretend that I think that an atheist, a hindu and a Christian are all on the same path. If things contradict then things contradict! As such, I do believe that the God of the Old and New Testament is the one and only God.

That is not to say that there is not worth in other religions but what worth there is comes from God since He is the source of all truth and it is my belief, as a Christian who takes the Bible seriously, that the truth contained in other belief systems is an inferior revelation. If this seems offensive, stop and think about it. If I thought otherwise it would be philosophically equivalent to saying that I could just as easily be a hindu or a buddhist as a Christian. Clearly, from any of the texts sacred to those traditions, that is not an option.

So I hope this answers some of your questions.

Rabies

Well put Excelsior. Although I don't believe in religion your statement was well written.

I posted this thread because I didn't know really why people follow a religion or a God. Do they expect to gain something in an afterlife. Does it make them feel good. Looking for reassurance and belonging. Trying to find and answer to their existence. Or mearly sheep and following everyone else.

Hmmmm. Just a taught.

Stark

My story is mostly similar to Excelsior in that I was born into Catholicism, rejected it, was atheist throughout my teens then opened myself up to the possibility of something beyond myself and gradually came to the inclusion that God does exist in some form.

Danno

To put my post into context: I am 25. I was never forced to attend Mass and rarely did when I started secondary school.

I believe in God because: I was working with my uncle a couple of years ago. He is very much so a born-again-Christian. He asked me my thoughts of God, religion and the world and from there an interest grew within me, about the forementioned topics.

I began to search the internet to testify his statements and to see what all this "born-again-Christian" stuff is about.

In the last year or so, I have turned to believe in God becuase of the over-whelming facts of His existance, and more importantly what God says about the importance of knowing him, trusting him, and the need to be saved.

I do not like the idea of organised religion. It reminds me of the Animal Farm story.

omnicorp

I believe in God but don't believe in organised religion because it seems unnautural and ritualistic.

neuro-praxis

I come from an unreligious home: atheist mother, agnostic dad. When I was 13, I joined a youth group run by Christians. I was a pretty mature kid but unfortunately was afflicted with Know-It-All-Itis. I was pretty happy and stable when I met these Christians - not in a rut or looking for a saviour.

How and ever.

These people impacted me. They loved us (the youth group kids) and served us willingly, giving up their time and money (they were mostly older teenagers and college students, working with a pastor). Over the course of the years I went there, they talked to me (to all of us, in fact) about Jesus. Through them, I learned about God's love for me. And they taught me how to love others. I'm not sure even if these people are aware now how much they affected the course of my life.

So I decided to start on a Christian journey with God. I attended a Sunday night bible study with other people around my age (13-16) and it was here that I battled with the doubts, worries, disbeliefs and challenges that go with the terrirtory. The questioning process began there. The study leader encouraged an open mind and honest discussion.

It has been a long road since then. My degree in philosophy explicitly exposed me to ideas of truth, knowledge, logical thought and of course, alternative beliefs...and only succeeded in strengthening my faith.

It's not a particularly easy road but man, I wouldn't change anything about it. I am fascinated by science and theology and philosophy but there is so much more to it than that: God is my father and my shelter, my strength and my motivation, my challenge and my freedom. God is the platform from which I spring and prayer is my food.

If I die and I find out that I'm wrong I will not care. There is a lot of adventure in this journey and boy, am I enjoying it.

omnicorp

God is Nature. Not a big man controling us, he gave us free will and left us to it.

Elessar

omnicorp wrote:

I believe in God but don't believe in organised religion because it seems unnautural and ritualistic.

Same here.

I was brought up a Catholic, but became an athiest. However I have never believed that existence is pointless. Reality and moreso, consciousness (life, us) is too important to be a mere act of conincidence.

This belief led me to find out about "God" as best I could over the last number of years and after experiencing things that cannot be explained, reading thousands of accounts of things like NDEs, OBEs and hearing people I trust say these sorts of things to me, as well as having researched researched spiritual phenomenon (mediums, automatic writing etc) I came to the conclusion that there is a greater consciousness, of which I believe we are all a part. And I also believe that we are here to experience a life cut off from true reality so that we may benefit and grow from the experience of it. I also believe that the Bible, while "correct" in many of its truths, was largely an attempt by God to explain to us in simple terms, the reality of existence, in a manner that people of 2000 years ago (and still to an extent, even today) could comprehend.

But that's getting off topic. I believe because of these things, and I guess the best way to sum up my thoughts on the whole thing is to quote a paragraph I wrote on a different thread:

I believe that God is supreme consciousness, the highest vibration, the Creator, All that Is. And that we are all God, individualised from the Him/It to express and experience ourselves in an infinite varieties through free choice and self-awareness...I decided there was enough evidence to persuade me that there is a Creator and life is about expression of self and (here) experience of physical life.

[ Daithí ]

I was born, baptised and confirmed a Catholic. Now, I consider myself a "liberal" Catholic. Even though I rarely attend Mass (I regularly attended it up until a year ago), I intend to resume going each week. I will admit that my excuse is that I am too lazy. However, my belief in God and Jesus is strong. I have seen many things to confirm my belief that God exists, and I've gone on about eight summer and autumn pilgrimages, and in places like Lourdes there is an unbreakable spirit of togetherness. I've been to Lourdes four times and it's an amazing place. It's these pilgrimages and personal experience that have reinforced my belief in God.

Hardstuff

I was brought up by two religious parents, my public primary school was run by the Church just a minute away, my secondary school was Catholic, and had some brilliant religion teachers. I always kept an open mind and I listened, not like those sitting at the back falling asleep, who couldn't care less if God sacraficed his own Son for us, or if he was a gigantic gorilla...
In primary school, it was only Catholicism taught, in secondary school it was a wide variety of religions taught - yet in a Catholic school.

I always loved my religion, always have, and I always will. I would count myself as a somewhat Conservetive Catholic. I will always attend every week, and every day that I am obliged. I feel I have a close relationship with God... I cannot see myself ever giving that up in the future - ever.

omnicorp

Religion class is one of my favourites after art.
I hate organised religion but I am v. interested in God and the link between religion.

Seed

Born into a Catholic family. Forced to go to mass weekly etc etc. Then I got to Highschool I realised what the hell I was doing. It was a Catholic Highschool and even if you weren't a Catholic, you were forced to stand up at the start of each class and say Catholic prayers. That was the line for me.

Course it doesn't help their defense when I ask my mother..or any Catholic for that matter "Why do you believe in it?" as the answer is always "I just do." or "I was raised one." ....yeah.

So, now, no I think it's a load of cak. So, I'm an aethist now.

Cork

I believe in God. But I find it hard to pray. I find it hard to relate to God.

I totally believe in life after death.

smidgy

My reasons are simple,

1. I choose to. This may sound simplistic but it is the basis for any relationship with God. It levels the playing field for everyone, rich and poor - anyone can choose to believe.

2. Jesus Christ. I consider this man the greatest ever to walk the earth. I am not the smartest, most brilliant person on the planet, I do not have such confidence in my own thinking that I can come up with my own understanding of God and existence. But I do believe him and his teachings, they are so simple yet contain such an understanding of things.

IANOC

im not a religous person BUT do believe in something/someone
i dont think of it as god!!!
ie.a god IMO can interfere in tragedys ,crucifying his son etc etc
but life cannot be a coincidence .....................