There has been much, much talk on this and other Blogs I visit on various aspects of belief. I have inquired and debated others beliefs in various flavours of Christianity and have discussed my reasons for being an atheist. Some theists have tried to explain to me why they believe in God and why I should too. So far I have been pretty much unable to understand what they mean. So in the spirit of various challenges doing the rounds ATM - I ask this 'simple' question:
Why should I believe in God?
I'll see what people come up with (if anything) and post my response after the flurry of comments have died down.
11 comments:
Why do you want to?
As I said in my challenge post - I see no need to "fill the gap" left by not believing in God with anything else. There IS NO GAP! I would not define my beliefs as humanist, spiritualist, atheist or any other ist. how can you define what isn't there? It would be like saying I don't believe there is a second moon orbiting the Earth, so what do i believe is in it's place? Well, nothing! It's not even something I thought i had to explain away!
Why should I believe in God?
****************
Because:)
Mrs. Aginoth, I have a religion for you. I just joined it:
http://www.churchofreality.org/wisdom/welcome_home/
Mrs A said: Why do you want to?
I don't. It's just that I've come across the attitude that I *should* believe in Him so much that I'm asking 'Why?'
BEAJ said: Because:)
[chuckle]
You 'shouldn't' believe in God. You may or you may not. You do or you don't.
But faith is not a question of 'should'.
:-)
cq
beaj - gee thanks, but "The Church of Reality provides a religious identity for people who have made a personal commitment in their lives to pursue reality the way it really is" and I'm not looking for a religious identity. I'm quite happy with my non-religious one thanks. I see no need to affiliate myself with a relgious group.
Blowed if I know!
Perhaps if you need a crutch to get through life?
well, I don't know, but I guess true, absolute belief in God probably makes life less depressing sometimes. It also gives you a great excuse for not doing much to help!
But religious observance does not offer that. There is nothing that can offer that other than a personal epiphiny:-)
Mrs A said: well, I don't know, but I guess true, absolute belief in God probably makes life less depressing sometimes.
So.. Is that it? Belief in God makes you feel better...?
You pretty much have gotten my stance over the months we have been going back and forth. I don't feel like doing it with you here, on your turf, so I can get a bunch of people jumping on me.
been there--done that.
:)
CK asked So.. Is that it? Belief in God makes you feel better...?
well sure, what else are we really looking for in life? Why do we make friends, find lovers, increase our education, improve our surroundings if not to "feel better"?
If you were absolutely positive that all the people you know who have died are living the high life up in heaven, and that you can definitely talk to them again, you would feel better abou the way you ehaved to them. if you were absolutely positive that you were oing to have eternal happiness after your death, you wouldn't be so concerned about it coming, or about your long-term impact on this world. if you were absolutely positive that all bad people would recieve just punishment & torment after death, you wouldn't feel as much social guilt for allowing the situations to arise in the first place. If you were absolutely positive there was a supreme & benevelent being watching over the world, with a divine plan that could not be disrupted by mere mortals, you would not be unhappy about the state of the environment, you would accept starvation, disease and war. you ould not rail against the unfairness of it all.
You would probably be happier, secure in the knowledge that "I'm going to be alright jack", and even that anyone else who wanted to be could be alright too.
I'm not convinced you would be a etter person. Or that it ould be a better world. But you would be happier.
BTW did you see my Top Ten Religions link based on No. of adherants? Secular comes in at no.3 with 1.1 billion of us:-)
uberchap said: You don't have to believe in God if you don't want to, but why do you ask ?
From comments on various Blogs I've read on my travels in the Blogosphere there often seemed an underlying asumption that people in general, and I in particular *should* believe in God. So it seemed fair to ask 'Why should I?'
As yet I have not heard, read or seen a single valid reason why. I was wondering if there was something that I had missed, so I thought that I would throw out the question to my 'readership'.
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