Theists: Why aren't you atheists?

[Laurence_of_PA]

Now I know I’m pushing the “Why aren’t you” theme , yet I feel it to be of utmost necessity that I come full circle in asking this question.

Once again, I intend this to be a thread for surveying the field of people within question, not debating them point by point by point :tsktsk:. In my last thread which asked the exact opposite question, I feel I was more than judicious in requesting all debate be left to the sideline (even if it obviously wasn’t). So, I am asking that at least the same ideal of courtesy be held here as well .

Now, I acknowledge that for this question I actually am qualified to answer (I’m a Catholic, hint hint), but I’m going to wait till later on, and if time permits, say what I have to say.

So once again:

Theists: Why aren’t you atheists (feel free to substitute “agnostic” if you so please)?

 

[DanteAlighieri]

I’m a theist because God has not allowed me to forget, deny, or ignore his existence. I have felt his hand pulling me back, no matter how hard I tried to pull away (and boy, did I try!).

On top of that, once I started letting him lead me, it was remarkable how many things and people he brought into my life to help me stay on the path and leave my old ways behind.

And I thank him every day for that.

Peace,
Dante

 

[jmcrae]

I believe in God because I experience Him every day of my life. The only times I have ever lost contact with Him was at times when I was very seriously ill or else quite badly injured.

This makes me think that I have a material sense that allows me to know God, and that it can be damaged or interfered with, just like my sight, hearing, taste, or sense of touch or smell.

It may be that atheists simply lack this sense, just as blind people lack the sense of sight, or deaf people lack the sense of hearing.

 

[GIMJ]

Theists: Why aren’t you atheists (feel free to substitute “agnostic” if you so please)?

I converted to theism because I lacked the “faith” to be an atheist. I converted to Christianity because I lacked the ability to refute Christ’s claims. I became a Catholic because He made me feel His presence and blessed me with the courage to follow Him.

 

[Syele]

If there is no God I suffer from extreme delusions and should be locked up for my own safety.

I’m serious here! I have seen miracles, have experienced them, have heard God speak audibly, have done things specifically because God told me to and I regularly see the effects of God in my life.

If the dreams, visions, and voice I hear are not God, I have some some sort of psychological disorder --and a weird one at that because doctors have verified the miracles occurred… If that is true, I have no desire to get cured because it brings peace and joy in my life that nothing else could.

 

[Blinky]

I want to go to Heaven and be happy forever with God. Don’t want to go to Hell and suffer for eternity.

 

[clmowry]

Because everything in His creation screams “I AM”.

Because He has moved in my life in ways which, to borow a previous posters line, either requires that He is real and that the Catholic Church is His Church or that I’m insane.

There doesn’t seem to be any othe evidence that I’m insane, so I’m sticking with the “I AM” and “This is MY Church” explanation.

Chuck

s

 

[FaithBW]

I’m a theist because I feel that my life would be so empty without God. I look at everything that exists and I think “How could there not be a God?” Then I think “Well, since there is a God, why would He not be involved in our lives?” I look at my life and I think everything in it has a purpose, the good and the bad. I think the entity that has given everything a purpose is God. Without God, I honestly think that I would lose hope in humanity and in myself.

 

[Ahimsa]

Because God is Existence.

 

[emily47017]

Because everything in His creation screams “I AM”.

i’m with you, chuck!

i’ve never had the heart to be an atheist… in the days i thought i was one, it was really a matter of hatred for organized religion and christianity in general. when i set aside my bigotry, my natural faith was allowed to surface.

ahhhhh…

it is right to give praise to the lord.

emily

 

[Mirdath]

It may be that atheists simply lack this sense, just as blind people lack the sense of sight, or deaf people lack the sense of hearing.

Of all the answers in this thread so far, this is the one that I feel may be closest to the truth from my perspective on the other side.

As to whether having this extra sense is a good thing or not, well, I suppose if you all are right we’ll see, and if I’m right we won’t

 

[jmcrae]

Of all the answers in this thread so far, this is the one that I feel may be closest to the truth from my perspective on the other side.

Try describing the blue of the sky to a blind person, and you will get a sense of how it is to try to talk about God with an atheist.

“Sky? What do you mean when you say ‘sky’?”

As to whether having this extra sense is a good thing or not, well, I suppose if you all are right we’ll see, and if I’m right we won’t

True enough. I think that even if you are right, I am having a happier life believing in God than I would if I did not.

 

[Nechasin]

Because I cannot fathom the thought that life has no meaning. If there is no God, then why do I exist? What would my purpose be? I have never seen a convincing argument to these questions.

 

[HailMary]

partly due to my reason because St. Thomas is very convincing.
newadvent.org/cathen/06608b.htm