Why do you believe in God?

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Mijoy2

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Might seem a silly question. Although my answer must be the inerrancy of the Bible and the doctrine of our Catholic faith. Without both, I’d be without faith. I need to hold on to this with all the might God has graced me with.

I went many many years (30+) telling myself a belief if God was impractical. I never quite reached the point where one would be just in defining me as an atheist, however I certainly was quite agnostic in my beliefs. I reasoned such a belief system (or lack of belief system depending on your perspective) from a standpoint of logic.

Some of my many logical thoughts included, from a "does He exist’ perspective:

If there is a God, why does he elect to “hide” from humanity?

If there is a God, He understands my questioning His existance because he (assuming He exists) created me with a discerning mind and therefore He must allow me the option to discern my beliefs based on the evidence I am presented.

Therefore if there is a God, He must admire my intellectual discernment and grant me immunity.

From a justification of my sin perspective:

God knows, assuming there is one, that people have different levels of needs; of excitement quotas if you will; that must be fulfilled. He could never expect me to live as holy a life as the little old woman down the street who never is faced with temptation and is quite content with walking her little poodle for her excitment for the day. I mean heck, I have differnt needs and He sure know it.

When He granted me with the Grace of witnessing the profound error of my twisted logic I still needed something; something to hang on to. Somehow He enlightned me with the realization that my temporal desires, and my selfish nature was totally without fulfillment and substance. But I still needed, and still need a foundation; a Rock, to hold onto.

I simply cannot believe in God because it feels good believe. Because the alternative is non-existance. In fact the concept of non-existance is not a frightening concept to me. I need to believe in God because it make sense to do so. God, gave us His word; in Scripture. God gave us His bride; in the church. I cannot compromise on scripture or the church. Without either I’d be lost, once again.

The Bible MUST, be the word of God. It simply cannot be compromised. Once a single verse is compromised, then, from my perspective all is lost. The entirety of the word of God would then be suspect, rendering it all null and void. Same with His Bride. We can’t let go of this, ever.

When the Bible or the Church come under question, I often feel as though I have been kicked in the stomach. If God made a mistake then all is lost to me.

Thanks for allowing me to rant. My answer to the question: The inerrancy of the word of God and the inerrancy of the Church. If either of these are undermined, I’d once again be lost.
 
I don’t know. Its just that he has always been in my life. When I was about four or five, I remember looking up at the stars one night, thinking about how small and nothing I was and how great God must be to have made all this and my being seemed to explode with love and gratitude for God having created me. I thank God for my gift of faith. I certainly don’t deserve it. 🙂
 
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Busybee:
I don’t know. Its just that he has always been in my life. When I was about four or five, I remember looking up at the stars one night, thinking about how small and nothing I was and how great God must be to have made all this and my being seemed to explode with love and gratitude for God having created me. I thank God for my gift of faith. I certainly don’t deserve it. 🙂
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Simply beautiful 🙂 .
 
I don’t know. I just always did. The funny part was that I was raised by athiests who took us to a Unitarian Universalist “church”. I was always struck by the lack of a crucifix but I don’t know how I even knew about one since I have no memory of being in a Catholic church. I also thought it was weird that the minister wore a business suit.

I am assuming that my grandmother must have taken me to a Catholic church on a visit East (she lived in California) during Kennedy’s presidency but I don’t remember it. How else would I know?

I used to sneak out and go to Mass as a teenager. I prayed the Rosary and had a great devotion to Mary. Again, I have no explanation for these things.

Go figure.
 
I did not always believe in Him the way a faithful son ought to have. I do now and there are two reasons.

One, when I was at the lowest moment in my life I came to a crossroads and had to decide if I did believe in a God. For, if I did not… life was not worth living… there was simply too much pain and suffering to make it all worth while. Despite the beauty of life the dark side was too much. Then, by Grace, I came to realize that while life was bleak and often sad there was one saving element - a better life awaits me.

Two, that life was made so by a God who was so awesome as to humble Himself to the point of becoming a man and suffering - much in the way we all do. He did this so that I may have that life that is Paradise. It is one thing for there to be a Creator who creates everything - including Paradise. That alone would suffice to make me a Deist. However, it is quite another for that same God to purchase my passage into eternal Paradise by humbly, gloriously suffering, dying, and rising again.

That is why I became a Christian and ultimately why I reverted to Catholicism.

Your unworthy brother in Christ and by the Grace of God a future Maronite priest,
Donnchadh
 
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dcmac:
Two, that life was made so by a God who was so awesome as to humble Himself to the point of becoming a man and suffering - much in the way we all do. He did this so that I may have that life that is Paradise. It is one thing for there to be a Creator who creates everything - including Paradise. That alone would suffice to make me a Deist. However, it is quite another for that same God to purchase my passage into eternal Paradise by humbly, gloriously suffering, dying, and rising again.
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So well said, and such a point that is so often gone under appreciated. Thank you for this.
 
I believe in God because I have seen the changes in my life. I have had some low points where I was not healthy. The times when my prayer life was the strongest I was the strongest. My health did not always improve when I prayed but my patience and tolerance increased. I was able to bear it through the grace that I accepted from God. I was able to bear teh weight on my shoulders because God helped me with it. There is no other explination for how my outlook on my ilneess changed.
 
There exists on this earth MORE THAN ENOUGH physical as well as overwhelming circumstantial evidence that God exists.

Shroud of Turin: Scientists…including atheist ones cannot explain with modern technology the existence of something that for all intents and purposes should nout exist

Tilma of Guadalupe: See abov statement

Incorrupt bodies of Saints

Fatima: Proof beyond proof from police, atheists (at the time) doctors, and hundreds of witnessess that the Sun left its trajectory and Spun…soaking wet people in an instant DRY…plus the messages of coming war that happened

Lourdes: Documentd miraacles and healing… again, from doctors as well as athiests

Documented miracles of Hosts turning to flesh and blood…some as old as HUNDREDS of years and still pliable…some that dry up and on certain feats days turn to liquid blood again

On and on it goes…

Stigmata: Padre Pio and hosts of saints…investigated by doctors, etc… proven…

For someone to remain an atheist…let alone any faith other than Christian, (if access to this info) is so beyond me, I cant even begin to form words. :cool:
 
I seem to be fortunate in that he has given me the grace to believe since I was a small child
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Faithful 2 Rome:
On and on it goes…
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Quite true!

Flowers

sunsets

squirrels saving nuts for the winter

the smile of a baby

And still the list goes on and on and on! :love:

I guess that the reason we believe in God is because of grace. God did not have to order the world in a way that points us to him in so many subtle and not-so-subtle ways. But out of love He does.
 
Because Jesus rose from the dead and the fear that paralyzed his disciples when he was captured and crucified was turned to fearlessness to go out and preach the truth of his resurrection regardless of what might happen to them.
 
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tom.wineman:
I seem to be fortunate in that he has given me the grace to believe since I was a small child
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I too feel this way… as far back as I can remember, (4yrs old) I loved Jesus because I knew He loved me! I knew this from Sunday School from the song, “Jesus Loves Me” and from “Uncle Arthur Bedtime Stories”(Bible stories) my mother read to my siblings and me. He has just always been there for me and I don’t ever remember doubting him… I’m the only one out of the six of us who goes to Church and the only Catholic. We all had the same beginning…How do you figure… my response to Grace?? I’m just so glad I believe…How Great is our God!🙂
 
Four times I’ve looked at the beautiful faces of my just born children and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that there was a God and that I was blessed.
 
If I hadn’t been introduced to God through the faith, teaching and example of my mother, I would have had to deduce Him from His incredible creation. We behold it but who planned it in such compexity and intricacy? It’s too intelligent to be happenstance. In this age, we can glimpse not only the stars overhead, but the galaxies, black holes, novas and supernovas strewn throughtout space. I know, however, that I wouldn’t have had to contemplate the universe, the baby growing in my belly or the creatures in my back yard would have convinced me!
 
It really makes no sense at all to be an atheist, even though I used to be one. But to be logical and realistic, the idea that we all are here by an accident without a Higher Being or a Creator makes no sense at all.

You have to ask this question. How did it all begin? Why are we here. Is it the Big Bang? If so, where did that matter come from that started it? And if you can answer that then what happened before that? And if you can answer that then what happened before that. Etc etc etc. Somewhere along the way something or Someone had to create something in order to get the ball rolling.

So since believing in a god is logical, I must say that the Catholic faith makes most sense. I believe that a Creator created us, and sense He created us I believe He does provide a way to come to know Him.
 
I simply don’t think I have ever, deep down, been able to swallow the concept of life on this planet, on some random day, just starting up by itself. It has never made sense to me how some random molecules could all of sudden become alive, without some type of intervention. And, assuming that gigantic leap, how simple life could all of sudden, going against all tendencies towards disorder, become more complex and orderly. For me, to believe that requires just as much, if not more, faith than belief that a higher Power was involved.

I also remember laying in my bed around age 10 being completely stunned that I existed. I still sometimes get the feeling. Like it wasn’t at all probable, or necessary, that I exist. But rather that life is a great mystery, not at all reducible to scientific theories about probabilities and accidents.
 
:love: I believe in God at least partially because I was a cradle Catholic for wyich I am profoundly grateful. And during my 23+ years of absense from the Church I became even more convinced of His existence and grew greatly in my Christian beliefs. I have now returned to the Church and know that my Catholic life is better for having been away for all those years; a great gap/lack in my Christian education was filled during the away years and I understand Catholocim so much better now, and realize that so much of my previous Catholic experience was shallow and rote learning, no reall understanding.

Now I can add Pascal’s wager to the proofs for God’s existence and also a little story I heard on, I believe it was one of Chuck Colson’s radion braodcasts: Some famous persopn (I forget his name) had an atheist friend come for a visit. He saw a large model of the solar system displayed in the room and asked who9 had made. His friend replied, “No one.” The atheist answered. “That’s absurd! Someone had to have made it!”
 
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