Why we believe in God

[Bruno_Schulz]

**“Oh, no” – I hear over and over again, “no, God? – no I can’t believe such thing. No! Let’s talk about somet else.”
A former class-mate of mine – he died about 6 years ago and so he saw God, laughed when he heard, that to me most important thing in life in believe and faith in God, and he called out: “Are you crazy?!”
I told him; I wouldn’t be alive for many reasons – if I did not believe in God.

Well – mostly time is too short to go into details. But here, in this forum, we have the chance to tell readers the reasons, why we believe in God.

One of them is, that who believes, is never alone. That’s a big argument, for inner loneliness is a huge misery of our time.
But how great is it, when we in deepest despair can appeal to God.

How silly, I once heard – “you never get an answer – so what are you talking about!?”
This exactly is the point disbelievers wont understand, as long as they don’t dare to go into the challenge of believe!

Yes, we do not get an answer in clear words. But have you ever seen a faithful person after he or she prayed? Really prayed – not just spoke a prayer?!

I can’t tell you, what relief an intensive prayer means! No, we don’t get an answer in clear words, but we get an answer in tangible, clear feeling GOD IS HERE. He hears me; I am in God and I will see God and be with Him.

This is indeed unmatchable more, than any answer in plain words.
That’s why Christians believe, the longer, the more they get into touch with the absolute reality of God.

Right, nobody can present God to anybody. It wouldn’t be fair either, for all of us have to struggle to finally find the truth. Nobody gets it without own endeavor. Everyone has to fight himself through to believe for himself. But once you did, you get the grace to understand and to live in God, and you’ll be sorry for every day in your life before without God.
**

 

[twb1621]

“Oh, no” – I hear over and over again, “no, God? – no I can’t believe such thing. No! Let’s talk about somet else.”
A former class-mate of mine – he died about 6 years ago and so he saw God, laughed when he heard, that to me most important thing in life in believe and faith in God, and he called out: “Are you crazy?!”
I told him; I wouldn’t be alive for many reasons – if I did not believe in God.

Well – mostly time is too short to go into details. But here, in this forum, we have the chance to tell readers the reasons, why we believe in God.

One of them is, that who believes, is never alone. That’s a big argument, for inner loneliness is a huge misery of our time.
But how great is it, when we in deepest despair can appeal to God.

How silly, I once heard – “you never get an answer – so what are you talking about!?”
**This exactly is the point disbelievers wont understand, as long as they don’t dare to go into the challenge of believe! **

Yes, we do not get an answer in clear words. But have you ever seen a faithful person after he or she prayed? Really prayed – not just spoke a prayer?!

I can’t tell you, what relief an intensive prayer means! No, we don’t get an answer in clear words, but we get an answer in tangible, clear feeling GOD IS HERE. He hears me; I am in God and I will see God and be with Him.

This is indeed unmatchable more, than any answer in plain words.
That’s why Christians believe, the longer, the more they get into touch with the absolute reality of God.

**Right, nobody can present God to anybody. It wouldn’t be fair either, for all of us have to struggle to finally find the truth. Nobody gets it without own endeavor. Everyone has to fight himself through to believe for himself. But once you did, you get the grace to understand and to live in God, and you’ll be sorry for every day in your life before without God. **

Some very good points have been raised here. One of which is the lack of physical reinforcement through direct communication with God. Those who do believe and attempt to follow the teachings of our Lord can (once considered), understand how substantially such an event as a vision or appearance or direct communication would affect one’s life completely. An event such as these would without doubt leave us with such a longing to be with Him, for most it would be unbearable. One event would never serve to sustain us, once would never be enough. Many who we now refer to as saints, blessed in one way or another with direct communication with our Lord or the Blessed Virgin, have verified this. Mother Teresa herself suffered greatly after being told by our Lord she would no longer have such communication with Him. How heart breaking that would be. We are after all, beings of a physical nature and depend on verification in most cases through that which we can experience with our senses. This is why Faith is so critical in our belief and trust in God. We have no physical affirmation other than the “Word” we have been offered through the Teachings passed down to us.

In regard to those who do not believe in God, they themselves set their own limitations on what they can learn, what they can experience. As long as they do restrict themselves from learning the truth and it is a conscious decision to avoid seeking the truth, their life will be void of its natural purpose, their priorities will be based on that which only man can produce materialistic, and which will eventually rust, break down, rot, decompose or otherwise return to its original nature, the earth. It will have no value other than what man gives it, and because man sets it it is in reality, nothing.

Although we do not have direct contact with our Lord in the physical sense, the stronger one becomes in his or her knowledge and faith of our Lord, the more intimate and real that relationship becomes and the more acute one can become to our Lord’s responses to our prayers. We must raise our awareness beyond those interferences that keep us mental captors in this mortal world, all the “noise” we have created and are faced with in our daily lives. It is necessary in order to recognize His responses and although they come through many means, they are distinctive. He is very aware of us as individuals and regardless of our lack of consciousness of Him, His presence and guidance in our lives is more profound than most realize. It is only when we turn away from Him that we strive against His guidance and fall to our own choices. Does God exist? Oh yes. And regardless of whether one believes in Him or not, they will stand before Him eventually and any consciously chosen doubts of Him will be grievously eliminated. We must pray for their enlightenment before that time.

 

[Leela]

What is conspicuously absent from the posted reasons for “why we believe in God” is something like “we believe in God because God actually exists and we have good reason to think so.” Until you can make that sort of argument, nonbelievers will not be interested. It will never be enough to say that believing in God makes you feel good. That’s nice and good for you, but I just don’t have the ability to will myself to believe something no matter how comforting it would be to believe. To believe something, I need to actually believe it is true. Belief is compelled by evidence and arguments not force of will.

Best,
Leela

 

[wina]

**“
How silly, I once heard – “you never get an answer – so what are you talking about!?”
This exactly is the point disbelievers wont understand, as long as they don’t dare to go into the challenge of believe!

Yes, we do not get an answer in clear words. But have you ever seen a faithful person after he or she prayed? Really prayed – not just spoke a prayer?!

I can’t tell you, what relief an intensive prayer means! No, we don’t get an answer in clear words, but we get an answer in tangible, clear feeling GOD IS HERE. He hears me; I am in God and I will see God and be with Him.

**

I agree with you 100%. There are many questions that I asked God and I haven’t got teh answers but through HIS GRACE, He makes me understand those things. Understand doesn’t mean get the answer but I can accept those things and find peace in God’s present.

 

[twb1621]

What is conspicuously absent from the posted reasons for “why we believe in God” is something like “we believe in God because God actually exists and we have good reason to think so.” Until you can make that sort of argument, nonbelievers will not be interested. It will never be enough to say that believing in God makes you feel good. That’s nice and good for you, but I just don’t have the ability to will myself to believe something no matter how comforting it would be to believe. To believe something, I need to actually believe it is true. Belief is compelled by evidence and arguments not force of will.

Best,
Leela

Hi Leela,
What you say is understandable. I was raised Catholic then fell away from it for 25 years because of doubts and disbeliefs and such. But in my case I had an advantage in that I was/am a professional investigator and researcher now of 25 years experience. I began my profession at 21 years of age in law enforcement and moving forward from there. I was one who was and is extremely analytical always having had to know the truth but had to “prove it to myself”. When I decided to research Christianity I took the subject on without prejudice I used every historic and credible reference, resources and contact I accumulated over the years to put it together. And you see what happened was I got to a point of proof that broke through my doubts and disbeliefs like an eggshell. In a split second I became aware and ashamed of myself because I proved to myself I had disbeliefs based on total ignorance. I continue to learn and my relationship with God continues to grow ever deeper. I have been provided the proof, more than I ever would have expected or dreamed. That is why I know it is a matter of choice not to seek the truth. Because not only is it there, More powerful awareness comes with the realization. Perhaps if you decide to look further into it, take it on from the historic aspect first, where there is credible proof of the origins of the faith, then seek the proof of why it exists. Most people I have come across who have no belief are very much like I was, very analytical and always needing proof. It’s there. He’s there.

 

[Bruno_Schulz]

**Leela, you say: “Conspicuously absent is; >we believe in God because God actually exists and we have good reason to think so<. Without such argument, nonbelievers are disinterested.”
But didn’t you find these statements in countless numbers of all Christian members here? They are here

Christians, believing in God, get much evidence. Who doesn’t believe in God, can’t ask God to present his prove first.
Don’t you know that we has to act before we earn? Does God have to come to you before you seek God? Only who seeks finds - Matthew 7,8.

Yes, it’s not enough to say that believe in God makes you feel good. You have to experience it. Doesn’t it make you curious? Aren’t you curious sometimes to see, taste, experience something others say it’s great? How should you know without experiencing it…

Lack of ability to will oneself to believe in God, determines the life of many. No use asking others about God, if they deny will to get into believe. Yes, one needs to actually believe it is true. By refusing, nobody ever found out.

You ask for evidence and arguments. Jesus gave us such en masse, but God never forced anyone to believe. He said in Ez 3,27; “Let him heed who will, and let him resist who will”.

What if you refuse believe, but after your death find out it’s all true…
**

 

[Leela]

**Leela, you say: “Conspicuously absent is; >we believe in God because God actually exists and we have good reason to think so<. Without such argument, nonbelievers are disinterested.”
But didn’t you find these statements in countless numbers of all Christian members here? They are here

Christians, believing in God, get much evidence. Who doesn’t believe in God, can’t ask God to present his prove first.
Don’t you know that we has to act before we earn? Does God have to come to you before you seek God? Only who seeks finds - Matthew 7,8.

Yes, it’s not enough to say that believe in God makes you feel good. You have to experience it. Doesn’t it make you curious? Aren’t you curious sometimes to see, taste, experience something others say it’s great? How should you know without experiencing it…

Lack of ability to will oneself to believe in God, determines the life of many. No use asking others about God, if they deny will to get into believe. Yes, one needs to actually believe it is true. By refusing, nobody ever found out.

You ask for evidence and arguments. Jesus gave us such en masse, but God never forced anyone to believe. He said in Ez 3,27; “Let him heed who will, and let him resist who will”.

What if you refuse believe, but after your death find out it’s all true…
**

Why would anyone ever seek something unless they already knew what they were seeking exists?

 

[davidv]

Why would anyone ever seek something unless they already knew what they were seeking exists?

Many, if not most, of the explorers of the past and present would heartily disagree with you. Did Columbus know what he would find at the end of his journey? Did Lewis and Clark? This lack of “knowledge” did not prevent them from setting out on they journeys.

 

[Swan]

The problem with the OP’s argument is that it assumes that non-believers have never sincerely tried to believe. This assumption is rampant and, like any wide sweeping broad generalization, if often not accurate.

As a former Christian, now agnostic, I can tell you that I’ve done everything you suggest but without the results. I’m sure I’m not the only one - indeed, others on CAF have mentioned similiar experiences. This is a huge reason for non-belief - tried and failed or found it lacking. And it is observable at large - people of faith who are suffering greatly and don’t even get comfort from God. I’m bipolar and at this point in my life I am very pragmatic. Something either helps me deal with my life or it is useless to me. This mental turmoil of trying to fit personal experiences and world events into a theology so full of holes that it resemble a Swiss cheese, is, for me, a frustrating exercise in futility. If a all loving, all powerful God can’t even give mental comfort to suffering followers then why in the world would would you call “God”?

Of course, the response will be something like “you didn’t try hard enough”, or “it’s a mystery”, etc. The fault always has to be with the person because God is “perfect”. Sheesh.

 

[geometer]

We as someone who asked God a question, a question that He answered, I must say that I don’t believe in God, as much as, I simply believe God…

 

[fhansen]

**“Oh, no” – I hear over and over again, “no, God? – no I can’t believe such thing. No! Let’s talk about somet else.”
A former class-mate of mine – he died about 6 years ago and so he saw God, laughed when he heard, that to me most important thing in life in believe and faith in God, and he called out: “Are you crazy?!”
I told him; I wouldn’t be alive for many reasons – if I did not believe in God.

Well – mostly time is too short to go into details. But here, in this forum, we have the chance to tell readers the reasons, why we believe in God.

One of them is, that who believes, is never alone. That’s a big argument, for inner loneliness is a huge misery of our time.
But how great is it, when we in deepest despair can appeal to God.

How silly, I once heard – “you never get an answer – so what are you talking about!?”
This exactly is the point disbelievers wont understand, as long as they don’t dare to go into the challenge of believe!

Yes, we do not get an answer in clear words. But have you ever seen a faithful person after he or she prayed? Really prayed – not just spoke a prayer?!

I can’t tell you, what relief an intensive prayer means! No, we don’t get an answer in clear words, but we get an answer in tangible, clear feeling GOD IS HERE. He hears me; I am in God and I will see God and be with Him.

This is indeed unmatchable more, than any answer in plain words.
That’s why Christians believe, the longer, the more they get into touch with the absolute reality of God.

Right, nobody can present God to anybody. It wouldn’t be fair either, for all of us have to struggle to finally find the truth. Nobody gets it without own endeavor. Everyone has to fight himself through to believe for himself. But once you did, you get the grace to understand and to live in God, and you’ll be sorry for every day in your life before without God.
**

God can and does speak to people in clear words. But that can never be proven to another person. The truth is, all of our experiences are ultimately subjective in that we receive and know them internally-God simply transcends the material world and can communicate to that internal “receptor” directly. Couldn’t prove any of that, though, in a hundred years of trying.

 

[Bruno_Schulz]

**

OP’s arguments assume that non-believers have never sincerely tried to believe

No Swan, you caught a wrong impression. If that was right, Church had not 2000 years made strong efforts, to present non-believers the beauty of believe. Neither would individual believers spend so much love, time and energy in the hard work to share their pervading believe with others. Not too much success though in numbers, but heaven rejoices more over one who found back, than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. Mat 18,13. (This is the real reward newcomers to believe get).

At some of my friends who live in deep believe, I’m much surprised, how persistently and in love they explain believe to deniers, in spite of the word Jesus told us in Mk 6,11. They could have a good time instead and wouldn’t earn continuous negative answers.
Now, why you think that is so?

If God would heal all people of faith who are suffering greatly, you would believe?
Do you really ask that proof of God before you enter into belief?
Then no wonder, that you aren’t allowed to believe. (see Mt 13,14, Isaiah 6,9 „Listen carefully, but you shall not understand! Look intently, but you shall know nothing!“, Acts 28,26f; Joh 12,40)
Very sad. But you, disbeliever, atheists, agnostics etc. ought to look for reasons not on God, but on yourself.

Too many think, “to believe” is a reward to God for our generous gift “trust”. They don’t realize; it’s vice versa.

**

 

[twb1621]

Why would anyone ever seek something unless they already knew what they were seeking exists?

Whether in regard to religious subjects or otherwise, if we only sought after things we knew about, there would be a great deal we still would not know today including the shape of the earth, the effects of certain plants and their medicinal values and so on.

On the other hand, how many things and how many species of animals have we destroyed blindly choosing to do or make things we had no idea or concern about just in the pursuit for our own conveniences only to find we did more harm than good in doing or making them…

Seeking what you do not know is how you learn the truth. Now, if you were to learn you will go on from here after death and whether that eternal existance was pleasurable or painful after passing from this world depended on how you lived here, when do you think it would be best to learn the truth about that? When I was a cop in uniform, I handled many death cases. Many people loose their life each day just from making one fatal choice that had they known the option would have been the difference between them living another hour or another day but because they did not know the possibilities, they lost it. They certainly could have known but didn’t bother to check out the possibilities. Atheism and eternal life is exactly the same .

 

[Bruno_Schulz]

**

…because they did not know the possibilities, they lost it. They certainly could have known but didn’t bother to check out the possibilities

many don’t loose it, nor don’t bother, but simply refuse, as they think, the know better.

However - it’s quite brave to think to know better in the very few years they think about it (if they at all think about it) than the time ever since Gods creation, when people knew there is God, as He spoke to them, and later revealed Himself again through Jesus Christ.

Brave – or silly – let’s stick to the polite “brave”.
Some call suicide victims brave too **

 

[Leela]

You ask for evidence and arguments. Jesus gave us such en masse,

Such as…

but God never forced anyone to believe. He said in Ez 3,27; “Let him heed who will, and let him resist who will”.

Maybe God doesn’t supposedly force belief, but claiming that those who do not believe will burn in hell is pretty coercive.

Best,
Leela

 

[Leela]

We as someone who asked God a question, a question that He answered, I must say that I don’t believe in God, as much as, I simply believe God…

If it’s not too personal, what was the question and how was it answered?

 

[Bruno_Schulz]

**surprising, how little of the Bible those know, who don’t believe. They do not even know what they do not believe

God answered very many questions in the Old Testament directly and clear.
Jesus (who is God) answered very many questions in the New Testament directly and clear.
Here just one of countless:

Jesus answered: “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me”
**

 

[twb1621]

Such as…

Maybe God doesn’t supposedly force belief, but claiming that those who do not believe will burn in hell is pretty coercive.

Best,
Leela

The benefits of seeking and learning which do lead to believing are well worth the effort. In most cases, a person does not believe because he or she refuses to find out the truth. Why would you not want to know the truth, is it a fear of some sort? And I do mean the truth.

 

[Leela]

The benefits of seeking and learning which do lead to believing are well worth the effort. In most cases, a person does not believe because he or she refuses to find out the truth. Why would you not want to know the truth, is it a fear of some sort? And I do mean the truth.

I do want to know the truth, but in my search for truth, I think it is important to distinguish what we wish were true from what we actually have good reason to believe. I have studied the religions on the world and find the evidence for Christianity (of which there are many many versions) no more compelling than the evidence for many other religions, which is to say, not compelling at all. Bruno wants to keep providing Bible versus as evidence for the veracity of the Bible. But if the validity of the Bible is what is in question, then how is that relevent?

 

[geometer]

If it’s not too personal, what was the question and how was it answered?

Well, when I was very young, the children of my neighborhood ran into my yard arguing about the bottomless pit. They were having a very angry exchange, some said that there was no such thing as a bottomless pit and others were saying that there is a bottomless pit, because the bible says there is.

When they stopped arguing they all ran off. I had not taken sides in the argument, all was quiet as they had gone, so I asked God in my mind, “Is there a bottomless pit?”.

He answered me in my mind, “It will become known as the black hole.”

This little incident happened in the late fifties, so there was no talk of black holes. Many years later the term black hole was being used by astronomers, but still there isn’t a black hole which is commonly refered to as ‘the black hole’. But I suspect that there will be, some time before I’m gone.

In His yeshua,

Vincent