Why Don't You Believe?

Christie__x:

I attended a private catholic school for 15 years but I was never baptised.

I practiced buddhism for roughly 4 or so years - i did go through the official initiation ceremony and although I don't practice it anymore, I still respect their beliefs and refuse to share that experience with anyone, even those who have gone though it also.

I am now agnostic.

I refuse to believe in any past religion I have been a part of because there's no way a God would let his people go through all the stuff I went through and everyone else too.

But I still have hope that someone will save me.

I still have faith.

I don't know what in though.

Whenever people say that it makes me angry .-. ohwellz....

there's no way a God would let his people go through all the stuff I went through and everyone else too.

Yeah, that's a silly thing to say because you're not God and therefor have no way of knowing if He'd let that happen or not.

A lot of the posts in this thread annoy me slightly because they all try to put the blame of everything bad that happens on God. I get where you're all coming from, but at the same time I think you're all thinking of Him as some kind of human who is mortal and responsible. He's not. He's not even a 'He', that's just the only way we know to talk of Him because of our language and knowledge of Him.

The thing is even if he was mortal and responsible I still don't think it could be His fault. It's our fault. All this 'shit' that happens is, to be quite honest, down to the human race. We were created with free will because without it we have no chance of reaching the 'likeness' of God; if you have free will then you have the ability to choose evil and I'm sorry to say this but in a lot of cases we do just that.

Therefor bad stuff happening is our fault, not God's. You can't effectively blame something that personal on something so Universal.

Also, I've seen posts asking why God couldn't have created a world in which evil cease to exist, and the answer to that is that there would have been no point. I mean seriously, what's the point in having a world where everyone is just 'yay the end'? Think about it. We need evil and suffering to 1) teach us how not to be evil and 2) give us free will. You can't have free will without having the choice to do wrong. And you need free will to reach God's 'likeness', as it were. Therefor evil and suffering is essensial and our responsibility, not God's.

Done. I'm still learning about this stuff though so feel free to correct my mistakes etc. XD

I don’t believe in The God simply because I’m not a follower. How am I supposed to believe in something no one can logically prove? Why should I believe in something that billions of other people say is right? Why should I live by someone else’s rules?

What if I made my own religion and a giant pink invincible lizard was my god? People would call me crazy. Though, if I were to make a million people believe, I would gain more followers and become a genius.

I asked my (God believing) parents why they went to church when thy were younger, they said “because we had to”. I replied “so you were forced to believe in something you had no idea about” My parents agreed.
I asked “isn’t that called brainwashing?”



I’m not bashing religion; it just doesn’t make sense to me.

stardust:

there's no way a God would let his people go through all the stuff I went through and everyone else too.

Yeah, that's a silly thing to say because you're not God and therefor have no way of knowing if He'd let that happen or not.

A lot of the posts in this thread annoy me slightly because they all try to put the blame of everything bad that happens on God. I get where you're all coming from, but at the same time I think you're all thinking of Him as some kind of human who is mortal and responsible. He's not. He's not even a 'He', that's just the only way we know to talk of Him because of our language and knowledge of Him.

The thing is even if he was mortal and responsible I still don't think it could be His fault. It's our fault. All this 'shit' that happens is, to be quite honest, down to the human race. We were created with free will because without it we have no chance of reaching the 'likeness' of God; if you have free will then you have the ability to choose evil and I'm sorry to say this but in a lot of cases we do just that.

Therefor bad stuff happening is our fault, not God's. You can't effectively blame something that personal on something so Universal.

Also, I've seen posts asking why God couldn't have created a world in which evil cease to exist, and the answer to that is that there would have been no point. I mean seriously, what's the point in having a world where everyone is just 'yay the end'? Think about it. We need evil and suffering to 1) teach us how not to be evil and 2) give us free will. You can't have free will without having the choice to do wrong. And you need free will to reach God's 'likeness', as it were. Therefor evil and suffering is essensial and our responsibility, not God's.

Done. I'm still learning about this stuff though so feel free to correct my mistakes etc. XD

Well in the religions I practiced and according to the people who preached to me, God is supposedly the nicest element possible who loves everything and everyone and bunnies and flowers and blahhhhh so whatever general view people are supposed to have of Him, it's been marred by the heavy influences of people I have been brought up with/by.

Jam:

How am I supposed to believe in something no one can logically prove?

But you can't prove happiness or love or anything like that. It's the same thing really.

Christie__x:

Well in the religions I practiced and according to the people who preached to me, God is supposedly the nicest element possible who loves everything and everyone and bunnies and flowers and blahhhhh so whatever general view people are supposed to have of Him, it's been marred by the heavy influences of people I have been brought up with/by.

"That which nothing greater can be concieved" is apparently the definition of God. He's been turned into some kind of peace loving hippy though, from what I can see. Everyone has a different idea of God.
It's impossible to know his essence so I guess we'll never know.

Jam:

How am I supposed to believe in something no one can logically prove?

That's why it's called believe and not know

Christie__x:

Well in the religions I practiced and according to the people who preached to me, God is supposedly the nicest element possible who loves everything and everyone and bunnies and flowers and blahhhhh so whatever general view people are supposed to have of Him, it's been marred by the heavy influences of people I have been brought up with/by.

Oh, the people who preached to you are either 1) Wrong in their teachings, because I never heard of someone saying God was the nicest elment ever 2) Or they simply made that up to get people to follow along.
I was taught God was a entity of mercy and love, but also jealousy and wrath.
So you shouldn't blame God for the mistakes people told you.

stardust:

Jam:

How am I supposed to believe in something no one can logically prove?

But you can't prove happiness or love or anything like that. It's the same thing really.

I don’t agree. Love and happiness are emotions. Every living organisms are born with emotions.

Jam:

Every living organisms are born with emotions.

Can you prove that?

Bloodraine:

Jam:

Every living organisms are born with emotions.

Can you prove that?

Emotions are positive or negative psychological response and physical expressions.
Etymologically; the word emotion, is formed from two Latin words, out, outward and motio/movement, action, gesture. (Physical responses)

Each emotion (Fear, anger, sadness, happiness, disgust ect.) causes a physical response in the body.

Jam:

Bloodraine:

Jam:

Every living organisms are born with emotions.

Can you prove that?

Emotions are positive or negative psychological response and physical expressions.
Etymologically; the word emotion, is formed from two Latin words, out, outward and motio/movement, action, gesture. (Physical responses)

Each emotion (Fear, anger, sadness, happiness, disgust ect.) causes a physical response in the body.

That doesn't prove anything. I'm well aware what emotions are, thanks.
I'd just like you to back up your claim that 'Every living organisms are born with emotions'

I mean, hello, a potted plant is a living organism. Do they have emotions?
No.

Bloodraine:

I mean, hello, a potted plant is a living organism. Do they have emotions?
No.

Studies have shown that plants recoil from injurious sensations. It has been explained that plants can differentiate between harmless contact, say raindrops and the touch of an insect. Not only that, but plants can repair their own wounds. Plants do have a nerve structure, but very different to ours.

Plants thrive when they're “happy” and wither when their not. They like certain environments, they get sick, they have needs ect. They have physical emotion.

Jam:

Bloodraine:

I mean, hello, a potted plant is a living organism. Do they have emotions?
No.

Studies have shown that plants recoil from injurious sensations. It has been explained that plants can differentiate between harmless contact, say raindrops and the touch of an insect. Not only that, but plants can repair their own wounds. Plants do have a nerve structure, but very different to ours.

Plants thrive when they're “happy” and wither when their not. They like certain environments, they get sick, they have needs ect. They have physical emotion.

So you're actually trying to disprove the existance of God by attempting to convince me that potted plants get upset?



Funky, dude.
Funky.

Bloodraine:

So you're actually trying to disprove the existance of God by attempting to convince me that potted plants get upset?



Funky, dude.
Funky.

When did I try to disprove the existence of God?! You asked me questions and I answered them! Like I said in my first post, no one has yet to prove his/her existence.

Believe whatever you want! It's my opinion and I stand by it.

I'm christian, if i feel alone i look to god. And i do believe because i was raised to be a christian, it gives me a sense of wellbeing : )

CopperheaD:

I'm christian, if i feel alone i look to god. And i do believe because i was raised to be a christian, it gives me a sense of wellbeing : )

I think you shouldn't just believe because thats how you were raised. If my parents raised me to be a drunk, I dont think Id go and choose that road.

Jam:

Bloodraine:

So you're actually trying to disprove the existance of God by attempting to convince me that potted plants get upset?



Funky, dude.
Funky.

When did I try to disprove the existence of God?! You asked me questions and I answered them! Like I said in my first post, no one has yet to prove his/her existence.

Believe whatever you want! It's my opinion and I stand by it.

I feel like I can prove the existence of God through my emotions :/ and feelings and such....You know some poeple actually dont believe in love, I dont see how that works since its an emotion but yeah, I have come across people that say love is non-existent.

robotchicken.:

CopperheaD:

I'm christian, if i feel alone i look to god. And i do believe because i was raised to be a christian, it gives me a sense of wellbeing : )

I think you shouldn't just believe because thats how you were raised. If my parents raised me to be a drunk, I dont think Id go and choose that road.

In all honesty, you probably would because you wouldn't know any better. But I see where you're coming from.

I think everyone should find out a bit more about their religion and their God before stating their beliefs, to be honest. And I don't mean just reading the Bible; I mean looking at it objectively and exploring all relevent information before jumping to the conclusion of 'I believe!' or 'I don't believe'. I don't think the concept is nearly that simple.

Well you obviously cant prove or disapprove God, but what about miracles?