Why you do or don't believe in God?

[summerbloom]

Interested to hear people's views on why they do believe in God or on why you don't believe in God.....

I don't believe in any gods of our theist traditions. However, I am open to there being higher powers in the universe that are utterly beyond our understanding. Agnostic is my label of choice.

We have such limited understanding. How could we possibly 'know'?

I find it difficult to understand how anyone can say that the universe is too perfectly designed to be an accident. If that were the case, how could things like earthquakes and volcanoes happen? Is it really perfect if it allows babies to be born with things like epidermolysis bullosa which condemns them to a life filled with dreadful pain?

I like what John Lennon wrote in his song, 'God': 'God' is a concept by which we measure our pain'

Nope x

The Babel fish

I don't believe in one either. Evolution explains it all.

Religion is a crutch. It makes people feel more comfortable...

I don't believe although I'm more agnostic than atheist as I get older. I guess I also don't comprehend the big bang theory.

I have no idea if JC actually existed but he seems like such a nice guy so I am more inclined to believe in him! A credit to Christianity (unlike his Father)!

No. I'd ike to sometimes, it must be comforting, but I can't. I also can't say why the universe started, so I don't have alternative answers. And you know what? I don't mind that I don't know. Science doesn't know everything, and that's ok with me. Science works by answering questions and each one answered raises many more. That's fine with me.
I also don't believe that everything has a purpose, or a reason, for being. Sometimes, things just are. You do the best with what you are given. In some ways I find that more comforting. Why do awful things happen? Because they just do. Deal with that as gracefully as you can.

The hardest point for me so far has been the death of my adored grandmother. I so wished I could believe in a heaven. I wanted to imagine her still out there somewhere, perhaps looking down on me. And slowly I came to realise that she is in fact still here. I think of her every day, and in that way she is still very much alive. She's not in heaven waiting for me, she is in my heart where I can touch her daily.
The arrogance thing is interesting. I find it hugely arrogant to say "I must have a purpose therefore there must be a god."
And finally, I don't get why we need the promise of heaven to behave ourselves. I believe we get one shot at one life. Everyone gets this. As a human being, it is part of living in the world, in society, to ensure that everyone gets the best shot they can. Sometimes hideous things happen, out of everyone's control. But to actively mess up someone else's chance? Really not on. (And doesn't that sound Enid Blytonish?!)

'fulfilled prophecy and historical accuracy in the bible'

If I placed a bet on every horse in the Grand National, I could accurately prophesy that I would win money on that race. If I didn't bother keeping any of the losing tickets, there'd be no evidence that I didn't foresee the winner.

Historical accuracy in the Bible to me suggests humanity, not divinity - oral history can be surprisingly accurate in its own way. I think people who look to God for historical accuracy are looking for the wrong thing in the wrong place.

I don't, for many of the reasons others have given.
"Death has to happen"/"it's God's will" is a shitty excuse IMO and doesn't get round the problem. It makes God sound like an arsehole. Why do some survive and some not? Why do they die and horrible old twats get to live for decades?

I don't. I don't want to believe in a God or Gods that allow the cruelness in this world. Religion to me is based on fear, a method of control.

emwithme "because we have free will"

That isn't actually an undisputed fact. There is some very good evidence to believe we do not have a scrap of free will at all.

I don't believe in an all seeing all knowing deity, so I don't believe in god.

But I do believe in spirits and a greater purpose but more like fate and destiny. Kinda weird reincarnation kind of beliefs.

I like what John Lennon wrote in his song, 'God': 'God' is a concept by which we measure our pain'

Which would mean a lot more if he weren't a huge hypocrite.

Those who believe in the power of prayer, or say that they feel God's presence, or that they feel God guides them and gives them strength -
I genuinely believe that this is just the power of positive thought. If you want something to be true, you'll convince yourself it is. The mind is a powerful thing. Made stronger by being in a collective of similar minded people who have similar positive thoughts ie church.
Sorry but its all a load of bollocks. If it gives some people peace or strength or whatever then that's fine but don't try and convince me its anything other than your mind creating something that isn't there.

I don't. It's illogical and flawed in my opinion.

Most ancient g-ds were based on things humans couldn't understand or control. Such as weather, emotion, etc. Science can now answer many of those questions.
I don't have a problem with those that do believe except those that want to impose their beliefs on me.

I don't, it just seems so illogical.

I think the bible stories are good moral stories (on the whole), we weren't meant to take it literally.

I don't believe...
Because religion is a human invention designed to reinforce rules and regulations within a society. It feeds into our nature of wanting to belong to a group with a strong leader we can confide in at any time.
But...
It's abused by a few to keep others in check. Its used to stop progress, and some hide behind religion as an excuse to do unimaginable things.
If a God loves everyone, how can this divine being be pleased if harm is done in their name? Unless, of course it's all bs!

Which god?

Just that if there is a god they are an utter bastard to be causing so much pain in the Middle East at the moment

and the cruelty of Beslan is awful

Hindu, Islam (in its many forms) , Christian (many forms), Buddhist and all the others

either God is a schizo git or most religious people are kidding themselves

superbeagle

Who 'God' or John Lennon?

Man made God, not the other way.

What really scrambles my brain though is why homo sapiens are the ruling force on earth with no peers. If all life crawled out of the primeval sludge at roughly the same time and developed through natural selection and evolution, why is it that other mammals with opposible thumbs aren't tapping away on a keyboard right now and joining the fray? What happened that set us big brained naked apes so far ahead of other animals?

As I said up thread, it's unknowable.

I keep seeing people staying their unbelief is because or part of them not being able to comprehend the bad and evil in the world, however, I'd like to pose a question, of we all (every single person) followed Jesus' philosophy and teachings, don't you think the world would be a better place?

Meek - wow, that was inspiring, I've never looked at things in that way before, thank you!

Bella - but science hasn't concluded our existence? Just theories....

Older - I found faith as an adult

Goldfish - I linked them because there have been prophecies written in the bible that have come to be fulfilled which has been recorded not only in religious texts but non religious texts alike

I don't.

I think many religions simply came from the perceived need to control people and get them to follow society's rules.

Mankind can have a fundamental need to find meaning and to want an afterlife to help us try to understand our position in the universe - and unfortunately lots of religions prey on that.

I am always secretly disappointed if I find out that someone who I like or respect is religious. My experience is that it always leads to them wanting to convert or harangue me.

I do and find it strange that people don't.
Faith to me is a very personal thing. I

To lose faith because of a personal tragedy seems self absorbed: so god was there for yoy when bad stuff happened to others, but couldn't exist because somehing bad happened to you.

Also illogical and self absorbed to have faith because you desperately wanted something, for example a seriously ill person to recover, and it happened. Many of us desperately "pray" in those kinds of situations - it's hope and wishing, powerful things. Sometimes those hopes come to pass, because of worldly things not a god.