To genuinely wonder how or why anyone believes in God?

[ChaosNeverRains]

Genuine question.

I was until fairly recently I think probably agnostic rather than anything else, having been brought up in a very church oriented school where the emphasis was all on sin and retribution and the need to worship this higher being and that if you lived every day then it was through God’s will - you get the picture. Until recently though I was prepared to believe that perhaps there was a higher being out there somewhere, and even now I can see that some could believe that there is a higher being out there or that there was at some point.

But what I don’t understand is why people seem to believe that there is a God who looks over them individually when everything points to that not being the case. People talk about the power of prayer when actually no such power exists. The man dying of cancer is no more or less likely to die if you prayed for him than if you didn’t. I know of some very devout Christians who have fallen victim to the most horrific illnesses and where the church have genuinely believed that praying for them means God will heal them, which of course he hasn’t. But when they die those same people are thought to be up there eternally worshipping the lord. Why?

I can see that a belief in God might somehow make people feel comforted that this isn’t the only life we will have, but what I can’t see is that a God who allows the amount of bad and suffering that goes on in the world, even on an individual level should be so worshipped. If a father treated his children in the way that the supposed Heavenly Father treats his, no-one would want anything to do with him. Yet worshippers of a God go to all and any lengths to ensure that they continue to do things in the name of the father and to not upset him for fear of the retribution they will receive.

I’m not one for dismissing belief as believing in the fairies and what-not (with the possible exception of the dinosaur deniers,) but I am becoming more and more curious as to how it is that people can believe in this individual God and actually believe that it is true when there is no evidence to suggest anything of the sort.

PS: I am talking about any and all religion not just one. My thought process being that if there were one God it would be the same God whether you are Christian muslim or Jewish but that the scriptures are defined by humans to make for the individual religions.

Short answer to the OP = brainwashing.

This is not the case for many. I didn’t grow up in a religious household, and I know many who grew up in a religious household but turned away from their religion. I am a theist, DH is agnostic, of our children 2 are theist, 1 is agnostic, and 3 are too young to have asserted a belief (5 and under).

I believe bad things happen because they’re part of God’s plan. They’re not always fair to the individual, they don’t always make sense to us as humans, but I believe everything is part of a wider picture. I don’t know what that is because I am only human. It didn’t seem fair to my atheist 8 year old self that my parents were suddenly gone from my life, but I found my belief helped me make sense of the loss - i believe it has a purpose. And that is entirely my choice. I was not brainwashed. I didn’t step foot in a church for 3-4 years after realising I believed in God, I’d never been to a church service.

Also, my friends are a mix of people who do and don’t have a religion. It doesn’t affect my friendships because we don’t try to enforce our beliefs on one another - we discuss the differences, but only to inform.

I am an atheist

But I don’t question why people leave I except they do.

Religion raises questions and challanges you it tests you it’s not for you to follow blindly that is how religious leaders have used religion bit for many who do believe it can be an internal struggle

Maybe I am too lazy it’s easier being an atheist

God used to be feared. You were sent to heaven or eternal hell. Prayer was for confession or repenting not to 'want' such and such. Evil was created to test or tempt us. Some will take the view religion is lovey dovey but I don't think it started that way. It makes more sense to me that it depicts suffering and teaches how life can be cruel and unfair rather than promises to solve it.

I’ll amend my answer. Brainwashing or wilful self-deception to comfort themselves that loss is not senseless.

Frankfurt. Religious faith is believing in something there is no real evidence for. I would not say that this is a simple matter for anyone who has thought it through. Many of the preceding posts reflect these difficulties.

Fifi it is a self-deception, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it wilful. All of us know from childhood that God isn’t a reality, but we push that knowledge down (and depending on your religious circumstances, it might be into your subconscious). We need a reason (why are we here?) and a framework (how are we to best to live?) to our existence. For the great majority of us over time, religion has given us that.

Every time I lose my car keys, a quick prayer to god and I find them. QED god is real just dont tell any amputees.

Puzzledandpissedoff

“Why does God allow suffering?” is known as “The Problem of Evil”. It’s the same thing.

And since you acknowledge that you can’t prove reincarnation on what basis have you decided it’s an “answer”?

It’s as much an answer to that question as “Because the purple burping hippo who created the universe says so” is.

In this country I think there are two prime reason why people still believe in religion.

The first is the ridiculous and sychophantic “respect” society pays to faith and the suggestion that being a Christian means you’re a “good person”. People build their self-esteem up with this bizarre notion that believing in a myth invented by desert dwelling goat herders in the Bronze Age makes them “good”. They may well be good people, most of us are, but that’s got nothing to do with religion. And the completely unjustified respect for “faith” only makes matters worse. “Faith” = “stop thinking and submit”. Which is not even remotely worthy of respect - and, in this information age, is an intellectual embarrassment.

The second is narcissism. How on earth can any rational, decent human being believe that the ruler of the universe sent a sunny day for their wedding (or whatever) while ignoring the plight of abused, beaten children every damn day? “It’s all part of his plan” is basically, “I don’t give enough of a shit about anyone else to wonder at this monstrous situation...as long as he loves ME”. Like I said...narcissism.

I find it harder to believe that everything in the world exists due to luck / probability. I have a science degree and it made me have a deeper faith in God instead of less. I studied philosophy at school & hated it as I always felt it’s a personal choice to believe or not. I couldn’t be bothered about the arguments about the existence of God, to me it was pointless I never wanted to project my faith onto someone else. You either believe or don’t.

At work most of my colleagues are atheists and it’s hard if the conversation goes into religious territory, I don’t say anything as I don’t want them to think any less of me as there is a judgement of being religious.

Sorry if I am behind, I really can’t read 11 pages right now.

The power of prayer isn’t just in miracles. If you pray for someone and they are on deaths door you aren’t just praying for that person. You pray for their family, that the person knows they are loved, you pray for the Doctors to be clear minded.
Death isn’t the end, it is the beginning.
I am Christian, born again 5 years ago. I went to two churches, I was baptised, and then I felt God was telling me that organised religion is not the way. I have God in my life, and no church, and I am learning so much and have a more genuine bond with him. It’s in our time, in his hands. No forking out money, no “Jesus” as J wasn’t even a letter back then.
The bible is full of metaphors, there is peace in it, and I am trying to find the true Lord and his son by digging back into the history of it.
Jesus in Latin means Earth Pig! Do you think whoever changed his name from Yahweh didn’t know that?
The history and development of Christianity has been indoctrinated with lies.

God is here, he gives us what we can handle, he gives us our tasks and depending on how we deal with our situation I believe determines where we end up. Life is hard, it is meant to be, and everyone dies here. But this life on Earth is just the intro.

while ignoring the plight of abused, beaten children every damn day? “It’s all part of his plan” is basically, “I don’t give enough of a shit about anyone else to wonder at this monstrous situation...as long as he loves ME”. Like I said...narcissism.

I was physically, sexually, and emotionally abused by people who were meant to care for me. My parents died when I was 8. My best friend also died when I was 8. My ex husband left me for another woman when I was pregnant. I believe this is all part of God’s plan - for me, or for a wider picture. I don’t know what the plan is, and I know I’ve drawn a worse lot than many that’s made a lot of small things far more of a trouble. But I trust that it makes sense, and I don’t think that is narcissism.

I respect the decision/choice not to believe. I don’t see why it’s so hard for some on this thread to return.

About the “abused children” that is not God’s doing, that is the abusers. God isn’t sat watching and deciding for us like it’s a game of Sims. We have freedom of choice, he gave us that so we could find true love and find true love in him. With that choice unfortunately, comes the evil.

Tabby

Similar story here (sorry about your loss )

My ex beat me and my dc black and blue, I was sexually abused a number of times by different men. I found God because of this, I couldn’t breathe, I felt suffocated and it was horrific, I had awful PTSD and I was an utter wreck. I lived by a church and for months I couldn’t go in, but I knew I had to. He was calling me in, and as soon as I went in I felt safe, he gave me strength, I found myself and him. I got through court and I got to move on. Prayer is powerful.

We have freedom of choice, he gave us that so we could find true love and find true love in him. With that choice unfortunately, comes the evil

So god values our free will so much that he won't stop a child rapist and that makes him good? So if I see someone raping a child and I don't intervene because I want to respect the rapists free will, y'all think me good too?

I find it weird the idea that a god would be so insecure that he wants people to pray to him and sing songs about how great he is. I'd be embarrassed if people were bowing down to me like that. The whole idea of it is just strange.

We have freedom of choice, he gave us that so we could find true love and find true love in him. With that choice unfortunately, comes the evil I don't believe god is a "he" but I get this. We wouldn't know good if we didn't have the bad.

Having multiple lives, coming to Earth an infinite number of times. But having a perfect life, what could be learnt from that?

Religion was created in a time to explain the world when nothing else could. Thunder and lightening god angry. It's still taught to young children as fact. If we banned it being taught until a person was 21 the world would look very different indeed.

I don't believe in god, and even if i did. I'd think he was an evil, sadist, vengeful god and I wouldn't follow him.

I'm pagan and believe in nature. The importance of the trees, and world we live on.

I believe bad things happen because they’re part of God’s plan. They’re not always fair to the individual, they don’t always make sense to us as humans, but I believe everything is part of a wider picture.

Probably the most patronising of all the christian arguments. It basically says " stop asking questions".

It's asking people to think like a toddler. To shut up and put up, and simply accept.

So " why are people dying in earthquakes"
" Oh part of god's plan, something we can't understand because we are too thick/unknowing"

"OK then, seems fair"

I believe bad things happen because they’re part of God’s plan. They’re not always fair to the individual, they don’t always make sense to us as humans, but I believe everything is part of a wider picture.

If god is as good as he and his follows claim to be he wouldn't do the bad. There are insects whose whole life's purpose it to burrow into children's eyes making the blind. Where is the sense in that? Why?

Evil, evil things happen in the world. You expect me to think that god is good, kind and loving. But to me he's a sadist with an ant farm.

Religion is a poison and that is why it needs to be opposed. People are told to accept their fate as they will get their reward in heaven, diminishing the quality of life. As for god not being responsible for sufferings he gave us a free will, what nonsense. If I saw someone trying to kill a child or commit rape I would intervene, why doesn't the all powerful god do so? Simple he doesn't exist.

Bad things happen either because

1. It's part of god's plan and we are too thick to understand or know- like a toddler having a vaccination.

1. It's because of the fall of man- ie satan.

Not to do with god's lack of omnipotence or lack of caring nature ( despite being portrayed as a genocidal maniac in the bible)

Probably the most patronising of all the christian arguments. It basically says " stop asking questions".

We aren’t supposed to question god though. ‘For now, we see through a glass darkly ‘.

It will become clear, but on earth it is down to faith.

People believe in God because of all the promises he has made in the Bible?

I find it weird the idea that a god would be so insecure that he wants people to pray to him and sing songs about how great he is. I'd be embarrassed if people were bowing down to me like that. The whole idea of it is just strange

Yes exactly, This was never meant to be the case. It was because the holidays and rituals were largley stolen from the people of the land. Ritual was a way of life and it was easier for them to incorporate this.

If I was ever to think of a 'creator or birther of things...It would be a women'