Why do some people find it hard to believe in God?

[MosEisley]

I believe in God.

However, I am attending an adult confirmation class and we have been asked to consider why some people do not believe in God. DH and I came up with:

• there is no absolute proof of God's existence
• they are rebelling against a strict organised religion that they can't accept as literallly true

If you know someone who doesn't believe in God, why don't they?

We have already established that we are all made in the image of God. there is good in all of us.

No, I'm afraid you haven't provided any food for thought, Honisoit. The problem is that all your explanations basically go back to 'it says so in the bible'.

But I (like most atheists, I would guess, though I wouldn't claim to speak for such a diverse group of people) just see the bible as a interesting, colourful and often self-contradictory collection of documents put together over hundreds of years in the distant past which may make interesting reading from a historical perspective but have no relevance to anything in my life.

I certainly don't accept the bible as the word of god, because there is no god. And all the convoluted theology that has been built on top of all the many and varied interpretations of the bible is just a pointless exercise in self-referential tail-chasing.

If you believe what it says in the bible, the bible tells you you are right. If you don't, it is irrelevant.

Well, I don't mind at if you have ears that hear things that I don't hear. But I do object to the things you hear being given credence in public life, and being allowed to influence education, policy and law making that affects us all. You can believe whatever you like in the privacy of your own home. Just don't expect special privileges in public life because of it.

That is patently not true, ex, given the reaction to my posts!

honisoit why is my 5 year old daughter considered to be so sinful that she is not allowed a relationship with God?

We have "established"? God is a human being? Have we?

'We have already established that we are all made in the image of God' - We? Not those on this thread who (as previously mentioned) don't believe in God. Are you speaking for the Christian community?

Sin means separation from God.

Is your 5 year old separated from God? The last I heard, they were welcome into the kingdom of heaven and not to be hindered.

But why are you so full of pride that you "get it" honsoit? I thought the bible taught humility?

honisoit

Lots of other christians have posted and been treated as they treated others. You continue to preach at people who really can't be arsed being preached at. You continue preaching, I'll continue to ask you to stop.

That I get what?

When I was younger I had a phase of bring an ardent born-again Christian. Preached in churches, healed sick in the street, the whole 9 yards.

Through fairly traumatic self-discovery, I came to the realization that it is hogwash, perpetuated in no small part by various self-interests of religious leaders and their congregations.

FWIW I've had conversations with former members of other faiths and we've all had similar conclusions so it's not particular to Christianity.

Please tell me what you mean by preach and I will think about avoiding this obviously offensive practice.

Get what, I don't really know honsoit. God's plan, or whatever it is that you'd call it.

It all seems so very intellectually challenging. May I suggest something? That thinking so hard and so deeply about Christian doctrine is in itself a very elitist sport. "I will go to heaven because I understand all this very complicated stuff - someone who is a bit thick doesn't stand a chance really."

I'm afraid that's how you have made it seem. I'm sorry.

So you are telling me that I get God's plan (for what?) even when I haven't claimed that myself?

"Please tell me what you mean by preach and I will think about avoiding this obviously offensive practice."

It's not offensive, it's meaningless.

And you know what I mean, you're being 'unchristian'....again.

I don't know, honsoit, I honestly don't understand faith at all.

You are coming across as very full of yourself. That's it, really. And last I checked, pride was a sin.

Where does it say in the bible that you have to be super intellectual? It says quite the opposite, actually.

What is preaching, rational?

I am unchristian because I am not a pushover, presumably. Fine by me.

"Where does it say in the bible that you have to be super intellectual? "

Who has said anything about being super intellectual? Is this your inferiority complex again?

I don't know. I don't know it off by heart.

I don't want it to seem like everyone is getting at you. But people understandably have questions - I myself wouldn't even describe myself as an out and out atheist which is why I am curious about religion and how its advocates can explain it.

I wouldn't equate apologetics and pride.

If I am being proud, I will confess this and will have my relationship with God restored. I'll confess it anyway, just on the off chance.

You wrote that we were all sinful and therefore not free to have a relationship with god. Now you say she is welcome into the kingdom of heaven.
Not sure I understand. Do you mean that the only relationship you can have with God is after you are dead? When I went to church my vicar said that god wanted a relationship with us now.
As in my previous post, I find it all hard to reconcile with Exodus 10:20, where God clearly has control over humans anyway, so whether we believe or not is chosen by god anyway.