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Original poster

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

999 replies

MosEisley · 15/01/2012 22:49

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?

OP posts:
MrsCornish · 15/01/2012 23:05

I'd be fascinated to know why you find it possible to believe in a god. It's an element of other peoples' lives that I find totally incomprehensible. And that's despite an entirely religious schooling.

seanbonbon · 15/01/2012 23:05

For me, it's just how life is so very unfair.

LunaticFringe · 15/01/2012 23:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
MosEisley · 15/01/2012 23:06

BelleDame, I agree, that is exactly the problem, which God?

And the question of the existence of God is different to the question of whether organised religion is a force for good or evil.

OP posts:
ElaineReese · 15/01/2012 23:10

So which god do you believe in?

cece · 15/01/2012 23:10

It just doesn't make sense to me.

I can understand , sort of, why people do believe. I always think they must be in need of some sort of crutch to help them through life. Rather than rely on themselves and their own inner strength. And yes I have had difficult things happen in my life - that is usually when I am least likely to believe in a God.

But each to their own. I would never dream of telling people what to believe. Whatever helps you.

nulgirl · 15/01/2012 23:11

Because it just seems like such a load of bollocks. I honestly find it hard to understand how anyone could actually believe that god exists or a word that is written in the bible. I am incredulous that people get comfort from something that seems so completely made up.

Saying that, the people from our local Evangelical church are so freakily nice that it sometimes makes me wish that be part of their club Blush

seanbonbon · 15/01/2012 23:13

Ironicallly, it was a born again christian who opened my eyes. I was very fortunate to recover from a life-threatening illness. This woman told me "God has a plan for you" and it just made me think- what about all the people I know who've died young/left children behind/had a painful death? Had he no plan for them? And I am no saint believe me.

If there is a god he's a prick. (And I'm going straight to hell) Grin

Original poster
MosEisley · 15/01/2012 23:14

BTW, I am avoiding answering questions about why I believe in God because I am not 100% convinced of my answers and am not brave enough to stand up for myself tonight [spiritual wimp]. I am going through a stage of questioning my own spirituality and needed reminding of another perspective away from the one I am being given on the course.

Thanks for your help, all. Many members of my family are atheists so I could ask them, but getting so many replies so quickly is a real benefit of MN.

OP posts:
ElaineReese · 15/01/2012 23:16

Well maybe you should be asking yourself to justify your opinions, not the rest of us?

TrinityRhino · 15/01/2012 23:16

I agree with gomez

I was very upset to find out that my bf was a born again christian

3 years into our relationship

suddenly she had become gullible and common-sense less, it was scary

Kewcumber · 15/01/2012 23:17

Like many others I don;t believe because it makes no sense to me at all. It makes no sense that there is some kind of omnipotent being/spirit whose sole purpose appears to be to make every human worship him/her/it and if you don't beleive then you're out of the club. Its a bit... well, narcissistic isn't it?

Surely a truly good an omnipotent god would keep a low profile and people would not be able to qualify for eternal life on the basis of whether they believed in him but solely on how they behaved in their lifetime.

Added to which unusually for an atheist, I had an epiphany. When my niece was born 24 years ago (she was the first baby since me!), I saw her within a few hours of birth and suddenly had a revelation... this is what life was all about... the circle of life someone mentioned above. This is how we live forever, in our genes and our families genes and what we teach others in our lifetime.

My believe has been unwavering since. I am a born again atheist.

Original poster
MosEisley · 15/01/2012 23:19

Elaine, I am looking for help, and a different perspective. I am not asking you to justify your opinion. I respect your opinion, which is why I am asking... Don't post on the thread if you don't want to.

OP posts:
reddaisy · 15/01/2012 23:19

Because the very idea of God existing is illogical and ridiculous. And for many of the reasons already stated, why does x person die and x person lives? Who wants to believe in someone who had that kind of power?

Organised religion is worse.

At the bleakest time of my life as a child I prayed but it never did any good so I quickly determined that God didn't exist despite attending a CoE school.

MmeBucket · 15/01/2012 23:21

Because I grew up in a cult where God was a very scary being who was either looking to punish or destroy you for any little slip up you made.

AnyFuleKno · 15/01/2012 23:22

Because there isn't a god

Original poster
MosEisley · 15/01/2012 23:22

Mme, that sounds horrible. Hope you are free of that now.

OP posts:
TrinityRhino · 15/01/2012 23:24

ignore me then

hmm, christian...........

ravenAK · 15/01/2012 23:27

Because it isn't an idea I need...the garden's beautiful, you don't need fairies at the bottom of it.

I'd have to jump through all manner of logical hoops to believe in God - it just seems more parsimonious & sensible to do without.

PastGrace · 15/01/2012 23:28

Personally, I think it seems too easy.

I like to think of myself as a rational, sensible person and whilst there are many, many occasions when I am sad, or scared, or regret doing something, it seems far too easy to just say a prayer and then believe that everything will be ok.

If I've done something bad, I feel that my personal sense of failure/guilt is a punishment. It seems wrong to, for example, go to confession and then feel that I have in some way corrected the harm I did.

I have tried several times to believe, because I would like the comfort it brings, but I can't.

seeker · 15/01/2012 23:28

Because, apart from any other reason, if there was a God, , he must be such an awful, cruel unfeeling being that I would rather not believe in him, thank you very much.

lisaro · 15/01/2012 23:29

Because frankly it's in the same category as the Tooth Fairy, Father Christmas and the Easter Bunny. A mythical being that at times makes someone happy.

yellowraincoat · 15/01/2012 23:29
  1. The whole idea of heaven and hell just seems farcical when you think about it. What if you'd been married twice? Which spouse would you be with in heaven? What if one person you loved was a total bastard? Would you just be satisfied that they were in hell if you were in heaven?
  1. A lot of Christians don't tend to be very nice people, especially the super right wing ones in the US.
  1. If there is a God, how did he come into existence?
  1. I have done a lot of praying and it has never worked. "I talk to God but the sky is empty" - Sylvia Plath said that and that's how I've felt a lot of the time.
  1. There is a good psychological reason why we would create an omnipotent presence. And in the past, when we knew nothing of science or reason, it probably made sense. But with everything we know now, it just seems implausible.
  1. In all honesty, just because it seems implausible. That's my main reason. It doesn't make logical sense, everything that exists can be explained by science and I've never seen any proof to the contrary.
pictish · 15/01/2012 23:29

I find it hard to believe in God, because no such diety exists, quite simply.

By the same token, what makes you think it does?

pictish · 15/01/2012 23:32

deity even....