Do you believe in god?

[Unicorndreams24]

i have recently been thinking a lot about religion and wondering how many believe in god and also what made you come to the decision of believing?

Yes!

Worship me because I’m better than you or go to hell - not sure I’d ever want to live my life like that.

I hear the pain in what you’re saying, and I too truly feel distress at some of the awful things people witness and experience in this world. It is terrible. I have shared some of that pain too that you mention in your post of some of the trauma and suffering mentioned, where life felt unbearable. For me, faith provided a great comfort in things like the death of my children in unthinkable circumstances. The Bible itself is full of lament — the Psalms give words to anger, grief and protest — and at the heart of Christianity is a God who suffers with us in Christ rather than standing apart from pain.

What faith has also given me is somewhere to take my grief and the strength to keep going when life feels unbearable. I know others will find hope elsewhere; this is simply where I have found mine — and many others on this thread, by the sounds of it. It does not diminish their experience, but is one that is not shared or understood by the other side. Just, I imagine, as we may not be able to understand where the other side draw their strength and comfort from. The nature of difference also creates a rich tapestry to share and discuss other perspectives.

Thank you so much for sharing your view. From my perspective, I don’t experience faith that way at all. For me, Christianity hasn’t been about fear or coercion, but about love, mercy, and finding somewhere to take my grief when life has been very hard. I know others draw strength and meaning from different places, and I respect that — this is simply where I’ve found mine, as many others here seem to have too. Different people will understand and experience these things differently, as you express, and that’s part of what makes these conversations so human and honest.

What do you think will happen to you if you don’t worship?
At death as in life, there is no different outcome for those who do or don’t believe.

Thanks; what a wonderful question. I’ll share the Christian perspective for me. From a Christian perspective, the heart of the gospel isn’t about being compelled to worship, but about grace. It says that humans are broken and separated from God, and that we can’t fix that by effort or goodness. God comes to us in Jesus — sharing our suffering, bearing sin, and defeating death through his resurrection — and invites us to trust him rather than ourselves. The Christian gospel doesn’t teach that we work or worship our way into heaven; it teaches that salvation is a gift of grace, received by trusting in Jesus.

Because of that, Christians understand death not as the end, but as being with Christ and ultimately sharing in resurrection life. That hope isn’t something I think everyone has to accept; it’s simply the hope I live by and find comfort in.

But ultimately at death - the outcome is no different for you as a Christian and me as an atheist.

thank you for your post. I appreciate we have a different view on this, and I think you for kindly sharing your perspective. The Christian perspective is that those who trust in Jesus are offered eternal life at death — the gospel says we are broken and separated from God, but in Jesus, God meets us in our sin and suffering, offers forgiveness, and restores us to himself. For me, that means death isn’t the end, because life with Christ continues beyond this world. I know not everyone shares this hope — I’m simply sharing what sustains me and explaining where we differ. I appreciate we do not share the same belief on death.

So what do you think will happen to me then?

Thank you for such an interesting question! I don’t think the Bible encourages us to speculate about what happens to others because we do not know their hearts and we are not in a position to judge others’ own faith or beliefs as to their relationship with God. Our focus is on the hope and grace we ourselves have received (e.g., Romans 8:38–39) and joyful union with God after death. I can only share what sustains my own faith as a Christian.

I think these questions you pose are thoughtful and considered; if you are searching for answers, there may be better places in person to have deeper conversations on these wonderful queries — perhaps in something like Christianity Explored or Alpha, if you’re interested in exploring these questions from a Christian perspective? I’m not sure about other faith fora in-person to explore the same queries, I am afraid, but very much appreciate your queries.

No. I grew up irreligiously in a agnostic home. I was christened as a baby but it was the 1970s and it was more to do with tradition than religious conviction.

My daughter and DBs kids aren't christened. For me, I've let DD figure out what to believe for herself. She's an adult now, and says she's mostly an atheist.

I dabbled in atheist fundamentalism in my twenties but that was horrible towards believers which I couldn't stomach. Extreme atheism seemed to me, in the end, to be as bad as organised religion. Don't get me started on the Spaghetti Monster. People actually believe he exists, thus cancelling out the whole point of the idea of him in the first place. (The internet had a huge influence on me during this time, especially when ISIS was at its height). I also joined the Humanists for a time until they got way too political, and later, went back on their principle that answers can be found in science (TWAW stance).

So now I am very much a staunch atheist who doesn't believe in anything metaphysical at all. In recent years I've seen parallels between nature-observed paganism and modern-day scientific discovery, and I believe that the Ancients were the scientists of their time. They made a lot more sense than the imported idea of a God in the sky.

I respect people who do believe, and I enjoy listening to them argue their standpoint. I can hold my own in these discussions too. I think religion (and paganism of the pre-Christian era in Britain) is an excellent way to explain how the world works when there are gaps in scientific knowledge. However, I would rather the gaps are investigated by people more qualified than me! I love religious buildings for their art and place in history but reject the doctrine cited within.

Some cultural practices from some faiths are so humanist-coded they are more humanist than the Humanists. The Muslim devotion to charity, for example. The "open-table", sharing of food and equality stance from the Sikh religion is another example.

Do yes, although my belief that God doesn't exist remains from when I was a teenager, my attitude towards people with different outlooks has evolved with age.

No. And I don’t see why anyone should have to do anything under the rules of religion until someone can absolutely prove that there is a god.

My question was to you as a Christian, what do you think will happen to me as an atheist (have zero plans on changing that position)?

Thank you so much. I think I do understand your question, but as a Christian I don’t believe it’s for me to decide anyone else’s destiny. The Bible calls each of us to examine our own hearts and respond to the gospel (Philippians 2:12–13). We each must make that decision for ourselves, rather than relying on another person to make that call for them. I can only share the hope and grace I have received myself — the same hope I live by every day.

If you’re genuinely curious about exploring the Christian perspective on salvation, and it sounds as though you are seeking to find out how it applies to you with these thoughtful questions, it might be helpful to read the Bible, speak to someone in person, or take part in a course like Alpha or Christianity Explored — these places designed to thoughtfully work through these questions in a supportive environment.

I was only asking your opinion!!

Thank you — I appreciate that! I understand you were asking my opinion, but I also see this as a very serious matter — Scripture doesn’t call us to speculate about others’ salvation, and we certainly can’t judge anyone’s heart (James 4:12). I don’t know you personally, and I can only speak about the hope and grace I have received as a Christian. If you’re seeking more direction from a Christian perspective, I hope that the avenues I have pointed to may be helpful? Your questions are very thoughtful and considered.

I agree that nature is wonderful and holds many marvels (i assume that's what you mean when you mention paganism as a way of explaining how the world works?), as a Christian i marvel in it as part of His creation. We are called to steward it well, something we have failed to do.

I think many people are understandably turned off from Christianity due to religion, and by that I mean the rituals, thw rules the "I'm better than you because of my church attendance/chastity/some sort of work or deed".

I too admire the idea of open table, of charity, of loving fellow man. That is what Jesus came to show us. He rejected the religious leaders of the day who lacked love and compassion and used the law to oppress. The ones who would rather see someone suffer than allow healing on a Holy day, for example.

• 1 John 4:8: "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love".
• John 15:12: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you".
• 1 Corinthians 13:13: "So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love"
• 1 John 4:7: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God"
• Philippians 2:4: "Let each of you look not to his own interests, but also to the interests of others".

Disappointing that you are unable to give opinions on something which obviously matters to you. Looks like religious indoctrination rather than thinking for yourself. Perhaps have a look at how great life is without being tied into a religion?
Most people can give their opinions on a vast range of topics even those that they aren’t particularly interested in.

Thank you for your post. I am so sorry to hear that is disappointing for you. I hear what you’re saying, and I understand why it might seem disappointing. This topic is deeply serious to me, and Scripture calls us not to speculate on others’ eternal destiny or judge their hearts (James 4:12). I can give my perspective on my own faith and hope — what sustains me as a Christian — but I can’t speak definitively about anyone else. That’s not indoctrination for me and I wouldn’t speculate on another’s heart; it’s a recognition of the weight of the matter and the limits of human judgment.

agree that nature is wonderful and holds many marvels. It is also unspeakably cruel. Why would a benign creator base the world on kill or be killed and condem all wild creatures to lives of terror?
As to death... it is all about conservation of matter. I believe the atoms in my late OH have simply gone back to the cosmic soup. Or as I put it to my GC ... he has returned to the stardust, but left behind all his love.
We do not know about God... some believe but none of us know. That is fine. That is life.

Just live kindly.

No - all the God fearing that has been promoted throughout the years is just control.

I remember my parents telling us that our grandparents ashes were what made the trees in their orchard grow so strong. They were gone forever but the trees would grow strong because they had the ashes.

No I don’t believe in god or any religion I am very much an atheist. However, maybe weirdly, I do believe in angels but they are not connected to a god

@RyanFudgingMurphy

I dabbled in atheist fundamentalism in my twenties but that was horrible towards believers which I couldn't stomach

Are you sure you're not describing anti-theism here?

After all, all Atheism is, is the denial of the existence of Gods. Once you deny their existence there really isn't anywhere further to take that. You can't deny their existence harder than the next Atheist, it's a binary proposition.

It's why I eschew terms like "fundamental atheist", "staunch atheist", "extreme atheist" and so on. There really is no such thing. You either believe in gods or you don't, that's all that actually defines Atheism.

If you are in the habit of belittling the religious, mocking religion, or actively campaigning for restrictions or limitations upon it, I think you can describe that as anti-theist, if not just secularism, but it isn't really anything to do with Atheism per se.

I really enjoyed reading your perspective and valued your thoughts; thanks for sharing!