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?

I really appreciate this, and I think you’re right to call out superiority wherever it appears. Christians absolutely can come across as condescending, often without realizing it, and the “sky fairy” brand of atheism does the same from the other direction. Both are unhelpful.

Where I’d gently push back is on the idea that respecting all ways of living a good life is itself a neutral or framework-free position. That view still requires certain assumptions: that no objective moral truth exists, that sincerity or personal authenticity is what matters most, and that tolerance is the highest virtue. Those are real commitments, not just an absence of belief.

Christians believe there is one correct way to be reconciled to God, because we believe God has revealed Himself definitively in Jesus. That’s not superiority, it’s conviction. But conviction doesn’t require condescension. I can believe Jesus is the only way to salvation while also treating people with dignity, listening well, and respecting their freedom to disagree.

The real question isn’t whether we have convictions about ultimate truth. Everyone does, including atheists. It feels like one question for this thread is whether we hold those convictions with humility, kindness, and respect for others. On that, I think many on different sides would hopefully agree. It seems as though many are asking questions without a genuine curiosity to understand others.

You’ve been respectful and clear, and I hope I’ve done the same.

You absolutely have. You remind me of those members of my support group who are practising Christians. We have things in common (we have or have had addicts in our lives and we want to support each other and those who are still going through it even though we may not be) and we have differences in our approach. But we respect each other and are friends. Wouldn't it be great if everyone could do that...

I value that. Thank you!

And, that sounds like a really difficult situation to be in. What an important need for community in dealing with this; I hope that it has been helpful / is helping, and provides comfort and encouragement when things feel tough.

I'm one of those who is out on the other side of things. My husband died almost 8 years ago, my mother in 2019, both because of alcohol. The group I now lead taught me so much that it felt like the only thing to do to stay on and pay it forward. I do the same with some other posters on the alcohol board.

@pointythings That’s incredible endurance. It must have been an devastating time to have lost both your mum and husband so close together to the same cause. I’m very sorry for what you’ve been through. Your journey through grief and recovery must be deeply meaningful and encouraging for those who are now in the position you were in 7-9 years ago. And I imagine this isn’t a linear journey that simply ended with their passing; grief and healing continue to unfold in ways both expected and unexpected I guess, especially when you’ve boldly put yourself somewhere that means you face those experiences regularly.

Would really appreciate Christian’s in general taking time to understand atheists and why we don’t feel any necessity to have a religious belief.

Me too!

A genuine consideration about the lack of any evidence and an appreciation of living without religious belief.

Thank you! Please do feel free to share!

Feel free to share. I think it is very possible to listen to others even if we don’t share the same view. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

It's real easy.

Name a God you don't believe in. Thor/ Zeus/ Meet Manannán mac Lir.

Just pick one.

😂 The answer's gonna be "I don't believe in them because my god's the one true god", innit.

Which reminds me of another question we've asked but not pursued: How do Christians feel about other faiths and their adherents?

Bonus question: does your answer apply to all other religions, or do you view the other Abrahamic ones differently? In what way?

Just name a God YOU do not believe in.

Do you mean me? I'd need to be able to name every god!

Goodness me :-)

Just name one God you do not believe in. One entity that other people have/do worship that you do not believe in. Just one, that's all.

Jehovah.

Ha ha ha sorry. Crossed wires :-)

Edit- was directed @ByLovingTraybake . I messed up.

So question to traybake.

:-)

I think my views are stated in the posts above so would kindly direct to those. Would be grateful to hear others thoughts on the OP’s questions.

You are asking people to share how they live without religious belief.

And here is your answer. In this question. Name a God you do not believe in ?

Atheists just believe in one less god than your good self. We get on fine without any gods, just as you presumably get along without Thor. That's all there is to it.

Thank you for sharing, I appreciate it.

@ByLovingTraybake I derive the same strength and comfort from my belief in the non existence of any God that you do from the relationship you have with the God you believe in. Believing there is no God means that this life is all I have - there's nothing before, nothing after, so this is my one shot to leave the world a slightly better place than I found it. And there are times when I get that wrong, because I'm an imperfect being in an imperfect world. Once you learn that acceptance, everything else flows from there.

As an atheist - initial list of benefits as to how I live my life.

Not bound by religious texts or authority.
Developing personal ethics based on reason rather than divine command.
Right to make decisions about my own body - no religious guilt if I decided to have an abortion or sexuality.
No guilt over how I live my life as there's no concept of sin or eternal damnation.
Live a full and happy life now without preparing for an afterlife.
Deep appreciation for scientific discovery and the natural world as they are not seen as mere creations of a deity.
Do the right thing without religious interference that I must.

Thanks so much for sharing — I found that really interesting to read and helpful to understand more. I admire how much you’re doing to achieve that end too!

Thank you very much for sharing. This was interesting to read.

Thanks for sharing your perspectives @Parker231 and @pointythings
Interesting to read.