Why do people believe in god?

[allgonebellyup]

Because for me it is all just crazy. There is no proof of anything.

omg we are back in last weeks mumsnet

i believe there is a cron job working on mumsnet, which periodically resets this thread to O and re-creates it in the active convos.
It also works for the "why would anyone choose to FF?"

At least this time, we're not in Chat!

I am not in this one. I am on strike. I have lots of other things I need to do.

"evidence for design in creation"... tempting, but no I'm gathering my self control and walking away

But while I'm here I'll just say...

oh no I won't!

Gone now

Allgonebellyup, I hope things improve for you.

lol greyriverside, well, fwiw, I'm not up for the debate right now either.

The thing is allgonebellyup, that in a sense you are right. Without faith, it will seem completely crazy to you, and faith is something that God gives.

I was absolutely sure that God didn't exist until one night in 1996. I was invited along to a Christian meeting. I went to make fun of my bible bashing friends. (I was only 16). I knew that they were a little odd, and had got sucked into a crazy belief in a "creator".

I went, and for the first 20 minutes I enjoyed feeling superior to them. Then, as they were singing one of their stupid songs, I suddenly realised that I was the one with something wrong.

Of course, I didn't admit that to my friends. I pretended that I thought they were mad. But they just accepted it. A few months later I became a Christian. 12 years on one of those friends is my DH. We have 2DDs. We have been bankrupt, among other things, but God has seen us through difficult times.

When I see people going through hard times, I often think of them, and thank God for my relationship with Him. Life is hard enough with Him, let alone without Him.

People believe in gods because they are too terrified to confront the prospect that nobody is in charge.

People are tribal, social animals and need a hierarchy to function. Religion has grown out of that, IMHO.

the op is not asking whether god exists. but why people believe god exists.
old fashioned cbt? (cognitive behavious therapy)
because the alternative, ie, no god, is too horrible to contemplate.
because it makes their miserable lives bearable?

not sure why people beleive in the big man to be sure, maybe something way back a long time ago that was made up and through the years it has continued, I beleive that Jesus was here and there is so much proof. But my personal opinion is this, if there was a god then why was I as a child beaten and abused on many occasions, surely the great god almighty would of stopped this kind of behaviour if he is so great and mighty, you see in my eyes seeing is beleiving or a lot of proof before i beleive it, maybe there was once a man who was named god, but he ain't here now and there is no point in preaching to someone who ain't there. If i do meet the big man i'll let you know all. my ds 9 asked if people are lying when they go to church because god is not there, must say i was speechless

Mawma, your childhood sounds horrific and I can understand why you feel as you do. But the "great almighty" didn't beat or abuse you, human beings did. And there is a belief that we are here on this earth to relate to each other (in positive and negative ways).. that we ourselves are all individuated parts of God Him(Her)self and all that happens, happens because of human beings. A belief in God can give us strength and courage to deal with these things (as can other forms of faith) but that ultimately, we have Free Will in which God does not intervene. The power of prayer, however, works because people draw on the power of the Universe/God/All that is.. whatever you want to call it or however you want to see it, and bring forth change.

This same belief says everything happens for a reason and we learn from everything. Even the horrific stuff. Infact especially that. And that better "stuff" awaits us (although possibly not in the 'heaven and hell' sense).

Hope I haven't caused any offence. I'm not trying to belittle your experiences in any way; just to explain a certain belief system and alternative to "the Big Buy In The Sky" image, which, frankly, is about as believable as Santa Claus and I'm not surprised people have problems with this image of "God"..

Mawma, I don't want to belittle your experience with trite comments. But be assured that God grieves for the experiences you suffered. Why don't you try asking Him your questions? He is big enough to take a bit of confrontation, you know.

I too was faced with things I didn't understand- for me it was why did i have 2 disabled children when all my life I have tried to be a good person?

For a long time that led me to atheism (opersonally the lifes too scary without God doesnt work, i acept it may for other people, esp. those raised with a faith).

Eventually I cam to an undersanding on mant levels, I believe this is God's test for me: the chracteristics He gave me work for that, and also because my kis are not a 'bad' thing; they are happy. They may not fit societal nrms of ideal but hey nor do I.

When it comes to more severe disabilty I cannot answer, but at least Heaven would be respite they are guaranteed in my interpretation. I know thats not enough though.

I also recognise, and this is where mawmas post touches me, that humans are responsible for so much: free will, and also because I believe in dualism: chinese philosophy has its ying and yang, naturemale and female, food swet and sour, people good and evil.

My vicar was one of those who worked at Aberfan, digging out bodies. He said that was the greatest sadness there was and equally the greatest lesson: God gives us all we need, humans then choose to wreck it (by building gert slag heaps near schools) anyway.

For me christianity isnt about aafety, safety would be sharing the family cynicism- I know Dad in particular thinks i have fallen for a con. Thats OK. Its just not my take on it though.

sorry- virtually meaningless waffle!

Maybe it's easier to ask why people don't, as we seem to have to be the ones justifying ourselves in the new climate of anti-secularism.

I tried for years to believe in God and almost succeeded. But I kept looking over my shoulder and trying to square the circle of the universe. Then gradually, as I got towards 30, it dawned on me that I didn't have to do this any more. And I realised there was no real need for a God in my, nor indeed anybody's, world-view. I didn't believe in anything else supernatural - fairies, ghosts, demons - so why this?

It was a huge weight off my shoulders and I've been much happier since. The fact that atheism makes logical sense is just something that underpins my personal "feeling" and enables me to argue something which which is very different from a nebulous "faith".