Do you believe in God?

[VirtualPA]

I am interested to know what the majority of people belive.

I personally believe in a Christian God, Heaven and hell etc.

I raised a strict an athiest

I don't believe in god as there is no reason to suppose that there is such a thing.

In the case of the god of the bible if he did exist I wouldn't worship him anyway. I wouldn't give him/her/it the time of day.

Christianity is not a bronze age religion, the bronze age had been over for centuries.

Previously on the fence agnostic but heading towards atheism over past couple of years. The head says no to religion, but there is a small part of me that doesn't want to close off possibilities. But then again, there's the "who would want to believe in a God who is omnipotent but allows evil" argument.

Why is everyone else so sure?

EleanorHandbasket: American Gods, Girl Sam?

It saddens me that so many people do not believe in God. I have great faith in God and i dont know how i would cope without God in my life. I rarely go to church, but i fast and pray regularly. By the way, i am not some bible bashing, sanctimonious know it all whon thinks that they are better than anyone else. I am a red lipstick wearing glamour puss who likes dirty jokes and drinks a bit too much wine. I do however believe in a higher power.

No.

I do feel that there is an energy that we can tap into that we do not yet understand but definitely not the whole God/Jehovah thing. I rather like Jung's theory of the collective unconscious and I also like one poster's description of spirituality i.e. Buddhism as opposed to religion.

Yes. I believe in the God from the children's book Old Turtle.

"?He is swift and free as the wind,and still and solid as a great rock,? she said to the breezes and stones. ?She is the life of the world,? Turtle said to the willow. ?Always close by, yet beyond the farthest twinkling light,? she told the ant and the star. ?God is gentle and powerful. Above all things and within all things. God is all that we dream of,and all that we seek,?said Old Turtle,?all that we come from and all that we can find. God IS.?

I can't ever forsee not believing in God. I just always have. Technically I'm a Christian, but I think other religions or lack of them are just as valid. And I know athiests who are more in keeping with religious teaching than church-goers. So really, I don't know anything! But yes, I do.

Nope.

I'm quite keen on Jung's theory too, Jabberwocky.

I was raised a Christian but I don't subscribe to many of the tenets of that religion - I do believe there is a Something out there, it would be very distressing for me personally to lose that belief, but it doesn't fit into the Christian mould.
I prefer the recyclingincarnation ideas.

DH was raised a Catholic and is now an atheist - he firmly believes there is nothing after death - I can't deal with that, maybe it's my own comfort zone, but I like to think that my Mum did get to see DS after he was born from wherever her spirit is now.

So - I have a faith but it doesn't fit into one named religion - and I don't subscribe to any religion because they are man-made constructs that don't sit well with me, given the things that people do in the name of these man-made constructs and then attribute them to the Higher Power. (but then I know that a lot of atheists would tell me that any Higher Power is a man-made construct as well - that's their belief, not mine)

No, raised a Catholic and now an atheist. I am an atheist because I don't have any faith, and having no god shaped hole in my life feel no loss.

Alternatively perhaps as my sister is a vicar and my other two siblings are fairly agnostic, I just didn't get the faith gene? Both my parents are religious.

I was loosely raised Christian. My parents were not religious though and certainly did not behave in any vaguely religious manner (quite the contrary).

On some - reasonably subconscious letter, I did believe in a Christian God, heaven & hell (or my own interpretation thereof). It never really sat well with me though.

I am now a practicing Buddhist. So in answer to the question, I do not believe in a God. I prefer the Buddhist religion as it allows me to define my faith and to exert some influence on the outcome.

As time goes on and I learn more and more about Buddhism, my interest and committment to it is growing quite organically. I love going to the Temple, I love listening to the Venerables speak, I love meditation and Tai Chi.

I would not have "got it" 10 years ago, which leads me to believe that whatever your faith you need to be in an appropriate place in your life before you adopt it.

Subconscious level rather...

oh my .... that would be practising.

I appear to have lost the ability to spell words correctly.

I believe in God. Raised a Catholic. Do not believe in organised religion.

Yes I do.

I find your post incredibly interesting PadmeHum. Your first two paragraphs sum up me to a tee. I have the same sort of background.

I've never taken it any further, but I think if I looked I'd find something to believe that would mean more to me. I think sometimes I should make the effort to look.

I love the idea of meditation. I should imagine that is extremely calming almost healing.

As grow older I find I believe in an individual inner spirituality rather than God as I was brought up to think of God.

Maybe more of an inner journey of learning and understanding for some sort of greater good. I also think I believe in reincarnation to re-learn or put things right.

I have no idea what religion I'd have to follow that incorporates that. I always thought that the Christian religion I sort of 'defaulted' to as a child was rather rigid; based more on fear and was somewhat impenetrable. It didn't (for me) hold up to too much critical questioning, so I sort of lost interest in it I think.

BendyBob - this might interest you - the wiki description of the Bahai Faith. It's quite a recent faith and is sometimes inaccurately described as an amalgamation of other faiths, drawing on Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Buddhism - but it isn't really. It might speak to you, or it might not but have a read anyway.

No.

Raised by a Mother who was brought up Free Kirk, church everyday, and three times on Sunday, who only ever went to church once she left home for weddings and funerals.

Father who was born Jewish, but the last observant Jews were his Grandparents.

So really brought up with no religion.

Wasn't sure what I believed, until DS2 was born, hospital chaplin told me that I had to have him christened before he died or he would go to hell.

I asked him to leave and never ever believed again.

Thumbwitch - thank you so much! I will have a good read through. There's a lot to take in there (I got up early to do some ironing and here I am discussing religion)

I do find belief/religion such an interesting subject and envy those who have find comfort and support from it. I just get in a confuzzle about what I think sometimes. There's something more - I hope there is at least.

But then again is that just the way humans are wired up? The notion that this life is a one off chance is too frightening to contemplate?

The existence of art, music, love, small everyday acts of charity and kindness; the huge range of thought and emotion humans command - all that isn't vital to our survival, yet it's there and we crave it and it defines us. That to me indicates something more.

I don't believe in a christian god, or any other false god.

I believe we are the sum of our surrounds, the earth, the trees, plants, animals, other people, buildings. When we die we go back to the world around us and continue to be part of the earth, the trees, plants, other people, buildings, So, therefore there is ever lasting life, but not with one who 'judges' us on our morals or behaviour.

There is a natural justice, a 'khama' in the world, were our surroundings redress the imbalances of negativity, but has no ability of individual retribution against 'bad' things, or reward for 'good' things.

Yes I do. I was raised a Roman Catholic (mum's influence as my dad is an atheist). Always believed but had not found a way of worshiping that suited me until I became a Muslim.

Shoshe - at that chaplain! Dreadful thing to say to you at such a time (or any other time)

Genuine question for those who believe in the Judeo-Christian God.

We have at least 250,000 years of human history.

Why did God not show his hand until a couple of millenia ago?

Yes, Christian. Raised low-church C of E, now fairly high. I've had an important spiritual journey. :-)

Do people believe that Stuck? I'm C of E and I assumed God had been around since the beginning, but we didn't develop writing for a while. But I am not one of your evangelical take-it-very-literally-and-hellfire brigade, so perhaps the wrong audience for that question!