For believers (only), why do you believe?

Inspired by Navaros's ill-fated thread on "How did Jesus do it?", I would like to ask those people of faith on the Org - Christians, Muslims, Jews, any other faiths - why do they believe in their particular faith as opposed to being agnostic?

I am not sure what to expect - it could be an argument based on historical truth (e.g. Jesus was a historical person and was resurrected), it could be a personal experience (e.g. like St Paul on the road to Damascus), it could be a philosophical argument (e.g. who created the universe if not God?) etc etc.

If I were to come to believe in a religion, I suspect there would be one over-riding argument or experience that justified or explained that belief. However, it could be that there are lots of arguments and experiences that play a role for some people. If so, they could mention the the one(s) they are most influenced by.

But I would be interested to hear religious people's accounts of why they are religious.

Since so many religious threads get locked due to disrespectful arguments, I suggest that non-believers only post questions of clarification, if that, and that inter-faith disagreements are also not pursued. This thread should be for information only - we can argue specific points in other threads, if anyone feels the need. I probably won't. (This thread is not intended to be an ambush for believers.)

Is the question why do you believe there is a god or why do you follow a certain religion?

Becuase its my belief that somethings transcend human understanding. Everything we are tuaght in school was thought up by men and men make mistakes (wether we admit it or not) I'd rather put my faith in god and myself rather than other men and there sciences. That being said if you choose not to belive thats fine do what you want this is just my opinion

Why do I believe? Because God has a sense of humor. Why else would He have created liberals?:laugh4:

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Originally Posted by Gawain of Orkeny

Is the question why do you believe there is a god or why do you follow a certain religion?

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Good question. I thought of that when I posted the question, but I could not decide. Both?

Primarily as an agnostic/atheist, I was interested in why people believe in a god. But if you just leave it like that, the answers tend to be rather vague and generic. This thread was inspired by Navaros's question why Christianity was so persuasive (but you could also ask that about other major religions that have stood the test of time, like Islam, Judaism, Hinduism etc.)?

There may be something specific about your religion that is persuasive. I suspect the specifics may be more interesting than the generic stuff.

The question may be too big to answer, but let's see.

I think for me it's similar to what Strike said.
And the theory of the big bang doesn't make any sense to me.
To be honest, I'm lacking a big event or anything else that completely convinced me. I hear about such things in church from people I wouldn't call liars, but my own life is rather dull most of the time, it's not bad enough to say it's bad but it's not spectacular enough to say it's great. Maybe that reflects my personality.:laugh4:
Well, I've been thinking a lot about this myself, especially since I started reading this dreaded backroom with all those liberals trying to challenge my beliefs.
Sometimes I don't know myself what I believe to be honest, but then I find myself praying and somewhere inside I still have a strong believe that God exists, I'm just not sure where it comes from.
My thoughts are often in the middle, not choosing a side most of the time, I mean I consider myself a christian for many years already, but I'm not baptised yet...

For me belief in god is a convience I employ to explain things I normally couldnt through logic. While I dont perscribe to popular religions, I do believe in the exsistence of God, I just doubt that his "all seeing" uber involvement dictates the course of the human condition.

Belief for me started young from my parents and I was, like many, subjected to surmon that was presented as absolute fact. To question it was to question the exsistence of God itself and that is where I became suspect.

It seemed to me that if God didnt want me to question its exsistence, then God wouldnt have given me the ability to do so. So now as I approach 40 and have children I am left with my desire to apply logic to a theory of god that for all intent and purpose is unapplicable.

Thats really the key to it, faith. Faith in god is represented throughout history as some sacrafice of logic, or physical being in its name. God as an entity hasnt conveyed to me a will, or course to take. Like many others I am left with the notion that a larger force prevails, but i am also left with the nagging sense that my rational is an attempt to explain things that seem beyond the realm of the human condition.

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For me belief in god is a convience I employ to explain things I normally couldnt through logic. While I dont perscribe to popular religions, I do believe in the exsistence of God, I just doubt that his "all seeing" uber involvement dictates the course of the human condition.

Belief for me started young from my parents and I was, like many, subjected to surmon that was presented as absolute fact. To question it was to question the exsistence of God itself and that is where I became suspect.

It seemed to me that if God didnt want me to question its exsistence, then God wouldnt have given me the ability to do so. So now as I approach 40 and have children I am left with my desire to apply logic to a theory of god that for all intent and purpose is unapplicable.

Thats really the key to it, faith. Faith in god is represented throughout history as some sacrafice of logic, or physical being in its name. God as an entity hasnt conveyed to me a will, or course to take. Like many others I am left with the notion that a larger force prevails, but i am also left with the nagging sense that my rational is an attempt to explain things that seem beyond the realm of the human condition.

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I would say this sums it up neatly for many of us here. I know that is my view. I cant improve on that. Maybe its a built in self defense mechanism warning us not to get to cocky for our own good.

What do I have to lose?

I guess I believe in a god becuase I cannot answer the question "Where did we come from" - "How did this world get created?". Basically it boils down to that. Christrianity makes the most sense so I belive in that.

why christianity?

its simple realy, if you created a world (or a child) what would you tell them, would you give a long list of rules to show devotion to you?

would you give them freedom and then order them to obay rules that you would surely be able to force them to obay by taking away their freedom? (which you would surely do if such rules were so important to your plans) or would you say that whatever they do you will forgive them?

jesus gave the golden rule to love god and he said that anyone can be forgiven by their loving god, when he died on the cross the purpose was to garentee no punishment for us, theres no judgement in christianity everyone is free, the most important gift, the gift of freedom is preserved in this) other religions have rules and requirements as if such things are always linked with spirituality but i can not eat pork and still not love god i cannot love god and not love him...