Hey everyone! Partly because I’m interested, and partly because I just got an early code for the new Halo: Reach Beta, I’m going to keep this one really short and just throw it out to you guys.
It’s simple – I want to know the overriding reason you have for believing, or not believing, in God.
UUUUUUUUURGH…
Let me know!
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It isn’t so much a matter of believing in God as described in a religious text , more a matter of not believing in the randomness.
If it be aliens seeding the planet with the first sparks of life millions of years ago, some omnipotent being that looks like Charlton Heston, or a multiple armed blue skinned guy with a sacred cow, then so be it.
I just don’t like th idea of us being here purely by chance.
By: Mustafa Bekir on May 1, 2010
at 6:35 am
‘God’ exists in my mind because I am not so arrogant to think that there couldn’t possibly be something more powerful than myself, or that I have witnessed and understood every single phenomenon the universe has to offer.
Whether such a being, or cosmic balancer/checker loses sweat off his sack thinking about my inconsequential, yet fucking awesome, existence is another matter entirely.
Whatever the case, my creator (or centuries of DNA encoding) has granted me wisdom enough to understand that frightened mortals feel the need to make shit up and clutch at straws. I also have been given the strength to avoid being coerced into apathy, the main religious franchises or the faggy, alternative hipster ones. Lastly, I seem to have been gifted with just enough courage and fortitude to walk my own path through life – enjoying my own, constantly-evolving opinion about that big cheese upstairs.
By: Some guy, I guess. on May 1, 2010
at 7:00 am
I don’t believe, and I’m not atheist.
I can’t possibly make some sort of choice without facts. The Bible most definitely is not something I would use to base my opinion on. The creation of the universe is an interesting thing, however, God didn’t exactly write Genesis himself…it was man. Why should we believe it?
Serrels, if God came to you right now with a message of crucial importance for the survival of the world…I doubt anyone would listen.
By: Todd on May 1, 2010
at 7:10 am
Why I believe is something that I have had severly tested in the last few years – namely because Mark LOVES to argue!
The reason: it gives me purpose, it gives me hope, and helps me to make sense of a world that is seriously bonkers at times. Regardless of the ethos – you can argue for or against so much of the doctrine – the basic principles of Christianity, for me, give me a structure and foundation which I believe helps me to live a more fulfilled life.
From a psych point (just cause I can!) – people need structure, purpose and a schema – if they don’t get it from their parents (and many don’t), then at least a belief system (christian or not it doesn’t matter) gives a general point zero from which to interpret the world and the things that happen to them in their lives.
P.s. Love you durazno!
By: Heizy on May 1, 2010
at 7:53 am
why I believe…
I guess it’s hard to pin point it to 1 reason. here are just a few.
1. Life sux and if there was nothing beyond this pathetic existence I probably would just go and kill myself.
2. I am too complicated (as is the world around me) to believe that I just happened and this whole thing is pointless.
3. I have had many experiences in my life that I believe go beyond coincidence. Some might say it’s just coincidence but I believe it’s God.
4. To me it goes beyond the religious. It’s not about the church or the people in it. It’s not about being right or wrong. It’s about this deep connection, this peace that is beyond me trying to understand it, the security, the hope. I fear nothing… death, pain whatever. It’s about my present making sense and future being totally secure.
By: Caryn on May 1, 2010
at 9:07 am
You believe in God because life sucks and you’d kill yourself otherwise?
Isn’t it enough to admit the garden is beautiful without having to believe there are fairies at the bottom of it?
By: Luke on May 2, 2010
at 1:30 am
but there are faeries there! Haven’t you seen them?
By: Gabe Sanchez on May 6, 2010
at 12:52 pm
Think there was sarcasm in there
By: steve on May 8, 2010
at 5:48 am
Hi Luke
If ou believe in God in the way He truly wants you to believe, then you will be begging the Lord to extend the days of your life.
God promises a life of a happiness. Happiness is Gods world is not the happiness as the world defines it.
What makes you happy?
God Bless
Sean
By: Sean on May 11, 2010
at 9:14 am
I don’t believe in organised religion because I think that if there was a god and the notion of spirituality, it would not be centred around a system of worship and rules, of marking specific days as being more important than others, of churches and priests and monks and nuns, of Bibles and scriptures, of symbols and baptisms, of having to actually identify yourself as being a part of a certain group or denomination.
I like to think that if there was a god, it would be so big that we wouldn’t be able to comprehend it – certainly not through scriptures or Sunday school – that we’d simply be aware of its existence (if we choose to believe), accept it into our hearts if we feel so inclined to and carry on with our lives.
I have prayed twice in my life to no god in particular. The first time was when my mother underwent surgery to have a tumour removed, the second was when I myself underwent spinal surgery. On both occasions it was because I was scared and was looking for hope and a way to understand what was happening and why it was happening. I did not find much comfort through this act of prayer. Rather, as time has passed, I’ve found comfort in simply living and being around the people I know. I find hope through my friends and family – all of whom are amazingly inspirational people. I come to understand the world through being in it and experiencing it each day; through art and music and conversations, through failures and successes. My faith is in humanity and myself.
I’m aware that when I die it will be endless, dreamless sleep. And I’m okay with that, because it will be the same for everyone else.
By: T on May 1, 2010
at 9:26 am
Have fun playing halo. The reason I don’t believe is because belief requires faith. And faith is believing in something without evidence, (or in despite evidence)
By: Nahtan on May 1, 2010
at 8:45 pm
Jesus is real. He was seen leaving a McDonalds with Elvis and Whacko Jacko.
I met Jesus and Satan together at the Global Atheist Convention held in Melbourne, Australia last March, I have a opcture, but don’t know if I can include it here.
By: Robert Tobin on May 2, 2010
at 4:50 am
in him, we live and move and have our being.
Jesus Christ is the essence of life, all life actually. Without him, there is no life or hope for anything else. So why do I believe in him? I came to a place, where the only thing I could do was reach out to him and he healed and continues to heal my life. Jesus is my best friend. Simple as that. I don’t believe in him because I’m afraid of going to hell,. I love him because he loves me more than anyone else ever can.
If you truly seek him with all your heart. You will find him.
By: gary atkins on May 2, 2010
at 9:49 pm
I think your on drugs
By: Roger on May 5, 2010
at 11:41 am
I found I couldn’t swallow things like Gary here has said, nor could any of my secular friends when I floundered to explain why I believe there is a God – sadly you can’t just give someone your experiences.
At the same time, I couldn’t swallow what seem like arbitrary musings such as Mustafa’s or ‘Some guy, I guess’s, that seem to be without logical basis or evidence, like Nahtan it seems quite ironically said.
So I started looking for a methodical way to decide from scratch what I believe and why.
I found an approach that I’ve found hard to fault thus far. The basic TLDR goes something like:
– Acknowledge if you can’t get rid of your preconceptions and beliefs; you’ve already chosen the outcome before you’ve even begun your search. Intentionally choose to be neither a believer nor a skeptic, just an inquirer.
– Start at ground zero:
– There is a God (For)
– There is a God (Against)
– There is no God (For)
– There is no God (Against)
No religion, no musings on characteristics or attributes, those higher level things don’t make much sense now if you’re undecided or in disagreement on the simplest question. Fill the columns as an inquirer.
– Weigh the evidence. The four columns are supposed to help keep you impartial. Too often it seems like we set up two columns (there is/isn’t a God), pile up our preferred side and try poke holes in the other. This is just failing the first step.
This is just the start, but It’s given me more clarity and a more tangible set of logic to sink my teeth into than anything else I’ve found so far.
By: Mario on May 3, 2010
at 10:13 pm
Fabulously said. I couldn’t agree more!
By: Heizy on May 7, 2010
at 12:57 pm
Firstly nice job on the blog, it will be interesting to see what impact this has on your life (if any) as you move forward.
Now I do believe in God, I am in fact a Christian, but my reasons for believing in God are far too many to explain here. I came to God through a combination of logic, emotion, science (yeah I know the apparent bane of Christianity), facts and faith.
Before I believed in God I was an atheist, but I was the worst kind of atheist, I was completely ignorant of all that was in the bible and all that history (real history, not made up one sided history) tells us, so I used half truths and misquoted what little parts I did know from the bible to smugly justify my stance in the matter.
It was only when I actually went to a church that wasn’t after my money (even Christians agree not every church is there for the good of God), then made a decision to actually look for the truth, did I find answers and hence came to God. Now before someone replies and says “you only found the answers you were looking for because you wanted to believe.” Please note this is untrue, I was extremely happy with my life before I came to God, I enjoyed one night stands, I enjoyed drugs and I enjoyed drinking, mostly I enjoyed all 3 on an average Saturday night. I wanted to prove that there is no God so I didn’t have to give up those things.
From the day I made my decision to follow God, my life has become even better, there is now a joy I had not felt before, it is something that cannot be explained only felt, I don’t mean this condescendingly but if you have never felt it you will have no idea what I am talking about and I accept that, but if you have felt the holy spirit then you know exactly what I am talking about. Let me put it to you this way, If you have never truly been in love then it is easy to argue that it doesn’t exist, but once you meet that special someone and fall in love, you realise how blind you were to argue against it. Sorry for the rambling, I hope that makes sense. Once again well done on the blog, I am keen to read more of your posts.
By: Ash on May 5, 2010
at 3:59 am
Before I was an atheist I was a Chrstian.
I have a conversion story in which I found inner peace, freedom, healing from the past and a deep spiritual experience like nothing I had ever had before.
But it’s not the conversion story from non-belief to belief. It is the other way around!
(Don’t give me the crap that I hadn’t really been a Christian because otherwise I would still believe. Coz that definitely aint true!)
By: Gabe Sanchez on May 6, 2010
at 12:57 pm
LOL there is a difference between going to Church and being a Christian, there is a difference between being a religious person and being a Christian. But whatever, you believe what you believe, good luck with your life.
By: Ash on May 6, 2010
at 11:58 pm
Hey Gabe Sanchez, I personally would like to hear how you became an atheist so I know both sides of the coin not just Ash’s side.
By: Rod on May 9, 2010
at 12:24 pm
Yeah Rod, I would also like to hear Gabe’s side. I will take a guess that Gabe grew up in a Christian household.
By: ashsjourney on May 9, 2010
at 11:58 pm
Hi Gabe
I don’t beleive you where ever a Christian, for i f you where a true Christian, you would never dealt with past life regression ect.
Christianity is about self surrender to Jesus Christ. May I ask, what was it that you surrended when you where a Christian?
God Bless
Sean
By: Sean on May 11, 2010
at 9:11 am
Simples – I was born and bred in to it, and have developed my own belief over the last 32 years.
My parents are Methodist Ministers, but they were Salvos – I still am…
By: Andy on May 6, 2010
at 5:41 am
put bluntly, i last went to church about 4-5 years ago.
i fell out of it, just, i don’t know if it’s a thing i need in life and the more i feel of it, that it’s something that doesn’t push to a discovery of life.
so yeah
By: Alex Warton on May 6, 2010
at 8:51 am
Hey! Really I believe because I want to believe, i find comfort in recognizing something greater than myself, something greater than this universe and “I’m on the road to find out”
By: BoneyM on May 7, 2010
at 12:50 pm
I don’t believe in BibleGod, or Jesus, or any other god ever devised by humanity, for the simple reason that there is no evidence for any of them existing. New religions come and go like Victoria Beckham changing shoes. Why should I believe any of them? I am not averse to the idea of something “spiritual,” whatever that may mean, but I haven’t yet found anything to convince me that I should join any particular religion, or embrace any spiritual concept as the ultimate truth. I tell people that I stopped believing in BibleGod for the same reason they stopped believing in Santa Claus.
I used to be a Christian, many years ago, and my two main reasons for giving it up was the abundant evidence for the Bible consisting of fables, myths, contradictions, errors, and outright nonsense that couldn’t possibly have anything to do with an all-powerful god; and the lack of evidence for the god, itself. If there is a god out there, it is hiding really well!
By: ApostateLois on May 21, 2010
at 1:05 am
Hiding it?
To me the evidence of God is absolutely everywhere. For a start, it’s nature.
Have a look at your eyeball in a mirror. You might scoff, but give it a go. Or maybe look at a snail shell. Or a pine cone. Or one of those miniscule yet incredibly perfect flowers that grow around rocks. Really look at it.
The distance between your outstretched fingertips is your height. Your feet are the same length as your forearm.
The symmetry, the ratios, the pure detail, that everything in your body comes together to create such a complicatedly functional breathing, thinking, feeling being… I can’t believe that it all comes from primordial goop – there’s gotta be something big enough and powerful enough to have created everything I see.
By: Briony on May 30, 2010
at 11:17 pm
How do all those random measurements prove anything? You are just taking random phenomena that don’t apply to everyone and thinking it has significance. This is like numerologists seeing meaning in the random combinations of numbers they encounter every day. If “your feet are the same length as your forearm” is your proof of some invisible sky-man creating everything, then your sky-man is falling asleep on the job. Did you know that a horse’s head is about 1.5 times the length of its upper foreleg? Gosh, that must MEAN SOMETHING.
I look at the same things you do and see evidence of evolution at work. I do not see anything as bearing evidence of God–especially not BibleGod. Nature is pretty amazing, but also cruel, random, and violent. If the beauty of a flower proves God is real, then so does the ugliness of a birth defect. Both are equally part of nature, so both came from the same God…right?
By: Lois on June 1, 2010
at 4:11 am
I don’t believe because although my parents were believers, religion was not a big part of their lives. Since I wasn’t exposed to it that much, the religious virus didn’t get a hold of me.
By: Mary on June 7, 2010
at 1:53 am