toldailytopic: What is the main reason(s) you accept, or reject, God that exists?

[Granite]

So the main reason you believe in (whatever you believe) is because you don't see evidence for a deity?

Don't you have any compelling evidence for your own belief?

I don't see any evidence whatsoever that any kind of god exists. All systems explaining what he wants and why are nonsense, so lack of evidence for God leads to everything else.

I'm a materialist at heart, so I don't have a dearth of evidence. One way of living makes an awful lot of sense, and the other doesn't.

 

[Memento Mori]

Because I can (reject God, god, or gods). Yay religious freedom!

Also what Granite said.

 

[MrRadish]

I've never encountered anything, ever, that I feel can be proven beyond doubt, and I see no reason or uncicumstantial evidence for or against God's existence. I also feel there's any reason to make up my mind as to whether God exists, in much the same way that there's no reason to make up my mind whether, say, there is an asteroid in the asteroid belt covered in pink and green spots. It doesn't seem relevant. When I say I'm agnostic, though, I do mean it in an overarching philosophical sense, not just a theistic one. I can't see any reliable way of knowing anything at all.

 

[Four O'Clock]

Several reasons:
1) When I debate/discuss God's existence with unbelievers I always mention that: Doesn't it take JUST as much faith to believe that everything in existence just sprang forth from NOTHING than to have the faith that there is a Creator/higher power that willed things into being?
2) Sort of what Knight was getting at about the moral law being written into everyone's heart (save the insane/amoral). C.S. Lewis used this example: If you're walking along and hear someone screaming for help you will either:
a) run away and do nothing (self-preservation)
b) go and help the individual (herd-instinct)
c) with humans, however, there is that 3rd reaction, that "what do I do? Do I go help and risk death? No! But....that person needs my help and its the right thing to do!" Where exactly does this wrestling of one's spirit originate?
3) Personal experience. I've lived a checkered life. Again C.S. said, does anyone who admits to being an ex-Christian (not just in name) become an unbeliever because they were honestly talked out of it or were able to just but it aside on some intellectual grounds? Don't virtually all ex-believers simply fall away on their own, slowly, without any outside influence? When my mind is on God, when I pray regularly, when I reach out to others, when I do my very best to put my pride on the back-burner, a peace comes over me in virtually everything I do or say. Everytime I've fallen away for a time, anxiety/problems began to intensify. Not to mention the change my mother went through after my father's death; she went from being a shy, weak churchgoer to a strong, faith-filled pillar of strength virtually overnight which she carried forward for the next 45 years until her death last year. (she credits this to an experience she had late one night about two weeks after dad died but I won't share that within the context of this thread)
4) I know this won't be very convincing to the agnostic, but there seems to me just a common sense understanding that something/someone is.....there. It's been my experience, at least, that I find much more arrogance/intellectually superior attitudes among agnostics than I do among those who profess a belief in God. I'm sure both sides here would agree that humility is a virtue whether a believer or not.
My $0.02

 

[Nathon Detroit]

I don't see any evidence whatsoever that any kind of god exists. All systems explaining what he wants and why are nonsense, so lack of evidence for God leads to everything else.

I'm a materialist at heart, so I don't have a dearth of evidence. One way of living makes an awful lot of sense, and the other doesn't.

It's rather sad that you have no positive argument for your own belief.

Basically this is your argument in a nutshell....

Knight: Hey Granite who do you believe is the best team in the NFL?

Granite: The New England Patriots.

Knight: Why do you believe that?

Granite: Because I see no evidence that the Indianapolis Colts are the best team in the NFL.

Knight: Uh... OK. lain:

 

[Memento Mori]

It's rather sad that you have no positive argument for your own belief.

Basically this is your argument in a nutshell....

Knight: Hey Granite who do you believe is the best team in the NFL?

Granite: The New England Patriots.

Knight: Why do you believe that?

Granite: Because I see no evidence that the Indianapolis Colts are the best team in the NFL.

Knight: Uh... OK. lain:

Actually it'd be better to say

Knight:Why don't you believe the Colts are the best NFL team?

Granite:Because I have no evidence.

 

[elohiym]

There is no single reason I accept the existence of God, but a confluence of reasons. The falsifiable details of the scriptures, the witness of numerous people to the events of the Bible, the testimony of Jesus ("Lord, liar, or lunatic"), and my own personal experience all contribute to my conviction.

 

[elohiym]

Actually it'd be better to say

You missed his point entirely. Nice going.

 

[Memento Mori]

You missed his point entirely. Nice going.

Hmm... No, I didn't miss the point. I showed that it was an improper comparison.

You seem to have fallen into you're own trap. A true feat. Great job, pal! :banana:

 

[Nathon Detroit]

There is no single reason I accept the existence of God, but a confluence of reasons. The falsifiable details of the scriptures, the witness of numerous people to the events of the Bible, the testimony of Jesus, and my own personal experience all contribute to my conviction.

That's well said.

While this topic isn't designed to address Christianity specifically, if you do take it a step further as to "which God exists?" I have often stated that Christianity is the only explanation of reality that fits reality scientifically, morally, historically, geographically, and civilly.

 

[Nathon Detroit]

Hmm... No, I didn't miss the point. I showed that it was an improper comparison.

You seem to have fallen into you're own trap. A true feat. Great job, pal! :banana:

Is this the best you got?

 

[Nathon Detroit]

You missed his point entirely. Nice going.

Yeah... I ignored his post on account of being utterly bankrupt. :chuckle:

 

[bybee]

Well

Well

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for December 7th, 2009 10:22 AM

toldailytopic: What is the main reason(s) you accept, or reject, God that exists?

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We've been introduced properly and He has never lost His interest in me. When I ask for advice He gives it to me. He loves me enough to give His Son for me to be saved. And His Son shows me the way. peace, bybee

 

[elohiym]

Hmm... No, I didn't miss the point. I showed that it was an improper comparison.

Granite was asked what his evidence is for his own belief, not evidence for his disbelief in God. Pay attention.

 

[Memento Mori]

Granite was asked what his evidence is for his own belief, not evidence for his disbelief in God. Pay attention.

But it's not a positive belief. The "belief" is framed in such a way as to be reliant on the lack of evidence for your position. Show evidence and you discredit his system. That is why the comparison was wrong.

 

[elohiym]

But it's not a positive belief. The "belief" is framed in such a way as to be reliant on the lack of evidence for your position. Show evidence and you discredit his system. That is why the comparison was wrong.

I'm a materialist at heart, so I don't have a dearth of evidence. One way of living makes an awful lot of sense, and the other doesn't.

Knight: Granite, what do you believe?

Granite: I believe that matter is the only reality.

Knight: Why do you believe that?

Granite: Because I see no evidence for God.

Get it now?

 

[MacGyver]

Granite was asked what his evidence is for his own belief, not evidence for his disbelief in God. Pay attention.

Claim: A deity exists.
Atheist response: I see no reason to believe in a deity.


See the point here? Being an atheist has nothing to do with belief. It's the LACK of a belief. Here, I'll make a claim...

Claim: A Leprechaun exists.

Please fill in your response. Why do you reject the claim? It's important to notice here that your response is going to be, "because there's no evidence to support the existence of a leprechaun."

If I ask why you believe there are no leprechauns, your response is going to rely on the lack of evidence being the evidence supporting your nonclaim of seeing no reason to believe in leprechauns.

 

[elohiym]

See the point here? Being an atheist has nothing to do with belief. It's the LACK of a belief.

From Granite's Ask a Satanist thread:

A Satanist would go farther than a garden variety atheist by insisting that the mind can accomplish power over matter, and by acknowledging that a dark, carnal side of humanity exists and indeed predominates. In that, Satanists are not humanists by any stretch of the imagination. Modern Satanism as a fully articulated religion can be traced back to the Church of Satan, which is still in operation.

Granite has beliefs. Knight asked him why he believes what he does. Granite basically responded he believes what he does because he sees no evidence that God exists.

Get it now?

 

[Adoration]

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for December 7th, 2009 10:22 AM

toldailytopic: What is the main reason(s) you accept, or reject, God that exists?

Take the topic above and run with it! Slice it, dice it, give us your general thoughts about it. Everyday there will be a new TOL Topic of the Day.
If you want to make suggestions for the Topic of the Day send a Tweet to @toldailytopic or @theologyonline or send it to us via Facebook.

My inclination is not to look at the world around me and conclude "that was lucky!".

Also, I have had personal experiences that I believe are interactions with God. Nothing worthy of the nightly news, just subtle communications and feelings of supernatural peace.

 

[DocJohnson]

Being an atheist has nothing to do with belief. It's the LACK of a belief.

Atheists lack belief in an external deity. It's not that they don't believe anything at all.