My Opinion On Believing in God

[JustinTheGreat]

First off..

Let me start off by saying, I am not trying to push my beliefs down anyone's throat. It may seem like that though, I didn't mean it to be. I am not trying to convince anyone to believe what I believe.

I'm simply just sharing my thoughts. If you agree, cool. If you don't, cool.

What I believe

I do not believe in any god.

I have no idea what to think of the idea of an after life. I don't know if there is one or not. I definitely don't believe in a heaven or hell, but at the same time I don't think I believe we just cease to exist after we die. I feel like we go somewhere, maybe we get resurrected into another person or animal. Maybe we turn in spirits or ghosts. Maybe there is a heaven type place that everyone goes.

Logically, nothing happening after we die is probably the most likely scenario. The reason why I'm not so sure is because the idea of nothing happening, terrifies me. So I WANT an after life to exist. I think my hope for it is just completely overtaking the logic part of it. I think I'm just scared to admit that nothing is going to happen when we die.

Why I believe this

I'm going to get a little bit into history here. I learned most of this in 10th grade World History, so I don't remember specific details about what time period this was. I'm sorry for the lack of details.

So a long time ago everyone was very very uneducated. Logic was not really a thing. You could walk into a room and say "Guys, I just saw a fucking dinosaur" and everyone would believe you because that's how uneducated they were. Thinking "wait, that doesn't make sense" was not a thing.

People used to say they were robbed by a man who turned into a wolf and ran into the woods. So they would go into the woods, grab a wolf, and hang it for its crimes..

So it would make a lot of sense to why everyone believed in god, because they just believed everything everyone said.

"there's a magical being in the sky watching over us? Oh, okay!"

Obviously they did not have the science and technology to know certain things about the world either, so their answer for everything was "Because god"

You asked someone "Hey, why is the sky blue?" and their answer was "Because god wanted it to be blue"

Their only evidence for it was basically "Well, what else could it be?" and people believed them, they didn't even care to know the scientific explanation.

Now it's 2017, we are educated now. We have the technology to know why the sky is blue. Almost everything has a scientific explanation now. "Because god" is really not an acceptable answer to questions anymore. So now what evidence is there that god exists? Nothing, besides other people telling you that it's true.

It's like when your parents told you about Santa..

You believed them. You were a little kid, your parents were the smartest people in your life at the time. It made so much sense because why would your parents lie to you?

Then you got a little older and you realized "Wait...how can a man travel the entire world in one night?" "How can he fit through the chimney?"

You started to realize it was all bullshit because it made literally no sense at all. The only evidence to Santa you ever had as a little kid, was other people telling you it was true.

Believing in a man with flying reindeer is literally the most ridiculous thing ever, right?

Believing in something like the tooth fairy or Easter bunny is also ridiculous.

Most people think believing in ghosts or things like big foot are also ridiculous, even though there are thousands of people who claim they're real.

But yet believing in God, a man sitting on the clouds in Heaven watching over us and listening to every human beings prayers...is perfectly logical.

...Why?

Honestly what is the difference between God and Santa? There's no proof of either one. They both include magic beings who can do things that are humanly impossible. So why find one ridiculous, and then believe the other?

Plus, I don't understand why God allows certain things to happen.

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Like what about little children who die from cancer? Why would god give them cancer...why are some people born with ridiculously horrible diseases or defects?. God creates everyone, so why did he create them that way?

I just watched a video about a little girl allergic to sunlight, it burns for her to go outside and she would get blisters all over her and she would cry for hours.

"It feels like lava, burning the inside and out"

Why would any god, allow that to happen to a sweet little girl? Shit like that should be happening to rapists or murderers. Why a child?

Okay I'm done, the end.

i'm sorry if this seemed hateful towards religious people, I didn't mean to be.

[JudgmentDay]

It's just coping mechanisms at least from my logical perspective. Because if there were no "faith" or these believe systems many would feel even more uncomfortable with their lives and have trouble accepting that there's just nothing that follows after when their lives end, which means death. Thus they believe in an afterlife or similar because they WANT there to be one as that makes them feel comfy about it. Otherwise for some of them, they would quickly fall into despair and might even completely lose it. They're reacting to the fear of the unknown, fear that when death happens, it's all over, nothing, and complete oblivion and they have trouble accepting this, thus metaphysics and religion are the results and exist solely because they want something to hold on to and "believe" in, to "hope" for.

So in this case it's always because of emotional factors, they choose to follow what makes them FEEL better or feel good than acknowledge the logical that those concepts in metaphysics and religions are simply the results from fear of death, fear of nothing following, otherwise why bother with the concepts of afterlife or even deities.

"Bad things happen to good people" that's a very big one. Because even the concepts of good and bad are subjective and matter of perspective and perception. Only humans had ever conceptualized what's "good" and what's "bad", but everything else that is alive, good and bad isn't so much interpreted the same way. Animals hunt, kill, slaughter and eat each other simply because they NEED to, it's the only way they can and will survive, because they NEED to feed, etc. Thus, Survival of the Fittest, and eventually "Might" is "Right". Justice and fairness is only an illusion @JustinTheGreat.

The MOST unfair and unjust thing I can say is that absolutely none of us had ever asked to be born and brought into existence into this kind of a world, in this kind of a reality. We had never given those that created us the consent and we couldn't either way, and yet, here we are, we here, born and existing, BUT exposed to suffering, pain, harm and an inevitable death. But we'll either learn to accept the way reality is and cope with it, or we won't.

@Unit1 ?

[Unit1]

Just more denial and fairy tales designed and performed by the government to keep it's people under control and do their bidding. That's why there is also "no questioning" policy, so you will never find out their true intentions.

Can't handle the truth? Bubble up and believe in a fairy tale while being used.
But one day that bubble might suddenly pop and when it does, your ass is up for a hard landing. See below:

https://i.imgur.com/9midxOC.png

[JudgmentDay]

Thanks for MHO!

[sailorjupiter]

I agreed with you, some people is just believe in God but too lazy to understand or educate themselves why there is a God? They just simply answer all the questions with "because God"

For me, it's not wise to believe in God with nothing or no effort to understand why God is exist. In Islam, the first word reveal to Prophet Muhammad SAW, brought by Gabriel in Hira' Cave is "Read!" - meaning, education, knowledge is very important in order to understand why the nature is being like that, why do God make things this way, why the Earth is orbiting the sun, why there's gravity, why this why that. It's like you're not simply sign up in something without really know what's you're sign up to, know the reason behind it, not just simple said 'because God"

I'm too not intended to shove my belief to you, this is my purely opinion, I do believe there is a God, and I'm comfortable with my faith as I knew why is that, and I do believe there's reasons behind every tragedy, everything in this world. We as the human, must never stop doing researches, studies to explore the miracle of this universe, so that we know, how amazing this world it is, and why God create it this way. Even we, ourselves as a human, who is a simple living creature, who can think and asking this questions, is a miracle. Can we produce a robot with this thought? Maybe not now, maybe in the future with advance technology but still, if we're successful creating another thing like us, don't you think it's really amazing that even a human can create something like that, so who is creating us?

Again, as a believer, like I said, we must know what we're signing for to be a true believer, not just said "I believe in God" and that's it, we don't know anything why we said that.

[I-am-a-nobody]

As a Christian, I believe in God, based on the testimony of the gospels, written by men who were persecuted for their faith. They had nothing material to gain and at least two of the gospels (Matthew and John) are firsthand accounts. It's thought that Mark is based on Peter's firsthand account. While we don't have the original writings, fragments of copies go back to the 2nd century AD. There isn't total agreement on every verse in the NT in various manuscripts , but the differences that exist are minimal and don't affect any major doctrine.

I also believe because of the many fulfilled prophesies of the Old Testament. Prophesies that were fulfilled years later about highly unlikely events. (Babylon displacing Assyria in Israel and Persia conquering Babylon after that.)

The Bible also makes sense to me. It fits closest and explains best the real nature of people. Santa Claus doesn't make sense, but justification by faith makes sense.

Lastly,
In my own life, I've seen too many "coincidences" that seem beyond coincidental. I was an agnostic at one time, but I came to Christ around age 22.
I hope this helps.

[Zumba_dancing_27]

Actually Santa did exist in the past, but he wasn't what we picture him as, he was actually a monk, his name was St. Nicholas and he was from Turkey, he lived in 280AD he was a kind and good person and was known as the protector of Children. I looked this up and the reason United states and the world believes in Santa is because a Soda company Which is either coca-cola or Pepsi and Macy's they took this man who was a real person, and Turn him into a fictional Character, so they can sale products to children and give them hope and love I think.

As for Christianity or religion. I do got to church and I have for a while, I believe there is something there heaven and hell, I believe in god and I believe that there is evil as well. There are a lot of things people can do, threw evil, dark Magic, kill, rape and more. God on the other hand can save you from sin and evil from my understanding, if you believe in Jesus as well. It hard though to believe in something because the world tells us not too believe in something and there might not be anything after we die. It even says in the bible in Revelation that people will make people not want to believe in anything. That there will be false gods, I even sometimes question and wonder but I always come back to god, my family thinks I don't believe but I do. I want to believe that there is something there, because heaven is suppose to be this amazing place and hell not so amazing. I have done a lot of things that are wrong in the bible but I still try to believe in god because he forgives and most don't forgive.

[Zumba_dancing_27]

The reason why they used St. Nicholas was because he was a good and kind man to Children and people. He helped Children out by protecting them from Slavery and prostitution. He also Died in December and I guess people used to have celebrations in his name, in America.

[Zumba_dancing_27]

they also had a different name for him in another language, which turned into santa claus.

[JDavid25]

I didn't find this offensive.. Probably most because all of these can be answered easily.. Firstly
-First the fear of nothing being there, doesn't point to the lack of truth in Heaven of hell.. In fact it may point more toward it.. I mean why in the first place would we think about it, if there wasn't something there.. That's not logic, that's you simply goin off of yo presupposition on the issue.. Science can't reach that far..
-Secondly, I doubt people were that uneducated, and lacked that much reasoning skills.. They didn't.. There is no proof that they were any less smart than we are today.. That's more of a cop out than actual fact.. If what you are saying is true, than there wouldn't be so many people, both very intelligent, or not so smart coming to Jesus, or any religion..
-That's nice in all, but it's not really like that.. Unlike Santa who has a specific attribute in which you can see him at night if we can stay up long enough, and bigfoot.. We can't see God, and can't prove or disprove him through science.. But, many people have without a doubt experienced him on their own.. In Western nations it's harder because of more dependence of the things we enjoy.. Also, God doesn't live in the clouds.. LOL.. And it's perfectly logical if he claimed to be an omnipotent being..
-God allows things because he gave this Earth to humans.. Humans don't turn to God, they don't allow him in.. We mess ourselves up, and in turn blame God when he let's us reap the consequences of our actions.. Also, he didn't make those children that way.. Sin in the world did.. It continually causes decay in this world everyday... If we don't turn to God, then God just let's us do what we want.. It's call the freedom of choice.. When we choose not to believe, we are telling God that we don't need him, or even acknowledge his existence..

[art84]

I myself believe that God saved my life when I was born as I was premature baby only weighing 2 pounds 7 ounces. My mom prayed to God and asked him to not take me away as I was her first born child. She basically dedicated me to serving God as I got older and serving him. My mom went back up to the room that I was in and I was breathing normal and nothing was wrong Before my mom prayed, I was in a incubator and my face was turning colors and I couldn't breathe on my own. The alarm was going off and the doctor's were trying to save my life and said that I wouldn't make it. I look at the pictures of me being tiny with needles in my body and it just make me feel blessed to be alive. I am able to live a normal life even though I was born with mild cerbal palsy and have had poor motor skills since then like having trouble learning in school and being somewhat slow when it comes to learning things that require the use of my hands or feet. But over time I have looked back and where I was when I was little as I didn't talk until I was 3 or 4 years old as I would babble. I couldn't stand or walk as a baby so I crawled. I couldn't hold a bottle so my parents had to tie it to a string in order of me to get a grasp of it. I had a stuttering problem when I was younger and it was really hard to touch to people. I have over came so much in life and it hasn't bring me down. I was blessed to graduate high school at age of 17 years old through summer school. I attended college and graduated and passed all of my classes without any learning problems. I have two degrees; one is a certification in Office Assistant that I got in 2004. Another one is an Associates of Applied Science in Administrative Technology. I am not trying to brag but sometimes in life you have to believe in the things that you can't see and take them as the truth and the word of God.

[Greek_God]

What you fail to see is how did it all get here. As you said, we can scientifically analyze most of the things around us. But you see, scientists can make an artificial wheat grain. Completely identical to real ones. But it doesn't grow. Why? Because of some X element. We may be able to analyze all of this, but how did it all get here? How did life begin? (Abiogenesys theory is more retarded than any other theory, nobody in their right mind can believe this) How does life exist in so many different shapes? Why humans can't create life in any other way except the natural one? Those things come from some higher force. God? Aliens? Chuck Norris? Who knows. Either way, there are a lot of things in this world humans can't even begin to explain. So Im not saying everybody should be religious, thats personal choice, all Im saying is people should be aware there is more to life and nature. Believing we are here by accident, and the world is so perfect accidentally, and that we are here just for a short amount of time and then we completely ceise to exist in any shaoe or form is pretty stupid and also kinda depressing. However I do agree that God, or whatever brought us here, obviously isn't watching over us. Why that is, I don't know.

[naja1225]

This was not hateful at all! You did very well expressing your feelings without being offensive.
I think a lot of people need God for the very reason you mentioned, because not knowing what will happen terrifies us. We need an afterlife to deal with the fear.

Personally I believe in God for very specific reasons and based on certain experiences I've had. Everyone's different. Really interesting to read your opinion though.

[Belgie]

"The reason why I'm not so sure is because the idea of nothing happening, terrifies me. So I WANT an after life to exist. I think my hope for it is just completely overtaking the logic part of it. I think I'm just scared to admit that nothing is going to happen when we die."

That's more honest than most religions.

[Hippppo]

While there are many untrue scenarios in Bible, there are things that people weren't able to know that time, so some information were above their thinking for that time (some geographic laws and even universe was kind of mentioned there). Christianity was brainwashing people and it lost its purpose now we think all of that is bullshit. If you think about spirit, karma and purpose of life you'll find god. I found and I wasn't religious before (I believe what I believe and I don't do thing as going to church etc..)

[ibodi]

For me God is something anyway. I dont use logic to understand it between yes or no. I think that is attitude after dealing with communism's logic happened in china. That cause cultural revolution. So need to deal with past culture. So may be hermeneutics would help you. Others inspired from literature.
I was happening to watch Immortals I think that answer some of your question.
Others like Sophie's World. However, what you think still having meaning to you.
The world is large, those people and me still can live with ridiculous thought without dying. I think that because I am not against nature still that is enough.

[likitb4istickit]

Eh I think we just cease to exist after we're dead. Probably the closest approximation is getting put under for surgery (done that a few times), but just never regaining consciousness. Never understood the fear of nothingness. Dunno why you are apologizing to the superstitious bunch, if they don't like it then they don't have to read it, fuck em.

[MarkRet]

God and his angels (along with Satan and his demons) exist in a different dimension. They're not restrained by the physical limitations of this world, as they don't have physical bodies. Who knows, maybe by not having a physical body you can actually travel through time. I think that once we die, our spirit leaves the body and becomes part of this other dimension. I would much prefer being with God and his angels, rather than satan and his demons.

[DarklordOdin]

Wonderful points, and wonderful post overall. I'm glad there are people like you.

[JustinTheGreat]

Aw thanks haha

[Ovidiu-Nicolae]

First when I was a kid I didn't believe in santa because they're we're too many of them and also because it didn't make sense.
Second people we're allways logical though S. F allways atracted us.
Third I agree with the your take and I also see that video with that young girl allergic to sunlight

[Ghassan2]

I am Muslim, I believe there is a God. Because :
* If a pen can't possibly be created by itself or by a coincidence,
then humans absolutely can't.
* If something is created by someone then that someone must be created by someone else, and that something else must be created by something else and this will go on and on until God will be the first creator, otherwise, nothing would have existed.
* I've seen Muslims die and they look so peaceful, when all non Muslims I've seen seem to be in misery.
* When athiests die they say stuff they don't believe in as athiests.
* This world is way too beautiful to be made by a coincidence or a big bang.
* When I read or listen to the Quran I feel like the most peaceful creature in the world.
* The Quran doesn't have one sentence that can be proven wrong and stuff are being discovered today but written in the Quran 1400 years ago which tells me it must be from a God.

[Unit1]

Incoming mad and butthurt theists. Get your tactical IDGAF shields ready m8!

Nice take!

[JudgmentDay]

Even if there were a deity or deities that is legit, what makes people think and believe that they ever care or continue to care about us, this world? We could be completely expendable and failed experiments and are completely unaware of it, thus why there is perpetual suffering, pain, and deaths in this kind of a world and this kind of a reality. Besides you and I both know it, humanity is a complete fucking mess according to their history. Either way from yours and my perspective we had mutually agreed that humanity had done WAY MORE harm and damage to each other such as from wars and violence, to this planet such as damage to the environment, and other living things because we enslaved them to farm them for their "meat" all thanks to justifying that we're at the top of the food chain, and some species of animals became extinct BECAUSE OF humans and what humans did. Now I see why that quote about the "honorable thing for our species to do is to deny our programming."

[JudgmentDay]

"Stop reproducing, walk hand in hand into extinction - one last midnight, brothers and sisters opting out of a raw deal."

Although I wouldn't expect everyone to agree or follow. But depends how someone looks at it, I mean we both agree that it's just as equally unfair and unjust to just bring someone into existence into this world and thus inevitably exposing them to harm, pain, suffering and death in which THEY HAD NEVER FUCKING ASKED FOR AND DEMANDED IN THE VERY FIRST PLACE. Well I'm sure there will be those that agree that life is imposed, and by imposing life, death is also imposed, since it's absolutely fucking guaranteed once someone is born and given a life they had never asked for nor demanded for.

[JustinTheGreat]

As soon as I posted this take I realized I'm going to get lots of people arguing about religion and I instantly regretted posting it lmao.
I got like 2 opinions at first then I logged in this morning and got a message "congrats your take has been featured" and I was like ".. fuck"

[Unit1]

@JudgmentDay Right.
We keep destroying the planet. We eat it up like a virus in it's host. The planet and the solar system and the atmosphere are our hosts and the reason why we still live. We destroy our very host, which supports us and end up dying much later. Maybe it is a self solving problem? Hopefully it will be.

Now as for those, who never asked for this reality, I can only imagine faces, that I have never ever seen in my life thanking me big time for NOT bringing them here into this mess.
It's like sacrificing yourself for them instead of sharing the pain you know? I think it is a most noble thing to do by not reproducing.
Think of it this way: You are on a boat with 5 other people on it. That boat cannot hold that much cargo and it is slowly breaking apart. The only way to let the boat swim to it's destination is by dropping someone off to the water to die or else the boat breaks and everyone dies.

[Unit1]

@JudgmentDay You volunteer for that and jump into the water and sacrifice yourself so that this boat can swim to it's destination point for the other 5. If you wouldn't jump out of that boat, all 6 of you would sink into the water and never reach the destination point. That's the metaphor I am using for NOT reproducing.

[ThisDudeHere]

I'd rather accept the fact that nothing happens than just pretend that I have a comfortable answer given to me on a silver plate.

[YourFutureEx]

What do you fear about after your death that made you believe in reincarnation?

[JustinTheGreat]

I don't know. I just love life, I don't want to stop living. I know when you die, you don't even realize it, but its just a scary thought.

[YourFutureEx]

Consider the law of conservation of energy and you will be immortal.

[JustinTheGreat]

Thats another reason why i don't believe we just cease to exist. I remember from 8th grade science learning that energy can't be destroyed, and I always had that in my mind lol

[ThisDudeHere]

The law of conservation of energy does not apply to human death as there is no energy to conserve. Your "soul" or your "essence" has no mass and it is not an energy. All that happens is that neurons in your brain die out while the mass of the body remains exactly the same - though the process of decay begins at that point, in which case the law takes effect as you return back to nature.

[YourFutureEx]

@ThisDudeHere I didn't say that our soul has energy, but our body do.

[ThisDudeHere]

Yes but dying changes nothing. Our body has the same energy right after death as it had right before. The only difference being that our brain no longer is active.

[YourFutureEx]

@ThisDudeHere yes, my point exactly.

[ThisDudeHere]

"Consider the law of conservation of energy and you will be immortal."

I assumed you implied something along the lines of there being a soul that "by the law of conservation of energy" can not be extinguished.

[YourFutureEx]

@ThisDudeHere it's okay fella. Mistakes are made by humans.

[Imhotep99]

I am a theist and I don't find this offensive at all. Good.

[skeptic002]

THIS WAS SO STUPID YOU ARE WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING

HOSEA 4:6 FOR MY CHILDREN ARE DESTROYED FOR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE

[JustinTheGreat]

https://www.reactiongifs.com/r/a-b-yay.gif

[JustinTheGreat]

If you disagree with me, thats fine. But you can at least explain why you disagree instead of just going "You're stupid!!!11!!" like a fucking 12 year old.

[skeptic002]

its obvious to anyone that with all the information and evidence out
that GOD exist

the regular people reject GOD cause of there lust
the occult knows he is real but do not like GOD anyway and reject him

[Anonymous]

If u don't believe in God what makes u believe in Satan?

[JustinTheGreat]

I don't