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What convinced you?

Nimos

Well-Known Member
Was just watching a debate between David Silverman and Alex McFarland and Alex during his opening statement, say that he have been a believer since he were 22 and have spend a huge amount of time, travelling around the world and studied this topic and that he is now firmly convince about the truth of Christianity.

Unfortunately he doesn't say what exactly convinced him which is fine as its not really what the debate is about.

For people interesting in which one im talking about:

But it made me wonder and have nothing to do with the debate, it was just something that struck me as being interesting to know. So what exactly made people here on the forum convinced about the truth of their beliefs. So what were the single most convincing argument or evidence for you to come to believe in a God?

(This is not meant as a debate thread, but merely out of curiosity)
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
I was born and raised in a Christian protestant home, but at age 15 i started to look at other religious texts because many of the priests i was talking with, could not answer my question about many things in Christianity, so i started to search for answers within other religions, and after about 5 years of looking and studying i found that Buddhism (theravada) was the closest to what i had been thinking, and after a few years more of study i converted to Buddhism in around 1997, and i have not looked back. I want to add that it is nothing wrong with being Christian or other religious beliefs, it was only that buddhism was a path i understood more deep.
The teaching of 4 noble truths, 8 fold path and the 5 precepts made me happy and it is to me become a lifestyle and not just a belife. I dont see Buddhism as a religion anymore, but a cultivation path.
 

Left Coast

This Is Water
Staff member
Premium Member
When I was a theist, the argument that I think convinced me the most was the kalam.
 

leov

Well-Known Member
Was just watching a debate between David Silverman and Alex McFarland and Alex during his opening statement, say that he have been a believer since he were 22 and have spend a huge amount of time, travelling around the world and studied this topic and that he is now firmly convince about the truth of Christianity.

Unfortunately he doesn't say what exactly convinced him which is fine as its not really what the debate is about.

For people interesting in which one im talking about:

But it made me wonder and have nothing to do with the debate, it was just something that struck me as being interesting to know. So what exactly made people here on the forum convinced about the truth of their beliefs. So what were the single most convincing argument or evidence for you to come to believe in a God?

(This is not meant as a debate thread, but merely out of curiosity)
God acted, very little action from my end.
 

Nimos

Well-Known Member
When I was a theist, the argument that I think convinced me the most was the kalam.
I don't know a lot about the Kalam, except from what I could quickly google :) So if I understood it correct according to wiki, the Kalam is:

ʿIlm al-Kalām (Arabic: عِلْم الكَلام‎, literally "science of discourse"),[1] usually foreshortened to Kalām and sometimes called "Islamic scholastic theology",[2] is the study of Islamic doctrine('aqa'id).[2] It was born out of the need to establish and defend the tenets of Islamic faith against doubters and detractors.[3] A scholar of Kalām is referred to as a mutakallim (plural: mutakallimūn), and it is a role distinguished from those of Islamic philosophers, jurists, and scientists.[4]

So it were the arguments used that convinced you? But don't you need to be a Muslim, before you receive that teaching? So weren't you convinced before that is what I mean, or did I misunderstand you.
 

Left Coast

This Is Water
Staff member
Premium Member
I don't know a lot about the Kalam, except from what I could quickly google :) So if I understood it correct according to wiki, the Kalam is:

ʿIlm al-Kalām (Arabic: عِلْم الكَلام‎, literally "science of discourse"),[1] usually foreshortened to Kalām and sometimes called "Islamic scholastic theology",[2] is the study of Islamic doctrine('aqa'id).[2] It was born out of the need to establish and defend the tenets of Islamic faith against doubters and detractors.[3] A scholar of Kalām is referred to as a mutakallim (plural: mutakallimūn), and it is a role distinguished from those of Islamic philosophers, jurists, and scientists.[4]

So it were the arguments used that convinced you? But don't you need to be a Muslim, before you receive that teaching? So weren't you convinced before that is what I mean, or did I misunderstand you.
Haha, sorry for the confusion! I'm sure in Islam "kalam" has a more sophisticated meaning like you're referencing, and the argument did originate with Muslim theologians I believe. But in philosophical discourse about God, the kalam is the common name given to an argument popularized by apologists like William Lane Craig:

1) Everything that begins to exist has a cause for its existence.
2) The universe began to exist.
3) Therefore, the universe has a cause.
 

Nimos

Well-Known Member
Haha, sorry for the confusion! I'm sure in Islam "kalam" has a more sophisticated meaning like you're referencing, and the argument did originate with Muslim theologians I believe. But in philosophical discourse about God, the kalam is the common name given to an argument popularized by apologists like William Lane Craig:

1) Everything that begins to exist has a cause for its existence.
2) The universe began to exist.
3) Therefore, the universe has a cause.

Ahh ok, had no idea that was called kalam, But I see what you mean :)
 

1137

Here until I storm off again
Premium Member
Simple reasons I believe in Setianism/Set

1. We can scientifically confirm the mind/consciousness can go against nature and has different properties from it. Consciousness is also more certain than matter and the latter is known only through the former.

2. We can scientifically confirm the higher consciousness of humans arose across the species, exponentially, in a close amount of time, and ~100,000+ years after we have already evolved as a physiological species (Upper Paleolithic Revolution / UPR)

3. Humans have a teleological "best path", both in self actualization (Maslow and co.) and in the fields which create the physical body (Burr and co.)

4. Nature does not work the way the UPR occurred.

5. Something unnatural and against natural cannot rise from Nature.

6. Something mindless and impersonal like nature cannot assign teleology.

7. Therefore, there is something conscious and separate from Nature responsible for higher consciousness that gave it to humans (and maybe others), and this seems to have been with purpose (teleology).

8. Least objectively for others: experience.
 

sayak83

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Was just watching a debate between David Silverman and Alex McFarland and Alex during his opening statement, say that he have been a believer since he were 22 and have spend a huge amount of time, travelling around the world and studied this topic and that he is now firmly convince about the truth of Christianity.

Unfortunately he doesn't say what exactly convinced him which is fine as its not really what the debate is about.

For people interesting in which one im talking about:

But it made me wonder and have nothing to do with the debate, it was just something that struck me as being interesting to know. So what exactly made people here on the forum convinced about the truth of their beliefs. So what were the single most convincing argument or evidence for you to come to believe in a God?

(This is not meant as a debate thread, but merely out of curiosity)
A cognitive and spiritually transforming experience convinced me. It was like coming out of Plato's cave really.
 

Thief

Rogue Theologian
as far back as my memory goes...…
I was sitting on the floor with elbows on the window sill
(old houses were built with window frame close to the floor)
out of bed in the middle of the night

someone must have said something about God having created everything
and I was up late thinking about it
looking up at the stars
the street lights
the cars lights
the sparks from my dad's cutting torch
(he worked late in the gas station next door)

it all came together all at once....
If God created all of this
He must be truly wonderful

a warm summer breeze came in through the screen
and my skin chilled all over

just saying
 

LightofTruth

Well-Known Member
Was just watching a debate between David Silverman and Alex McFarland and Alex during his opening statement, say that he have been a believer since he were 22 and have spend a huge amount of time, travelling around the world and studied this topic and that he is now firmly convince about the truth of Christianity.

Unfortunately he doesn't say what exactly convinced him which is fine as its not really what the debate is about.

For people interesting in which one im talking about:

But it made me wonder and have nothing to do with the debate, it was just something that struck me as being interesting to know. So what exactly made people here on the forum convinced about the truth of their beliefs. So what were the single most convincing argument or evidence for you to come to believe in a God?

(This is not meant as a debate thread, but merely out of curiosity)
There was a beginning and it began with God.
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
Was just watching a debate between David Silverman and Alex McFarland and Alex during his opening statement, say that he have been a believer since he were 22 and have spend a huge amount of time, travelling around the world and studied this topic and that he is now firmly convince about the truth of Christianity.

Unfortunately he doesn't say what exactly convinced him which is fine as its not really what the debate is about.

For people interesting in which one im talking about:

But it made me wonder and have nothing to do with the debate, it was just something that struck me as being interesting to know. So what exactly made people here on the forum convinced about the truth of their beliefs. So what were the single most convincing argument or evidence for you to come to believe in a God?

(This is not meant as a debate thread, but merely out of curiosity)

Lack of evidence that could be verified. The ability to find reasons to support any belief I was willing to invest in. Honesty about what I knew and could test, and what only seemed to be true based on what I experienced.

God, I found out could be whatever I wanted God to be. Whatever idea/belief I invested in I found my experiences would support that belief.

I also read about how much control our unconscious mind has over the reality we experience. The brain takes external stimulation and creates a "user interface" for our conscious awareness. It creates feelings, thoughts, mental images, dreams to communicate to our conscious awareness. Lots of exercises to verify how the unconscious mind tricks our conscious selves into experiencing the reality it has decided we ought to be experiencing.

I found the unconscious mind quite capable of creating whatever experience of God I decided to believe in. As a result I began to question my ability to "determine" truth based on my personal experiences since my subconscious mind was able to support anything I felt might be the truth.

I really felt my unconscious mind was the enemy for awhile out to deceive me. However, we are not completely defenseless. We have logic and rationale on our side. Also the unconscious mind is not our enemy. It is just fulfilling its function of survival and supporting our consciousness.

So I feel we can work with the unconscious mind to improve our life. However we have to be aware, IMO, that we are not alone in our head. In fact the vast majority of what is happening in our head we don't have conscious access to. While the unconscious mind does its best to create an accurate interface to reality, we have to help it make corrections sometimes. This means having to rely on facts that can be tested and proven instead of beliefs based on our feelings about what is true.
 
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