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Just because a person believe.

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
Maybe it is easy to think that og a person believe in a God they automatically know or understand everything from the teaching:) unfortunatly that is not how it works:)

A belief in a God is just the beginning.
 

viole

Ontological Naturalist
Premium Member
Maybe it is easy to think that og a person believe in a God they automatically know or understand everything from the teaching:) unfortunatly that is not how it works:)

A belief in a God is just the beginning.
A beginning? How can you start with a fully specified God? It is like saying: OK, there must be a God, ergo He is Zeus. Shouldn't Zeus, or the God you elected to be the target of your belief, be the end of a long process which would make it compelling for logical reasons, and would also lead to exclude all the others? How can you believe X if you did not first address His teachings and you are sure you fully understand them? Otherwise, why not another God, then?

Question 1: would you have believed in the God you believe in, if you had never been exposed to Him by culture, friend, or whatever?

Ciao

- viole
 
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PureX

Veteran Member
Of course, ... then we must ask what kind of God are we choosing to 'believe in'? And what does our belief in such a God mean for our the way we are living our life?

The part I don't understand is why I, or anyone, would ask someone ELSE these questions; as if someone else could or should answer them for us.
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
Maybe it is easy to think that og a person believe in a God they automatically know or understand everything from the teaching:) unfortunatly that is not how it works:)

A belief in a God is just the beginning.

I was thinking about this on the run early, weirdly enough. If we waited to talk after we know our teachings to talk about them, we'd be waiting till death. For example, you don't have to know about the full Muslim faith to talk about it and give what you know about it. Unless you're a teacher or imam (I think that's the spelling), not many people will challenge you (productively) on your knowledge.

For example, when a christian tells me christ is god in person (outside the purpose of RF), and tells me about X scripture and Y history in the bible, I take them at their word. If I ask you how is god defined in the Quran, I'm not asking for academic facts, just your opinion based on what you learned. That would be different if I asked you do Muslims believe in god. If you said "I can't speak for other Muslims," it would make me wonder. If you said, "we muslims believe in god", I'd believe you. How/when/from who/why is different than just giving knowledge in what you know.

Most of the time (so far I've read) people ask more about academic knowledge (where does it say X in the Quran) not spiritual knowledge (how did god answer your prayers). I see nothing wrong with teaching and giving knowledge when you accept you don't know everything. Teachers learn from their students.
 
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Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
Maybe it is easy to think that og a person believe in a God they automatically know or understand everything from the teaching:) unfortunatly that is not how it works:)

A belief in a God is just the beginning.

I believed because I was told God existed. Everyone I knew accepted this as fact.

This is no longer the case when you switch beliefs. You are looking for something to believe in because you believe belief in something is necessary.

Eventually after enough looking you realize nobody knows anything. A belief in God is the beginning and it is also the end.
 

Brian2

Veteran Member
A beginning? How can you start with a fully specified God? It is like saying: OK, there must be a God, ergo He is Zeus. Shouldn't Zeus, or the God you elected to be the target of your belief, be the end of a long process which would make it compelling for logical reasons, and would also lead to exclude all the others? How can you believe X if you did not first address His teachings and you are sure you fully understand them? Otherwise, why not another God, then?

Question 1: would you have believed in the God you believe in, if you had never been exposed to Him by culture, friend, or whatever?

Ciao

- viole

It's different for different people. Certainly someone is not a professor of theology when they start believing in a certain God, but knowing the basics certainly helps unless the God has come to you personally and showed He exists, no need for knowing anything except that in that case unless you want to be sure it was that God who showed Himself to you.
 

viole

Ontological Naturalist
Premium Member
It's different for different people.
Yes, that difference is spacetime location
If I am from Africa, I believe in the Great Juju at the bottom of the sea. If I am from Alabama, I believe in a God with a Son who sort of died for some sins, if I am from Ancient Greece, I believe in Apollo, etc.

Ciao

- viole
 

Brian2

Veteran Member
Yes, that difference is spacetime location
If I am from Africa, I believe in the Great Juju at the bottom of the sea. If I am from Alabama, I believe in a God with a Son who sort of died for some sins, if I am from Ancient Greece, I believe in Apollo, etc.

Ciao

- viole

People have been known to change beliefs and the Kingdom of God promised by Jesus has been growing since Jesus time and is now a huge tree. The biggest. It seems that the Christian God knew what He was doing when He sent Jesus to preach and die etc and not write any scriptures.
 

loverofhumanity

We are all the leaves of one tree
Premium Member
Maybe it is easy to think that og a person believe in a God they automatically know or understand everything from the teaching:) unfortunatly that is not how it works:)

A belief in a God is just the beginning.

Yes I agree, like the planting of a seed in the human heart. It needs to be nourished so that it will grow into a tree bringing forth fruits of benefit to all.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
A beginning? How can you start with a fully specified God? It is like saying: OK, there must be a God, ergo He is Zeus. Shouldn't Zeus, or the God you elected to be the target of your belief, be the end of a long process which would make it compelling for logical reasons, and would also lead to exclude all the others? How can you believe X if you did not first address His teachings and you are sure you fully understand them? Otherwise, why not another God, then?

Question 1: would you have believed in the God you believe in, if you had never been exposed to Him by culture, friend, or whatever?

Ciao

- viole
It starts with a belief in something bigger than our self, in the beginning we may not call it God or Allah, but the curiousity to understand more is there so one seek answer ( in religious books) and from there questions arise, but er can not answer them. Maybe not for many years
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
Of course, ... then we must ask what kind of God are we choosing to 'believe in'? And what does our belief in such a God mean for our the way we are living our life?

The part I don't understand is why I, or anyone, would ask someone ELSE these questions; as if someone else could or should answer them for us.
For me to have a guide or teacher make it possible to gain answer in a different way, and challenges to deeper my own understanding
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
Yes, that difference is spacetime location
If I am from Africa, I believe in the Great Juju at the bottom of the sea. If I am from Alabama, I believe in a God with a Son who sort of died for some sins, if I am from Ancient Greece, I believe in Apollo, etc.

Ciao

- viole
I am from Norway and believe in Allah :confused: where you come from is not that important of who we end up believing in :) but yes i know many believe as their parents do, because it is expected of them...
 
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