Frustrated athiest asks why do you believe in God?

[Daniel Nicholson]

Summary: Why do you believe in God? What do you find to be the most compelling evidence that God exists?

Long Version:
I have found that I am getting frustrated at the thought of people who do not listen to reason, logic, evidence, and facts. You may have noticed this frustration seeping into the conversations I have on RF. I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just angry at you for not seeing what I see, which is not really fair. I'll will try to have more patience and explain things more clearly in the future.

One way to influence others is to first be influenced by them. In other words, seek first to understand, then to be understood. Maybe I would be less frustrated if I actually knew the reasons why you believe in God. Help me understand, and in turn I will respectfully respond, and if you care to hear I will respond with the reasons why I don't believe in God.

Thank you in advance for the conversation

 

[The Hammer]

I believe in Gods because I have had direct experiential contact with them.

In fact I was agnostic for a while until my first real "religious experience".

I am also under the impression that the Gods aren't communicating with everyone, only those that are willing to stop, be silent and listen, (listening like you are in your OP even).

 

[Trailblazer]

Why do you believe in God? What do you find to be the most compelling evidence that God exists?

I believe that the only real evidence that God exists are the Messengers of God sent by God.

Some believers claim that Creation is evidence but I do not hold that position since there are other explanations for how the universe could have come into existence.

I am getting frustrated at the thought of people who do not listen to reason, logic, and evidence,
Rather. they discount my beliefs out of hand with no logical reason for doing so. You may have noticed my frustration seeping into the conversations.

 

[sun rise]

I've gone into detail before in other threads so here's a summary. I started off life as a strong atheist who saw no value in religion whatsoever. That changed and my search can be classified in three rough categories.

• Intellectually finding a set of principles that answers all the questions I had. This includes advaita, reincarnation, karma, the role of science, evolution and others. My understanding is based on reason and logic given the premise of the existence of the divine.
  
• Finding a commonality at the core between figures like St. Francis of Assisi, Rumi, Hafiz, Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, Ramana Maharshi, Baal Shem Tov and others.
  
• Having certain experiences that touched my soul very deeply.

We can discuss further if you wish. My frame of reference is that honorable atheists are much better than hypocritical believers. I also find that my time as an atheist was valuable because it enabled me to focus on certain areas in the material universe before the spiritual dimension of life opened up to me.

 

[F1fan]

Summary: Why do you believe in God? What do you find to be the most compelling evidence that God exists?

Long Version:
I have found that I am getting frustrated at the thought of people who do not listen to reason, logic, evidence, and facts. You may have noticed this frustration seeping into the conversations I have on RF. I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just angry at you for not seeing what I see, which is not really fair. I'll will try to have more patience and explain things more clearly in the future.

One to be aware of is that no theist comes to a rational and fact-based conclusion that any God exists. They believe for non-rational reasons, and since this is the case it's understandable that reason can't be used to help them assess and reverse their judgment that a God exists. Studies with brain scans show that theists do not process religious thoughts through their frontal lobes. these ideas and belief actually bypasses the reasoning centers, and lights up the emotion and reward centers of their brains. At best debating with theists is an exercise that allows us an insight into how believe avoid reasoning and struggle through their inner conflict.

One way to influence others is to first be influenced by them. In other words, seek first to understand, then to be understood. Maybe I would be less frustrated if I actually knew the reasons why you believe in God. Help me understand, and in turn I will respectfully respond, and if you care to hear I will respond with the reasons why I don't believe in God.

Theists typically know WHAT they believe but not WHY they believe. they will have a script the tell others b ut this wont satisfy a critical mind that uses facts and coherent thinking. So there is how a theist THINKS why they believe, and then there are what the social sciences explain of religious behavior and belief. The book Emotional Intelligence has an excellent explanation of this habitual belief and explains the results of how minds can get into bad habits of how they think. That plus poor reasoning skills really allows humans to believe all sorts of weird stuff. Michael Shermer has written many books about how and why people believe weird things. Excellent insights into the religious mind that even the religious are not aware of.

 

[Revoltingest]

I'm just angry at you for not seeing what I see, which is not really fair. I'll will try to have more patience and explain things more clearly in the future.

Having more patience will help, but the
real solution is to accept the differences.
Then you don't need to be patient.
It's OK to be wrong or not even wrong.
They don't need to change.

 

[cladking]

There is, was, or will have been some initiating event, process, or force that created reality. It follows something is and always has been. For all I know time is eternal and can create energy by some means but until such time as a reasonable explanation exists I'm not ruling out anything at all.

Life is full of miracles and astounding coincidences if we are receptive to them. Most knowledge springs from anomalies so honing one's ability to see them is an asset, not a liability.

Frankly just as there are no atheists in foxholes it gets less absurd for most people when they get older.

A real scientist builds models from experiment and not speculation.

 

[F1fan]

There is, was, or will have been some initiating event, process, or force that created reality. It follows something is and always has been. For all I know time is eternal and can create energy by some means but until such time as a reasonable explanation exists I'm not ruling out anything at all.

Scientists offer explanations that are plausible, and vastly superior to what many theists offer as a contribution. So if we want the best explanation we defer to scientists, not theists.

Life is full of miracles and astounding coincidences if we are receptive to them. Most knowledge springs from anomalies so honing one's ability to see them is an asset, not a liability.

Also life is full of miracles that don't happen. Little kids who are born with defects, or genetic faults that lead to cancers, go to doctors, not temples. Most of these children suffer painful treatment and many die. So I want to hear about the miracles that happen while these kids die despite medical treatment.

Frankly just as there are no atheists in foxholes it gets less absurd for most people when they get older.

This phrase means that when even atheists may be in a life or death situation and highly stressed and emotional that they may use the illusions offered by religion to cope with the mental trauma. The real test is minds at ease and not under extreme stress. Atheists will not be swayed by the emotional appeal to religious promises.

A real scientist builds models from experiment and not speculation.

Which is why evolution is valid as a theory and Creationism is nonsense.

 

[Audie]

There is, was, or will have been some initiating event, process, or force that created reality. It follows something is and always has been. For all I know time is eternal and can create energy by some means but until such time as a reasonable explanation exists I'm not ruling out anything at all.

Life is full of miracles and astounding coincidences if we are receptive to them. Most knowledge springs from anomalies so honing one's ability to see them is an asset, not a liability.

Frankly just as there are no atheists in foxholes it gets less absurd for most people when they get older.

A real scientist builds models from experiment and not speculation.

No atheists in foxholes huh?

I will bet thete' s way fewer religionists who
say " Glory be I'm about to receive
E- ternal life!!" when they sees the tanks coming.

Funny btw how those who have never graced the ivy'd halls nor the lab with their presence are always the one to hold forth on what a
" REAL" scientist is.

( a real REAL one always has a beaker with dry ice,
an erlenmeyer with coloured water on a spinner, a jacob's ladder, a splotched lab coat and wild hair.)

 

[F1fan]

No atheists in foxholes huh?

I will bet thete' s way fewer religionists who
say " Glory be I'm about to receive
E- ternal life!!" when they sees the tanks coming.

Right, they run for their lives because they finally admit "I could be wrong."

 

[Father Heathen]

Having more patience will help, but the
real solution is to accept the differences.
Then you don't need to be patient.
It's OK to be wrong or not even wrong.
They don't need to change.

This. As long as they're not trying to impose their beliefs upon others, or act upon their beliefs in ways that victimize or violate the rights of others, let 'em be.

 

[Revoltingest]

This. As long as they're not trying to impose their beliefs upon others, or act upon their beliefs in ways that victimize or violate the rights of others, let 'em be.

I agree.

 

[robocop (actually)]

Summary: Why do you believe in God? What do you find to be the most compelling evidence that God exists?

Long Version:
I have found that I am getting frustrated at the thought of people who do not listen to reason, logic, evidence, and facts. You may have noticed this frustration seeping into the conversations I have on RF. I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just angry at you for not seeing what I see, which is not really fair. I'll will try to have more patience and explain things more clearly in the future.

One way to influence others is to first be influenced by them. In other words, seek first to understand, then to be understood. Maybe I would be less frustrated if I actually knew the reasons why you believe in God. Help me understand, and in turn I will respectfully respond, and if you care to hear I will respond with the reasons why I don't believe in God.

Thank you in advance for the conversation

I believe in God because there is who allows the Universe to exist, the creator part of the Universe, the Supreme being in any part of the Universe, and that which allows us to understand things.

All are supreme and all one God.

That was good enough to get me baptised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

 

[Trailblazer]

@Daniel Nicholson, a frustrated atheist, wants to know why believers believe in God.
"Why do you believe in God? What do you find to be the most compelling evidence that God exists?"

A sincere atheist wants to know why believers believe in God, but as usual, certain atheists have to show up and give him all the reasons why he should not believe in God, telling him that believers believe for non-rational reasons, and how atheists are above belief because they are critical thinkers. It is the epitome of arrogance.

 

[Audie]

As for me

I believe when I fall in love
It will be forever

 

[rational experiences]

I learnt what theist men in science caused..
Changed human thinking.

I said I don't believe in God myself. But applied research to spiritual and phenomena.

So if a man said God O bodies in creation separated from the eternal body. It seemed sensible.

If men said hence I am God it needed review.

So if father mother came out from the eternal also spiritually the claim is hence I am God.

The same.

But never journeyed as Satan had. To become rock.

As the gases rock owned and the water rock owned places above ground data as not even existing.

As data is not about mass it is about one of types in theism.

In actuality a teaching of relative one God O only.

Which places human obviously from somewhere else higher than the God of Satan.

Hence if men said hence don't change God it was relative scientific advice.

If you can think for self human purpose only.

Which a lot of theists don't.

 

[George-ananda]

Summary: Why do you believe in God? What do you find to be the most compelling evidence that God exists?

I think to understand theists you need to ask of the God concept they believe in. They are not all the same. And then ask the question 'why do you believe in that God concept'.

I believe that God/Brahman is Consciousness which is fundamental and cannot be understood as composed of anything. And the material universe is then a play of God/Brahman/Consciousness.

These teachings come from those rishis/mystics that have stilled their mind and experienced source consciousness.

 

[cladking]

Scientists offer explanations that are plausible, and vastly superior to what many theists offer as a contribution. So if we want the best explanation we defer to scientists, not theists.

Really! I've never heard one. Maybe I missed that year of physics.

Most of these children suffer painful treatment and many die.

Life is a miracle. Consciousness is a miracle. Some very young children understand their condition and show bravery that is greater than any ever shown on a battlefield.

This phrase means that when even atheists may be in a life or death situation and highly stressed and emotional that they may use the illusions offered by religion to cope with the mental trauma. The real test is minds at ease and not under extreme stress. Atheists will not be swayed by the emotional appeal to religious promises.

Which is why evolution is valid as a theory and Creationism is nonsense.

There are no experiments showing a gradual change in species caused by "survival of the fittest".

Even if good methodology were used (it wasn't) there is no certainty that theory is correct. "Theory" is the best explanation of experiment derived from proper methodology.

 

[cladking]

A sincere atheist wants to know why believers believe in God, but as usual, certain atheists have to show up and give him all the reasons why he should not believe in God, telling him that believers believe for non-rational reasons, and how atheists are above belief because they are critical thinkers. It is the epitome of arrogance.

There is no one more condescending than a scientist who thinks he knows everything except for those who don't really understand what he is saying or lack even a 4th grade understanding of how and why science works. If you don't understand how science works you are more a consumer of science than a user of science. Our culture is dying of consumption.

There is no one holier than thou than those who lecture believers in God or religion and there is no one whose models of reality are more dependent on belief than those who only think they understand science.

 

[cladking]

As for me

I believe when I fall in love
It will be forever

That will be a true miracle.

Good luck.