I want to believe

[Eddi]

I want to believe in a concerned, loving, and personal God

But my faith in such an entity has been totally shattered, and this has saddened me greatly

It feels as though a close friend has died

Everything feels bleak

The thing I believe in feels cold, distant, and disinterested in me

So, I'm asking......

Are there any good reasons to believe in a concerned, loving, and personal God?

Bearing in mind that I no longer accept scripture as authoritative

I'm pretty certain that there aren't

 

[Whateverist]

Are there any good reasons to believe in a concerned, loving, and personal God?

In my ignorant opinion there is no more reason to believe in a cold, distant and disinterested god than there is to believe in a warm and fuzzy one .. so I don’t. Yet I think there is something that resists representation that is real and worth acknowledging.

 

[ChristineM]

Are there any good reasons to believe in a concerned, loving, and personal God?

Not that i know of but other people have other ideas and will no doubt put forward their suggestions so I'll get on quick with a couple that seem to match you needs..

Try looking at the Greek Eleos or the Roman equivalent Clementia

 

[SalixIncendium]

Are there any good reasons to believe in a concerned, loving, and personal God?

It's apparent to me that there are, and I'm hopeful that one who does find the joy and love in a personal god will happen along and give you some.

 

[PureX]

I want to believe in a concerned, loving, and personal God

But my faith in such an entity has been totally shattered, and this has saddened me greatly

It feels as though a close friend has died

Everything feels bleak

The thing I believe in feels cold, distant, and disinterested in me

You're looking in the wrong place. Love, concern, empathy, respect, these can be seen every day all around you. All you need to do is look for them, and you will see them. Theists, atheists, makes no difference. Most humans sincerely care about their fellow humans and will act to further their well-being if they are able. And you are one of them. The idea of God in some religious book is all well and good, but it doesn't mean much if it never shows up in our lives, or in or hearts.

So, I'm asking......

Are there any good reasons to believe in a concerned, loving, and personal God?

We don't have to believe in it. We just need be willing to trust in the idea enough to act on it. And then let the results speak for themselves.

Bearing in mind that I no longer accept scripture as authoritative

I'm pretty certain that there aren't

God is as real and loving as you're willing to let it be.

 

[Frank Goad]

I want to believe in a concerned, loving, and personal God

But my faith in such an entity has been totally shattered, and this has saddened me greatly

It feels as though a close friend has died

Everything feels bleak

The thing I believe in feels cold, distant, and disinterested in me

So, I'm asking......

Are there any good reasons to believe in a concerned, loving, and personal God?

Bearing in mind that I no longer accept scripture as authoritative

I'm pretty certain that there aren't

You should ask a friend to astral project to you and help you like in 1 Corinthians 5:1-5.

 

[RestlessSoul]

I want to believe in a concerned, loving, and personal God

But my faith in such an entity has been totally shattered, and this has saddened me greatly

It feels as though a close friend has died

Everything feels bleak

The thing I believe in feels cold, distant, and disinterested in me

So, I'm asking......

Are there any good reasons to believe in a concerned, loving, and personal God?

Bearing in mind that I no longer accept scripture as authoritative

I'm pretty certain that there aren't

It's my belief, based on personal experience, that even when we feel very far from God, He is never far from us. The sense of him is easily drowned out, and we are easily distracted by our own concerns, our fears and our desires. But whenever I have really needed Him, He's been there offering comfort and support, and I see no reason why that shouldn't be the case for you. And in the words of Rumi. "What you seek is seeking you".

 

[LuisDantas]

Could you work with appreciation of the ideal and values in lieu of belief of the existence of a personification?

 

[Rival]

You should pray, in my opinion, and see what happens.

 

[Quintessence]

Are there any good reasons to believe in a concerned, loving, and personal God?

There are many.

First and foremost, because you want to is more than good enough of a reason. You get to make decisions for you and your life. You get to be the architect of your life ways. There will inevitably be some interaction between your life ways and those of others, but you get to walk your own journey and tell your own story. The way you want to tell it. If a loving, benevolent God is part of that, let it be so! You don't need some complicated, grandiose, overly-intellectualized reason beyond you feel like it.

Secondarily and perhaps just as importantly, it is essential to feel like someone has your back and will catch you when you fall. The absence of this in our lives instills such a deep-seated fear and panic that words do not do it a justice. Not everyone is blessed with unconditional, loving relationships with other humans. To avoid going into a full-blown anxiety/depression spiral, believing something out there gives a crap can be exactly what you need to keep going forward. When we can't believe in ourselves, we need someone to believe in us.

 

[JustGeorge]

You should pray, in my opinion, and see what happens.

I might add, it can be helpful to pray to a few as well, when in doubt. Never know who will answer.

At least, those are my thoughts.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

So, I'm asking......
Are there any good reasons to believe in a concerned, loving, and personal God?
Bearing in mind that I no longer accept scripture as authoritative
I'm pretty certain that there aren't

With the world scene today being what it is, is good reason to believe in a concerned, loving, and personal God.
A lot of people do accept Scripture as authoritative because it explains 'why' God is concerned, loving and personal.
Being forewarned is being forearmed.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Not that i know of but other people have other ideas and will no doubt put forward their suggestions so I'll get on quick with a couple that seem to match you needs..

I find a lot of people say, " Not that I know of......"
I know of the forewarned warning the Bible speaks about that when they (powers that be) are saying, " Peace and Security....." that Rosy saying can lead people down that old Primrose Path., so to me that is a good reason to believe in a concerned, loving, and personal God.
Forewarning us is showing concern and love by a personal God.

 

[ChristineM]

I find a lot of people say, " Not that I know of......"
I know of the forewarned warning the Bible speaks about that when they (powers that be) are saying, " Peace and Security....." that Rosy saying can lead people down that old Primrose Path., so to me that is a good reason to believe in a concerned, loving, and personal God.
Forewarning us is showing concern and love by a personal God.

I wouldn't call the bible god

 

[Rival]

Bearing in mind that I no longer accept scripture as authoritative

You don't need a scripture to believe in a loving God.

 

[URAVIP2ME]

I wouldn't call the bible god

Good point ^ above ^ because the Bible / Scripture is Not God, but it is God's Word because God is the Author.

 

[ChristineM]

Good point ^ above ^ because the Bible / Scripture is Not God, but it is God's Word because God is the Author.

Nope, people are the authors, I'm pretty sure I've never seen a book according to god

And for some reason my post #14 was incomplete, it should have read
"I wouldn't call the bible god concerned and loving"

 

[sun rise]

Are there any good reasons to believe in a concerned, loving, and personal God?

Certainly not in accepting what any book says. And I'd add not from intellectual reasons. All I can offer is that is that my experience is that God is love and that spiritual figures from all religions concur (taking into account difference in expression)

 

[JustGeorge]

Alternatively, there's a lot of scriptures.

Its okay not to believe in any of them, but do you know them all?

The Ramayana? Havamal? Lotus Sutra?

 

[URAVIP2ME]

Nope, people are the authors, I'm pretty sure I've never seen a book according to god
And for some reason my post #14 was incomplete, it should have read
"I wouldn't call the bible god concerned and loving"

Many people wouldn't call the Bible God as concerned and loving.
Men were just God's secretaries penning God's thoughts down in writing.
Being forewarned is always concerned and loving.
So, the fact that we can know what is coming is showing concern and loving.
When the powers in charge are saying, " Peace and Security......" as penned at 1st Thess. 5:2-3 that is the final signal precursing the coming great tribulation.....