Why do you believe in God?
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But God doesn’t belong solely to Christian right? By the way imo, the word “God” is only a word to represent a higher being right?Originally posted by Icemoon:Furthermore .. faith is not the reason why you believe in God.
It is kinda concurrent rather than the reason for your belief.
I can rephrase the question to be, "Why do you have the [christian] faith?"
Thank you.
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If there's no higher purpose beyond the purpose we make for ourselves... then the question itself is pretty irrelevant isn't it? Reality would then be whatever we choose to believe... it is after all just a trick of electrons in a physical brain. If that trick percieves and gives concepts to other arrangments is mostly moot.
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evolutionOriginally posted by Chin Eng:so i take it that in your opinion, the various cells just existed and nothing intelligent took place to form the world we see today.
... I am not even talking about Christian theology, just Intelligent Design. -
read the context.Originally posted by DeadPoet:But God doesn’t belong solely to Christian right? By the way imo, the word “God” is only a word to represent a higher being right?
Thank you.
According to TS,what makes you have faith in God and christianity?
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Originally posted by Icemoon:
how u knoe He exist?
All of you miss the point.
It is not faith .. it is God! Technically it is because of God's [b]saving grace.
If it is faith, then you have something to boast because faith is from yourself. You can rightly boast, "I have faith, I believe in God, I am saved; you have no faith, you do not believe in God, you are not saved".
I know you guys won't boast like that, but you can't deny that is the natural conclusion if faith is the reason.[/b] -
Skeptic Martin Gardner will say, "Credo Consolans" .. you accept?Originally posted by Ferguson:how u knoe He exist? -
I can understand what Icemoon is trying to say.
Answering "faith" is the same as repeating the question as an answer.
It is like asking "Why are you fat ?"
And one reply "Because I am obese"
It is a bit nonsensical... -
what u meanOriginally posted by Icemoon:Skeptic Martin Gardner will say, "Credo Consolans" .. you accept? -
"i believe because it is consoling".Originally posted by Ferguson:what u mean -
because he is real.
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"i believe because it is consoling".
Tat is escapism -
Originally posted by Icemoon:
wait a min...now this is interesting...
All of you miss the point.
It is not faith .. it is God! Technically it is because of God's [b]saving grace.
If it is faith, then you have something to boast because faith is from yourself. You can rightly boast, "I have faith, I believe in God, I am saved; you have no faith, you do not believe in God, you are not saved".
I know you guys won't boast like that, but you can't deny that is the natural conclusion if faith is the reason.[/b]
so its not because i don't have faith in god but that god doesn't have faith in me thats why i don't believe in him? so its not my fault that i'm not going to be 'saved'? but the problem is with god? or are you gonna call me spiritually deaf? -
In classical protestant theology, ALL of us are spiritually deaf (or spiritually dead, totally depraved etc. .. these are the theological description).Originally posted by ironoxideman:wait a min...now this is interesting...
so its not because i don't have faith in god but that god doesn't have faith in me thats why i don't believe in him? so its not my fault that i'm not going to be 'saved'? but the problem is with god? or are you gonna call me spiritually deaf?
Supporting verses:You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 3All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ*—by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
So God make us alive together with Christ. The agent is the Holy Spirit who regenerates the dead in us.
Ephesians 2 (NRSV Bible)
God doesn't need to have faith in you .. or else God is not God liao. The act of election is the sole prerogative of God. -
1. ParsimonyOriginally posted by ironoxideman:parsimony... accepting the judgement that requires the least assumptions...
If parsimony is the criteria, then believing in God and that He created the world requires the least number of assumptions. It only requires that 'God exists". On the other hand, alternatives like evolution are more complex.
2. How do you know God exists
To the person who asks this, one could asks "How do you that there is no God?". As to evidence, saying that there is 'no evidence' of God's existence is merely an assertion which requires further refinement, and until proven, cannot be taken as proof.
Firstly, what sort of evidence are we talking about? If one says physical evidence, then how does one prove that there is only physical evidence in the world? And if one says that God cannot be scientifically proven, then one is merely assuming that the scientific method is the only one possible, which is clearly not the case. -
If parsimony is the criteria, then believing in God and that He created the world requires the least number of assumptions. It only requires that 'God exists". On the other hand, alternatives like evolution are more complex.
Using your argument, then don't believe in god is easier. U do not have to believe god exists. And tat is not even an assumption because there is no evidence tat says god exists. Zero is lesser than 1.
If u talk about evolution, frankly speaking there r minimally or no assumptions made.
Even if there r assumptions, they r supported by observation, logic and evidence. Tis is because like all science, studies r made to reduce the number of assumption made to it. They have some form of evidence or observation to back it up and thus it no longer become an assumption but a factTo the person who asks this, one could asks "How do you that there is no God?". As to evidence, saying that there is 'no evidence' of God's existence is merely an assertion which requires further refinement, and until proven, cannot be taken as proof.
If we do not rely on scientific method, which is using logic, seek evidence and depending on observation and proven to be right by the use of technology, then wat do u rely on ? Books on hearsay ? There r few hundreds different books and scripture tat states their religion to be right. So how do u know yours is right ? Assume ? How do u know the thousands of incidents recorded in the book is right ? Assume ?
Firstly, what sort of evidence are we talking about? If one says physical evidence, then how does one prove that there is only physical evidence in the world? And if one says that God cannot be scientifically proven, then one is merely assuming that the scientific method is the only one possible, which is clearly not the case. -
SIS is back!
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For me, my life was so messed up before I accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour. Really, really messed up...Originally posted by Ferguson:what makes you have faith in God and christianity?
When my gf brought me to her church, I felt a peace in my heart I never experienced before in my life. Turning to Christianity was also like a last resort when I was so down. NO ONE could help me and I felt that only a Higher Being could. That Higher Being was God lor.
The transformation in my life was a living proof that God exists. I just want to say that since I got baptized in 1987, 20 yrs ago...my life has been so blessed, so wonderfully blessed.
How not to believe when He showed me the true meaning of LOVE?
Oh yes, as a parent I understand what it is like to love my children. Thus, I know what God wants for me is no less similar than what I aspire for my children. -
The belief and it relevant...
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Thanks for sharing your faith story!Originally posted by MamaRos:For me, my life was so messed up before I accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour. Really, really messed up...
When my gf brought me to her church, I felt a peace in my heart I never experienced before in my life. Turning to Christianity was also like a last resort when I was so down. NO ONE could help me and I felt that only a Higher Being could. That Higher Being was God lor.
The transformation in my life was a living proof that God exists. I just want to say that since I got baptized in 1987, 20 yrs ago...my life has been so blessed, so wonderfully blessed.
How not to believe when He showed me the true meaning of LOVE?
Oh yes, as a parent I understand what it is like to love my children. Thus, I know what God wants for me is no less similar than what I aspire for my children.
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How would you know that you wun feel peace in your heart you had never experienced before in your life if someone brought you to a temple in tibet? Mosque? Some other religion places of worship?Originally posted by MamaRos:For me, my life was so messed up before I accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour. Really, really messed up...
When my gf brought me to her church, I felt a peace in my heart I never experienced before in my life. Turning to Christianity was also like a last resort when I was so down. NO ONE could help me and I felt that only a Higher Being could. That Higher Being was God lor.
The transformation in my life was a living proof that God exists. I just want to say that since I got baptized in 1987, 20 yrs ago...my life has been so blessed, so wonderfully blessed.
How not to believe when He showed me the true meaning of LOVE?
Oh yes, as a parent I understand what it is like to love my children. Thus, I know what God wants for me is no less similar than what I aspire for my children. -
Originally posted by ObiterDicta:
So what are the other possibilities?
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2. [b]How do you know God exists
To the person who asks this, one could asks "How do you that there is no God?". As to evidence, saying that there is 'no evidence' of God's existence is merely an assertion which requires further refinement, and until proven, cannot be taken as proof.
Firstly, what sort of evidence are we talking about? If one says physical evidence, then how does one prove that there is only physical evidence in the world? And if one says that God cannot be scientifically proven, then one is merely assuming that the scientific method is the only one possible, which is clearly not the case.[/b] -
History had proven some of the so called "miracles" are actually science, just that at that point of time of occurance of the miracle, the science was not developed yet. How would we know the miracles that we called now are not science?Originally posted by VivId CrItiQuE:The numerous miracles of our Lord, Jesus Christ. -
how do u know?Originally posted by popmynutsy:because he is real.
I just watched a ghost movie where a corpse appear beside the actor when he's sleeping. I got frightened and believed a corpse will appear beside me if I switched off the room lights. Does that mean the corpse is real? -
cause he is so real.
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examples?