Reasons for your beliefs?

[Acriku]

I'm interested in the reasons for your beliefs, or lack thereof. And now you can tell me why!

I'll begin.

My reasons for being an atheist are few. Right now, I can't find a place for religion in my life, and don't really need one. As such, my main reason for being an atheist is there is no reason otherwise. Another reason is I am able to think freely, a Freethinker if you will ;), without the constraints of religion. I can think for myself, decide for myself what is best according to myself and my place in society. It brings a wonderous relief to think for yourself.

[Khan]

But surely somone with religion can think more freely, without the constraints of science.

[Dude_Doc]

Another reason is I am able to think freely, a Freethinker if you will , without the constraints of religion. I can think for myself, decide for myself what is best according to myself and my place in society. It brings a wonderous relief to think for yourself.

What is the point? You can be gay but not I because religion forbids it?

[Caid Ivik]

Once if you'll kill whole your family you will be called as hero, because the free-thinking society wouldn't see any problem in getting society rid of "unperfect people". I think free mind isn't as free as it looks in your opinion, Acriku. Life is like a night walk in forest. Christianity shows the path, over which you can run or walk, simply anything. But without such sign you are very slow due to risk of hitting trees. If you run, it's just matter of time, when you'll do so...

[nampigai]

I think I believe because I need to.

[Miles]

But surely somone with religion can think more freely, without the constraints of science.

You're kidding right? The Bible is a shackle used by it's writers to enslave you by commanding you to believe and obey or face eternal hellfire. Science encourages and welcomes imagination, and new ideas. Constraints in religion are created by man to control the followers. The constraints in science are limited only to our human potential to comprehend what we observe.

Once if you'll kill whole your family you will be called as hero, because the free-thinking society wouldn't see any problem in getting society rid of "unperfect people". I think free mind isn't as free as it looks in your opinion, Acriku.

So you are saying that compassion is strickly a creation of religion? I don't see compassion falling by the wayside with religion. Hopefully, we will have matured far enough not to.

Life is like a night walk in forest. Christianity shows the path, over which you can run or walk, simply anything. But without such sign you are very slow due to risk of hitting trees. If you run, it's just matter of time, when you'll do so...

Religion has served its purpose. I agree with you. In our developmental adolescence, as with any child, fairy tales are used to instill a sense of morality. But in order for that child to be able to mature into adulthood, he/she must begin to understand that life is not a fairy tale. We must learn to think for ourselves, rather than have our beliefs, morality, and values spoonfed to us by dead sheepherders from 2000 years ago.

[Chani]

Why do I believe what I believe?

Firstly, I don't ever assume my beliefs are developed and complete. Evrything I learn affects what I believe, and so the reasons change as I go.

I guess the best reason I believe what I believeis that I have looked into it, formed the opnion on my own. I haven't been told what to or not to believe but I have a.. shall we say sprituality? inside me that determines partly what I believeand the rest is knowledge. I do not believe in things I have no real knowledge of. But I believe in a lot of things to a certain extnt as I extend my knowedge.

[TMA_1]

I have been a christian for a long time but didnt decide to make it my life till a while later. With my sister having a lot of problems and bad financial situations, christ was a foundation I could lean on. a crutch basically. I grew out of that to the point now that he is not only my crutch, but I love him and thank him for it. I am proud to be dependant and closed minded on this issue. I have screwed up so many times and a lot of them horrible, but have a security for the failings I have done.

[Warlord Ripskar]

I rejected Christianity early and initially becamean athieist. Later I applied scientific methodology to my beliefs and concluded that athieism is as unsupportable as Christianity and became agnostic. I found this a liberating experience as I was no longer attempting to find ways of not appealing to deities or disprove religeon.

[Apollyon]

Technically speaking I think I'm indifferent =).

I don't believe in God(s) and I'll be damned (no pun intended) if I can find anything that makes me think for the more that a supreme entity must exist.

Equally however I don't necessarily deny the existence of God(s), it's simply that he(they) haven't presented him(them)self(ves) to me yet =).

[Super-ness]

what made me stop and think was Ned Flanders thought, "i follow the bible, everything, even the stuff that contradicts the other stuff" and im thinking does every religion do that, and religions seem to contradict each other or are bascially the same, like Protestants no offence but i dont get it, can ne1 tell me how it is MAJORLY different to Catholic? even though they hate each other in Ireland??

[Warlord Ripskar]

Catholics believe that you need a Priest to act as a go between to converse with God.

Protestants generally believe in having a "personal relationship" with God.

Try looking up the Lutherian statement if you want more.

[nemafakei]

I was a christian once, but I found that it didn't make sense, and no-one could explain anything. As an Atheist, I find that less evidence holds in favour of there being a god than there not being one.

And in a class of ten, where nine claim to have the exact answers (without showing their working, and where their answers don't match), and one does not, but has got a bit done, showing his working, and is trying to do the next bits (and as he reads his first bit out, the other nine scribble on their papers), I would favour the last...

[exatreide]

I have drifted away from my faith. Nothing has made me become a atheist. I just sorta embraced athesim (weakly but still)

[Inoculator9]

Atheism, to me, had a natural appeal. First I'll say this:

My father is a non-practicing Buddhist, my mother is an astrologer, my father's family is methodist, baptist, and atheist; and my mother's family are non-practicing Jews.

I think Atheism was my only option really. I had so much crud floating around that, without any of them satisfying, so I went with Atheism. It allows for a lot. And worst comes to worst, I spend a bit of time in el purgatorio ;)

I can understand the appeal Christianity would have for some people, but I can't really see it happening to me. For example, Saddam and Gamura. God destroying cities because they were gay. Why didn't he destroy the ancient Greeks? I mean, the ancient Greeks were almost all gay, with hetrosexual relations as a means of procreation simply. So, destroying people simply because of their sexual orientation and if this was his policy why not the Greeks? So if he does exist, he seems pretty bad, if he does why not extend that policy?

[sneezer3]

I was fortunate enough to accept Christ at an early age. i'm still learning diffrant arguements. its the most logical scientific thing i've heard.

[Caid Ivik]

I can understand the appeal Christianity would have for some people, but I can't really see it happening to me. For example, Saddam and Gamura. God destroying cities because they were gay. Why didn't he destroy the ancient Greeks? I mean, the ancient Greeks were almost all gay, with hetrosexual relations as a means of procreation simply. So, destroying people simply because of their sexual orientation and if this was his policy why not the Greeks? So if he does exist, he seems pretty bad, if he does why not extend that policy?

You have a variety there, and big one! ;D

Sodoma was a city, where went Abraham's brother from Mesopotamy as chabirim mercenary for king here. God saw his chosen family is endangered by "evil thoughts", adultery was only a small part, so he destroyed the town, with small suburban part named Gomorra. Also homosexual and zoophilic abominations were hold mostly as occult rituals, you can see it many times in Bible. But after it He agreed that He won't do it again with such direct intervention. Abraham in this case tried to stop Him. And He told Abraham: "If I'll find one just and honest person here, I won't destroy it."

About 2000 years since Abraham, Greeks, led by Antiochos Epifanes, desacrated temple of Jerusalem. Jehud Maccabi has uprisen against them and after some years took them out. Also signed pact with Rome, which had then a democratic system (adored also in 1 Mcc 8,14). Bible in these time talks about closing time, when all other nations will see the God. Also, those were greek philosophers, from which found reality of personal responsibility, thinking changed and humanity was ready to receive the final law of love, given by Jesus. There was no need for annihilating abominated nations - also those were abominated individuals, not whole nation. If you consider whole Seleuk Empire evil you can see it was consumed by Romans. As we Slovaks say, God's mills are slow, but work for sure...

[Inoculator9]

I'm not sure why you haven't picked up on it yet, but I am myself Slovak so no need to say "we Slovaks" to me :P

And I meant that as a simple example, no complicated explenation necessary though. Just one reason, just a basic analysis of the situation.

[DukeLeto]

I used to be a non-practicing Christian. (Except for the major holidays, since my mother is a somewhat-practicing Prodestant, and Halloween/Easter because my father is a Druid...yes, you heard me, Druid.) Over time, though, I found that their were too many gaping holes in Christianity, and too little (like, no) evidence to support it's teachings. So I just drifted towards (rather quickly) the strong Athiest I am now.

[ordos45]

Why do I believe? Good question. I was raised this way, I gave God and Jesus my heart long ago. Since I have had one or two experiences I thought I felt God's presence clearly...(or was I half asleep at 3AM?) all of which have happened in forests. I voraciously study other religions, and of all, none have made me doubt my faith except the old Pagan ones.

[Caid Ivik]

I'm not sure why you haven't picked up on it yet, but I am myself Slovak so no need to say "we Slovaks" to me :P

And I meant that as a simple example, no complicated explenation necessary though. Just one reason, just a basic analysis of the situation.

Nehovor, Inoc, takze po Tenzulovi dalsi rozumiaci. Este nepovedz, ze si moj prastryko Ivan M. Viest z Pensylvanie! ;D

For the topic, you've pointed a false example, which sounded like attack against God's logic. I felt it is my cause to defend Him as much as I can, before Acriku starts an avalanche from it.

[Cyborg]

Why am I an atheist?

Well, like many others here think, the lack of evidence that a God exist, keeps me from believing. As Acriku, I like to think freely.

My whole family except my brother is atheists, so I have actually grown up with not believing.

[sneezer3]

Why do I believe? Good question. I was raised this way, I gave God and Jesus my heart long ago. Since I have had one or two experiences I thought I felt God's presence clearly...(or was I half asleep at 3AM?) all of which have happened in forests. I voraciously study other religions, and of all, none have made me doubt my faith except the old Pagan ones.

I was trying to say about the same except the last part and it was 1 AM.

Just couldn't hardly spit it out. :-X

[Inoculator9]

I live near Pennsylvania, in the coal state, you guess which ;)

And I realize that it was kind of a false exapmle, but I was just skimming the surface of the issue there.

[Acriku]

I don't intend to reply to anybody's reasons for their beliefs, certainly not to argue the existence of any god, there are other threads for that :)