Motives For Belief

[Storm]

I want to make something clear. I do not have some deep psychological need for God to exist. It's not a crutch. I wouldn't turn into a depraved serial killer without God. I wouldn't be terrified of death. I wouldn't lose all hope. I'd be just fine as an atheist.

I believe what I do because it makes the most sense to me. No more, no less. What about you?

NOTE: For purposes of this discussion, atheism and agnosticism get lumped under the heading of "beliefs."

 

[Caladan]

I believe what I do because it makes the most sense to me. No more, no less. What about you?

I guess we're on the same boat. I feel natural about 'atheism'. I'm satisfied with appreciating nature without attributing its beauties to a supreme designer.
True, I have moments of awe, in which an instinct of a deep sense of appreciation and humility springs out of me.. cant say exactly what it means.
I'm opened to the idea of a vast intelligence force behind the universe, or within the universe.. but its too abstract, and I have no desire to ritualize this in my personal life.

 

[Magic Man]

I'm an atheist because I want to eat babies, beat up old women and cute puppies and have lots of sex with guys, girls, trannies, centaurs, giraffes and llamas, and so I consciously deny God so that I don't feel so bad about doing that stuff.

 

[CarlinKnew]

I'm an atheist because I want to eat babies, beat up old women and cute puppies and have lots of sex with guys, girls, trannies, centaurs, giraffes and llamas, and so I consciously deny God so that I don't feel so bad about doing that stuff.

I'm just in it for the centaur sex, personally. :beach:

 

[Caladan]

I'm an atheist because I want to eat babies, beat up old women and cute puppies and have lots of sex with guys, girls, trannies, centaurs, giraffes and llamas, and so I consciously deny God so that I don't feel so bad about doing that stuff.

I guess im on the same boat with mball as well
when is the next heretical atheist bonfire of RF?

 

[Dunemeister]

My motives have changed. When I started believing, I must confess that Christianity didn't really make much sense. I remember having discussions with Christians and not being very satisfied with their answers to my questions. Yet I also found myself with the ineluctable urge to believe it. Eventually, that urge won out despite my intellectual misgivings. Regardless of how, in certain ways, Christian belief (which is much more than theistic belief simpliciter) was unsatisfactory, it still just seemed true to me, and I found myself believing it eventually. It was only afterward, when I studied it more extensively, that I came to see it as intellectually more satisfying that the alternatives I had before me at the time (namely, agnosticism, atheism, and some Taoism). And as I compare it to other forms of religious belief (specifically Islam and Buddhism), I continue to find Christianity more winsome, more intellectually satisfying.

But what about my MOTIVES? I suppose in the beginning one of my motives was simply to make sense of a chaotic world. At the time of my conversion, I had reached enough of an impasse to give Christianity (and Taoism via Taijichuan, not to mention dabbling in divination) a serious run. So one motive was to resolve the impasse. Perhaps there were other motivations, but I haven't done the psychotherapeutic excavations necessary to dig them out.

 

[Just_me_Mike]

I want to make something clear. I do not have some deep psychological need for God to exist. It's not a crutch. I wouldn't turn into a depraved serial killer without God. I wouldn't be terrified of death. I wouldn't lose all hope. I'd be just fine as an atheist.

I believe what I do because it makes the most sense to me. No more, no less. What about you?

NOTE: For purposes of this discussion, atheism and agnosticism get lumped under the heading of "beliefs."

The way I understand my God I can simply exist or not exist.

Meaning,

1. if I deny my God and die, I can be brought back for judgment and then forever my life force will be extinguished. It may be a horrible experience, but once it is done it will be done forever.
2. or I can seek to know and love my God and if I am chosen I will be given eternal existence, where either I will die and go to new place, or this world ends before I die and I still go to a new place forever.

I think this makes the motives crystal clear for me. It is not based on fear at all, but rather an acknowledgment that I love God and want my life to continue, because I recognize the truth and like it.
Great post Storm, thanks.

 

[Storm]

The way I understand my God I can simply exist or not exist.

Meaning,

1. if I deny my God and die, I can be brought back for judgment and then forever my life force will be extinguished. It may be a horrible experience, but once it is done it will be done forever.
2. or I can seek to know and love my God and if I am chosen I will be given eternal existence, where either I will die and go to new place, or this world ends before I die and I still go to a new place forever.

I think this makes the motives crystal clear for me. It is not based on fear at all, but rather an acknowledgment that I love God and want my life to continue, because I recognize the truth and like it.
Great post Storm, thanks.

This just doesn't jibe. If you believe in God simply because you don't want to die, how is that not based on fear? :help:

Also, Pascal's Wager is a sucker's bet. How do you know that Christianity is the religion that offers eternal life, and not Islam?l

 

[Caladan]

This just doesn't jibe. If you believe in God simply because you don't want to die, how is that not based on fear? :help:

Also, Pascal's Wager is a sucker's bet. How do you know that Christianity is the religion that offers eternal life, and not Islam?l

Because riding winged steeds over 700 miles in mid air is impossible! however, turning water into wine, and duplicating fish is just a job well done!

I jest though no bad intentions just making a comical point.

 

[michel]

I want to make something clear. I do not have some deep psychological need for God to exist. It's not a crutch. I wouldn't turn into a depraved serial killer without God. I wouldn't be terrified of death. I wouldn't lose all hope. I'd be just fine as an atheist.

I believe what I do because it makes the most sense to me. No more, no less. What about you?

NOTE: For purposes of this discussion, atheism and agnosticism get lumped under the heading of "beliefs."

I believe what I believe (as a Christian), because Love is the only ¨"way" that works every other alternative brings destruction and is totally anti-sociologically self defeating.

All the empires that have risen and then declined into oblivion did so because of greed and avarice; the more we achive, the more we want,; the more we attain, the greater the need for something else to supercede the satisfaction......and that leads to the total disolution of society as a cohesive mechanism.

That is a need for love; there is more, though for me as a Christian. I believe in Goid, and although I know I will never achieve the ambition I have for him to be proud of me (one of his children), I want to repay him for his love for me.

 

[Just_me_Mike]

This just doesn't jibe. If you believe in God simply because you don't want to die, how is that not based on fear? :help:

Than you misunderstood me. To die is not what causes fear, it is the man made doctrine of eternal torment that causes fear. So, before I was born I felt no pain or suffering, so as such when I die if I die without my God I will be as such. What is there to fear? Understand?

However, I am alive and realize I like it . In my pursuit of truth my God makes the most sense to me. That's all.

Also, Pascal's Wager is a sucker's bet. How do you know that Christianity is the religion that offers eternal life, and not Islam?l

I am newly trying to live by judge not, lest ye be judged.
As mentioned before between you and I, I believe God will save an individual based on the content of their heart, and not from titles. As such, this questions means little to me.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I simply have no ability or desire to believe in the existence of things that aren't real by any objective measure. I don't really have a specific motivation for "believing" in atheism - it's simply a natural conclusion of a much larger worldview which is based in respecting truth and seeking knowledge and understanding.

 

[michel]

I simply have no ability or desire to believe in the existence of things that aren't real by any objective measure. I don't really have a specific motivation for "believing" in atheism - it's simply a natural conclusion of a much larger worldview which is based in respecting truth and seeking knowledge and understanding.

An opinion which is just as valid for you as mine is for me.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

An opinion which is just as valid for you as mine is for me.

Every opinion that everybody holds is valid for them.

 

[Shahzad]

Because I think there's more to reality than a random, meaningless physical system with no more than a material aspect.

 

[Storm]

I believe what I believe (as a Christian), because Love is the only ¨"way" that works every other alternative brings destruction and is totally anti-sociologically self defeating.

All the empires that have risen and then declined into oblivion did so because of greed and avarice; the more we achive, the more we want,; the more we attain, the greater the need for something else to supercede the satisfaction......and that leads to the total disolution of society as a cohesive mechanism.

That is a need for love; there is more, though for me as a Christian. I believe in Goid, and although I know I will never achieve the ambition I have for him to be proud of me (one of his children), I want to repay him for his love for me.

OK, but how does one get from "love is necessary" to "Christianity is true?"

 

[Storm]

Than you misunderstood me.

OK.

To die is not what causes fear, it is the man made doctrine of eternal torment that causes fear.

But you don't believe in that, correct? So, why fear it?

So, before I was born I felt no pain or suffering, so as such when I die if I die without my God I will be as such. What is there to fear? Understand?

That much makes perfect sense. I'm just unclear on how the peices fit together.

However, I am alive and realize I like it . In my pursuit of truth my God makes the most sense to me. That's all.

Fair enough.

I am newly trying to live by judge not, lest ye be judged.
As mentioned before between you and I, I believe God will save an individual based on the content of their heart, and not from titles. As such, this questions means little to me.

Apologies, I forgot. There are a lot of Christians on the board, and sometimes who believes what slips my mind.

 

[Storm]

I simply have no ability or desire to believe in the existence of things that aren't real by any objective measure. I don't really have a specific motivation for "believing" in atheism - it's simply a natural conclusion of a much larger worldview which is based in respecting truth and seeking knowledge and understanding.

So, ftr, it's fair to say that, like me, you have no motive and simply believe that which best fits your observations of the world?

 

[Just_me_Mike]

OK.
But you don't believe in that, correct? So, why fear it?

In my view of the bible, it does speak of fearing God, however I am certain it is not a fear defined by eternal torment (of which I don't believe in) but rather, if one decides they like existence the only way to preserve it is to realize there is but one way to do that.

We then find the road to doing this is a humble and humiliating road, not because God enjoys humiliating us, but we realize how vain and arrogant we have been living, right before him, without acknowledging him.

On the flip side, even if we deny God there is no reason to fear death, because when we die, it is as it was before we were born. Yes we will answer to God before that finality happens, but it will happen and it will be over. So I don't fear that aspect, but rather fear that I walk rightly before a God I so arrogantly walked before in times past, because I want to live on.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[MoonWater]

The beliefs or mythology that I hold to is more a metaphorical explanation/conceptualization of my own internal/spiritual "state of being". That is it is more about describing myself to myself than it is about trying to understand the universe, though often when I speak of my beliefs it seems to be the latter. Thus for me it doesn't really matter if my beliefs are true or not, in fact I'm sure they most likely are not. My main motivation is personal, spiritual growth and bettering of myself. Right now I feel that my current mythology and a mixing of the philosophies of zen buddhism, taoism, and bushido are best at helping me accomplish this. If that changes and I find something else that I think will work better then I'll adopt that and adapt or discard my current beliefs as necessary in order to fit. I see religion, philosophy, and spirituality all as tools and depending on who you are and what you wish to accomplish you will need different tools to get there. Hence the wide variety that we have.