What is your hope?

[Amechania]

Regardless of your religion, what are your personal reasons for believing what you do? I'm not asking for a detailed lesson in theology or philosophy, just a candid explanation of what you believe is the primary reason, on a personal level, that you adhere to a specific religious belief? For example, a Christian or Moslem might say something like "I want to live forever in paradise." Or a Buddhist might say something like "I seek enlightenment." If you care to elaborate so much the better. Anyone of any faith is invited to participate -- agnostics and atheists too, if you can think of any direct personal benefit for your POV.

 

[9Westy9]

I believe what I do because I believe that it's most accurate

 

[mycorrhiza]

I got my beliefs from lying on my back in soft grass on a warm summer night, watching the stars and listening to the wind as it blew through the trees and bushes. The reason I believe what I do is that the Universe is amazing, and that there is no evidence for anything supernatural.

I know that when I die, my body will provide nutrition for plants and microorganisms and I find that more beautiful than eternal life in heaven.

 

[Amechania]

I believe what I do because I believe that it's most accurate

I would think everyone would say that 9Westy9. Can you think of any other reason as well?

 

[savagewind]

I hope Mankind will someday be able to be gifted God's power.

 

[Gjallarhorn]

I believe what I do because I believe that it's most accurate

This sums up belief. How I apply that belief seems to be leading towards something like amor fati, or perhaps peace, or perhaps entertainment. Meh.

 

[Storm]

Regardless of your religion, what are your personal reasons for believing what you do? I'm not asking for a detailed lesson in theology or philosophy, just a candid explanation of what you believe is the primary reason, on a personal level, that you adhere to a specific religious belief? For example, a Christian or Moslem might say something like "I want to live forever in paradise." Or a Buddhist might say something like "I seek enlightenment." If you care to elaborate so much the better. Anyone of any faith is invited to participate -- agnostics and atheists too, if you can think of any direct personal benefit for your POV.

I don't believe anything for personal gain, but because as Westy said, I find it more accurate.

I do believe your op is vaguely insulting in the insinuation that people's religious beliefs are based on promised rewards.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I believe what I do because I believe that it's most accurate

Exactly

I would think everyone would say that 9Westy9. Can you think of any other reason as well?

Everyone's opinions are based on emotional subjectivity, no matter what it is, and hence even something as ridiculed by people such as Scientology, could seem more logical than something praised by people such as Secular Humanism

 

[Quintessence]

There's a bit of a disjunction between the thread title and what it asks for. Darn. I was kinda hoping for something closer to the thread title.

Why do I believe what I do? For the same reason any human believes what it does: the sum of past experiences and conditioning. Sure, I could provide a more "meaningful" answer than that, but when all else is stripped away, that's what you're left with. But as a determinist, of course I would say that.

 

[9Westy9]

I would think everyone would say that 9Westy9. Can you think of any other reason as well?

I don't think I have any other reasons for believing as I do.

 

[Jainarayan]

I believe what I believe because the form(s) of God I believe in are the most appealing to me. So for me, my way is the right way. No more, no less. God manifests to different people in different ways. I'm not after any personal gain as most people understand it. I only want to return to what I really am in union with God.

 

[Draka]

Regardless of your religion, what are your personal reasons for believing what you do? I'm not asking for a detailed lesson in theology or philosophy, just a candid explanation of what you believe is the primary reason, on a personal level, that you adhere to a specific religious belief? For example, a Christian or Moslem might say something like "I want to live forever in paradise." Or a Buddhist might say something like "I seek enlightenment." If you care to elaborate so much the better. Anyone of any faith is invited to participate -- agnostics and atheists too, if you can think of any direct personal benefit for your POV.

I think it strange that you think that people believe because they have some goal in mind. That the reason to believe is some particular finish line. I think most people that believe something on a spiritual level do so simply because it makes sense to them. Their experiences and their thoughts have simply brought them to their inevitable conclusions. I believe what I believe because I just do. No goal or purpose to it. It simply makes sense to me because of what I have witnessed and reasoned. I think most people would say the same.

 

[Badran]

I'll share more than one stage.

I used to believe in an afterlife, a god and other things through Islam because first these ideas were introduced, taught and built into me through time. I liked them and continued to do so as they gave me things like hope, something to look up to, a promise of compensation for the injustices that i could perceive in life (not particularly in mine, but rather in other people's lives), warmth etc...

It made perfect sense to me given my criteria for what made sense at the time. In time, my criteria started to change as i started to change. I became more demanding and i also became more worried about the possibility of being wrong. The idea of dying thinking that there is an afterlife when there might be none started to haunt me, despite realizing that then, when i'm dead, it wouldn't actually bother me (assuming i'd be nothing more than just a dead corpse. IOW unconscious).

This started because i had developed some objections to my religion and as such i started to lose my confidence in my position and in my religion. In some of those cases the objections were severe. It wasn't the first time i had objections but where the first time i had ones that i could not address in any way that i'd perceive as reasonable. They then developed into disagreements.

So, when that happened, i had no reason left to continue holding on to beliefs that i used to actually believe, and thus decided to step back and stand in as much neutrality as possible to allow myself what is hopefully a relatively free perspective in attempt to have a more unbiased look at the world, various religions/philosophies, and people. I figured this would also be the best for me now for many reasons. As it falls in line with many aspects of my personality, and so would cause me more comfort, compared to my state when i was following a religion that i found disagreeable in many regards.

I still hope that there's more than just this life, and hope that there could be any kind of what i perceive as justice to fix what i see as broken, but i simply feel better now knowing that i'm attempting to live my life putting in mind both possibilities with equal (or almost equal) importance or emphasis. Whether there's more to this than i see, and whether if what i see is all there is.

 

[Vinayaka]

This embodied jiva is here on this fire planet to realise the Self. Nirvikalpa samadhi, the ultimate non-experience, union with God, which will result in moksha.

 

[Vyruufin]

Christians don't exactly do it for personal gain.

And I believe in what I believe in because of the beauty that surrounds us. Just like C.S Lewis said: 'Our combined knowledge cannot even measure up to 1% of God's knowledge but at the same time you can find God in the smallest petals of a flower'

Beauty is all around us, you can simply feel a diving being, it's like a voice calling out our names. A voice which defies all logic of proof and doubt.

Like how Gibran described it: 'Faith is like an oasis in the heart which the caravans of proof cannot reach'

 

[sandandfoam]

Regardless of your religion, what are your personal reasons for believing what you do? I'm not asking for a detailed lesson in theology or philosophy, just a candid explanation of what you believe is the primary reason, on a personal level, that you adhere to a specific religious belief? For example, a Christian or Moslem might say something like "I want to live forever in paradise." Or a Buddhist might say something like "I seek enlightenment." If you care to elaborate so much the better. Anyone of any faith is invited to participate -- agnostics and atheists too, if you can think of any direct personal benefit for your POV.

I seek peace.

 

[1137]

I believe what I do because I accept what is true and believe what is most likely based on those objective truths and reason. Also, I seek balance and knowledge, my personal concept of self perfection.

 

[Iti oj]

The truth will set you free. And im free to aprecaiate and study life

 

[Amechania]

I think it strange that you think that people believe because they have some goal in mind. That the reason to believe is some particular finish line. I think most people that believe something on a spiritual level do so simply because it makes sense to them. Their experiences and their thoughts have simply brought them to their inevitable conclusions. I believe what I believe because I just do. No goal or purpose to it. It simply makes sense to me because of what I have witnessed and reasoned. I think most people would say the same.

I'm sure most people would say exactly what you just did. Not everybody, though, so I ask the question. Some people do have particular motives for believing what they do. These motives might seem self-serving to some, but what's wrong with that?

 

[BSM1]

I found it was easier to believe in something than to drive myself crazy trying to explain nothing.