Why do you believe?

[Twig pentagram]

This isn't strictly meant to be a debate, but rather a sharing of ideas from which a discussion may arise, so that we can understand each other more. What are your reasons for believing what you do? Evidence? Faith? Divine encounter?

Evidence & faith, but not blind faith. And considering the fact that I think all things are divine. I would also have to include divine encounters.

How you were raised?

Baptist christian.

Or if you don't adhere to any established religion, why don't you?

Because I don't have any faith in them.

What issues do you have with established religions?

None worth mentioning at this time.

 

[Erebus]

I believe the idea of gods, the afterlife and the soul are all ideas worth hanging on to. I believe this because I can't think of nor have I ever been presented with any compelling reason to discard these ideas. They hold infinite potential benefits and are completely devoid of any disadvantages (even though people often include them for some weird reason).

I see value in suspending disbelief.

Both of these answers are very similar to what I would have put myself, though I feel you both managed to put it more succinctly than I would have.

I'll also add a couple of other points that apply to me personally.

1. I have experienced what most people would call either the supernatural or hallucinations/delusions. It does me no good to see these events as delusional though considering I function pretty well. I don't discount the possibility mind you, but I don't put much value in it either.

2. A lot of people seem to imply a Faith or Reason Dichotomy which I simply don't agree with. To me faith seems foolish and reason is not only a pretty arbitrary construct, it also flies in the face of what I perceive humanity to be.

3. My life is richer with the gods than it would be without them. I see no reason to discard them simply because I might be wrong.

As for my upbringing, my Mother is somewhere between a Christian and a Neopagan (as well as being a practicing witch). My father is agnostic, but used to be quite firmly atheist. My brother is a proud Pastafarian.
As you may have gathered, religion wasn't exactly shoved down my throat, though I was taught the basics of magic at a fairly young age.

 

[VictoriousPumpkin]

What are your reasons for believing what you do? Evidence? Faith? Divine encounter? How you were raised? Or if you don't adhere to any established religion, why don't you? What issues do you have with established religions?

1) I have an intensive internal conflict between what I think is true and the fact that I don't/can't know what is actually ultimately true.

2) I was raised LDS. That was not the religion for me. I was an atheist before I got out of high school, but that didn't really stick either. I didn't feel I had enough information to be an atheist. My intuition also seemed to disagree with the idea that there was no higher power.

3) Haven't hammered out what I believe exactly to even join anything period.

 

[Muffled]

It is spiritual and would be hard to explain to someone who doesn't believe in Islam. Also since that is personal experience, so I do not state that in any of my claims as evidences for the truth of Islam. And to clarify, 'divine encounter' does not necessarily mean that God himself came down and talked to me (physically).



Then you probably do not know much about Spirituality/communication with God in Islam. I'll give you one example. The first chapter in the Qur'an is called Al Fatiha and Muslims read it every day in all cycles of the daily 5 times prayer.

This is how the communication goes between us and God when we read Al Fatiha :
Surah Al-Fatihah: A Dialogue with Allah | Islamographic.com

Peace.

I believe The Trinity is difficult to explain in Christianity but that doesn't prevent me from doing so.

I don't need an evidence of Islam. I believe it is already evident to me. Howeve I would like to hear you testify of your persoanl experience.

If you say that your divine encounter is through the Qu'ran I believe that is evidence of one.

That is an interesting tradition. Are the responses by Allah a direct quote from Him as the prayer is being made or attributed to Him?

 

[Muffled]

1) I have an intensive internal conflict between what I think is true and the fact that I don't/can't know what is actually ultimately true.

2) I was raised LDS. That was not the religion for me. I was an atheist before I got out of high school, but that didn't really stick either. I didn't feel I had enough information to be an atheist. My intuition also seemed to disagree with the idea that there was no higher power.

3) Haven't hammered out what I believe exactly to even join anything period.

Have you done what I believe Mormon missionaries ask people to do: Ask God for an answer to what is true?

 

[Katzpur]

Have you done what I believe Mormon missionaries ask people to do: Ask God for an answer to what is true?

Actually, perhaps you should give credit where credit's due. The Mormon missionaries weren't the ones who first came up with it. I believe it can be found in James 1:5, which says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

 

[dyanaprajna2011]

This isn't strictly meant to be a debate, but rather a sharing of ideas from which a discussion may arise, so that we can understand each other more. What are your reasons for believing what you do? Evidence? Faith? Divine encounter? How you were raised? Or if you don't adhere to any established religion, why don't you? What issues do you have with established religions?

If you are an atheist, either don't challenge people on their beliefs or go away. This is strictly meant for people to understand each other more.

I'll go first: I am an atheist because I didn't grow up with a religion, and instead developed a scientific understanding of the world. Yes, it's simple and boring, but I bet you guys have way more interesting things to tell. If not, tell them anyway!

I guess the main reasons why I believe what I do is because of experience and evidence. Buddhism is a rational faith based on experience, and my experiences have been consistent with what Buddhism teaches. I have the same issues with established religions that everyone else here does: bigotry, literalism, exclusivism, and the like. My parents were, for all practicality, agnostics, so I raised myself as a Christian.

 

[Muffled]

I guess the main reasons why I believe what I do is because of experience and evidence. Buddhism is a rational faith based on experience, and my experiences have been consistent with what Buddhism teaches. I have the same issues with established religions that everyone else here does: bigotry, literalism, exclusivism, and the like. My parents were, for all practicality, agnostics, so I raised myself as a Christian.

I believe there is an incompatibility between the two. I believe what you end up with is one or the other is watered down so that it is only a faded reflection of the reality.

I am curious how one goes about "raising myself as a Christian."

 

[dgirl1986]

I grew up in a household where religion was absent. It wasnt mentioned. I knew nothing of gods or spirituality or even religion until I started going to a Christian school in year 7.

I believe based on my experiences and to some degree from the experiences of others.

The problem I experienced with mainstream religion were the politics, rules, expectations etc. They didnt like it when you questioned things and didnt allow for your own journey etc.

 

[idea]

I grew up in a anti-organized, but religious family. My dad grew up Catholic, and now tells everyone "church scares the hell out of me". They don't go to any big church buildings, they meet with people in their home, and just study the scriptures together.

I'm a convert to the Mormon faith because of a spiritual experience I had there, and continue to have there. lived without God for a while before joining the Mormon church, and it was a rough time for me. Now that I'm going to church, and trying to follow the commandments etc. etc. I have inner peace - I'm not fighting against my conscience, I have hope instead of being pessimistic about everything, and I love the supportive community within our little local church group - they are like family to me.

 

[dyanaprajna2011]

I believe there is an incompatibility between the two. I believe what you end up with is one or the other is watered down so that it is only a faded reflection of the reality.

I am curious how one goes about "raising myself as a Christian."

I'm not both, if that's what you're thinking. I was a Christian most of my life. I say I raised myself as a Christian, because my parents were agnostic, and did not believe or attend church. But I converted to Buddhism about three years ago.

 

[Onkara]

I'm not both, if that's what you're thinking. I was a Christian most of my life. I say I raised myself as a Christian, because my parents were agnostic, and did not believe or attend church. But I converted to Buddhism about three years ago.

Any regrets or pangs?

 

[URAVIP2ME]

I believe based on my experiences and to some degree from the experiences of others.
The problem I experienced with mainstream religion were the politics, rules, expectations etc. They didn't like it when you questioned things and didn't allow for your own journey etc.

It is no wonder you experienced problems with mainstream religion.
Jesus too experienced problems with the mainstream religious leaders of his day.
- Mark 7 vs 1-7,13; Matthew 15 v 9

The people of Acts [ 17 v 11 ] apparently had questions. At least questions to the point that they wanted to know what Jesus really taught or what the Bible really teaches.
They searched or researched the Scriptures daily to see if what they were hearing was really found or taught in Scripture. On what did Jesus base his own journey ?

 

[Vultar]

My belief system stems from dying 4 times and finding out first hand what comes after.

This makes it difficult to post here due to the fact that "I believe" that nobody has it right

 

[dgirl1986]

It is no wonder you experienced problems with mainstream religion.
Jesus too experienced problems with the mainstream religious leaders of his day.
- Mark 7 vs 1-7,13; Matthew 15 v 9

The people of Acts [ 17 v 11 ] apparently had questions. At least questions to the point that they wanted to know what Jesus really taught or what the Bible really teaches.
They searched or researched the Scriptures daily to see if what they were hearing was really found or taught in Scripture. On what did Jesus base his own journey ?

My questioning was more on whether we could trust the bible as it was penned by man. I also questioned the worship of Jesus as he do was a man and I did not believe him to be God in human form. I also questioned things that the bible spoke against like homosexuality and the items that people seemed to ignore and write off as culture of the time while dramatising other sections.

 

[Orias]

What are your reasons for believing what you do?

That they are beneficial, and enlightening. Especially when concerning my physical well being and mental adaptation.

 

[Muffled]

My belief system stems from dying 4 times and finding out first hand what comes after.

This makes it difficult to post here due to the fact that "I believe" that nobody has it right

I believe post-death experiences come down to "as you think, you are" so that everyone's experience is different.

 

[Muffled]

I'm not both, if that's what you're thinking. I was a Christian most of my life. I say I raised myself as a Christian, because my parents were agnostic, and did not believe or attend church. But I converted to Buddhism about three years ago.

I don't believe this is likely but if you explained the process, I might change my mind. For instance parents didn't go to church? Did you? and how would you know it might be a good idea to do so?