Ask Me Help Desk - Why do some people believe in God and others don't?

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Originally Posted by Palmer Eldritch

'People don't practice a faith they don't believe in'

I think some people do practice a faith they don't believe in, i think at least some go to church because there friends and family do, not because they have been brainwashed but because it may be a social norm.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. Many people do not grow up with a foundation in faith. Some even turn away from believing for awhile often due to a life experience. Quite often, people learn more about God, and or have another life experience that then brings them to believing.

There can be many paths, come by at different times.

Practicing a faith you don't believe in, in some instances, is perpetuating an untruth basically against yourself.

I was raised Anglican and in adult years embraced the Wiccan way. It let me be myself in many respects and now stand by everything the Wiccan religion believes in and it is all encompassing.

Becoming Wiccan was a true choice for me. My higher power is everything around me not just one God.

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Originally Posted by Palmer Eldritch

Free will doesn't really answer the question. You can choose to follow or practice a religion freely but you can't choose to believe in it if you don't. It's like saying you choose to believe the world is flat while knowing full well that it isn't. So why do you think some have faith and others don't weather you practice faith or not?

You answered your own question. It is a matter of choice. Knowing doesn't equate to believing.

I don't believe, I never really have. There has been no proof that anything exists beyond what I can perceive as a rational human being. My wife believes and always has because there is no proof that anything beyond what she believes as a rational human being DOESN'T exist. Take a solid and sealed Concrete box and two people. Person 1 believes that there is a ball in that sealed concrete box, but since they weren't there when it was sealed, they don't know if there is or not. Person two believes that there is nothing inside the concrete box, but since they weren't there when it was sealed, they don't know if there is or not. Who is right?

It doesn't matter. Both believe two different things about the box and neither can prove what is in the box. They both have faith about the contents of the boxes.

Just remember you are not right because no one is. Your faith and beliefs are solely that, yours. You have no right to dictate or try to change another person's faith or judge a person based upon it.

I agree with smoothy! Its free will!

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

You won't impress an atheist with bible verses LOL.

@KARMA, LOL! I am not trying to impress him. I just felt this word of God backing up my answer to him. :)

@ palmer - Why do some people don't believe in God?
Any thoughts!

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I just felt this word of God backing up my answer to him. :)

Would choice verses from the Koran work to help you understand a concept?

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Originally Posted by NeedKarma

Would choice verses from the Koran work to help you understand a concept?

How about the Bhagavad Gita? Torah? Elder Edda? There's lots of religious writings available

Agreed.

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Originally Posted by NeedKarma

Would choice verses from the Koran work to help you understand a concept?

Nope! It will not be of any help for me.

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Nope! It will not be of any help for me.

Well that's exactly what a non-christian would think of a bible verse.

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Originally Posted by Catsmine

How about the Bhagavad Gita? Torah? Elder Edda? There's lots of religious writings available

Yes, there's a millions of religious writings available. But what I said or wrote was not based upon the religious part but My personal Relationship with God! and I can only speak for myself and according to my experiences in life.

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Originally Posted by Precious7

Yes, there's a millions of religious writings available. But what I said or wrote was not based upon the religious part but My personal Relationship with God! and I can only speak for myself and according to my experiences in life.

Which is all anyone can do. Also the reason I don't pay attention to preachers.

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Originally Posted by Catsmine

Which is all anyone can do. Also the reason I don't pay attention to preachers.

So? What's your point?

To each his own seems to be the whole point.

I don't believe in God. I believe in myself.

There are too many inconsistencies in the faith and that prevents me from joining a faith. The idea is awesome, comforting, and all that fluffy bull pucks, but it isn't the faith for me. I could write much more here, but a lot of my faith, being that of an atheist, is complicated and personal.

There is no right or wrong answer and no one can say that one answer is right over another. You pick what works for you and what lets you sleep at night and call it a day.

The joke runs: Religion is for those afraid of Hell. Spirituality is for those of us who've been there.

That's good Cats.

So, is it relationship with God, Spiritual relationship with God, is not Spirituality?