# Why don't people believe in God? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 21, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766 "2013-08-21T00:49:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 36
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/702 "2013-08-23T21:43:34Z")
> [@Timo](#): > > This might only provoke the question, Is God cruel? > > My thought is, if God is love. Then His punishment can’t be cruel. His reasonings can’t be cruel. Then love is cruel, and I want no part of it. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/703 "2013-08-23T22:58:56Z")
> [@Timo](#): > > So the question was genuine. I wanted to know. When I read what people were posting could be answered from the Bible, I started quoting from it, unaware that it would be useless. Which then blew up where I was trying to use some of my own personal experiences to help, but it wasn’t like I was purposefully going to use it in the first place. If that sounds like witnessing, then fine, I’m sorry, maybe I don’t understand the concept then, but that wasn’t my purpose. > > Plus, does it even hurt trying to talk about God? Do I have to witness to talk to unbelievers about Him? > > I’m actually learning from all this, I don’t know if they are, but I am. Come on back. And here are some, I hope, nice parting words. Even if you were witnessing, that is specifically allowed. What a lot of people don’t like is a drive-by witness, one who posts some stuff and then vanishes. You are hardly that. I’d say you are in the top 1% in terms of trying to understand what people wrote, and trying to respond. It is pretty clear you have never run across a place where Bible quotes are so little respected, but at your age learning stuff is to be expected. If you are going to college, this year or next, remember that college is a great place to open your mind and absorb a lot of diverse opinions, and to learn stuff. I think you made a good start, and thanks for visiting. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/704 "2013-08-23T23:27:24Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Threads merged. And, sorry dude. That was an idiotic idea. The original thread was going nicely, and all that crap you threw in looks like (and in the context you threw them into, actually _is_) a collection of utter threadshits. Reported! ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/705 "2013-08-24T02:31:08Z")
**Timo** , I’ve gotten a bit behind in this thread, as I’ve done several times, so take this as you will. I’m actually _amazed_ at how you are dealing with us. Most fundies who come here to witness fall into one of two categories: 1. They fall for the ‘Jack Chick’ view of the world. Mention Jesus, and everyone will say ‘I’ve never heard of this ‘Jesus’ guy. Tell me more!’ Except that everyone _has_ heard of him. And can argue against anything the ‘Chick’ brings up. We’ve seen it. Some of us have lived it. You ain’t telling us anything we haven’t seen countless times before. They get challenged, get pissed, and they go away. 2. They fall for the ‘Jack Chick’ view of the world. Mention Jesus, and everyone will say ‘I’ve never heard of this ‘Jesus’ guy. Tell me more!’ Except that everyone _has_ heard of him. And can argue against anything the ‘Chick’ brings up. We’ve seen it. Some of us have lived it. You ain’t telling us anything we haven’t seen countless times before. They get challenged, get pissed, get hostile, and get banned. You don’t fit in either of those categories. And you’re 17 years old, but don’t post in ‘txt spk, sux 2bu’. And you’re willing to actually _read_ what we write. I hope you stick around. You’re a refreshing change. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/706 "2013-08-24T11:50:33Z")
> [@Timo](#): > > Haha, because I honestly don’t know how else to preach the Gospel without using God’s words. I’d be willing to learn if someone knows how. I guess I was just excited to be able to use verses in the Bible as answers. Because I believe in God, I just assumed that the verses stood as truth. I never thought it in your perspective, that the verses may be false and I’m just chucking it out there. However, In a way, you guys are helping me be more grounded in the Bible haha 🙂 I’m learning a lot from this, even if it may not help others. > And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. - 1 Corinthians 2:13 I would think you would first have to prove that it was truly God’s word and not the teachings of other humans. It truly is a human thought, idea or belief, No God proven. But it can be proven it was from the pen or mind of another human. There are many human’s with totally different ideas of what God Is, and does. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/707 "2013-08-24T11:57:24Z")
> [@Timo](#): > > Taking a step to believe what you can’t see. You can’t confirm, yet you still believe. You can’t comprehend, yet you still believe, You don’t understand, yet you still believe. Sometimes you don’t find God’s way just, yet you know it is just. Sometimes you don’t understand why God causes natural disasters and allow people to suffer, yet you know there is a just reason. You realize that you won’t know everything about God, you won’t have all your questions answered, yet you still believe. That’s what faith means to me. The thing is; faith is not fact! Once faith is proven or can be proven than it is no longer faith. One can believe there are men on the moon or mars, but that doesn’t make it so. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/708 "2013-08-24T12:04:26Z")
> [@Timo](#): > > I see where you’re going with this. If you’re trying to make me prove with physical evidence that there’s a God. I can’t, maybe someone else can, but I can’t, so you’re just wasting your time. Maybe you can look towards the future, of course, if we live that long. These are just a few of what is to come and has already or is happening. > > [http://www.raptureforums.com/BibleProphecy/101lastdays.cfm](http://www.raptureforums.com/BibleProphecy/101lastdays.cfm) > > 1. There will be a divine, one-world government > 2. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Matthew 24:14 - > 3. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. Matthew 24:7 > 4. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet Matthew 24:6 > 5)Knowledge would increase (Daniel 12:4) > 5. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. Matthew 24:5 > 6. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.Matthew 24:9-11 > > Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 2 Peter 3:3-4 I would suggest that you read Matthew or Mark again and think about the things quoted as being of Jesus. According to Jesus the world was going to end in that generation, it didn’t happen so some churches teach the word generation had a different meaning, but Matthew uses the same word for generation as we do when he was said to have written there was 14 generations between David and Jesus. It may be a good idea to test the spirits if one can find where they are! Since God made all humans with a flaw and knows all things there should be no need to judge. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/709 "2013-08-24T12:09:49Z")
> [@Timo](#): > > Right haha, now it seems like you’re asking for physical proof, correct me if I’m wrong, and you won’t really find any, maybe never, until it’s too late. \<----don’t get mad > Or like said in previous posts, until the true antichrist comes If Jesus is quoted correctly in Matthew, then the Book of Revelations is Moot. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/710 "2013-08-24T12:16:31Z")
> [@Timo](#): > > In a way, in the end, if we don’t believe is it God’s fault? > He made a way for you, by sacrificing his only beloved Son so that you may inherit eternal life. Before, we shouldn’t even have eternal life, all of us, because we’re sinners, should have been sent to hell directly. But because he loved us, he sent his Son. He’s made a way, all you have to do is accept. If you read John 10 or Psalm 82 you would see the psalmist said all are gods, and Jesus would seem to back this up. He is said to mention that, their father’s who also called God their father,and said he blasphemed also were called God’s and sons of God. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/711 "2013-08-24T12:25:44Z")
> [@Timo](#): > > I mean…as long as you believe that God is real, I’d totally be fine with that. I remain Jewish, yes. > [@](#): > > But…my question is, does that include Jesus? Nope. > [@](#): > > If I asked you if you believed in Jesus, would that mean you would fall into the Christianity category? and that you would no longer be part of the letter ‘a’ category above. Still, y’know, a Jew. > [@](#): > > Is it that you don’t like affiliating yourself with those who call themselves Christians so you separate yourself by saying you believe in God? Sort of. I don’t affiliate myself with those call themselves Christians for the same reason I don’t affiliate myself with cab drivers or dog owners; I don’t happen to be one of them. You could almost say the whole point of Judaism is that the _Is There A God_ question is completely separate from the _Was Jesus Incorrect About Rather A Lot Of Things And No More Divine Than You Or Me_ question. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/712 "2013-08-24T12:55:37Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > But…my question is, does that include Jesus? > > Nope. According to [Australia’s version of Sarah Palin](http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/when-stephanie-got-her-facts-wrong-one-nation-candidate-makes-gaffe-after-gaffe-in-tv-interview-20130808-2rive.html), you do so follow Jesus Christ! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/713 "2013-08-24T13:38:03Z")
> [@Timo](#): > > Yeah, what Quicksilver said, thanks for sharing. I think it’s exceptional/outstanding that you were willing to lead others to feel the same faith you once had, something to aspire to- however, you did more than I am because I’m currently not going to study anything religious this coming Fall. I feel that this is a warning though, which is definitely something to keep in mind. In fact, I think I’m currently going through the same thought processes as you are like “I told myself that smarter people than I were Christians and if neither I nor my fellow Christians on the Straight Dope could answer these questions, surely someone could.” Who knows, I don’t what your experience felt like where you wrote “I had some powerful spiritual experiences that I identified as the presence of the Holy Spirit or of Christ”, maybe it’s the same, maybe it’s not (not to try to look down on your experience, but it’s the other possible, maybe slight, option). We won’t ever know. Hi, **Timo**. I hope you’re still reading this and we haven’t scared you off! Let me echo the others who’ve said that you’ve acquitted yourself quite well in this thread, and I think that’s something to be proud of! You’ve had people coming at you from all directions and challenging everything you’ve said and your most deeply held beliefs, and you’ve absorbed it all and responded graciously without losing your composure. Not many people would have stuck with this thread as long as you have, and most of those who would have stuck with it would have lost their temper many pages ago! I actually did mean my story as a slight warning to you, but not about the danger of belief. I only wanted to show you that bland assurances that there couldn’t be any harm to believing something aren’t always true. But my experiences are just mine, and truth be told, the time I spent on my faith wouldn’t have been wasted if I’d stayed with it. My faith would still have been misplaced and my beliefs wrong, but I could nevertheless have used them to do good in the world. Plenty of people draw strength and inspiration from religion, and I think anything that helps people to be happy and to make the world a better place is good. I hesitated before posting my story, because my goal was not to talk you out of your beliefs. I don’t want to discourage faith, but to _encourage_ thinking and reflection. I know plenty of thoughtful, intelligent Christians (and Jews and Buddhists) who I respect, even though I think they’re wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Timo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@Timo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/714 "2013-08-24T19:53:37Z")
> [@simster](#): > > “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” > > its in the gospel - its even words of Christ. > > But Christains don’t readily realize the application to self - they don’t want to hear about other religions, but that wont stop them telling others about theirs. Hmmm…Good point…If I want others to sincerely understand the christian belief then I’m going to have to sincerely understand their beliefs. And who knows, there may be more than one way to worship God, like the blind men and the elephant parable. Maybe the so called “christian” way isn’t the only way. I’ll need more time to reflect on this, but I’ll definitely read through the posts again. First year of college is starting soon! So I gotta get ready. Again, thanks for your guy’s time and perspectives. I’m glad to have had the privilege to interact with you guys. ---
**Author:** ![TARL\_FURY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@TARL\_FURY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TARL_FURY)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/715 "2013-08-24T20:54:20Z")
John 6:66 “From that time many of his disciples turned back and walked no more with him.” When even Jesus’ disciples accuse him of being a liar and bail out on the big show, I have to question his purported ‘miracles’. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/716 "2013-08-24T23:39:11Z")
There’s no direct evidence for god, and there are too many conflicting descriptions from various religions to choose from. If he/she wants to pop by and say hi, that’s great, but like any other celebrity, I’m letting them make the first move. If God wants a relationship with me, she/he can stop being so damn coy about it. Facebook friend me like every one else. Email, text, and phone work too. Even were I to actively believe in god, there is no way I could believe in eternal hellfire. That’s obviously a lie made up by the church to keep members. ---
**Author:** ![SirGalahad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@SirGalahad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirGalahad)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/717 "2013-08-25T00:19:29Z")
> [@Timo](#): > > Hmmm…Good point…If I want others to sincerely understand the christian belief then I’m going to have to sincerely understand their beliefs. > > And who knows, there may be more than one way to worship God, like the blind men and the elephant parable. Maybe the so called “christian” way isn’t the only way. > > I’ll need more time to reflect on this, but I’ll definitely read through the posts again. First year of college is starting soon! So I gotta get ready. Again, thanks for your guy’s time and perspectives. I’m glad to have had the privilege to interact with you guys. Timo, there’s nothing wrong with being a Xtian. You’re entitled to have the gut feeling that there’s something more than we see. I don’t discuss my personal spiritual beliefs on line because I’m comfortable in my own superstitions, and I don’t want to convert anyone nor do I need to seek the approval of strangers on a message board. Don’t lose sight of this … self identifying as a Xtian doesn’t make you responsible for the negative things churches or their members have done, and it doesn’t mean you have to agree with every tenet of Xtian canon. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/718 "2013-08-25T00:31:10Z")
> [@Timo](#): > > Hmmm…Good point…If I want others to sincerely understand the christian belief then I’m going to have to sincerely understand their beliefs. > > And who knows, there may be more than one way to worship God, like the blind men and the elephant parable. Maybe the so called “christian” way isn’t the only way. > > I’ll need more time to reflect on this, but I’ll definitely read through the posts again. First year of college is starting soon! So I gotta get ready. Again, thanks for your guy’s time and perspectives. I’m glad to have had the privilege to interact with you guys. The best thing to do, before you do anything else, is to spend a _minimum_ of two hours looking at why you believe what you currently believe. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/719 "2013-08-25T01:26:42Z")
> [@SirGalahad](#): > > . . . Don’t lose sight of this … self identifying as a Xtian doesn’t make you responsible for the negative things churches or their members have done, and it doesn’t mean you have to agree with every tenet of Xtian canon. On the other hand, a Christian can take some abstract pride at the good things that have been accomplished in the name of faith. A Christian can look at the magnificence of Cathedral architecture, or take joy in the religious music of Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi, and others, and share in it. Marc Antony had it backwards, I think. Let’s bury the ills that have been done, and let the good things live on within our spirits. Learn from the past, and practice forgiveness. (Not only a Christian virtue!) ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/720 "2013-08-26T02:14:34Z")
I think this will be best served in here as opposed to other threads: > **[The Book That Changed Reza Aslan's Mind About Jesus](https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/08/the-book-that-changed-reza-aslans-mind-about-jesus/278410/)** > > The religious scholar from the viral Fox News interview explains how Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov taught him the difference between faith and religion. It’s an interview with Reza Aslans - the biblical scholar that went viral after a horrible interview with Fox News and a pretty good one with the Daily Show. He discusses why he turned away from Christianity rather than the details of the book he was plugging. It seems germaine to this conversation. ---
**Author:** ![LaJument](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9a140/32.png) [@LaJument](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LaJument)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766/721 "2013-08-31T04:01:49Z")
I do believed that there is an all powerful creator, and that this creator is responsible for everything summed up by the term existance. This creator does not have a name nor does it have a gender. The creator I am referring to is the creative force in the universe. The sum total of all the creative processes taking place as you read this to include any responses this posting may inspire you to create. The universe as we know it is moving steadily towards a state of ever increasing complexity. New creative processes are continuously evolving along the way. There is no GOD in the religious sense. I believe that all life’ indeed all of exsistance both spiritual and physical can be attributed to emergence. Humans were not created in Anyones image’ and we did not evolve from something else, we emerged from the endless sea of possibilities that make up all of exsistance. Consider the analogy of a room full of monkeys all typing and eventually reproducing the complete works of Shakespeare. We are the same. God himself may yet emerge along side of us. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766.md?page=35) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-people-believe-in-god/666766.md?page=37)