Why you believe?

My question,in more detail,is this: Why don’t you believe in God, and if you do, why?

I believe in faith.

For what reason, I can only say because I’ve seen and witnessed too many things that would defy a strong belief in faith.

Over the years–it’s helped me become a better person during a time when I was struggling with my identity–my spirituality–the fickle ‘love’ of both my family and my church, and my emerging ‘deviant’ sexuality.

When you attend a church mass, whether you believe or not in what the preacher is saying–and you see every one of the attendees praying together and singing hymns and professing their belief–you can not help but marvel at the observation of this strong showing of ‘faith’.

With that said–I do not believe in the church. I do not think there is any doctrine that can teach a human how to better themself and be closer to that which you believe in–it’s only through a person’s faith and inner strength that you can reach it for yourself.

-Ashley

Let’s begin the countdown to Great Debates…

For a sample of why some of the agnostics/atheists of the SDMB came to hold that philosophy, look in this thread.

-----:slight_smile:
—////\\

This would be served in IMHO, really. It is a poll-type OP. Even though it could spin-off Great Debates, the OP as it stands is an IMHO topic.

I don’t believe in anything. I hold no faith. I accept evidence, and there is no evidence of a supernatural being.

If there were a God, would he not imbue each of us with the knowledge of the difference among fora, and the wisdom to post in the correct place?

Off to GD.

I thought this would be the correct forum…I thought maybe to stick this question in great debates but that this was more of a question not a debate…Well next time I will know.

I disbelieve in the Christian concept of God (an omnimax being who resides outside of physical space and time, and who created and maintains and active role in the universe) for several reasons.

Probably #1 on the list is unnecessary suffering.

Further down on the list are a number of other factors, such as the argument from rational non-belief (If God has spoken, why is the universe unconvinced?–Shelley); the argument from confusion (How can we determine which is the right religion, and why isn’t God a bit more clear on the issue?); the falsity and injustice of religious texts (I haven’t found a good one yet); and the existence of the universe (Why would God need or want to create anything?)

I disbelieve in non Xtian conceptions of God due to lack of evidence.