Why believe?

The human being is a problem solving animal. It has the advantage over other animals of being able to think abstractly, and therefore to imagine solutions that don't yet exist. But even humans have their limits. Some problems are simply too big to grasp or manage.

Humans don't like the idea of being helpless. Early humans were at the mercy of the elements. Wild animals, floods, drought, fire and a hundred other terrors were completely out of their control. In time, humans learned how to control some of these things, but there were always some things beyond their power.

Humans are also subjective. They don't see events in objective isolation. Things that happen always seen to be happening TO them. Therefore something or someone must be controlling them, something big and powerful. These mysterious forces became gods. So, the way to control the storms, droughts and volcanic eruptions was to deal with the gods behind them, whether through bribery, sympathetic magic or abject surrender.

Some tactics worked, some didn't. Over time, humans attempted to determine the best way to attract a god's favor on the basis of their ongoing experience. And as hunting and agricultural techniques improved, the gods seemed more cooperative. Eventually, new problems were negotiatied with the gods. Civil laws and rules of worship were codified to insure maximum divine harmony and minimum disaster.

The ultimate problem is, of course, death. It seems very unfair that humans must die, wasting all that intellect and memory, leaving the sorting of wealth and property to the (temporary) survivors, and often dying with a number of unsettled disputes. The solution to that was-- the AFTER-life! That would be where all questions would be answered and final justice would be applied.

In other words, abstract thought has TWO purposes. It enables people to create new solutions to problems, and when no practical solution arises, it can reduce the anxiety of the dilemma with a hypothetical explanation. (Everyone dies, but it's okay, because there'll be something else, something better.)

Most Christians believe in a continuity of individual consciousness beyond death. Other faiths, such as Hindus and Buddhists, believe in a better, more accurate (but not individual) realization of the single consciousness that is. But in nearly every case, there seems to be a need for reassurance that "I" survive somehow. As for the heaven and hell part, that's primarily a discipline tool for people who can't behave on their own.

Belief in some kind of supernatural authority is necessary first. (Otherwise, who would have set these spiritual realms up?) After all, we live HERE first. But the disposition of dead souls is a natural development from that. Some believers don't need an afterlife, but many do.

If there was a club, and someone wanted to join but didn't actually believe in what it was about, would you be willing to let them become apart of it?

If that makes sense.

Belief and faith gives people hope, if you believe it is false hope or not is your personal choice. And just believing in God isn't enough, you have to follow his example which in turn will make you a better person as a whole. Just being a good person isn't enough because nobody is perfect, everybody has sinned and we have all inherited imperfection from Adam and Eve when they sinned and decided the didn't need God and to govern themselves. When you say "Or is it that one cannot exist without the other?", well you can believe something exists, but it doesn't necessarily mean that you have faith in it.

Yes, Heaven, God and everything else will exist regardless if people believe or not.

The need for believing in God dissipates more and more as humanity gets older and wiser. Once upon a time I can see a great need for the belief in a higher judge to control your actions. Mankind started out as barbaric blood lusting beings that did not have the capacity to deny their baser instincts. Someone who perhaps had moved up a bit faster on the evolutionary scale than the others had to realize that if man was to be prosperous they must be controlled. Some Cro-Magnon man could not understand that killing another man for the meat he possesses is simply wrong, but he could understand the concept of punishment and would not do it if he thought a God would punish him for his actions.

God is a good way to control people. But we have come so far from the days of our cave dwelling ancestors. We have learned so much about the nature of our existence and about the things that surround us. We have matured to the point that we all possess an individual conscience that steers us from doing what is wrong to what is right.

The need for a God in our society may seem of the utmost importance to some, but I say this belief is outdated and irrelevant. People like to hold onto things. It took hundreds of years before people let go of the belief in a Geocentric Universe. People used to laugh themselves blue in the face at the mere mention that the world we stand on is constantly in motion. Old beliefs die hard, but the truth always wins out eventually. The very belief in God will die out eventually, but not for a long long time.

What you said made sense. No-we dont have to believe and I dont think atheists will go to a hell if they die not beleiving.

My belief is that there is a power that some call God. It would be a good thing for everyone if we behaved in a way that didnt interfere with someone else's life. By the time we reach adulthood, we know what's good behavior and what isnt. I dont know about Heaven or Hell or what happens after we die. I dont think we have the capacity to understand that. We should just do the best we can with what we have while we're here. The rest is a mystery.

What is a good person. Perception is something that is often unseen. You are a practicing Atheist.Why so many questions. ask God he hears you and he knows you. Just like man has requirements God has the same. God said trust me,and if one does not understand what the word of God says why ask questions about something you have know idea about? From the beginning God gave man a way of salvation the moment he breathed into the nostrils of man. The Bible is a instruction Manuel what to do if.......Jesus said he did not leave us orphans,we all have a father he is God. John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son ..he said whosoever believes in him shall not parish but shall have eternal life. It is God that give us the desire to come....the natural man knows nothing about God nor is it in him to seek him. God is never a offense everyone needs someone to love. He is our first love. I consider it a privilege to be a part of the called of Jesus Christ.

Watch how "faith" and "belief" are used by god-believers... it's interesting to say the least. The words are almost identical to them in several cases and they are used to support each other.

Comparative example: I have a chair because I have a seat to sit on. I have a seat to sit on and therefore I have a chair. My chair is the result of my seat. Without a chair you cannot have a seat to sit on and without a chair to sit on one does cannot and does not have a seat.

Silly, isn't it.

Belief, faith in god, is all just a lie that people tell themselves and others for assurance; although they are fully aware that god and the promises of their holy scriptures are false, they still do it - go figure.

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[][][] r u randy? [][][]

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by using fact the angel Gabriel instructed me that Jimmy Carter will grow to be the Antichrist aka Dajjal (8th King in Rev. 17) and he will serve yet another term in place of work after the dying of Obama (seventh king). The angel Gabriel instructed me in Aug. 1973 while i replaced into in Phillipsbrug, Montana that Jimmy Carter will grow to be the Anti-Christ, and that he is going to alter his call, and divorce his spouse! Obama is going to die first and then the Anti-Christ aka Dajjal who replaced into between the previous 7 Presidents will take his place! Rev. 17:10 And there are seven kings: 5 are fallen, and one is, [and] the different isn't yet come; and while he cometh, he would desire to proceed a quick area. All 7 kings have been all alive until the dying of Ronald Reagan June 5, 2004 while George W. Bush replaced into in place of work ; a million. Gerald Ford 2. Jimmy Carter 3. Ronald Reagan 4. George H. W. Bush 5. bill Clinton 6. George W. Bush.... is spoken of interior the present annoying (and one is) by using fact until Reagan died (June 5, 2004) all 7 have been alive! 7. Barack Obama.......and one is yet to come back! he will die some days after he will improve taxes! Obama is likewise in Dan. 11:20 Then shall get up in his sources a raiser of taxes [in] the appreciate of the dominion: yet interior of few days he would be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in conflict. Rev. 17:11 And the beast that replaced into, and isn't any longer, even he's the 8th, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

why not believe? sorry, but a life without God would suck. He protects you, has an awesome plan for your life, loves you SO MUCH that he sent his son to die for you, and wants to spend eternity with you in paradise. win win situation, no?

and why wouldnt he be allowed to set the rules? DUDE he created the entire universe!! i think that alone gives him the right to say how to get into heaven. and its not even a hard thing to do at that. eternal life is a free gift, you just have to believe that Jesus is who he says he is. God already loves you, he just cannot tolerate being around sin. So, in order to get to heaven, Jesus' sacrifice has to cover up your sins and make you blameless in God's sight.

hmm free gift of heaven and peace and knowledge that there is an omnipresent, all powerful, great God out there looking out for you always, with a plan for your life, just by trusting in him, OR living out your days on earth denying the creator of the universe his right to your love and stopping him from loving you as much as he wants to just to spend eternity in hell?? tough pick.

the thing about God is he is a very personal being. he doesnt just want to set out rules, he actually really cares for you and wants you to love him back. he has your best interests in mind.

john 3:16-For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life

theres a song by toby mac called "made to love" take a listen, it clears a lot of this stuff up and really gets the feeling your supposed to have on this subject

i hope this clears some things up :]

I think it has as much to do with Geography as anything else.

Most Xians would deny - a Xian is a person who'd have been a Muslim if born in SaudiArabia ... or a Hindu if born in India or a Buddhist if born in Tibet or whatever.

Also none will explain why they were 'lucky' enough to have been born in a country that promoted the freedom to practice Xianity.

Having said that, I completely understand why Xians are disturbed by an ImaginaryPixieCritter saying: You'd better suck up to me or I'll send y'all to hell for eternity.

Say someone like yourself who spends their lives not believing in a Diety were to end up spending an eternaty with said Diety wouldn't that be kinda like hell? I'm mean to get in your face and say you didn't beleive in me all your life so now you gotta live here with me? If you own a Bible or know of someone who does the verse in Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 6 says" Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek Him."