What are your reason(s) for believing in God? Is it purely faith driven or is there an actual physical piece of evidence that makes u believe?
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Last: 3 mo ago by Martin Q. Blank
Some evidence that is helpful for me revolves around General Revelation. The idea there is such detail and precision in the created world. Our earth is positioned in such a way in the universe that it uniquely sustains life, just for us. Our bodies are so intricate in the way they function. Other created plants and animals all have a purpose in their existence. The idea these things just happened miraculously by chance takes much more faith IMO.
A pure gift planted in my soul at my baptism, augmented, stoked and inflamed by philosophy and science, and the study of theology and history and fed and nurtured by the sacraments given to us by the Son of God.
I could write for days on this topic. But to keep it simple, it would take more faith on my part to believe there was not in fact a creator. It is much easier for me to rationalize that every creation requires a creator than we (mankind) and the natural world we live in are just here by happenstance.
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I completely agree with a creator. I am very much a Christian, but at times wonder "who is our creator". Obviously faith is everything.
10andBOUNCE said:
Some evidence that is helpful for me revolves around General Revelation. The idea there is such detail and precision in the created world. Our earth is positioned in such a way in the universe that it uniquely sustains life, just for us. Our bodies are so intricate in the way they function. Other created plants and animals all have a purpose in their existence. The idea these things just happened miraculously by chance takes much more faith IMO.
This, for me. It is impossible for me to wrap my head around the notion that all of this is random. I don't buy it.
Y'all should check out Aquinas's 5 arguments if you haven't already:
The Five Ways:
1. Argument from Motion:
Everything in the universe is in motion or changing. Nothing can move itself, so there must be a first mover that is itself unmoved. This first unmoved mover is what people call God.
2. Argument from Efficient Cause:
Every effect has a cause, and this chain of causes cannot go back infinitely. There must be a first uncaused cause, which is God.
3. Argument from Contingency:
Things in the world are contingent, meaning they could either exist or not exist. If everything were contingent, then there would have been a time when nothing existed, and nothing would exist now. Therefore, there must be a necessary being, not dependent on anything else for its existence, which is God.
4. Argument from Degrees of Perfection:
We see varying degrees of perfection in things (e.g., some things are hotter, more beautiful, or more good than others). There must be a standard of ultimate perfection, which is God, against which these degrees are measured.
5. Argument from Design/Final Cause:
The order and purposefulness observed in the universe suggest an intelligent designer. This designer, who directs all things towards their ends, is God.
The Five Ways:
1. Argument from Motion:
Everything in the universe is in motion or changing. Nothing can move itself, so there must be a first mover that is itself unmoved. This first unmoved mover is what people call God.
2. Argument from Efficient Cause:
Every effect has a cause, and this chain of causes cannot go back infinitely. There must be a first uncaused cause, which is God.
3. Argument from Contingency:
Things in the world are contingent, meaning they could either exist or not exist. If everything were contingent, then there would have been a time when nothing existed, and nothing would exist now. Therefore, there must be a necessary being, not dependent on anything else for its existence, which is God.
4. Argument from Degrees of Perfection:
We see varying degrees of perfection in things (e.g., some things are hotter, more beautiful, or more good than others). There must be a standard of ultimate perfection, which is God, against which these degrees are measured.
5. Argument from Design/Final Cause:
The order and purposefulness observed in the universe suggest an intelligent designer. This designer, who directs all things towards their ends, is God.
Hill08 said:
What are your reason(s) for believing in God? Is it purely faith driven or is there an actual physical piece of evidence that makes u believe?
Funny enough, I was raised cradle catholic and fell away from the faith, but came back about 15 years or so ago due to a deep dive into the idea of "God" through a logical/reasonable extrapolation.
I started off with the premise that nothing comes from nothing, so to create something from nothing there had to be some sort of a first mover who while not subject to the rules themselves, created them and everything else through an act of generative love.
For a being that powerful, to have created everything, along with the rules, it follows that the rules are for our benefit, as the creator itself is not subject to them; therefore the creation was for our benefit, not for theirs.
a being that powerful would be incomprehensible to his creation, unless they somehow came to earth in a form that that was recognizable, a being that was somehow fully God and Creation at the same time.
It became pretty clear that throughout all the other religions, Jesus Christ was the only God who had taken on the form of his creation, while still being the unique singular God at the same time.
FTACo88-FDT24dad said:
A pure gift planted in my soul at my baptism, augmented, stoked and inflamed by philosophy and science, and the study of theology and history and fed and nurtured by the sacraments given to us by the Son of God.
This. The part of philosophy that is the most appealing currently is the idea that an eternal attribute of some kind must exist. Atheists and theists alike already agree that something must be eternal for reality to exist at all. The other is consciousness and what that must mean
The Banned said:FTACo88-FDT24dad said:
A pure gift planted in my soul at my baptism, augmented, stoked and inflamed by philosophy and science, and the study of theology and history and fed and nurtured by the sacraments given to us by the Son of God.
This. The part of philosophy that is the most appealing currently is the idea that an eternal attribute of some kind must exist. Atheists and theists alike already agree that something must be eternal for reality to exist at all. The other is consciousness and what that must mean
Have you ever heard of a book called "The Matter with Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions and the Unmaking of the World" by Iain McGilchrist? I just started reading it and I have to say it is very thought-provoking.
https://a.co/d/2EykoF6
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iain_McGilchrist
From the Amazon description:
In this landmark new book, Iain McGilchrist addresses some of the oldest and hardest questions humanity faces - ones that, however, have a practical urgency for all of us today. Who are we? What is the world? How can we understand consciousness, matter, space and time? Is the cosmos without purpose or value? Can we really neglect the sacred and divine?
In doing so, he argues that we have become enslaved to an account of things dominated by the brain's left hemisphere, one that blinds us to an awe-inspiring reality that is all around us, had we but eyes to see it. He suggests that in order to understand ourselves and the world we need science and intuition, reason and imagination, not just one or two; that they are in any case far from being in conflict; and that the brain's right hemisphere plays the most important part in each. And he shows us how to recognise the 'signature' of the left hemisphere in our thinking, so as to avoid making decisions that bring disaster in their wake.
Following the paths of cutting-edge neurology, philosophy and physics, he reveals how each leads us to a similar vision of the world, one that is both profound and beautiful - and happens to be in line with the deepest traditions of human wisdom. It is a vision that returns the world to life, and us to a better way of living in it: one we must embrace if we are to survive.
Apologies for the seeming redirect but this is actually relevant to the OP's question because it speaks to how we relate to the universe and to its creator. It's a bit like applying the principles of quantum mechanics to our human interactions with the universe, including each other. When we attend to someone or something we have a "quantum-like effect" on them or it and so in some sense are contributing to its existence. This is NOT pantheism and it's not relativism. It doesn't deny real objective truth.
"The choice we make of how we dispose our consciousness is the ultimate creative act: it renders the world what it is. It is, therefore, a moral act: it has consequences. 'Love', said the French philosopher Louis Lavelle, 'is a pure attention to the existence of the other'." Sounds a lot like Aquinas's definition of love as willing the good of the other.
10andBOUNCE said:
Some evidence that is helpful for me revolves around General Revelation. The idea there is such detail and precision in the created world. Our earth is positioned in such a way in the universe that it uniquely sustains life, just for us. Our bodies are so intricate in the way they function. Other created plants and animals all have a purpose in their existence. The idea these things just happened miraculously by chance takes much more faith IMO.
Agree. There is too much order in Creation for me not to see there is a Creator. Also the uniqueness of every human being. As a doctor, I have seen a lot of people. All are uniquely different. And never seen the same fingers and toes on anybody.
i also feel the presence of the Holy Spirit which brings me peace and joy. It is very real to me.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
Hill08 said:
What are your reason(s) for believing in God? Is it purely faith driven or is there an actual physical piece of evidence that makes u believe?
This is a really good talk on faith. It's not Catholic proselytizing even though it's from a Catholic bishop. I think you might find it interesting.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-word-on-fire-show-catholic-faith-and-culture/id1065019039?i=1000722484340
In addition to all of the above outstanding points, the historical evidence for Jesus Christ keeps my doubts and skepticism at bay.
I'll add it to my list!
It's a memory for me that I experienced as a young altar boy serving mass at Christ the King parish in Corpus Christi TX. I unmistakably felt the presence of God during the Eucharistic prayer. Never been the same since.
This is a really big question, but I'll answer at the most fundamental level. I could not live my life or function living in a world without meaning or purpose. In the atheistic vision the universe and all existence is haphazard, an accident, and entirely without inherent goal, purpose, worth, value, or meaning. I can't live in that world. I am a believer, because it is a basic requirement of my sanity and happiness that the world and everything in it has an inherent value and purpose. Not just that either. Our faith tells us that when God made everything, He knew it was good. So not only does all of existence have meaning, purpose, and value, but everything He made is good. That is the God I have faith in, and it's the only reassurance I have that keeps the madness and suffering of the world from reducing me to a helpless mess.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
Seeing the magnificent design of our universe and understanding the complex mathematics and physics necessary to make it all work in perfect harmony confirms for me there is certainly a creator. Then seeing the code and fingerprints of God through the DNA used to build us removes all questions at a microscopic level we were designed perfectly. Lastly, feeling his presence within me when I pray confirms that God is the creator and loves us more than we can comprehend, just like we can't comprehend how he created such a beautiful universe.
Actual interruption and divine correction during fervent prayer.
Praise God...He is real and involved!
Praise God...He is real and involved!
Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded empires; but upon what foundation did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force! But Jesus Christ founded His upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him. - Napoleon Bonaparte
“To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he's doing is good” - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
“To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he's doing is good” - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
This arrived in my inbox today in my daily "Catechism in a Year" email. Thought it was worth adding to the overall discussion.
386. What is the virtue of faith?
Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and all that he has revealed to us and that the Church proposes for our belief because God is Truth itself. By faith the human person freely commits himself to God. Therefore, the believer seeks to know and do the will of God because "faith works through charity" (Galatians 5:6).
386. What is the virtue of faith?
Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and all that he has revealed to us and that the Church proposes for our belief because God is Truth itself. By faith the human person freely commits himself to God. Therefore, the believer seeks to know and do the will of God because "faith works through charity" (Galatians 5:6).
Even leaving aside arguments from those such as Hawking, who did not think the laws of physics incompatible with the origin of the universe being from "nothing", I think that "first mover" arguments for something we would recognize as "God" are unsatisfactory.
For example, even if we posit that there was a creative force that started all of this, that does not establish that this force:
1) Was conscious/sentient; or if was conscious and sentient that
2) It is still alive, or if is conscious and still alive that
3) It ever cared about us, or if it is conscious, sentient, and cared about us that
4) It still cares about us
A created universe compatible with ours could exist without any one of the above conditions being true.
Although some might find this peculiar, I am oddly comforted by the notion that the God of my understanding is almost certainly imaginary. Can anything that my feeble consciousness can imagine even scratch the surface of the Infinite?
And if there is nothing, and all we really have is each other, that doesn't bother me that much either. Faith in God has motivated people to fight for justice, overcome addiction, and care for their fellow man. All those fruits, at least, are indisputably real.
For example, even if we posit that there was a creative force that started all of this, that does not establish that this force:
1) Was conscious/sentient; or if was conscious and sentient that
2) It is still alive, or if is conscious and still alive that
3) It ever cared about us, or if it is conscious, sentient, and cared about us that
4) It still cares about us
A created universe compatible with ours could exist without any one of the above conditions being true.
Although some might find this peculiar, I am oddly comforted by the notion that the God of my understanding is almost certainly imaginary. Can anything that my feeble consciousness can imagine even scratch the surface of the Infinite?
And if there is nothing, and all we really have is each other, that doesn't bother me that much either. Faith in God has motivated people to fight for justice, overcome addiction, and care for their fellow man. All those fruits, at least, are indisputably real.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
Hill08 said:
What are your reason(s) for believing in God? Is it purely faith driven or is there an actual physical piece of evidence that makes u believe?
I read the Bible and was convicted I was a sinner with no hope outside of Jesus Christ as a savior.
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