Why do we need to "believe" in God?

brianlux

whygohome wrote:

M.Y.T.H. is
Belief in the game controls that keeps us in a box of fear
We never listen
Voice inside so drowned out

Perfect! My favorite PJ song!

Just yesterday I was having a conversation about why people become religiously fundamentalist. My view is that they prefer the parameters of fundamentalsim that make life's choices easier. They don't have to grapple with difficult decisions as often. I have a few friends who are like that and I would never disparage their choice so this is not a put down. But it sure isn't for me. I tried being a fundy Christian about 35 years ago because my close friends at the time were into it and I was lonely afraid to be in the box of fear that is loneliness-- but my attemt in accepting the religion failed becasue for me, it was a lie. So the logical conclusion for me is that I don't need to believe in God in any specific form or order. To me, God is another word for mystery.

pandora

It is difficult for me to understand why people can not separate God
from the religions of the world.

That people will not let God just be in their lives.

When this is because of religion,
any needs aside, but for the fact that no religion 'spoke' to them,
they will not speak to God.

People made religion, it is more about them than God.

dimitrispearljam

i believe in God...

BinauralJam

dimitrispearljam wrote:

i believe in God...

:thumbup: :thumbup: :angel: :angel:

rollings

Restless Soul wrote:

Hope it's ok to post this question here, if not then mods feel free to move.

Anyway, from what I can see, the two key components in most religions, (it seems to me) is the need to believe in God, as well as the need to believe he/she/it/they are "real".

But why do we need to believe in God if he etc is real?

I'm not asking this question to be antagonistic to believers. It is a genuine enquiry about something which has often eluded me. Maybe I'm just not good with non-tangible concepts, but its often confused me that if God if real then why we need to "believe" in him?  A table is real but I dont need to "believe" in it for it to be there. Have. I missed something?

Dont get me wrong, I'm not "anti-God" or anything, I'm generally agnostic I guess, but I'll believe anything if I can find a convincing argument for it. So I guess this is a question for the believers out there, why is it necessary to have to believe in God - he's either there or he's not right?

I understand what you mean.

"Religions" do tag on that "belief" requirement.

Christians= Jesus said nobody could enter through the kingdom of God/heaven except through me.
Jewish = the "chosen" people
Muslim = excludes the "Infidels".

Can you believe that God- "any god" (loose term used for the loose purposes herein) would exclude so many people? No.

So Religion discredits its own self, now doesn't it? Ha!


Further note...I saw a show probably on the Discovery Channel or something like that, where experiments where being done to trigger the "God Center" area of the brain--no kidding.

Apparently the "God Center" evolved in humans right around the time humanity began to realize and comprehend

1) We're living on a giant rock that dangles all by itself in outer space and
2) We're all gonna die

whygohome

dimitrispearljam wrote:

i believe in God...

And the sermon was Evenflow at PJ20.

mikepegg44

Restless Soul wrote:

Hope it's ok to post this question here, if not then mods feel free to move.

Anyway, from what I can see, the two key components in most religions, (it seems to me) is the need to believe in God, as well as the need to believe he/she/it/they are "real".

But why do we need to believe in God if he etc is real?

I'm not asking this question to be antagonistic to believers. It is a genuine enquiry about something which has often eluded me. Maybe I'm just not good with non-tangible concepts, but its often confused me that if God if real then why we need to "believe" in him?  A table is real but I dont need to "believe" in it for it to be there. Have. I missed something?

Dont get me wrong, I'm not "anti-God" or anything, I'm generally agnostic I guess, but I'll believe anything if I can find a convincing argument for it. So I guess this is a question for the believers out there, why is it necessary to have to believe in God - he's either there or he's not right?

well you are right. You don't have to believe in God.

Just keep in mind, that the table is simply a construct of matter that reflects light. The table isn't any more "real" than a belief. I would argue that a belief does have a physical form as well it just resides in synapses in your brain. So I cannot rest my coffee on it, but it doesn't make it less real.
So being that the any physical form is simply a state of your mind and its perception, a God would really be no different. So, if someone, anyone believes in a God, that would make the God real. Whether or not you believe is secondary.

As far as having to believe in a God, religions generally push to say they are the right way. I think some of it is just simply human nature...the whole i am right so you all must be wrong kind of thing...but i also think that there is a sincere sect of Christianity for example that believe it is their duty to save others by telling others they are right and that if we all follow we will be "saved"...So since God's physical form may be simply a synapse that seems to be impossible to grab, a belief is necessary because the God in question may only be a synapse. Do you think a person who has never seen a table and simply had one explained to them would not be simply going on belief and trust that it exists? They would have to believe in a table in order for that table to exist in their mind...
Hopefully that made sense.
i don't know, wish I had more time to explain exactly what I want to say, but that would take way too long...maybe I will just blame that rambling on being drunk
I

FiveB247x

The notion that you need a god in your life to have purpose,morality or something similar is ridiculous. This is an invention of people who are believers and nothing more in order to justify and reinforce their own beliefs in themselves and no reflection of people who believe otherwise.

ShimmyMommy

I say we don't need to.

Nature was here before humans, they didn't believe in God to exist. They technically don't even really know they themselves exist. Spirituality is knowing we are unified with all that exists, not just one omniscient being.

Good cannot exist without Evil. It's how humanity defines them. Before us, things just existed.

So no, you don't need to believe in God. If you want to, that's up to you.

catefrances

i dont feel the need to believe in God.

FiveB247x

How many people excuse the notion of "spiritualism" and ignore the idea of religion because it's organized, more formal and organized? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihlism

dimitrispearljam

whygohome wrote:

dimitrispearljam wrote:

i believe in God...

And the sermon was Evenflow at PJ20.

exactly,that why i went to Alpine chutch..

ShimmyMommy

dimitrispearljam wrote:

whygohome wrote:

dimitrispearljam wrote:

i believe in God...

And the sermon was Evenflow at PJ20.

exactly,that why i went to Alpine chutch..

PREACH ON BRUTHA!!!

brianlux

catefrances wrote:

i dont feel the need to believe in God.

catefrances- best wishes on the road or welcome home or both!

Funny how sometimes questions come into your life and then related discussions seem to come along. I read this current and very interesting thread on God here this morning and then later today I read a quote from an interview with Motorhead's fascinating multi-faceted Lemmy Kilmister by Allan Macinnis in (the fairly recent) Issue 68 of "The Big Takeover". The quote is Kilmister's anwer to Macinnis' question regarding God- almost as though Kilmister was being asked, "Is there a reason to believe in religion?". (I very much don't mean to cause offense in posting this quote- thus the astrisks- or intend these to be my words- they just made me think):

"Lemmy: My mother wasn't religious or non-religious. She just didn't give a f*ck; neither do I. Having grown up, and learned about religions, I think it's just an excuse for crowd control. [Hints of "Faithful", again] It's just another government, isn't it, really? And all the different ways to worship the same geezer; what's the f*ckin' point? Catholics and Protestants have been at each other's throats for hundreds of years- and some of the worst f*ckin' excesses and murders and tortures- for what? For what? What do you got to show for it? A bunch of dead people who went to their deaths screaming. F*ck that, y'know, f*ck that sh*t" You can't justify that to me. F*ck God, I say, and f*ck the Devil as well. I don't need 'em. I'm responsible for what I do!"

fuck

FiveB247x wrote:

The notion that you need a god in your life to have purpose,morality or something similar is ridiculous. This is an invention of people who are believers and nothing more in order to justify and reinforce their own beliefs in themselves and no reflection of people who believe otherwise.

Yeah, of course that's ridiculous. But the only religious people who say that are the extremists and the ignorant, and unfortunately they often have the loudest voices.

I think the need to believe in God is a very interesting subject that is not really explored. I think it's also personal though, and personal to every respective belief system. For example, I guess as a Muslim I would say that the reason belief in God is essential to the religion--it is actually the most essential thing--stems from the fact that the religion itself, Islam, means "submission." The entire point of it is to give up your will to fulfill what you think is God's will. Thus, the entire system of Islam--you hear people often refer to it as a way of life--reflects this; that you always act morally right. Now, this may lead people to the question of, well, why do I need Islam to do that? Or, religion in general? Why can't I just be a morally upright person without a belief system? Kantians would probably especially argue that. I think that it goes back to the question of our existence though. Why do we have yankees fans and red sox fans beating on each other? and more serious issues like nationalism, what it means to be an AMERICAN, or BLACK, or WESTERNER, or any other type of identity that we all try to associate ourselves with. I mean the point is essentially because everyone wants to subscribe to an idea larger than they are, to leave a mark, gain immortality through it. so people will always subscribe to whichever ideology makes most sense to them. for me, it's Islam, particularly because of its emphasis on things like social justice, and I like its take on it. the spirituality and philosophy behind it also intrigues me. on the other hand, you have kantians as an extreme example who believe in their system, the categorical imperative, and all that good business. then I guess there's the straight up assholes who just fuck shit up. anyway, I don't know how much of the question I answered, but this is just my first idea of it. i think whatever belief system people subscribe to, a way of life even for them, oftentimes it involves a belief in God which is integral to the system. there is also obviously the entirely other discussions of how one can view the idea of God, is there really something more supernatural out there that we may never understand, and can this be 'God'; also, how are those who don't see particular religions as the right one but still perhaps believe in God (but therein would not subscribe to modern interpretations of what God 'is') treated? it's a really huge topic.

fuck

also, as a general point: there are an obscene number of atheists or secularists or non-religionists who are completely reactionary in their denunciation of belief systems/religions. it often polarizes the discussion and can make what could be a very interesting discourse dull, repetitive, and useless.

brianlux

fuck wrote:

also, as a general point: there are an obscene number of atheists or secularists or non-religionists who...

You mean like Mudhead Kachinas farting in polite company?

fuck

brianlux wrote:

fuck wrote:

also, as a general point: there are an obscene number of atheists or secularists or non-religionists who...

You mean like Mudhead Kachinas farting in polite company?

Lol. it's my mistake, I forgot where I was

Thoughts_Arrive

I believe in God, I worship him every day.
He comes out of my speakers and sings songs about homelessness, depression, gun violence.
I think his name is Eddie?

pandora

“There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle;
you can live as if everything is a miracle.”

Albert Einstein