Tell me, why do you believe?

[jmlport98]

Think about it: why do you believe. Is it because you like the idea of a savoir? Is it because you find comfort in having faith? Or is it because you were told to? Think about it again. Does the idea of a deity creating the universe really make that much sense? Do you, you yourself, think that God created the universe? Or do you believe that because someone told you to? That's the profound difference between creationism and evolution. When someone looks to Christianity, they believe in it because they are told to. When someone looks to Atheism, they are discouraged to do so, even persecuted. But they persist, looking for answers.

Christians say there must be a creator that is the end of the line. In our world, everything is created by something else. Christians use that as an argument, a very good one I might add. However, it has a flaw. The flaw is that, according to the Law of Conservation of Matter(or Mass, can't remember), matter cannot be created or destroyed. Christians say that is proof there is a creator. Is it? Is it really? What law or what person dictates that matter must have been created? Perhaps matter has always existed, and always will. Perhaps said matter became unstable and unleashed the Big Bang.

Now, tell me again, why do you believe?

 

[KhaosTheory]

Think about it: why do you believe. Is it because you like the idea of a savoir? Is it because you find comfort in having faith? Or is it because you were told to? Think about it again. Does the idea of a deity creating the universe really make that much sense? Do you, you yourself, think that God created the universe? Or do you believe that because someone told you to? That's the profound difference between creationism and evolution. When someone looks to Christianity, they believe in it because they are told to. When someone looks to Atheism, they are discouraged to do so, even persecuted. But they persist, looking for answers.

Christians say there must be a creator that is the end of the line. In our world, everything is created by something else. Christians use that as an argument, a very good one I might add. However, it has a flaw. The flaw is that, according to the Law of Conservation of Matter(or Mass, can't remember), matter cannot be created or destroyed. Christians say that is proof there is a creator. Is it? Is it really? What law or what person dictates that matter must have been created? Perhaps matter has always existed, and always will. Perhaps said matter became unstable and unleashed the Big Bang.

Now, tell me again, why do you believe?

While I was growing up, I believed because I was told to... by my family, by my friends, by my pastor, and by my private school...

As I got older, I started to learn about other explanations... When I asked questions, I was then indoctrinated with apologetics...

...and later I found out that most of these were flat-out lies: women have 1 more rib than men, there shouldn't still be monkey today if we evolved, it's impossible for planets to coalesce, evolution is just a "theory"...

But, since I was so well indoctrinated with theology and related apologetics, the little bit I DID know about other explanations never seemed to stand up against it.

...and then finally once I left the private school, all my friends moved away, and I started thinking for MYSELF, I learned how much I really didn't know... and how much I knew that was just WRRRRRRROOOOONG!

 

[diychristian]

Think about it: why do you believe. Is it because you like the idea of a savoir? Is it because you find comfort in having faith? Or is it because you were told to? Think about it again. Does the idea of a deity creating the universe really make that much sense? Do you, you yourself, think that God created the universe? Or do you believe that because someone told you to? That's the profound difference between creationism and evolution. When someone looks to Christianity, they believe in it because they are told to. When someone looks to Atheism, they are discouraged to do so, even persecuted. But they persist, looking for answers.

Christians say there must be a creator that is the end of the line. In our world, everything is created by something else. Christians use that as an argument, a very good one I might add. However, it has a flaw. The flaw is that, according to the Law of Conservation of Matter(or Mass, can't remember), matter cannot be created or destroyed. Christians say that is proof there is a creator. Is it? Is it really? What law or what person dictates that matter must have been created? Perhaps matter has always existed, and always will. Perhaps said matter became unstable and unleashed the Big Bang.

Now, tell me again, why do you believe?

Why don't you believe? Is it because you don't like the idea of needing a savior? Is it because you find comfort in your own faith? Or is it because someone asked a question and you didn't have an answer? Do you believe in a purely naturalistic world because someone told you? Why don't you believe in a creator?

If matter always existed then you run into the problem of infinite regress. where there is an infinite number of events prior to this one, then it would take an infinity to get here and now would never come. If you're referring to an oscillating universe you have other problems. It's been calculated that only about a dozen or so oscillations could have occurred. Our universe now is expanding at an accelerated rate and is beyond the point of a retraction. It's interesting that you appeal to something beyond the Big Bang; beyond our natural universe; an infinity. I believe the same. You call it matter and I disagree. I believe it's God.

You say people are persecuted for looking at atheism. First century Christians were martyred for what they SAW and KNEW (the risen Christ).

How does it follow that the law of conservation persists through the creation of new universes (with new physics)? Our physics dictate the law of conservation (1st Law of thermodynamics).

I was raised in my faith and grew up in my faith. Everyone was raised and everyone grows. I don't see how asking about the conditions of one's upbringing invalidates their worldview. If you are encouraging us to be introspective, I agree with you, everyone one should seek to test and justify their convictions. Now...

Why don't you believe?

 

[Tatian]

I'm really not a big fan of asking a question such as; "why do you believe?" and then implying the answer is upbringing. You might as well conclude that atheists are atheists because bad things happened to you or that homosexuals are homosexuals because they had no father figure. You really CAN be a Christian because you believe it is the most true world view. You may be surprised to know that I agree with a Christian world view for the same reason you agree with an atheist world view. Because I think it agrees with the facts the most.