Why Are "you" A Beleiver?

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leonheartmm
not a thread meant to challenge the beleifs{or non beleif} of beleivers. instead, the intention here is for people to tell, as far as they can, their deepest reasons for beleiving what they beleive{i.e. im not looking for objective statements of beleife like- i beleive because jesus christ is the way the truth and the light. instead im looking for why YOU feel like there is something of a place in relegion for you, what your beleif does for you/adds to your life, and why your being, feels gravitated to calling yourself a beleiver instead of a non believer.}, so i guess the point is to be truthful of your motivations/desires/fears etc instead of giving lofty/respectable answers that increase other's oppinion of u{whether they are critics or whether it is the favour of the almight herself that you are trying to gain}. this is also a thread encouraging people to describe what it MEANS for them to be a beleiver and which parts of their beleif they find most important in life.

as such, i would suggest we minimise criticism or challenges of proof or arguments between non agreeing parties{justified or otherwise}.

The MISTER
I believe because I have a feeling that my human family each has great importance and significance. The blessing and the curse it is to be in so much control over one's experience can't be coincidence in my mind. We can be wonderful and many choose to be horrible because both choices can be explored fully by us. Raised in the church I was led to Christ at an impressionable age. I remain adamantly in his service because his gospel is the greatest gospel promoting peace that I've ever heard to this day.

FistOfThe North
I believe that there isn't a god. I'm a firm believer in that.

Does that count?

Lord Lucien
Because I saw her face. Now there's not a trace of doubt in my mind.

HighwayMan
The only thing I believe in is that no one knows the answers, and those that feel the most certain one way or another are subject to the greatest failure. The world we live in is nonsensical and absurd, and many discoveries and facts we unearth are often abolished and replaced by new ones soon after. There are some truths that seem to stand the test of time, but in the grand scheme of things, we truly know nothing.

willRules
What a fantastic thread idea. I personally am a Christian and I believe that Christianity offers the truth for a number of reasons.

My outlook is based on cummulative approach in that a few things help to construct why I am a Christian.

First and formost would be personal experience. I found that when I challenged God and challenged the Bible, the more I scrutinised it, the more robust it became. The more I looked for evidence of failure I found success. Where I would try to show through scripture that God couldn't be, I found Jesus and his salvation for anyone who asks of it. I went straight to the source and found God there. Then I discovered, being God, he knew about me all along. I then gave my life to God and have entered into a wonderful relationship because of what Jesus has done smile
This has led me into a faith that not only makes the most sense to me but also in many ways transcends understanding. I wouldn't say my theology or philosophy is by any means complete. I still have questions of the Bible, but on the whole, it seems to me to speak only truth and I am convinced enough that I will gladly stand by that.

Secondly I would say that as a result of personal experience which I have a faith in God, in Jesus and how great his love is for us. I think faith is incredibly important for anyone whether they are Christian, Buddihist, Muslim, Atheist, Mormon, Catholic, Jewish etc etc. I think my faith as a result of personal experience is founded in a truth that I wouldn't claim of other belief systems but we all agree on the necessity of faith itself not simply for its powerful emotonal value but also as an important tool for learning and understanding.

Thirdly I would say that there are good arguments and evidence for my belief that can be found in issues of theology, Biblical historicity, moral arguments and philosophical reasoning. Whilst this contributes to or bolsters my belief, I would maintain my belief even if these arguments did not exist, due to my personal experience that convinced me of God's authenticity. It kind of comes back to the personal experience that provides a solid foundation from which everything else becomes a framework.

....and that is why I love Jesus.

ADarksideJedi
I do because I know that I am right on what I believe.

Bicnarok
Originally posted by Lord Lucien
Because I saw her face. Now there's not a trace of doubt in my mind.


your a "monkey" then?smile

XfuBREMXxts

inimalist
Originally posted by willRules
....and that is why I love Jesus.

be honest, it's all about those tanned pecks, isn't it!

skekUng
Originally posted by willRules
First and formost would be personal experience.


Secondly....personal experience...


Thirdly....It kind of comes back to the personal experience


....and that is why I love Jesus.

Get a room you two!

Deja~vu
I used to be an avid believer until I did my research.

Admiral Akbar
Originally posted by Lord Lucien
Because I saw her face. Now there's not a trace of doubt in my mind.

She has a face!? How does she look like. Is she hot?

ADarksideJedi
Originally posted by Deja~vu
I used to be an avid believer until I did my research.


What research was that?

Bardock42
Originally posted by Lord Lucien
Because I saw her face. Now there's not a trace of doubt in my mind.

I was gonna...

Deja~vu
Originally posted by ADarksideJedi
What research was that? Well first, I bought books on all the religions that we have to day and compared them, then I traced all of their roots to their beginnings. That lead me to the Catholic church. I bought and read through all the founder writings and read all the Cannon writings along with early council writings. I read through the ancient historians accounts of the periods too. Then I read about the popular religions of those cultures that influenced the newer beliefs. After that, I read through ancients religions and how they lead up to our current religious views and why they splintered off. I bought a Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic Concordance to translate verses and found a great site to get some translations from the Vulgate. I soon came to realise that what we believe today were only earlier, more ancient religions that included the many of the same miracles and deeds with only the name of the person doing them changed. This was before Jesus was supposedly born. When I read through the council meetings of the Holy Roman Empire (Catholic Church), I could see how many of our celebrations were instituted on earlier pagan or astrology/astronomy beliefs and His Divinity was put to a vote by mere men. All this was instituted for the purpose of control of the people and money resources.

At least that was the conclusion that I came to. smile

inimalist
Originally posted by Deja~vu
Well first, I bought books on all the religions that we have to day and compared them, then I traced all of their roots to their beginnings. That lead me to the Catholic church. I bought and read through all the founder writings and read all the Cannon writings along with early council writings. I read through the ancient historians accounts of the periods too. Then I read about the popular religions of those cultures that influenced the newer beliefs. After that, I read through ancients religions and how they lead up to our current religious views and why they splintered off. I bought a Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic Concordance to translate verses and found a great site to get some translations from the Vulgate. I soon came to realise that what we believe today were only earlier, more ancient religions that included the many of the same miracles and deeds with only the name of the person doing them changed. This was before Jesus was supposedly born. When I read through the council meetings of the Holy Roman Empire (Catholic Church), I could see how many of our celebrations were instituted on earlier pagan or astrology/astronomy beliefs and His Divinity was put to a vote by mere men. All this was instituted for the purpose of control of the people and money resources.

At least that was the conclusion that I came to. smile

lol, I know we don't always share the same opinion, but:

thumb up

Symmetric Chaos
Originally posted by Deja~vu
Well first, I bought books on all the religions that we have to day and compared them, then I traced all of their roots to their beginnings. That lead me to the Catholic church.

Well that was your first error.

Deja~vu
Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Well that was your first error. How so?

Symmetric Chaos
Originally posted by Deja~vu
How so?

Take Hinduism and trace it back to the Catholic church for me.

Deja~vu
LOL I was speaking from the "Christain" faith. I believe that ADarksideJedi is Catholic, so I was responding to her.

ADarksideJedi
Originally posted by Deja~vu
Well first, I bought books on all the religions that we have to day and compared them, then I traced all of their roots to their beginnings. That lead me to the Catholic church. I bought and read through all the founder writings and read all the Cannon writings along with early council writings. I read through the ancient historians accounts of the periods too. Then I read about the popular religions of those cultures that influenced the newer beliefs. After that, I read through ancients religions and how they lead up to our current religious views and why they splintered off. I bought a Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic Concordance to translate verses and found a great site to get some translations from the Vulgate. I soon came to realise that what we believe today were only earlier, more ancient religions that included the many of the same miracles and deeds with only the name of the person doing them changed. This was before Jesus was supposedly born. When I read through the council meetings of the Holy Roman Empire (Catholic Church), I could see how many of our celebrations were instituted on earlier pagan or astrology/astronomy beliefs and His Divinity was put to a vote by mere men. All this was instituted for the purpose of control of the people and money resources.

At least that was the conclusion that I came to. smile

Interesting that must had taken you a long time.

Deja~vu
It did! It took a long, long time. Years. It kind became my little hobby. And since most of my relatives are Catholic besides mine, being more Baptist, yeah, the outcast family.lol. I got obsessed with it.

But that doesn't mean that I don't believe in something. It's just bigger than a book. However, I lost a lot of friends doing that and respect of family members.

ADarksideJedi
I don't disrectect you it is your choice.My family and myself are also Catholic excert for my youngest sister who is a pegan no one argees with her but we don't say anything to her and acourse being my sister she is still one of my best friends.

Deja~vu
Then you're a really good sister. cool

All I got from everyone was prayer, prayer, prayer, and I considered those the same as trying to manipulate someones will who didn't ask for them. Kind of in the Spell category, in my eyes. If you are trying to manipulate someone, in whoever's name it's in then it's still manipulation. (Let bad things happen to her until she comes back into the church), yeah, that's real love. Hmm

Those that did that were the Baptists, SDA's and Pentecosts. The Catholics didn't do that.

They had to pray the "Devil" out of me. LOL But they were praying to God to do bad things to me. Now, what the heck is that??? Hahahaha

AsbestosFlaygon
I beleive there MIGHT be a higher power.

I mean, c'mon.. Water, Fire, Air, Derp..
The magnets, how do they work?

The sun, the moon, Mars, Milky ways, Shootin' stars, UFOs...
they all came from some unknown source.

But we as people are free to beleive whatever we want.
Only problem now is that because of the varied beleifs we have, the further away we become in discovering the truth of God(s)/Satan/YHWH/Brahma/blablabla's existence.

ADarksideJedi
Originally posted by Deja~vu
Then you're a really good sister. cool

All I got from everyone was prayer, prayer, prayer, and I considered those the same as trying to manipulate someones will who didn't ask for them. Kind of in the Spell category, in my eyes. If you are trying to manipulate someone, in whoever's name it's in then it's still manipulation. (Let bad things happen to her until she comes back into the church), yeah, that's real love. Hmm

Those that did that were the Baptists, SDA's and Pentecosts. The Catholics didn't do that.

They had to pray the "Devil" out of me. LOL But they were praying to God to do bad things to me. Now, what the heck is that??? Hahahaha

Thank you.I am sorry that your family did that to you,We do acourse pray for her but we don't tell her that or she would be upset.Anyway I believe prayer to be a private afair that you do on your own weather people know or not.
If yu do it infront of others loudly then that is showing off and is not right.Anyway what ever people believe is up to them that is what I say.

Deja~vu
Many people would get upset if they knew they were being praying for without their consent. It would be like a whole congregation of Pagans praying for you to convert. Wouldn't that offend you? And if you believe that prayer has power, then wouldn't everybodys prayers have power? Wouldn't that be like trying to sabatoge someones free will?

menokokoro
I am part of the LDS Church, (for those who don't know, we are also known as "Mormons"wink, have been my whole life. My beliefs in the church are...complicated at best, I believe that there is a higher power, because (among other things) everything on earth, and our solar system, is so damn perfect for us to be able to live here, I just have a really hard time thinking that was an accident. Of course (and this is where the complicated comes in), there is always the fact that the universe is so SOOOO enormous, that our situation is bound to happen somewhere. Then there is the though, where did it all come from? If "The Big Bang" is real, then how did that begin in the first place, where did the matter originally come from?

There is much more I could say, but I would never stop, so I'll just leave it at this for now.

Quiero Mota
Originally posted by menokokoro
I am part of the LDS Church, (for those who don't know, we are also known as "Mormons"wink, have been my whole life. My beliefs in the church are...complicated at best, I believe that there is a higher power, because (among other things) everything on earth, and our solar system, is so damn perfect for us to be able to live here, I just have a really hard time thinking that was an accident. Of course (and this is where the complicated comes in), there is always the fact that the universe is so SOOOO enormous, that our situation is bound to happen somewhere. Then there is the though, where did it all come from? If "The Big Bang" is real, then how did that begin in the first place, where did the matter originally come from?

There is much more I could say, but I would never stop, so I'll just leave it at this for now.

The scientists argue that it wasn't an accident, and that nothing is perfect though.

menokokoro
it wasn't an accident? how does that disprove anything?

TacDavey
I first started believing in God because I was raised that way. later, I started researching it myself and found it to be the most reasonable explanation for the origins of the universe and life. The Kalam Cosmological argument is a good example. I'd post it but it really needs a thread all to itself.

menokokoro
I just started reading the scriptures again, the first time in...almost a year? wow. I would like to say that the reason I believe, is that the spirit speaks to me. I have had, and will have doubts, but when I feel like I did just barely, I can't argue with that.

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