Why Do You Believe What You Believe?

[Guest angel a]

i believe because He is manifesying Himself to me. i asked for Him to make me know and He has. Every word in scripture is true. He is teaching me.angela

[carrielles]

Total honesty?

I was taught from a very young age about Christianity, and placed my faith in Jesus as a kid. I know the Bible stories inside and out. It wasn't until about the 7th grade that I really stepped back and thought about what I believed. When evolution came into our curriculum at school, I did some research to help back up my faith (including the theroy that God used evolution in creation; no I don't believe this). Afterwards, I became a bit hooked on apoligetics and did more research. Science has in fact helped confirm and stregnthen my trust in God!!

I've been having a great walk with God, and can't wait to see where He'll use me.

A good point to make is that there is nothing wrong with believing something because you were taught it all your life... the point where that becomes bad is if you're mindlessly accepting the fact without really being involved.

Good thread.

Akiko

I was not raised in christian home, so when I came to Christ it was becaused I believed. Like akido science helped God become tanglible to me and therefore more real. So faith first, then later concrete foundation. Thanks for asking.

[hupo]

I guess you are logically correct. But back to the topic: I still don't find Faith logical. There wasn't anything that made sense in following God and Yeshua.

Something out there made me decide to believe. Is it logical? If it is, I don't understand that kind of logic.

I don't see the proof of God you seem to see in scripture.

So to answer the topic question, I believe, because I decided to believe, using that free choice God gave me. No logic.

Then your belief is wavy and highly subject to failure. That's essentially what it boils down to. You don't think teleological, cosmological, and anthropological studies render evidence of God?

Yes, my belief is wavy and highly subject to failure. I don't recall stating it is anything else.

If I still have it, it's no thanks to my works. God is in charge here. I just put my trust in Him.

You are right. I could be in for a rude awakening, as someone mentioned.

As for evidence of God in the above studies. I don't believe in "evidence" of God. Period.

I either believe in Him or not. No evidence whatsoever.

[Kabowd]

I guess you are logically correct. But back to the topic: I still don't find Faith logical. There wasn't anything that made sense in following God and Yeshua.

Something out there made me decide to believe. Is it logical? If it is, I don't understand that kind of logic.

I don't see the proof of God you seem to see in scripture.

So to answer the topic question, I believe, because I decided to believe, using that free choice God gave me. No logic.

Then your belief is wavy and highly subject to failure. That's essentially what it boils down to. You don't think teleological, cosmological, and anthropological studies render evidence of God?

Yes, my belief is wavy and highly subject to failure. I don't recall stating it is anything else.

If I still have it, it's no thanks to my works. God is in charge here. I just put my trust in Him.

You are right. I could be in for a rude awakening, as someone mentioned.

As for evidence of God in the above studies. I don't believe in "evidence" of God. Period.

I either believe in Him or not. No evidence whatsoever.

Your answer actually saddens me. I don't have alot of time to reply right now, I'll have more time later. But I was wondering...do you like to read? Could I recommend a book to you? Here it is:

Click Here: The Francis Schaeffer Trilogy

This is an author whose works have changed my life, and these are three of his most influential works put into one book. Please, if you never read another book...read this one. This will give you very good, solid, sound reasons to believe in the Judeo-Christian God as opposed to any other "god" in any other religion out there. Schaeffer knew alot about other religions and compares other philosophies and worldviews to Christianity and shows you why you can trust God.

I'll post more later when I have time.

[hupo]

Yes, my belief is wavy and highly subject to failure. I don't recall stating it is anything else.

If I still have it, it's no thanks to my works. God is in charge here. I just put my trust in Him.

You are right. I could be in for a rude awakening, as someone mentioned.

As for evidence of God in the above studies. I don't believe in "evidence" of God. Period.

I either believe in Him or not. No evidence whatsoever.

Your answer actually saddens me. I don't have alot of time to reply right now, I'll have more time later. But I was wondering...do you like to read? Could I recommend a book to you? Here it is:

Click Here: The Francis Schaeffer Trilogy

This is an author whose works have changed my life, and these are three of his most influential works put into one book. Please, if you never read another book...read this one. This will give you very good, solid, sound reasons to believe in the Judeo-Christian God as opposed to any other "god" in any other religion out there. Schaeffer knew alot about other religions and compares other philosophies and worldviews to Christianity and shows you why you can trust God.

One of the main reasons that I don't like reading is that it just doen't work for me. I've been told many times that i'm ignoring the truth, that I refuse to concider facts etc, etc.... I stated my faith in Yeshua 10 years ago and have been struggling ever since to make that statement be an honest one.

It saddens me to say that I don't feel i'm there yet......

One of the reasons I came to this board is to see how my thoughts and feelings regarding God and Yeshua, reflect from a good mirror.

The discussions here are real for me but there is a lot behind it that is reflected and thrown back at me, things I need to check out with God.

I'm not accusing the board. On the contrary, I find the reflections a good way to manage this struggle.

I will go check the book you mentioned even with my bad reading experience....... who knows?

Thank you for your response and recomendation

[Guest Biblicist]

hupo,

If you really have trouble reading there are books on tape, even God's word is now out on DVD!

My mother really has trouble with her eyes and reading. She can not read for very long before getting a headache or falling asleep. She's 74.

Maybe books on tape would be the answer for you!

Bib

[Kabowd]

Yes, my belief is wavy and highly subject to failure. I don't recall stating it is anything else.

If I still have it, it's no thanks to my works. God is in charge here. I just put my trust in Him.

You are right. I could be in for a rude awakening, as someone mentioned.

As for evidence of God in the above studies. I don't believe in "evidence" of God. Period.

I either believe in Him or not. No evidence whatsoever.

Your answer actually saddens me. I don't have alot of time to reply right now, I'll have more time later. But I was wondering...do you like to read? Could I recommend a book to you? Here it is:

Click Here: The Francis Schaeffer Trilogy

This is an author whose works have changed my life, and these are three of his most influential works put into one book. Please, if you never read another book...read this one. This will give you very good, solid, sound reasons to believe in the Judeo-Christian God as opposed to any other "god" in any other religion out there. Schaeffer knew alot about other religions and compares other philosophies and worldviews to Christianity and shows you why you can trust God.

One of the main reasons that I don't like reading is that it just doen't work for me. I've been told many times that i'm ignoring the truth, that I refuse to concider facts etc, etc.... I stated my faith in Yeshua 10 years ago and have been struggling ever since to make that statement be an honest one.

It saddens me to say that I don't feel i'm there yet......

One of the reasons I came to this board is to see how my thoughts and feelings regarding God and Yeshua, reflect from a good mirror.

The discussions here are real for me but there is a lot behind it that is reflected and thrown back at me, things I need to check out with God.

I'm not accusing the board. On the contrary, I find the reflections a good way to manage this struggle.

I will go check the book you mentioned even with my bad reading experience....... who knows?

Thank you for your response and recomendation

Can you explain what you mean when you say that reading didn't "work for you"? Or that you had a bad reading experience? What does that mean?

[hupo]

One of the main reasons that I don't like reading is that it just doen't work for me. I've been told many times that i'm ignoring the truth, that I refuse to concider facts etc, etc.... I stated my faith in Yeshua 10 years ago and have been struggling ever since to make that statement be an honest one.

It saddens me to say that I don't feel i'm there yet......

One of the reasons I came to this board is to see how my thoughts and feelings regarding God and Yeshua, reflect from a good mirror.

The discussions here are real for me but there is a lot behind it that is reflected and thrown back at me, things I need to check out with God.

I'm not accusing the board. On the contrary, I find the reflections a good way to manage this struggle.

I will go check the book you mentioned even with my bad reading experience....... who knows?

Can you explain what you mean when you say that reading didn't "work for you"? Or that you had a bad reading experience? What does that mean?

Maybe I shouldn't have expectations but when I read the Bible on and off for 10 years, I would expect something to happen.

I don't find reading does anything for my faith in God. Music does. Reading doesn't.

To be sure, it gives me quite a headache.

By bad experience I mean what I wrote above.

The one thing I ever really heard God say to me was "Why don't you live your life rather than explain it!"

Reading for me is all about explaining things. Doesn't work. I don't understand God any more for all the reading I've done.

I know it doesn't sound very good but hey, I was requested to be a witness, not an atorney or laywer.

[hupo]

hupo,

If you really have trouble reading there are books on tape, even God's word is now out on DVD!

My mother really has trouble with her eyes and reading. She can not read for very long before getting a headache or falling asleep. She's 74.

Maybe books on tape would be the answer for you!

Bib

Funny you should mention this. I just got a whole bunch of Audio Bible Cds from a friend and started listening to them.

[Guest ron_the_disciple]

Why do you beleive what you believe?

Do you believe what you believe because you REALLY believe it?

Or

Do you believe what you believe because that's what you've been taught all your life?

Or

Do you believe what you believe because that's what others expect you to believe?

Or

Do you believe what you believe because Christian tradition says you have to?

Why do you believe what you believe?

I'm just curious.

I've been asking myself these questions quite a bit lately.

Depending on the specific thing considered, why I believe falls to any of those groups. Some things I believe by intellectual consent only, which means I agree with the concept, but it has no practical application in my life. Certainly all of my beliefs are correlated, even derived, from what I have been taught, whether the teacher was another person, or myself. Some things about Christianity I accept that comes from traditional sources. I am sure I have certain beliefs that are the product of conformity to society or relationships. However, I suspect that these questions were primarily directed towards a person's belief in Christ. I have been taught all my life that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, Messiah/Christ, and is the only Way of Salvation for all of humanity for all time. I have been taught that it is not enough to merely believe that He is, for even the demons believe and tremble; but one must trust in Him as one would trust in a parachute before jumping out of a plane, and one must repent of their sinful ways - that is to turn in a whole new direction - that direction being in following Jesus' example. All of this was taught to me, and yet I still did not really believe - I, like a demon, believed and trembled. Yet, through the teaching, through the many acts of grace through the many persons God has placed along my journey, God revealed Himself to me - to my soul, beyond my intellect, and called upon me to surrender to His will and His Word. So, I did. Now my belief is more than rote learning from a classroom, more than simple intellectual consent - it is a real, viable, dynamic part of who I am - it is an integral part of my identity - a child of the Most High God, a friend, brother, servant, and slave to my Lord and my Savior - Jesus of Nazareth - the Messiah - the Christ - The Son of the Living God.