For instace, in many religions, there is always some middle man that god spoke to.  "God told me to tell you all", kind of thing.  "God carved some rules in these stone tablets, honest...now obey!".  Why wouldn't god be a little more direct?  \n\nWhy would god need or want you to believe in it(god)?
209091
Ha, this could be a little true.\n\nBut there is a faith which is not so wacky.  Think of it like this:\n\nLet us say that you have a friend who has always come through for you.  Then one day, you get stranded and you call your friend to come get you, and they say, "I'm on my way!"  Should you trust your friend?  I say yes, of course!  They have always come through for you in the past, so you should trust them.\n\nI think this is what the proper meaning of faith is.  It is trust.  It is an optimism that everything is going to work for the good.
323504
Humans have almost always looked to one god or another to help them explain things they could not understand as well as to use to control the masses around them ... don't think that the "christain" god is anything other than a new god on the block ... there have always been gods for as long as there have been men and yes, they are the creations of our minds and not the other way around ...
411741
Interesting Question I read your other question and some of the answers. I dont believe in god either. I have often wondered why faith and the belief in God has to be taught. Why isnt it an instinctual thing. Why was brute force used to spread the word of God. What are they afraid of that and made them kill and fight wars? Personallly I think people hit a mental barrier and use God as an excuse. They use it as some sort of mental crutch. We suppose to have free will to do what we want and when we want. To believe in God removes a part of that free will because then you have to obey something other than your own free will. It is amazeing how people react badly when you ask these type of questions. Not very Christain like attitude. Surely their faith is strong enough to take these questions with out getting all hot under the collar.\n\nI shall come back to this question to read the rest of the answers as like you I find it interguing. \n\nJust an opinion of one man.
132878
Good questions!  I like good subjest matter.  God is not some bug eyed monster up in the sky.  Why would he be all hateful when he needs us as much as we need him?  We do have free will, and i can do whatever i want because of it, but heres the rub, i was created by something with a view of the bigger picture.  So by virture of where i was born and my personality there are huge sections of human reality that will never even occur to me to do because of who and what i was made to be. Example : kiss my boyfriend, you betcha!; eat chocolate covered ants, hell no!
249206
What you say just isn't true for many people.  People don't refuse faith; faith just doesn't exist for many people, especially thoughtful, rational-type people.  And you already know that it's not true that God always gives when asked; lots of times He doesn't.\n\nRE: Your Email (Yahoo wouln't let me respond directly):\n\nThanks Jenny.  I've read lots of the Bible growing up.  I have not decided "he doesn't exist."  But if He exists, he has not given me Faith.  To the contrary, He has given me a brain and a heart that do not lead me to Faith, even reading the Bible.  Who knows why, but that's the situation.  I can act like I have Faith, I can pretend I have Faith, but it would be a lie, and I can't just manufacture real Faith.  I'm sure it's very comforting to have Faith (regardless of whether it's well placed).
222116
No faith was needed to believe in god? If you have read the bible I ask you who did god appear to? Thats right, he appeared to those who WROTE THE BIBLE. Those people were called prophets. God communicated to them the needs of the people at all times. Those prophets had to teach and testify to the people. Hardly anyone saw God.\n\nNow if one guy see's God and tell's thousands of other people he exists and what he wants us to do, those thousands of people who didn't see him require alot of FAITH to respond.\n\nMost christians want to believe that since we have a few pages of christs teachings, and few hundred pages of his apostles teachines, we know or can know, everything through study, the bible is perfect.\nI don't believe that, I think thats a rediculous, false believe. If you study the history of the bible you'll find that also. I do love the bible however, it teaches great things, but not everything, not even close.\n\nThe true church will have the same organization of the early church, apostles, prophets and teachers. Those apostls and prophets are the only ones who can communicate to god and recieve revelations for our generation.
67934
Awesome! I respect you, alot, because of this statement. I agree that God should not be brought into alot of things. Alot of these people make such statements blindly as they've yet to receive any ACTUAL experience in the type of situation of which the person you're talking to has gone through, but they feel it necessary to enforce (selfishly, I might add.) that they are a Christian and that by saying this they gain points with God. It doesnt. Why would god want to enstill so much trauma on a person? Common sense doesnt react well with fear, and in this case it is the fear that God is abit shakey about their loyalty to him (Which if they were a true Christian then they would probably come to the conclusion that as long as you build good karma selflessly, then their diety would be happy.).\n\nNow the subject about people preaching their beliefs and then sinning out their asses, I believe you're right. In the Bible, it says that God'll cleanse your sins (NOTE: I am an Athiest and do not believe this, but this is for the sake of argument) but that doesnt mean you should rack up as much negative points while you can. A quote from an AWESOME Scream Christian Band (Hardcore True Christians, mind you.)-\n\n"...Christ is not a Fashion..." - Memphis Will Be Layed To Waste by Norma Jean.
226427
Belief in God is the start of Wisdom! Ufortunately nobody has it. If have though, most of them are hippocrates or using it for making money and power in the name of God. \n\nGod comes to you all the day, but we never understands. He comes to you in different forms either to protect you or to wipe away your tears, but nobody knows Him! God never sits in Churches, Mosques, Temples or in Heaven. He is everywhere! No need to find him, because he is always with you! Just look around! Maybe he is working through you to wipe the tears of your fellow being!\n\nI believe in God, because I believe in humanity!
301599
No offense taken.  I believe in God because of what He has already done.  He gave His son for us, would he not freely give us all things?  (Romans 8:32)  That does not mean that we will be rich if we ask Him for it, because that may not be good for our spiritual growth.  However it does mean that He has everything we need and He wants to provide for us.  Just like I would do for my sons.
230513
People think that God controlls everything, therefore, by association, God allows the wars to begin.  People who believe in that cant just say, well this one thing is in God's hands, but this other thing here isnt.
26525
There is no god, so it's impossible to test, but here we go...\n\nThis kind of question, usually phrased as "Could god create a stone so heavy that he, himself, could not lift it?" is important because it calls into question the basic tenets of belief in an "all powerful" entity. \n\nIf he can create such a stone, he is not all powerful.\n\nIf he cannot create such a stone, he is not all powerful.\n\nIt asks us to question the validity of such a theory, as cleary, nothing can exist that is "all powerful."\n\nIs it a silly question? Yes. Does it put forth a valid point? Yes. Asking questions of this nature will lead to further questions, which will eventually reveal the truth.\n\nThe most important thing is to keep asking, keep thinking and keep making people think.\n\nWell done. \n\nLove the burrito answer, D'oh!
641257
The Bible says that God created man in his own image.  You need to use your own judgement on what God is really like.  The Main point of Faith, no matter what your religious denomination is the Golden Rule... "Do unto others as you have them do unto you."  PERIOD  It doesnt take a Pope, Rabbi, Preacher, Preist to know that you should be kind to all creatures.
97126
He doesn't refuse anyone for sure.  Its important to know that God works in His own time.  Answers He will give when He knows we're ready to hear it.  Sometimes it may not be the one we want.  Maybe we're doing something that is stopping the answers to come to us.  That we're doing something against God's will.  But I'm sure He does answer everyone in His OWN way.  Wait a bit.  Be patient.  Be humble.  Be longsuffering.  For our thoughts are not HIS thoughts and so HIS thoughts not ours.  But HE sees all and loves all.  Good luck with finding your answer.
459786
One of our biggest problems--and the fastest way of turning others off to faith--is that so many of us believers think our way is the only way to approach God.  We don't allow for differences in the body of believers.  Jesus had dinner with tax collecors, allowed a prostitute to anoint him, and had fellowship with the woman at the well.  In fact, many of the most powerful moments in his ministry involved his encounters with folk who scandalized the establishment.  \n\nWho are we to try to ban someone just because he has a few ideas different than ours if Jesus refused to do that?\n\nPS for David:  I hope your sabbath was all you hoped for.  Blessings!
184896
Why should someone believe?  There's no proof.\n\nI find it interesting that so many people equate God with an accountability in their lives.  Are you so terrified that without someone holding a big stick and a carrot over your head you'll do something awful.  Take some responsibility for yourself, do the right thing because it's right, not because you are afraid of the consequences or desire a reward.  How juvenile.
619233
I'm with you, Nirmalkitan.  If there were a god and this god wanted his/her message given to everyone, he/she would have found a perfect way to communicate this message to every single person on the planet.  A perfect god would have been able to do this and a perfect god would not have wanted to leave anyone out.
33313
Sometimes God does speak to an individual's situation using a verse that answers them (even though it is not in context).\nFor example, if a person is praying about buying a store and suddenly feels compelled to open the Bible to Proverbs 31:16 "She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard."\nThen it is just possible that God is saying for them to go ahead and make the purchase.\nMaybe you're contemplating getting a nose ring and you feel compelled to look up Genesis 24:47 - That could be God saying "Go ahead".\nSuppose you were wanting to make a bussiness deal and you read Proverbs 7:26 "For she has brought many down to death;\nher victims are countless."\nThat's probably God saying "No, you fool, don't do it!" \n\nThe reason this is so controversial is that all too often, this type of "leading" is simply mis-leading, not God leading. The way to test it though, is just like Jesus did when Saten tempted Him by quoting (out of context) Scripture in the desert - Ask yourself the question, "Does this answer glorify God? Will this answer lead me to do anything that God has said not to do? Will this answer cause me to sin against my fellow-man? Is this a wise and loving solution?"