Is life more blessed without belief in God?
606989
everything is perfectly balanced.  It's nature's law.\n\nThere are optamistic and pestamistic people everywhere.  That is really irrelavent.\n\nThe truth is I do not know your niehbor or these thugs.  So I can't show you how there lives are balanced, but keep in mind there is more then just cars in there lives.  For instance your nieghbor probably has a good family (most religious people do) whereas the thugs don't(most unreligious don't).
732889
Faith is our beliefs and our beliefs define our reality. Religion is a set of beliefs. Your life is your set of beliefs. Therefore, no, without faith your life can't have meaning. You would have nothing to believe in, no existence.
387552
I won't believe in anything, because belief is just con artistry. A REAL relationship with divinity doesn't require beleif. But it does require sincerely looking and depth searching and getting things ethically resolved inside of your mind and learning to pay attention to whats behind the inner veil and past the inner dialogue.\n\nTruth isn't found in BS created to control peoples minds instead of liberate them, and the Churches version of reality is only just a mental trap to keep you paying for\nsomeobdy to talk to god for you, instead of you doing the work yourself.
514234
Is it fear? For me, no. As a matter of fact believing, for me, brings out more fear than not. If I believe, I am afraid I will be someday tested on that belief, where as if I didn't believe, there would be nothing to be scared of. \n\nRandomness of life? No. I still feel as if life is random, just a long series of events sometimes subject to change on a whim. Sure, I believe that is all attributed to God, but it doesn't make it less stressful, or meaningful to me.\n\nMy Parents? My parents were not of the same religion, and it was never practiced in our home. I knew my mom talked about God in times of trouble, and that my dad hated the idea of church, but other than that, I didn't learn it from them.\n\nAlways believed? For me, like I said above, no. I actually had heard VERY little of God until I was 15, and my parents put me into a Christian school, because I was a bad kid, and had behavioral problems in Public School. Thats where I first hear about religion, God and Salvation.\n\nGod gave me a shot, and when I'm dead, I'm dead? Yep. I believe all that I do based on faith. but I have no proof, and it is possible the scenario you stated could be true. If thats the case, what do I have to lose anyway. I'll be dead, and it wont matter what I thought anymore.\n\nHelp me sleep at night? Sure, a little. But I worry about so much as it is, and I have more to think about than just falling back for comfort on my belief. Thats not what real belief is. It should not be a crutch we use only when we want, or need it.\n\nBeliever to non, or reverse? yes. I was a non-believer, and now I am a believer. For me, all the proof I needed was how my life changed when I came to believe in Christ and have faith. I was a terrible kid, no conscience, no guilt, no shame. I was abusive to my little brother, our animals, I routinley made my parent cry. I lied, I cheated, I stole, you name it. And I felt nothing about it. When I became saved, it all stopped. And it didn't stop just because suddenly people said I had to, but instantly, it ended, through no effort of my own. I changed into a new person in a moments notice, with no effort, no work, no conviction on my part. That alone was proof to me, I had found something real, and it was given to me freely. THATS why I believe in God. From that moment, my life has never been the same, it has only gotten better, and I could not have done that alone.
78255
I believe in God because I need to believe in something better in this life time, to have an explanation on where people and other things came from, to feel that no matter happens in my life there's Some one i can turn to, to know that no matter what i've done or where i've been,  i am loved, it's the only way i'll be able to be an honest decent person, if i didn't believe in God i wouldn't have any conscious, i'll do what ever i want when i want, with no fear of anything.
729420
Not believing in God is not a crime unless you are born to a certain religious belief.\n\nIts a matter of choice.  Just try to understand the consequence of the absence of faith.
326605
Nope. Home recovering from surgery. I just wanted to say, I really liked your take on spirituality! So many people turn away from God (or whatever you prefer to call it) when what they should be questioning are the religions created by man. God does not equal religion. When it comes to teachings, take what rings true to you! I'd love to see more people understand the difference!
614913
Yes I believe in God, but not the way traditional Christians do.  I'm a Gnostic Christian.
504210
None.  Everyone believes in a god.  For some it is the god of humanity for others it is the god of sports, for some it is the Divine Being in heaven.
648343
Yes.  Someone above thinks God is merciful for letting us live -- that is NOT always the case.  Go to the hospitals and see those begging to be set free from their lives of pain and misery.  So, yes, "life" could be more merciful since I'm sure "God" doesn't exist (except in the imagination).
1023581
It means you have not chosen a specific religion, or follow a specific diety.\n\nA better interpretation would be, "without faith"
572194
I wouldn't feel the need to categorize yourself, then.\n\nJust tell him your still searching.\n\nI've always thought those that titled themselves as Agnostics believed that there is no need for God in their lives.  Doesn't it literally mean to "live without God?"\n\nIf you are open to learning about religion and becoming spiritual then you are not Agnostic.
351761
No. I am not a really big religious person but i still believe that if someone is, that is a major life decision and they should believe in what they think is best. Not believe in something just because you do.
1015081
When you are absolutly sure in what your personal beliefs are , you can find happiness . \nReligion is a "tool" that some opt to use.\nOthers do not need it as they are able to find inner peace.
510779
Yes (in a sense)...\n\nI used to be an atheist. Over a period of time however, I grew convinced of the existence of the Christian God, and ultimately committed my life to Christ. \n\nFor a draft-version of my journey from atheism to Christ, see http://www.godsci.org/gs/chri/testimony/seek.html\n\nCordially,\nJohn
1174865
to believe in a god you need faith and nothing else
1124378
I agree completely. Here's Penn Jillette's take on this one. I think it speaks for me:\n\nBelieving there is no God means the suffering I've seen in my family, and indeed all the suffering in the world, isn't caused by an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent force that isn't bothered to help or is just testing us, but rather something we all may be able to help others with in the future. No God means the possibility of less suffering in the future.