Why do you believe God exist

[theCouncilof13]

Why?

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

Because I have felt the Raw, Almighty Power of God in a physical, measurable way. This Power was complete Love and Peace, but amazingly, if I had felt any greater amount of this Power, my physical body would not have endured it without some sort of altering.

This Power was not of this earth (or universe), but it was so incredible that I know that it was from the Creator of all. After this experience, my life has not been my own; I have been completely owned and my life has been directed outside of my own choosing. The painful course of my life could not have been of my own accord, but this Holy Discipline has caused me to change so that I would become a growing reflection of our Powerful, Almighty Jesus.

I cannot express enough how much I love our Christ, what He has done, and what He will do for others in the future.

 

[ZNP]

Why?

Paul talks about the our faith being filled "unto all the riches of the full assurance". Every time you get a "rich" from the word it builds your faith.

For example, I just finished a 2 part series from Chuck Missler "Beyond coincidence parts 1 and 2"

In this series he proves the existence not only of God but that the Bible is the word of God with a non terrestrial origin outside the realm of time.

Yes, I realize that is an audacious claim that flies in the face of political correctness. However, he definitely meets the criteria for a scientific proof.

 

[Magenta]

God reveals Himself to those who sincerely/diligently seek Him. Naturally this presents a problem to the non-believer, because, as one once asked me, why would they seek something they do not believe to exist in the first place? The answer is simple, since the question of the meaning and purpose of life cannot be properly addressed without seriously considering whether or not we have a Creator, and attempting to discover our reason for being. In fact, the quest for truth is an ages old endeavor, and I would advise any who do not know God personally to undertake an earnest search for truth which would include getting down on their knees to pray to God, for He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Jesus Christ said, "I am the truth" as part of a longer statement: I am the way, the truth, and the life. He is the light and life of man, and the ultimate embodiment of Truth.

Welcome!

 

[brighthouse98]

If for no other reason here is why. ( Rom 1:20) There is NO Excuse!!

 

[kinda]

Why?

I believe in God, because of signs and wonders. Since I was a believer in high school, lost my faith in college, but later returned to the faith in college, it has given me some insight from a different perspective.

When I lost my faith in college, I tested God without really knowing, by rejecting him. It gave me a new perspective how empty life really is without God. The emptiness is real in my opinion. What's life really living for, if you reject your maker? Seems rather direction less life style to me.

Whatever life style you choose, it seems useless without acknowledging your Creator. It would be like saying, you came to be you all by yourself without your parents. Your parents raised you from cradle until your parent's are dead. They spent their life trying to give all the things you need to succeed. How can you have anything, without your parents first providing for you?

I think as a believer you start testing the Bible, to see if it's true. The principles it teaches you, keeps you safe, and protected from the pitfalls of life. Especially the lake of fire!




Vanity[b] of vanities, says the Preacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes 1-12&version=ESV

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

https://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/12-13.htm

 

[Gideon300]

Why?

Because of the physical world. It is amazingly complex and stunningly beautiful. I was taught evolution in science class. Even as a child, I did not buy it. Who looks at a Constable painting and speculates about an explosion in a paint factory? The systems that enable a human being to live are breathtaking.

So many systems are interdependent. Blood could not circulate without a heart, both outward and inward systems are required, veins have non-return valves to prevent blood pooling and a constant temperature regulation system is required. That's before you consider the function of the blood itself. That all this could "just happen" is patently ridiculous.

 

[Handyman62]

Why?

Although it's very difficult to see what Jesus has done or is doing in my life, it's unmistakable what satan has done and is doing. Sadly he has had many major & minor victories in my life and it's easy to see his finger prints are all over them.

Originally it was a fear of dying that led me to the Lord but at this time in my life it's because of satan that I continue to be a believer in Jesus.

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

Although it's very difficult to see what Jesus has done or is doing in my life, it's unmistakable what satan has done and is doing. Sadly he has had many major & minor victories in my life and it's easy to see his finger prints are all over them.

Originally it was a fear of dying that led me to the Lord but at this time in my life it's because of satan that I continue to be a believer in Jesus.

My friend, a person can glean invaluable Wisdom from the below Seven Perfect Verses. They are life-changing! (Choose your favorite translation and be amazed. Compare the NLT and KJV for shocking revelations - this can take months, if not years.)

Colossians 2:9-15 NLT - "For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. 11 When you came to Christ, you were "circumcised," but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision--the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. 13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross."

 

[Runningman]

God reveals Himself to those who sincerely/diligently seek Him. Naturally this presents a problem to the non-believer, because, as one once asked me, why would they seek something they do not believe to exist in the first place? The answer is simple, since the question of the meaning and purpose of life cannot be properly addressed without seriously considering whether or not we have a Creator, and attempting to discover our reason for being. In fact, the quest for truth is an ages old endeavor, and I would advise any who do not know God personally to undertake an earnest search for truth which would include getting down on their knees to pray to God, for He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Jesus Christ said, "I am the truth" as part of a longer statement: I am the way, the truth, and the life. He is the light and life of man, and the ultimate embodiment of Truth.

That's well said. People often won't understand something until they experience it and for some people words on a piece of paper aren't enough. Anyone can write down something the Bible says and non-believers understand that and often turn in mocking ridicule and quote passages from Harry Potter in response. The point is that people need to experience God and see that the promises of the Bible are real, literal, and testable.

Inroads to reaching non-spiritual people can often be achieved through logical and material reasons for the existence of God. A healthy curiosity, a desire for truth, and open mind are a good start. This can lead people on a quest to find God and Christianity may not be their first, second, or third stop on that quest. I do firmly believe that if people really want to find God that they will inevitably find Jesus sooner or later because that's what the Bible says and that's my experience as well.

 

[arthurfleminger]

I believe that God exists from common sense, because I don't have any faith that the universe could create itself out of nothing and then go on and create intelligent life.

How can nothing create something? Not gonna happen. Even atheistic scientists will tell you that nothing cannnot create something. These athestic scientists will deny God, but they have no plausible explanation, only science fiction explanations, as to where the universew came from. Not a clue.

Most importantly, the Bible, Old and New Testament, present a great deal of plausable evidence for God to exist.

 

[Magenta]

Even atheistic scientists will tell you that nothing cannot create something.

Funnily enough, some will say just that Stephen Hawking wrote, “Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist.”

 

[arthurfleminger]

In fact, you can be logically certain that God exists than that you are reading this article right now.
A Brain in a Vat
Let’s start by taking a position of radical doubt. Suppose for a moment that you are not really a human being with an actual body. In reality, you are nothing more than a brain floating in a vat of fluids, with electrodes attached to various parts of your exterior that allow evil scientists to manipulate you into thinking that what you perceive is actually there, when in fact it is nothing more than an imaginary world constructed by the scientists. Right now, they are making you think that you are reading this article when in fact you are not.
From this point of extreme skepticism, we will prove beyond all possible doubt that God exists.

1. One cannot deny one’s own existence.
Cogito, ergo sum. Even if you’re just a brain in a vat, your own existence can be verified simply by the fact that you perceive—that is, you see, hear, smell, taste and touch things. Whether or not your perceptions are accurate is another question, but even if you doubt your own existence, you must exist, for it is impossible for a non-existent thing to doubt. In fact, the very act of doubting proves that you exist. Therefore, denying your own existence is a contradiction in terms. I can deny yours and you can deny mine, but I can’t doubt mine, nor can you doubt yours.
2. There is at least one thing that exists.
It is possible for you to be deceived in your perception. In fact, it’s conceivable that every one of your perceptions is a delusion. But even if that is the case—even if nothing you think exists actually exists—you still must exist.

3. There is such a thing as existence.
You can know with certainty that there is at least one entity, at least one thing of which the term existence can be predicated. If there were no such thing as existence, nothing would exist, not even you. But, as we have seen already, that is impossible.
As Aquinas would say, there must be an “act of being” in which all entities participate. This act of being must itself exist; it must be an entity. Thomas calls this entity esse, which is Latin for “to be” or “to exist.”
4. The nature of esse is actuality.
Now that we have established that esse is an entity, we must ask: What is the nature of this entity? What is its definition?
To answer these questions, we must consider existence by itself, apart from everything else.
What do we mean when we say that something exists? We mean that it is actual. For example, an acorn is actually an acorn and potentially a tree. A tree is actually a tree and potentially lumber. Lumber is actually lumber and potentially a desk. A desk is actually a desk and potentially firewood. Firewood is actually firewood and potentially ashes.
In other words, a thing is actually what it is right now; it is potentially what it might be in the future.
Now when we say that something exists, we normally refer to actuality rather than potentiality. For instance, if I held up an egg and said, “This egg exists,” you would understand me, because what I am saying is “This egg is actual” or “This is actually an egg.” But if I held up the egg and said, “This chicken exists,” that would not make sense to you, because even though the egg is potentially a chicken (that is, the chicken exists potentially), the concept of existence applies primarily to the egg’s actual state and only secondarily to its potential state.
Now potentiality is still a form of existence, but we realize that it is, in some sense, inferior to actuality. In other words, potentiality is a “shade” of existence the same way that pink is a shade of red. Just as we would say that pink lemonade is red but not in the same way that Hawaiian punch is red, so we say that potentiality exists but not as much as actuality does. Actuality is the fullness of existence.
So, again, taking the brain-in-a-vat hypothesis, you know that you are actual, even if nothing else you perceive exists.


I've used up too many words. The rest of my response is continued:

 

[arthurfleminger]

In fact, you can be logically certain that God exists than that you are reading this article right now.
A Brain in a Vat
Let’s start by taking a position of radical doubt. Suppose for a moment that you are not really a human being with an actual body. In reality, you are nothing more than a brain floating in a vat of fluids, with electrodes attached to various parts of your exterior that allow evil scientists to manipulate you into thinking that what you perceive is actually there, when in fact it is nothing more than an imaginary world constructed by the scientists. Right now, they are making you think that you are reading this article when in fact you are not.
From this point of extreme skepticism, we will prove beyond all possible doubt that God exists.

1. One cannot deny one’s own existence.
Cogito, ergo sum. Even if you’re just a brain in a vat, your own existence can be verified simply by the fact that you perceive—that is, you see, hear, smell, taste and touch things. Whether or not your perceptions are accurate is another question, but even if you doubt your own existence, you must exist, for it is impossible for a non-existent thing to doubt. In fact, the very act of doubting proves that you exist. Therefore, denying your own existence is a contradiction in terms. I can deny yours and you can deny mine, but I can’t doubt mine, nor can you doubt yours.
2. There is at least one thing that exists.
It is possible for you to be deceived in your perception. In fact, it’s conceivable that every one of your perceptions is a delusion. But even if that is the case—even if nothing you think exists actually exists—you still must exist.

3. There is such a thing as existence.
You can know with certainty that there is at least one entity, at least one thing of which the term existence can be predicated. If there were no such thing as existence, nothing would exist, not even you. But, as we have seen already, that is impossible.
As Aquinas would say, there must be an “act of being” in which all entities participate. This act of being must itself exist; it must be an entity. Thomas calls this entity esse, which is Latin for “to be” or “to exist.”
4. The nature of esse is actuality.
Now that we have established that esse is an entity, we must ask: What is the nature of this entity? What is its definition?
To answer these questions, we must consider existence by itself, apart from everything else.
What do we mean when we say that something exists? We mean that it is actual. For example, an acorn is actually an acorn and potentially a tree. A tree is actually a tree and potentially lumber. Lumber is actually lumber and potentially a desk. A desk is actually a desk and potentially firewood. Firewood is actually firewood and potentially ashes.
In other words, a thing is actually what it is right now; it is potentially what it might be in the future.
Now when we say that something exists, we normally refer to actuality rather than potentiality. For instance, if I held up an egg and said, “This egg exists,” you would understand me, because what I am saying is “This egg is actual” or “This is actually an egg.” But if I held up the egg and said, “This chicken exists,” that would not make sense to you, because even though the egg is potentially a chicken (that is, the chicken exists potentially), the concept of existence applies primarily to the egg’s actual state and only secondarily to its potential state.
Now potentiality is still a form of existence, but we realize that it is, in some sense, inferior to actuality. In other words, potentiality is a “shade” of existence the same way that pink is a shade of red. Just as we would say that pink lemonade is red but not in the same way that Hawaiian punch is red, so we say that potentiality exists but not as much as actuality does. Actuality is the fullness of existence.
So, again, taking the brain-in-a-vat hypothesis, you know that you are actual, even if nothing else you perceive exists.


I've used up too many words. The rest of my response is continued:

Continuation:

5. Esse is nothing but pure actuality.
Potentiality is a privation of actuality. That is, it is not a thing in itself but the absence of something. In the same way, darkness is not a substance itself but the absence (or privation) of light.
Now a thing considered in itself contains nothing but its fullness. The nature (or essence) of light consists of nothing but light itself; it does not contain darkness. Therefore, the essence of esse contains nothing but its fullness, actuality. There is no potentiality in the nature of esse. Thus, the essence of esse is pure actuality, just as the essence of light is pure light.
Thomas argues that all entities participate in esse insofar as they are actual. Therefore, that in which they participate—esse—must be actual. In fact, it cannot admit of any potentiality.

6. Esse not only does exist but must exist.
Existence itself is pure actuality, with no potentiality in it. This means that the essence of existence is nothing other than existence. Existence is its own essence.
From this it follows that esse itself must exist, for if it did not, it would violate its own essence, which is impossible.

7. Esse is distinct from everything else that exists.
You can know from step 1 that you exist, and we know from step 3 that esse exists. But we also know that the two are not identical.
Let’s say you’re just a brain in a vat, that everything you perceive is an illusion. You can still recognize that, while you are actual in some ways, you are potential in other ways. You actually perceive that you’re reading this article right now; you’re potentially perceiving something else. You are actually existing right now; you potentially exist five minutes from now. Moreover, anything else that may exist has the same attribute: Its essence is composed of both actuality and potentiality.

8. Esse must be one.
If there were more than one esse, then there would be distinctions among them. But distinctions imply limitations, and limitations imply potentiality. But since esse is pure actuality, it has no limitations, which means there is no distinction in esse. Therefore, there is only one esse.
9. Esse must be immutable.
Change involves potentiality. In order for something to change, it must first have the potential to change; it must have a potentiality that is to be actualized. But since esse is purely actual, it has no potential to change. Therefore, esse is unchanging.
10. Esse must be eternal.
Time is nothing but the passing of the future into the present into the past. It is the changing of the not-yet into the now into the no-longer. But because esse does not change, it does not change from the future to the present to the past. It must be outside the realm of time, which means that there is no future, present, or past with esse. In other words, esse is non-temporal, or eternal.

11. Esse must be infinite.
Space is nothing but the changing of the over-here to the over-there. Anything that is actually here is potentially there. But because esse is immutable, it must be outside the realm of space. It has no spatial constraints—that is, esse is infinite.

12. Esse must be omniscient.
Even if you’re a brain in a vat, you can perceive that you have the capacity to know. Because you are only partly actual, and esse is purely actual, esse must know all there is to know. That is, esse is all-knowing, or omniscient.

13. Esse must be omnipotent.
You can perceive that you have the capacity to do some things that are logically possible. Since you are only partly actual, and esse is purely actual, esse must be able to do all
things that are logically possible. That is, esse is all-powerful, or omnipotent.
We have thus proven the existence of a being (esse) that not only does exist but must exist and is one, unchanging, eternal, infinite, omniscient, and omnipotent. This matches our definition of God that we stated at the beginning.
We can conclude, then, that even if all of your sense perceptions are false, even if you are nothing but a brain in a vat being manipulated by scientists into believing that you are reading this article right now when in fact you are not, there are two things you can know with absolute, 100 percent certainty: (1) You exist, and (2) God exists.

 

[arthurfleminger]

The universe began to exist, and therefore requires a transcendent cause.
All of our best scientific evidence, from the expansion of the universe to the second law of thermodynamics, tells us that the universe had an absolutely beginning a finite time ago. According to modern science, roughly 13.4 billion years ago all of space-time reality popped into existence in a single instant.
According to Stephen Hawking, “almost everyone now believes that the universe, and time itself, had a beginning at the big bang” . Physics professor and Director of the Institute of Cosmology at Tufts University Alexander Vilenkin explains that scientists

“CAN NO LONGER HIDE BEHIND A PAST-ETERNAL UNIVERSE. THERE IS NO ESCAPE, THEY HAVE TO FACE THE PROBLEM OF A COSMIC BEGINNING” .​

This is uncontroversial and can be found in any textbook on cosmology and astronomy.

The “Big Bang”, theory is generally accepted worldwide in scientific circles today. This theory is actually the best argument we have for the existence of God. If the universe (space itself, time itself, matter, and energy) had an absolute beginning, what caused the universe itself to come into being? What made the Big Bang go “BANG” in the first place?

Whatever caused space to come into being couldn’t have already been operating from within space, and whatever caused matter to come into being must be immaterial. This is quite obvious, seeing as there would be no space-time reality to operate within if the universe did not exist. And there would be no matter from which the cause could have been made, since matter did not exist. This means the cause must be “transcendent“, outside of the universe.

All multiverse theories fail to escape an absolute beginning, for the multiverses themselves must also have a beginning as it an established scientific fact that any universe that is expanding must have had a moment of initial singularity, a beginning. The multiverses themselves would also need a transcendent explanation as their cause as they cannot be extrapolated into infinity past.

So what caused everything to happen in the first place?
The argument goes as follows:

1. Whatever begins to exist has a cause.

2. If the universe began to exist, the universe has a transcendent cause.

3. The universe began to exist.

Conclusion: Therefore the universe has a transcendent cause. If these three premises are true, the conclusion is unavoidable. These premises are, at the very least, more probably true than not, giving us an extremely good reason to believe in a transcendent cause of the universe. This cause must be spaceless, timeless, immaterial powerful, eternal and uncaused (since it is outside of time). These are properties normally attributed to God.

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

Funnily enough, some will say just that Stephen Hawking wrote, “Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist.”

And because his name was Stephen Hawking, the name alone was reason to believe him. Wacky.

 

[ResidentAlien]

If we're just talking about God in general, I know He exists because of the creation. It's an old saying but it's a good one. When you look at a watch you know there was a watch maker; it didn't evolve by random mutation or come about accidentally. Likewise, the odds that the creation as we know it happened by itself or by accident are astronomical. There was an intelligent creator; there had to be.

 

[2ndTimothyGroup]

When you look at a watch you know there was a watch maker; it didn't evolve by random mutation or come about accidentally.

Decades ago, I actually used this argument on a professed disbeliever and he said, "Yes." He believes that if given enough time, a watch could magically fall together, atom by atom, and begin functioning all on its own. Unbelievable. BTW: He was a manager . . . not a stupid guy in the least.

 

[arthurfleminger]

God created the material universe, so science of the universe will not counter God's truth. Before today's militant athesists came on the scene there was a scientist who was regarded as the leading atheist for decades. He held numerous debates with believers over the years. But, shortly before he died, he became a theist, not a Christian but a believer in God. He converted because he said that that is where the truth of science led him. Most are not familiar with Anthony Flew, not a household name in this country. But here is a great 4 minute video which outlines the reason why he converted after decades of atheism. Well worth watching: Antony Flew and his conversion to belief in God - Bing video

 

[Gardenias]

Simply said by someone who been there and still KNOWS!