Here's the scoop on this one: because I think it will produce some interesting answers, let's keep it strict and easy. In one sentence, explain to me the best reason you have for believing in whatever faith (or lack thereof) that you adhere to. For the sake of an interesting thread, let's try to stay on-topic and not reduce the thread to in-fighting! Atheist - Because it is quite clear to me that "god" is within each of us, and all around us.
I saw that thread, that's why I reduced the answering requirement to only one sentence; I hope that will encourage people to take the time to respond. You're here, so you go second!
My quotes were important there It's pretty obvious to me through meditation and simple reflection that what religious organizations call "god" is simply a force created by nature that we are all infused with. Our world and universe is obviously amazing and intricate beyond imagination, not attributable to any single force. What I'm trying to say is that we are all made from the same stuff, everything from single-cell organisms to human beings to whatever and whoever else is out there. That stuff is nature's work, Mother Earth's work; not the work of some fictional deity. My meditation and thanks is aimed at all life in general, including the life within me. In short, I am "god", as are you and everyone else.
These are the reasons I believe in God as well.. Created in his own image.. Yes, I agree that we are beings of unlimited boundaries, limited by nothing. Do you believe life is a.... privilege a gift or an accident?
I believe that it is all three. We are as "accidental" as anything in that we exist, but that accident is both a gift and a privilege that we should all be thankful for and make the most of. The difference is that I believe we are a fluke of science and evolution (although our evolution was always inevitable), and that we have been endowed with gifts from nature in general, no some unseen "god". To continue on that path, it could be said that nature (Nature?) is "god". The forces behind nature and all that it provides are countless and giving that credit to a character from a story or fable is not doing you, or nature, any justice.
I have to disagree, I don´t believe life is accidental... Nor is life a privilege to any - it is not my right to live while others die around me, the pieces just happen to fall that way. Maybe tomorrow I will die, who knows. But I do know that there are thousands that die in Africa because of preventable things, most of them infants/children. This could easily be you or me, but we just happend to be lucky enough to be born in Canada (you) and America (me). I liked it better when you said this: Ilya Prigogine, chemist-physicist, recipient of two Nobel Prizes in chemistry, wrote: "The statistical probability that organic structures and the most precisely harmonized reactions that typify living organisms would be generated by accident, is zero."(1) That's right - zero! Read more: Did Life Form by Accident? [quote="PalSys, post: 3920080"]... really talking about anything in particular.
I believe in God because he has done many miracles in my life and I ask him to take charge of my everyday living which I'm convinced that he has his hands in what I ask him to do.
A gift... Tool - Parabola: "Recognize this as a holy gift and celebrate this Chance to be alive and breathing"
All very true, and that is our fatal flaw - we allow the privilege to be put to shame every time someone dies a preventable death. On the other hand, isn't that proof that things really are random by nature and not overseen by a deity? All that article says to me is that the force of nature is amazing. That can be seen in every facet of evolution and life's progression and suggests to me an even more unlikely chance of there being a single deity. If you agree with the "story thing", how can you be Christian? Everything you've said so far makes you seem as if you've done some deep thinking on the subject, but most of your conclusions don't mesh with the Christian god as I understand him.