If you believe in God, what convinced you?

How was the universe created? Yeah big bang, but what was the beginning? Where did the matter come from? Where does space end?

Perhaps these questions are too complex to understand with the human mind and our need to have time and space.

I believe you can dispute every religion because they were all created by people looking for something to explain the unknown. Looking for something to lean on. However I can't dispute the origins of the universe as my mind can't wrap itself around any other plausible explanations.

Or maybe a black hole that allows time travel, brought matter from the future to start the universe.

he told me he’d send nudes

What convinced me was the Bible and people who have such a strong faith in it. I mean adults believing 2000 year old fairy tales about talking snakes, the human race being inbred, divine pedophilia, and a vengeful God who will torture your soul for eternity if you don't believe these absurd stories because he loves you... do you need anymore proof of intelligent design?

my non consential circumsision at 6 years old

icedmy non consential circumsision at 6 years old

you got circumcised at 6? sounds painful holy shit

.Fryyou got circumcised at 6? sounds painful holy shit

yea I was fully conscious when the rabbi came at me and bit it off

I don't think people were convinced to believe in god, I think it is more of a "I want to believe in god". Because as we all know you could very well debunk any story that is in the Bible, so if you're looking at it from a logical standpoint I don't think you could be "convinced" to believe in god.

skiermanWhat convinced me was the Bible and people who have such a strong faith in it. I mean adults believing 2000 year old fairy tales about talking snakes, the human race being inbred, divine pedophilia, and a vengeful God who will torture your soul for eternity if you don't believe these absurd stories because he loves you... do you need anymore proof of intelligent design?

This

icedyea I was fully conscious when the rabbi came at me and bit it off

jesus christ hahaha

Born and raised Catholic and it has just helped me grow as a person. I didn't ever get into my faith until high school where we have youth group requirements for confirmation. Before that I hated church but it was because it thought it was boring, but I never really payed attention or listened. However after learning what we are all about, I learned how to truly love people and respect them. Even if the whole religion thing was a hoax, it still feels a lot better to be the bigger man in a situation and not use people aka following the commandments. Plus there are certain miracles that just can't be explained.

The.FishBorn and raised Catholic and it has just helped me grow as a person. I didn't ever get into my faith until high school where we have youth group requirements for confirmation. Before that I hated church but it was because it thought it was boring, but I never really payed attention or listened. However after learning what we are all about, I learned how to truly love people and respect them. Even if the whole religion thing was a hoax, it still feels a lot better to be the bigger man in a situation and not use people aka following the commandments. Plus there are certain miracles that just can't be explained.

That's great and all, and I'm not trying to shit on religion, but you can be a good person without religon.

LonelyThat's great and all, and I'm not trying to shit on religion, but you can be a good person without religon.

i know but there is something about a divine love that makes sense to me personally. It helps explain so many things

When I think about a movie and find it on tv hours later.

icedyea I was fully conscious when the rabbi came at me and bit it off

major rip to all the 13 year old jewish boys

LonelyThat's great and all, and I'm not trying to shit on religion, but you can be a good person without religon.

without religion yes, but without God? Without surrending to the knowledge of a higher good/power? I don't see it that much. People say they're good but when shit hits the fan, or even when it comes to how they treat themselves and the kinds of choices they make.. I don't see that much good as I'd like.

one time i was thinking about the start of time and it made me realize that time isnt real and life is a simulation

SteezySmith57without religion yes, but without God? Without surrending to the knowledge of a higher good/power? I don't see it that much. People say they're good but when shit hits the fan, or even when it comes to how they treat themselves and the kinds of choices they make.. I don't see that much good as I'd like.

Yeah? And I know faithful Christians that beat their dogs. Religion is not unanimous with goodness, and a higher power is not required to be good.

To me what "convinced me" and I know convinced isn't a great word, was connecting the dots from within everything I've observed. Human history (not just the bs fed in school textbooks), spiritual teachings, learning about concepts like karma and reincarnation, and the parallels found between all world religions or popular stories/ideologies. I used a lot of psylocibin I gotta add too, and that only enhanced what I saw in the patterns. I saw God separate from religion and I saw it everywhere in every thing. People think too much about the Bible and God as a "he" but to me God is a balancing force and a divine love force. God is the reason everything has an opposite. Everything grows everything dies. God is the fact that consciousness exists. God like many people talk about God is like giving the universe an ego.. And if you look at it that way its kinda like proof there.. The universe is vast cold and unforgiving but the fact that conscious love and beauty was able to manifest proves there's always gonna be two sides to reality, a material, and intentional part. To me, God is both the parts working together and loving each other. Every thing else that happens is just karma and the universe/unconscious aspect of reality trying to maintain balance. It all stems from a creation, and destruction before that, and tons of other cycles happening over and over. It's all the same thing happening in different ways in the same universe, and God would be the universe. A conscious universe that loves itself and the things inside it but can't do anything other than create or destroy.

LonelyYeah? And I know faithful Christians that beat their dogs. Religion is not unanimous with goodness, and a higher power is not required to be good.

Yea but knowing the higher self is universal and needed if you wanna be the best you that you can be.

SteezySmith57Yea but knowing the higher self is universal and needed if you wanna be the best you that you can be.

How? Explain that. Support it. Don't just make an empty claim.

LonelyHow? Explain that. Support it. Don't just make an empty claim.

Just like you gotta visualize a ski trick before you do it, you gonna be able to have a vision for yourself and who you wanna be, otherwise life will just be aimless and you will be lost.

SteezySmith57Just like you gotta visualize a ski trick before you do it, you gonna be able to have a vision for yourself and who you wanna be, otherwise life will just be aimless and you will be lost.

So why do I have to believe in God to have that vision of myself?

LonelySo why do I have to believe in God to have that vision of myself?

You don't but I believe that the fact you can have a vision for yourself is proof of a God/higher consciousness that humans can tap into or go against

SteezySmith57To me what "convinced me" and I know convinced isn't a great word, was connecting the dots from within everything I've observed. Human history (not just the bs fed in school textbooks), spiritual teachings, learning about concepts like karma and reincarnation, and the parallels found between all world religions or popular stories/ideologies. I used a lot of psylocibin I gotta add too, and that only enhanced what I saw in the patterns. I saw God separate from religion and I saw it everywhere in every thing. People think too much about the Bible and God as a "he" but to me God is a balancing force and a divine love force. God is the reason everything has an opposite. Everything grows everything dies. God is the fact that consciousness exists. God like many people talk about God is like giving the universe an ego.. And if you look at it that way its kinda like proof there.. The universe is vast cold and unforgiving but the fact that conscious love and beauty was able to manifest proves there's always gonna be two sides to reality, a material, and intentional part. To me, God is both the parts working together and loving each other. Every thing else that happens is just karma and the universe/unconscious aspect of reality trying to maintain balance. It all stems from a creation, and destruction before that, and tons of other cycles happening over and over. It's all the same thing happening in different ways in the same universe, and God would be the universe. A conscious universe that loves itself and the things inside it but can't do anything other than create or destroy.

Were you on mushrooms when you wrote this too? Lol this is some hippy shit right here

I wasn't gonna add this but what the hell....

Basis of this is people need to stop trying to push their religions onto other people. Stop thinking yours is any better than anyone else's. Just be a good person whether or not you believe in God and we will all be better off.

Religions are a crapshoot and originate from good intentions but also are corrupt like humans themselves.

Don't want to detract off thread or start any arguments but I have to say this. I also am not bashing anyone's statements on beliefs, but I felt the need to provide transparency to the Catholic religion in this thread based on stuff the Fish said earlier.

Born and raised Catholic myself and went to Catholic school for 13 years, took honors religion, the whole shibang. I agree with all the stuff about being a nice person and helping others is fantastic, but some of their shit is just bull. Hence why there are so many other christian religions today because many diverged from catholicism because they were fed up with the church and its laws. The Catholic church is so rich because it was built over millenia through wars and brutal rule.

For example of a stupid rule, I will eat meat on every Friday during Lent because I won't deprive myself of meat based on some law that was made when they were pillaging villages and burning people at the stake. Riiiiggghht. Whenever my mom tries to say something about "oh you shouldn't have eaten meat on Friday", that's my response. Sure I get that it's supposed to be in honor of Jesus and his sacrifice. Why not have us do something that benefits the local community other than contributing to overfishing of the oceans.

Another example: They literally say the only Vatican approved method of contraception (not even condoms) is natural family planning in married couples. Which basically you try to time the cycles and play Russian roulette. My aunt and uncle did that and have 8 kids, go figure.

They also don't allow abortion for rape victims because all life is sacred. Uhuhhhh.

Last example: priests can't marry and can only be male. Allowing females would help with their shortage. Perhaps if they could marry, maybe there wouldn't be so many abuse cases in the church.

Some of the worst people I know (I'm talking straight up assholes, criminals) follow church laws to a T, never miss a mass, and act like they're living a life approved by God. Yeah no.

Religion is the source of almost a majority of wars in the history of mankind. Look at the middle east now. Been in conflict for millenia. Israel and Palestine can't stop crying over sacred land that they believe is theirs. RADICAL "Islam" if you wanna call it that is destroying the middle east and killing people worldwide in the name of God so they say.

**The point of this whole novel of a post is that religions are good and bad. Don't tell people what they should believe in. Live your life how you want. Get back to the purpose of the thread already rather than arguing like the rest of the world does about religion. **

I can't believe I posted all this bs cuz I hate arguing about religions, but this thread has aggravated me with everyone bragging about what is right and wrong and what makes you a good person.

I never was much for religion growing up. Was pretty dead set against it. Then one particular night I was driving down 81 in the south and I saw that huge cross. I'm an architect and the design just moved me. If somebody was willing to build something that big and beautiful for Jesus, he had to be legit. I stopped at a denny's after to clear my head. While I waited for my meal I started to question everything. When my food arrived I realized they had burnt my toast. I was kind of pissed until I flipped it over and saw Jesus' face. I knelt down right in the middle of that denny's and gave my life to Christ.

I left the secular company I was working for and started my own non profit. Building For a Christ Centered Tomorrow. We do designs for everything from churches, community centers, to even a few highway crosses. It's so great to be making a difference everyday!

Blessings!!!

The.FishPlus there are certain miracles that just can't be explained.

Like what? Genuinely curious.

Just about everything can be solidly explained by science. The only thing that we can all agree on is we have no idea how the hell the universe got here. I believe the bing bang is what happened but this doesn’t explain how all of that dense matter got there in the first place. This is where most people turn to god but I just don’t understand why because it gets you no closer to an answer. If god put all of that matter there, then who created god? Another god, then how did he get there? Did god create himself, no that’s not possible. By saying that god put all that matter solves one question but just creates another in its place and no progress is made.

IsitWinterYet17Were you on mushrooms when you wrote this too? Lol this is some hippy shit right here

Another point.. Why can't people just listen to each other? Instead of reading what I said you attack it because of bs you were fed growing up and call it "hippy shit". How are people gonna solve problems in the world if they can't fucking listen to each other. Lame.

abaxterJust about everything can be solidly explained by science. The only thing that we can all agree on is we have no idea how the hell the universe got here. I believe the bing bang is what happened but this doesn’t explain how all of that dense matter got there in the first place. This is where most people turn to god but I just don’t understand why because it gets you no closer to an answer. If god put all of that matter there, then who created god? Another god, then how did he get there? Did god create himself, no that’s not possible. By saying that god put all that matter solves one question but just creates another in its place and no progress is made.

Why do you think that you can even ask as many questions as you do? What would the point of life be if we knew everything? Science is just man made explanations for what we see. There's more to life than what we see.

abaxterJust about everything can be solidly explained by science. The only thing that we can all agree on is we have no idea how the hell the universe got here. I believe the bing bang is what happened but this doesn’t explain how all of that dense matter got there in the first place. This is where most people turn to god but I just don’t understand why because it gets you no closer to an answer. If god put all of that matter there, then who created god? Another god, then how did he get there? Did god create himself, no that’s not possible. By saying that god put all that matter solves one question but just creates another in its place and no progress is made.

I completely agree with this. Unfortunately, the great question regarding the universe is probably super dissapointing. The only thing I get caught up in, which you stated, is how the fuck anything came to exist. The only rational explanation I can think of is that in order for there to be nothing, there must be something, because there can’t be nothing without something to contrast with, therefore there is something... but still... wtf.


My other theory is that the universe is an imagination, with an infinite spectrum of possibillities, dreams prove this to a certain degree. Dreams can be as realistic as reality.

SteezySmith57Why do you think that you can even ask as many questions as you do? What would the point of life be if we knew everything? Science is just man made explanations for what we see. There's more to life than what we see.

Lol what are u saying. Science explains much more than just what we see. Also ur saying I shouldn’t ask any because it’s better to not understand everything but then what is the point in believing in a god, to understand the reasoning of things. The entire point of life is to explore and learn new things.

abaxterLol what are u saying. Science explains much more than just what we see. Also ur saying I shouldn’t ask any because it’s better to not understand everything but then what is the point in believing in a god, to understand the reasoning of things. The entire point of life is to explore and learn new things.

Well. Maybe I didn't word it right. I guess what I'm saying is that life will always have an unanswerable paradox aspect. And that's where we disagree too, I belive the point of life is to have balance. Exploring is part of making/finding balance

Family Guy

Ok I could be killed for saying this, but this is actually the Matrix. Everything around you.

The matrix is a system, NS. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still part of the system and that makes then our enemy. You have to understand most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inert, so hopelessly dependent on the system that they will fight to protect it.

The matrix is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.

SteezySmith57Why do you think that you can even ask as many questions as you do? What would the point of life be if we knew everything? Science is just man made explanations for what we see. There's more to life than what we see.

What is real? How do you define real? If real is what you feel, smell, taste and see, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.

What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad.

Have you ever had a dream, NS, that you were sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream, NS? How would you know the difference between dream world and the real world?

geibone time i was thinking about the start of time and it made me realize that time isnt real and life is a simulation

You are ready my friend.

I'm trying to free your mind, NS. But I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it.

This is your last chance. After this, there's no turning back. You take the blue pill- the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill- you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.

There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.

-Morpheus the philosopher

abaxterLol what are u saying. Science explains much more than just what we see. Also ur saying I shouldn’t ask any because it’s better to not understand everything but then what is the point in believing in a god, to understand the reasoning of things. The entire point of life is to explore and learn new things.

I have to nitpick with the first part- science is based on what we CAN observe, hypothesize about, and test with repeated success. But it's all based on observation of physical evidence, which is what makes science so logically rock-solid.

Religion does not meet the scientific criteria because there simply IS no observable evidence of a higher power. Religion was created in part to answer the unanswerable questions of life, but then humans became smart and created the scientific method, which essentially proves that there is no god and religion is bullshit. Just another way of dividing us as a society in my opinion. Also for televangelists for rob idiots blind and for Alabama to all but elect a fucking pedophile for senate.

TheHamburglarI have to nitpick with the first part- science is based on what we CAN observe, hypothesize about, and test with repeated success. But it's all based on observation of physical evidence, which is what makes science so logically rock-solid.

Religion does not meet the scientific criteria because there simply IS no observable evidence of a higher power. Religion was created in part to answer the unanswerable questions of life, but then humans became smart and created the scientific method, which essentially proves that there is no god and religion is bullshit. Just another way of dividing us as a society in my opinion. Also for televangelists for rob idiots blind and for Alabama to all but elect a fucking pedophile for senate.

I agree with all of this what I meant by science is more than just what u can see is that we know more than what we can physically see with our own eyes. For example, we know tons of stuff on the atomic level. We also know much about space yet we can not physically see it or interact with it. For example the presence of dark energy and matter are proven because we actually have created dark matter for milliseconds but it immediately destroys itself the moment it interacts with real matter. Also we know dark energy is real because the speed at which the universe is expanding is increasing.

TheHamburglarI have to nitpick with the first part- science is based on what we CAN observe, hypothesize about, and test with repeated success. But it's all based on observation of physical evidence, which is what makes science so logically rock-solid.

Religion does not meet the scientific criteria because there simply IS no observable evidence of a higher power. Religion was created in part to answer the unanswerable questions of life, but then humans became smart and created the scientific method, which essentially proves that there is no god and religion is bullshit. Just another way of dividing us as a society in my opinion. Also for televangelists for rob idiots blind and for Alabama to all but elect a fucking pedophile for senate.

I can't stand Joel Osteen. Fucking hipicrite con artist and he knows it.

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/884872/Tool---Opiate

My mom

The.FishBorn and raised Catholic and it has just helped me grow as a person. I didn't ever get into my faith until high school where we have youth group requirements for confirmation. Before that I hated church but it was because it thought it was boring, but I never really payed attention or listened. However after learning what we are all about, I learned how to truly love people and respect them. Even if the whole religion thing was a hoax, it still feels a lot better to be the bigger man in a situation and not use people aka following the commandments. Plus there are certain miracles that just can't be explained.

aren't you the kid that doesn't jerk it

SammyDubzaren't you the kid that doesn't jerk it

That's not healthy. Basically a one way ticket on the express train to prostate cancer.

abaxterI agree with all of this what I meant by science is more than just what u can see is that we know more than what we can physically see with our own eyes. For example, we know tons of stuff on the atomic level. We also know much about space yet we can not physically see it or interact with it. For example the presence of dark energy and matter are proven because we actually have created dark matter for milliseconds but it immediately destroys itself the moment it interacts with real matter. Also we know dark energy is real because the speed at which the universe is expanding is increasing.

Gotcha. Totally agree. Science is fkn amazing!

damn this thread is a trip

SammyDubzaren't you the kid that doesn't jerk it

yup

SteezySmith57To me what "convinced me" and I know convinced isn't a great word, was connecting the dots from within everything I've observed. Human history (not just the bs fed in school textbooks), spiritual teachings, learning about concepts like karma and reincarnation, and the parallels found between all world religions or popular stories/ideologies. I used a lot of psylocibin I gotta add too, and that only enhanced what I saw in the patterns. I saw God separate from religion and I saw it everywhere in every thing. People think too much about the Bible and God as a "he" but to me God is a balancing force and a divine love force. God is the reason everything has an opposite. Everything grows everything dies. God is the fact that consciousness exists. God like many people talk about God is like giving the universe an ego.. And if you look at it that way its kinda like proof there.. The universe is vast cold and unforgiving but the fact that conscious love and beauty was able to manifest proves there's always gonna be two sides to reality, a material, and intentional part. To me, God is both the parts working together and loving each other. Every thing else that happens is just karma and the universe/unconscious aspect of reality trying to maintain balance. It all stems from a creation, and destruction before that, and tons of other cycles happening over and over. It's all the same thing happening in different ways in the same universe, and God would be the universe. A conscious universe that loves itself and the things inside it but can't do anything other than create or destroy.

psychedelics make me feel particularly spiritual as well. Have you ever smoked dmt?

What came first the chicken or the egg