Do we need God to make sense of life?

@eladar said
It is as simple as that.

I don’t think you could choose to not believe your God figure exists even if you wanted to.

@fmf said
I don’t think you could choose to not believe your God figure exists even if you wanted to.

Good for you.

@eladar said
Good for you.

Do you think you could?

@fmf said
Do you think you could?

Do you think you could not think he could?

@fmf said
Mmm. I don't think it's as simple as that when it comes to belief in supernatural things. I don't think someone who believes in Jesus, for example, can decide or choose not to. I think people realize that they believe things or realize they don't. It's not a point at which a decision is made. I don't think what someone "wants" in this regard has much bearing on what they believe.

I think you should consider that believing God exists and acknowledging that belief in the way you live are two different things.

One can believe God exists and yet not pursue a relationship with Him in prayer, reading the Holy Bible and attending church and not seek to honor Him through giving tithes, supporting Christian charitable causes, etc.

@fmf said
Mmm. I don't think it's as simple as that when it comes to belief in supernatural things. I don't think someone who believes in Jesus, for example, can decide or choose not to. I think people realize that they believe things or realize they don't. It's not a point at which a decision is made. I don't think what someone "wants" in this regard has much bearing on what they believe.

<<I don't think someone who believes in Jesus, for example, can decide or choose not to.>>

Isn’t this exactly what you claim happened to you? You believed in Jesus and then chose not to?

And didn’t you recently start a thread in here on what a momentous game changer it would have been had you prayed to Jesus while your wife was in the hospital but you chose not to?

@pb1022 said
I think you should consider that believing God exists and acknowledging that belief in the way you live are two different things.

How Christians live their lives - and what walking the walk means - is a matter for them. My observation for Eladar was about the nature of faith.

@pb1022 said
Isn’t this exactly what you claim happened to you? You believed in Jesus and then chose not to?

No.

@fmf said
How Christians live their lives - and what walking the walk means - is a matter for them. My observation for Eladar was about the nature of faith.

Ok. So did you not choose to no longer be a Christian, to no longer believe in Jesus?

@pb1022 said
And didn’t you recently start a thread in here on what a momentous game changer it would have been had you prayed to Jesus while your wife was in the hospital but you chose not to?

I did not "choose" to lack belief.

@pb1022 said
Ok. So did you not choose to no longer be a Christian, to no longer believe in Jesus?

No I didn't.

@fmf said
No.

I think it is. Or are you blaming God for your atheism? God gave you faith but then God, who you no longer think exists, took that faith away?

🤔

@fmf said
No I didn't.

Well then are you saying God, who you don’t think exists, took your faith away?

@fmf said
I did not "choose" to lack belief.

Well clearly you did. You chose to abandon the faith. You chose to become an atheist.

If not you, then who?

@pb1022 said
Well then are you saying God, who you don’t think exists, took your faith away?

I don't believe in your God figure. I don't believe he has given any of us anything nor has he taken anything away. If you have derived some inspiration from what you believe, then that's good.