Quote:
Originally Posted by AnaMZ
Just out of curiosity, what are you gaining by believing in a God? No, I'm not trying to be utilitarian about belief, I'm just curious.
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I might ask you the converse, what are you gaining by NOT believing in a God?
As far as answering the question, I suppose there are a number of ways that it could be answered. Salvation might be one answer, security might be another, but both of those are contingent on actually believing in an afterlife. I suppose I could also say a supportive group of fellow believers. But, the main thing about it is that those are not the REASONS that I believe, they are just the result. If I didn't believe in God, I wouldn't have anything to worry about, I wouldn't need salvation or security because I simply wouldn't care because I wouldn't believe that there was an afterlife. Believing in God (and Christ for that matter) didn't make life easier by any stretch, in fact in some ways some might say it makes life a tad more difficult. The reason I believe is simply because I believe it is true, after having searched through many belief (and non-belief) systems to find that truth.
I am often accused (not in a bad way, necessarily) of being overly academic in my faith, which is just the way I happen to be wired. I don't get those "warm fuzzies" during worship songs that some people get, nor have I ever had an overwhelming religious experience. I've always really liked the writings of C.S. Lewis, as I see a bit of myself in him although I could never be as eloquent or intelligent as he was. Between
Mere Christianity and
A Grief Observed, I see alot of the way that I think and the way that I came to my faith.