Evidence for Believing

[LadyForCamus]

Pay attention. I am not dismissing your conclusion (it was god) because of the fallacy you’re using. I am pointing out that you have reached your conclusion (it was god) using fallacious reasoning. That’s a ‘you’ problem, not a ‘me’ problem. Whether or not your conclusion is actually true is irrelevant to the fact that you are not warranted in believing it is true, because you’ve used fallacies to get there. If you’re comfortable knowing that the reasoning you’ve used to reach a conclusion about the most important belief of your entire life is erroneous, then no one here is likely to change your mind. But, that’s something you have to live with, not us.

What do you think I've been doing over the years?  I've studied the bible and all the modern religions and have been in discussions with believers and nonbelievers.  I've participated in this forum since 2013 and have heard pretty much every argument against God that there is.  I've also read extensively.  I live and breath this stuff, when I'm not working, caring for family or serving the community.  Believe me; I don't take mt beliefs for granted.

And yet, just several pages ago you admitted to yourself, and publicly to everyone on this forum, that you have no way to tell whether The Experience that caused you to hold this belief was god himself, or your own mind. If you have no way to distinguish between god and your own mind, then that means your belief that god spoke to you was either:

1. An arbitrary guess,
2. An appeal to emotion rather then reason, or, 
3. based on what you wish were true rather than what is reasonable.

The foundation of your belief is logically faulty, Lek. This is a fact. No amount of theological study after the fact can change that.

And, hundreds of thousands of people right now think the earth is flat. Is their belief, alone, sufficient evidence that the earth is flat? Yes or no?  The number of people who believe some claim is true has zero rational bearing on whether or not it’s actually true.

If I hear 100,000 people say they believe in God because they sought him and he impressed them with his existence, then I follow the same path and he impresses himself on me, then I believe them.

Then you are not being reasonable, by definition. If you’re cool with that, fine. But, don’t expect the rest of us not to call your erroneous logic. I mean, why are you even here if you aren’t interested in holding your beliefs up to logical, critical scrutiny?