Is belief in God a choice

[fr0d0]

To the Christian, the arguments for God are rational, and they believe them; to the atheist, they aren't, and they disbelieve them.

It isn't the arguments that we believe in. The arguments aren't enough to believe. Belief takes one further step, the choice to believe. I could be convinced of the arguments yet stay living as a non Christian. To God I would be a non believer, as I would be denying him.

Likewise I could not believe yet declare that I did, and live my life like a Christian.

In all of this we're assuming God to be something that can be known, where it's a presupposition of the Christian faith that we cannot know. Or faith would be unnecessary, being the 'belief in that which is not known'.

So the correct way to address the issue would be that no one could believe as in actually know, but only be able to believe through faith.

So faith becomes the choice, which is actually less concrete that belief in something known, such as the truck.

---

Since when has indoctrination ever been a choice? And children are subjected to a great deal of preaching and lying from adults they trust, and therefore trust what they are told.

I totally agree. Adults are hoodwinked too.

How is there choice in that? There might be times when religion is a choice (adult conversion possibly), but it is a choice made without rationality, without sentience. The religious can only be made so by two methods: method a: indoctrination as a child. Method b: impulsively deciding without thinking rationally (indoctrination usually occurs too).

That is not a choice. I agree. But why dismiss the actual reason that choice is made with rationality and sentience?

How can theists possibly be as rational as atheists? One group is indoctrinated from a young age, being told constantly to not think, or to think in an illogical manner. The other group is stupid enough to convert to illogical belief as an adult.

Sure, they might be rational people on the inside... but that rational person is buried deep within their outer shell of ignorance and deception.

You built the strawman and now you knock it down.

---

I think belief in God being a choice really depends on circumstance. There are people who are born into a religion. When I say "born", I mean their parents spoon feed them the desired religion from the day they were born so it becomes a part of their life naturally.

Yeah.. Christianity says this isn't a Christian. Only God knows who is and who isn't, but the criteria is clear.

But I have seen some people who, for example, decide to become a Christian, and I have a friend like this, and he still is a very staunch (did I spell that right?) Christian. However, I know another who was raised in a buddhist family, one day started going to church with friends and eventually decided to become Christian and went to church and cell groups etc... on a regular basis. However, she eventually stopped both, though she still believes but isn't one of those staunch believers. In this example, both of them chose to become Christian so it was a decision on their part....though I reckon the staunch believer friend of mine would probably say "God created my path and meant for me to find him" blah blah blah....

Yes this is what I understand as the choice of Christianity... you make a conscious decision to believe.

---

Please don't make assumptions about what I believed and why. I had a reason to believe in Catholicism, and that reason was I believed what I was taught. Furthermore, I know I was sincere in my belief when I did believe, Many adults believe for that very reason to this day. I simply managed to come to terms with what I was also taught about Evolution and science to decide what I was taught about religion was not true and I lost the conviction I once had. When I was child I was convinced, I had a reason, despite the fact that it wasn't a strong reason. Just because I never believed your version of Christianity does not mean I never truly believed mine.

Right. I apologise. Of course I have no idea what you believed. I wouldn't call a child like belief an irrational belief. You think about what an adult presents to you, and make up your mind, given the choices. Yes children are vulnerable, and ideally treated with the utmost respect. Of course sadly this isn't always so. Thanks for making me think about that, and apologies for my insensitive words.

It depends on the person. I specifically chose the word convince for a reason. Being convinced doesn't mean you have to be convinced by evidence and reason. Many people can be convinced on the flimsiest of reasons. Some people are convinced and they are convinced by their faith, and that's it. Others truly believe they have logical valid evidence for God that meets the rigors of the scientific theory.

Well I think those that believe they have logical valid evidence are seriously misguided.