Evidence for Believing

[Lek]

Well, that's why you haven't found him.

For which I will be eternally thankful, for I am spared of being a slobbering delusional fool of a disgrace to mankind.

I'm sorry. I thought that's what you are. That's a relief.

[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?

[Silver]

If you were seeking with a true heart and he hasn't come to you then I can't say, but you must be open to him coming to you in a way you wouldn't think he should.

Being open to him coming to you is simply theist-speak for choosing the absurd over what is rational. The issue with being too open is that it makes you gullible. An individual open to believing in the existence of ghosts will see them out of the corner of his eyes, feel their presence in the house, and make excuses for why it is ghosts rather than something more reasonable, all because that is what the individual wants to experience over the reality that there simply are no ghosts.

[Anomalocaris]

For which I will be eternally thankful, for I am spared of being a slobbering delusional fool of a disgrace to mankind.

I'm sorry. I thought that's what you are.  That's a relief.

If true,  That would be the only time you ever thought.   But it’s probably not true.    But by all means keep on believing you did, though.

[Lek]

I'm sorry. I thought that's what you are.  That's a relief.

If true,  That would be the only time you ever thought.   But it’s probably not true.    But by all means keep on believing you did, though.

Okay. I'll give you the last jab.

[Gwaithmir]

If you were seeking with a true heart and he hasn't come to you then I can't say, but you must be open to him coming to you in a way you wouldn't think he should.  But all I know is my situation.  You've done your search and you've made a choice.  I  would still keep my mind open, which is probably what you do.  Sometimes it's a matter of timing. Because he hasn't shown you yet doesn't mean he won't.  People come to God during all points in life.

“Faith, fanatic faith, once wedded fast to some dear falsehood, hugs it to the last.” (Thomas Moore)

[Ricardo]

There is a lack of empirical evidence!

[Gwaithmir]

If you were seeking with a true heart and he hasn't come to you then I can't say, but you must be open to him coming to you in a way you wouldn't think he should.  But all I know is my situation.  You've done your search and you've made a choice.  I  would still keep my mind open, which is probably what you do.  Sometimes it's a matter of timing. Because he hasn't shown you yet doesn't mean he won't.  People come to God during all points in life.

I have heard that identical claim from Muslims, Wiccans, Native Americans, Buddhists, pagans and many others. So, who is right? You can't all be right but you can all be wrong. If their personal experiences aren't right, how can yours be?

[Simon Moon]

If you were seeking with a true heart and he hasn't come to you then I can't say, but you must be open to him coming to you in a way you wouldn't think he should.  But all I know is my situation.  You've done your search and you've made a choice.  I  would still keep my mind open, which is probably what you do.  Sometimes it's a matter of timing. Because he hasn't shown you yet doesn't mean he won't.  People come to God during all points in life.

I have heard that identical claim from Muslims, Wiccans, Native Americans, Buddhists, pagans and many others. So, who is right? You can't all be right but you can all be wrong. If their personal experiences aren't right, how can yours be?

Lek has a great tap dance for this.

All religions are sensing the same god, they are just getting the details differently, due to cultural differences.

The funny thing is, the god that all these other religions are detecting, is the one Lek believes in, and all those other religions are the ones getting the details wrong. It couldn't possibly be that one of those other religions has the details correct, and Lek is the one sensing the existence of a god with the wrong ones.

[Rahn127]

Here's the thing, could an all powerful, all knowing fire department put out every fire in the world ?

Yes it could.

So why doesn't it ?

Because such a thing doesn't exist.