LidiyaDawn Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 During a conversation with a friend in which I brought up the fact that I'm just not sure exactly what I believe, she used the phrase "choosing to reject God"…to which I replied something along the lines of "it's not a choice - I can't CHOOSE whether I believe something exists!" … can I? Can you? If you believe in God*, would you say that you made a conscious choice to do so? *the situation that I was discussing with my friend pertains to the Christian God, but replies from people of ANY faith/belief system/etc are always welcome. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 My dh is an atheist and has told me numerous times he wishes he believed in God. He reads the Bible to our dds, prays with them and goes to church with us - but he doesn't believe. I don't remember making a "choice" to believe in God, I just do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy2BeautifulGirls Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 I have chosen to be a nondenominational Protestant because it lines up with what I believe in my heart to be the truth. So, there is an element of choice, but not as to what your actual belief is. Does that make sense? And I should also say that there have been times where I wasn't sure of a specific belief, then had to sit and think about it before "choosing" which way I believed. For example, regarding science, I'm not sure if I'm Old Earth or New Earth. I believe certain "facts" from each side, but have not chosen which one is closer to what I feel in my heart. Is that as clear as mud??? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 Oh, I tried. It just ain't happening! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiCO Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 ...she used the phrase "choosing to reject God"…to which I replied something along the lines of "it's not a choice - I can't CHOOSE whether I believe something exists!" I'm an atheist. I really tried to believe in a Christian God when I was in college and shortly thereafter. I thought it would make my life so much easier if I was a believer- part of the majority and all. My parents encouraged my quest, even though they both were/are atheists. I just couldn't really believe. If I had married a Christian, I would have gone along with it for marital happiness and the community. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 It doesn't work for me either. I really, really want to believe. I even talk to God hoping he is actually there and will let me know it. But I just don't believe. I would give my right arm to have the faith that I see some of the people on this board have. Why on earth would I choose to be unhappy and so spiritually lonely? I've had a couple of Christian ladies tell me that the reason they believe is because of a fear of hell and eternal d*mnation. I do not see that as true belief. If God is there, and if he really knows our hearts, how on earth is someone like that better spiritually than I am? At least I'm honest with God! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I don't think not believing is a choice. I tried. We went to different churches, the kids were in Missionettes and Rangers, and we read lots of books. We looked at all different kinds of beliefs out there. It seemed that the more I read, the more I didn't believe. I decided to embrace it. My mother would probably use rejecting God as well, or say that the devil has something to do with it. I'd ask her, but I am so not willing to open that can of worms! She knows that we don't go to church, but has no idea that we lack any sort of belief. She had psych Dr once who was a really great guy, and she even said so. But she was extremely upset that this great man isn't going to heaven. Why? Because he's Jewish, which is wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mosaicmind Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 (edited) During a conversation with a friend in which I brought up the fact that I'm just not sure exactly what I believe, she used the phrase "choosing to reject God"…to which I replied something along the lines of "it's not a choice - I can't CHOOSE whether I believe something exists!" … can I? Can you? If you believe in God*, would you say that you made a conscious choice to do so? *the situation that I was discussing with my friend pertains to the Christian God, but replies from people of ANY faith/belief system/etc are always welcome. :) Aren't you making a choice to believe something doesn't exist or does exist? Yes, I believe that if you aren't choosing God then you are choosing something else whatever that may be. I don't try and force my beliefs on anyone else, I try to explain them. I come from a family who worshiped Satan and they CHOSE to do that and CHOSE not to believe in a loving and powerful God. I CHOSE when I was 16 to believe in God. Of course this is just my opinion. edited to add since I was rushed when typing: yes, they do believe in God but not in a loving one---their view is a very skewed one. sorry for the confusion of my first post. Edited July 11, 2011 by Mosaicmind added info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 An important element of belief is faith. IMO, faith is a choice. You might be interested to read Pope Benedict's speech on Faith and Reason (from when he was a cardinal). http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articl...tHellenism.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I've been thinking and reading the other responses and wanted to add that another reason I don't think it's a choice is that I couldn't suddenly "choose" not to believe in God. I do believe and I couldn't just tell myself I don't anymore. It wouldn't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mosaicmind Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 An important element of belief is faith. IMO, faith is a choice. You might be interested to read Pope Benedict's speech on Faith and Reason (from when he was a cardinal). http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articl...tHellenism.php :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehog Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Sometimes. For me, most of the time, I just do. Occasionally I feel that I am choosing to believe - am choosing to have faith - based on some evidence I have seen or heard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 It is this very thing, and the responses above, that led me to be a Calvinist. Calvinism says we do not choose God, he chooses us. We do not believe unless he gives us the faith to do so. This, for me, explains people who would "like to believe but they just can't seem to". For me it also explains why, after the countless times that I have tried to walk away from God due to anger and disappointment in my life, I can't. I just can't. I tried to NOT believe but he always pulls me back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 There was a really interesting program on NPR maybe a year or so ago... I want to say maybe it was The State We're In, but I'm not totally sure (though it seems like the sort of thing they would cover, but I didn't see it listed on their archives) that was about the nature of people's belief in God. The main person they profiled was a man who was an atheist and always had been - he was a scientist and a doctor as well. I may get some of the details of this wrong, but the gist of it was that after his mother died, he and his siblings all had an experience where they became convinced her presence had been in the house and that God had guided her to heaven. And then next morning, in the light of day, so to speak, he became really fascinated by the fact that he had, even for just a few moments, believed that when it didn't reflect his system of belief at all. So he began doing brain research about why people believe in God and has made all these discoveries about our need to believe in God. It was really interesting and I wish I could remember it all better or give a link for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I was an atheist. I chose to turn my back on God, and it was quite easy to do. Maybe I had never really believed? I don't think so though. I was a teen, and walked away from the Church, in full conscience. Had I known then that it was something I could do, I would have chosen apostasy, but I didn't know about it. Lo and behold, God called me back, in a way that I just cannot deny. Trust me, the atheist in me really, really tried, very hard, to find a plausible explanation. But I couldn't. Even now, I can feel the atheist in me say "but what are you doing????" and I can't walk away. Trust me, I didn't want to believe. I definitely didn't choose this. But I'm happy with it :tongue_smilie: Not complaining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I think there is a difference between believing in God/a god and choosing to have faith in God. I don't remember ever NOT believing that there was a god or higher power. My entire life I have known that to be true. There DID come a point in my life, however, that I had to make a choice to have faith in what I believe to be the one, True God. I definitely had the choice at that moment to accept or reject Him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mosaicmind Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 It is this very thing, and the responses above, that led me to be a Calvinist. Calvinism says we do not choose God, he chooses us. We do not believe unless he gives us the faith to do so. This, for me, explains people who would "like to believe but they just can't seem to". For me it also explains why, after the countless times that I have tried to walk away from God due to anger and disappointment in my life, I can't. I just can't. I tried to NOT believe but he always pulls me back. I kinda believe this but this is how I see it. God knows what is going is going to happen in the future; he is the beginning and the end and so He knows who is going to accept Him and who isn't because of this, so in essence because he knows we are going to choose him then He chose us. I heard a great sermon on this from Bethel Church in Redding, CA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I think the answer depends on who you ask. For me it IS a choice. My spirituals gift is definitely not faith. I have to work at it. I have to make the choice to pursue it. I'm probably a natural agnostic but choose to make things hard for myself by working to believe in God. :) Others don't have that issue. Others have obstacles they can't surmount. I don't know. I really don't think there's a universal answer for that questions though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_l_e_0..Q_c Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 (edited) So he began doing brain research about why people believe in God and has made all these discoveries about our need to believe in God. It was really interesting and I wish I could remember it all better or give a link for that. I'd love to read that! ETA: Found this http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=110997741 Is this it? Edited July 11, 2011 by CleoQc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 yes, otherwise it is meaningless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 yes, otherwise it is meaningless. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 It is this very thing, and the responses above, that led me to be a Calvinist. Calvinism says we do not choose God, he chooses us. We do not believe unless he gives us the faith to do so. This, for me, explains people who would "like to believe but they just can't seem to". For me it also explains why, after the countless times that I have tried to walk away from God due to anger and disappointment in my life, I can't. I just can't. I tried to NOT believe but he always pulls me back. The bolded describes me. I am not a Calvinist, though. Confused much? (speaking to myself...:tongue_smilie:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooblink Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 It is this very thing, and the responses above, that led me to be a Calvinist. Calvinism says we do not choose God, he chooses us. We do not believe unless he gives us the faith to do so. This, for me, explains people who would "like to believe but they just can't seem to". I believe this is true, but would add that just because one has no faith today, doesn't mean she won't at some point in the future. I'd gone through a period of resentment over the fact that I didn't have "faith." Why would God choose some, but not me? Why would He reveal Himself to some, yet my requests were met with silence? For anyone who wants to believe, but can't...in my experience God will reach you when you need Him. Interesting responses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 "it's not a choice - I can't CHOOSE whether I believe something exists!" … can I? Can you? If you believe in God*, would you say that you made a conscious choice to do so? I can't speak to whether it's possible to choose, but my personal experience agrees with this: I didn't believe until I "saw" (not literally visual, but no better word comes to mind). Now that I have seen, I couldn't choose to ignore that, though I could choose to act like I don't believe in God. In my life, faith has been a gift, not something I got to on my own. I spent some years as an atheist, trying to "figure it out" based on what I sincerely thought was evidence, and that wouldn't have changed by continuing what I was doing, only by an experience that I didn't "choose." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I'd love to read that! ETA: Found this http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=110997741 Is this it? I don't think so, because it was a whole episode of something, but this is the exact sort of research they were talking about - about the neurochemistry and the sort of questions it raised about whether it's some sort of evolutionary accident or even an evolutionary advantage to believe or if it is a built in way to connect with God. Interesting stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koerarmoca Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I don't think not believing is a choice. I tried. We went to different churches, the kids were in Missionettes and Rangers, and we read lots of books. We looked at all different kinds of beliefs out there. It seemed that the more I read, the more I didn't believe. I decided to embrace it. My mother would probably use rejecting God as well, or say that the devil has something to do with it. I'd ask her, but I am so not willing to open that can of worms! She knows that we don't go to church, but has no idea that we lack any sort of belief. She had psych Dr once who was a really great guy, and she even said so. But she was extremely upset that this great man isn't going to heaven. Why? Because he's Jewish, which is wrong. Your Mom might want to re-read the old testiment ;) and, of course Jesus was a Jew ;) Not sure on the "not believing being a choice or not" you could compare that to many other things in life. I just don't feel I can answer because I just always knew That God/Jesus was real. It was very real to me after a near death experience in 3rd grade. I don't have many memories of my life prior to that experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandowife Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 It is this very thing, and the responses above, that led me to be a Calvinist. Calvinism says we do not choose God, he chooses us. We do not believe unless he gives us the faith to do so. This, for me, explains people who would "like to believe but they just can't seem to". For me it also explains why, after the countless times that I have tried to walk away from God due to anger and disappointment in my life, I can't. I just can't. I tried to NOT believe but he always pulls me back. I agree. We are Calvinists here as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I don't choose to not believe. I was raised in a Christian environment, but as I began to think for myself it just felt very wrong. I finally realised that the world only made sense when I acknowledged that I didn't believe. I certainly never felt life would be easier by not believing - culturally, life would be much easier for me if I believed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miselainia Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 My two cents: I believe faith is a choice as well. I think of faith as having a belief and then acting in accordance to those beliefs. I can choose to put my faith in that first atom that was created from the Big Bang and all its consequential creations or I can choose to believe that God created the universe and all the things that have resulted. How will believing either of those two things change my life? I don't know what life would be like to choose otherwise, so I'm not qualified to answer the first option; but I feel I have more purpose and meaning in life believing God to be my Creator and Father, if you will. Because of this, I choose to learn His word and follow it. As I follow it, my faith increases. I guess it helps, too, that I want to believe. I also believe that some are gifted to believe more easily than others. Whatever one's gifts may be, certainly the gift of faith or the gift to believe the words of others help one believe in God, but all the gifts we are given can help lead us to God. Here is some more commentary about faith from others who believe similarly to myself: http://mormon.org/faq/what-is-faith/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Yes and no. Often the first few steps are a choice. After you've had enough experience with God, it is no longer a choice. You might as well tell me that my own child doesn't exist if you are going to tell me that God doesn't exist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 To my way of thinking, choice is the product of reason. Belief lies outside of reason. (by which I do not mean "unreasonable" ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 To my way of thinking, choice is the product of reason. Belief lies outside of reason. (by which I do not mean "unreasonable" ) You can choose to be unreasonable for no reason at all. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrid Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Sure. For instance, I CHOOSE to believe that there are no snakes in Connecticut. And especially not in my immediate surrounds. :D astrid (maybe I should move to Ireland?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 No, I don't think it's a choice. I didn't decide that I was no longer going to believe in god. As I started reading and thinking and researching, I was simply unable to believe any longer, even though at first I tried to continue believing. Once I completely gave up the idea of a supernatural being I could no longer go back. And unlike some, I don't mind. I no longer wish I could believe, and am quite content with the idea that there are no gods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I don't choose to not believe. I was raised in a Christian environment, but as I began to think for myself it just felt very wrong. I finally realised that the world only made sense when I acknowledged that I didn't believe. I certainly never felt life would be easier by not believing - culturally, life would be much easier for me if I believed. I think you've perfectly said what I feel. My dad is a retired minister. My mom is a steadfast Christian. I am atheist. I didn't chose to be so. And there are times when I'm deeply, deeply saddened that I can't will myself to believe in a Christian God. Christmas hymns are stunningly moving. I can feel it. I wished I believed it. It's difficult to fit in to society as a non-believer. Not horribly so, and I'm not really complaining, but it's hard to make friends sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 No, I don't think it's a choice. I didn't decide that I was no longer going to believe in god. As I started reading and thinking and researching, I was simply unable to believe any longer, even though at first I tried to continue believing. Once I completely gave up the idea of a supernatural being I could no longer go back. And unlike some, I don't mind. I no longer wish I could believe, and am quite content with the idea that there are no gods. That is similar to my experience. I don't think I ever "believed," although I tried to, and later tried to pretend that I did. My rational self, however, could not ignore facts over fiction, so to speak. I stopped pretending to believe because I no longer felt like being a liar about it just to please other people. I think that, when people believe in gods, it is because they want to and can ignore other countering factors over faith in their belief. When people do not believe in gods, it is NOT (necessarily) because they don't want to, but because they cannot or will not ignore countering factors. Of course, the usual disclaimers apply... this is just my opinion, YMMV, and yada yada... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonana Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Yes, I think it's a choice. I think that, when people believe in gods, it is because they want to and can ignore other countering factors over faith in their belief. When people do not believe in gods, it is NOT (necessarily) because they don't want to, but because they cannot or will not ignore countering factors. Wouldn't either of those be a choice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Yes, I think it's a choice. Wouldn't either of those be a choice? Possibly. I guess it's all in how you look at it, really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Its a tricky area because for many, faith in the unseen is a deep part of their experience of their spirituality and belief is irrelevant, because of their faith AND their experience. I don't think you can choose to believe something that all your rational reasoning AND experience tell you is not true or existing. You can keep an open mind and choose to not dismiss it as impossible- but you can't make yourself believe it. I don't think you can choose to believe in a Christian God, and believe the Bible is literally true, if your experience and rational mind tell you otherwise. I know I don't believe in Christianity as a religion because it involves too much blind belief, and I just can't believe it. I don't even know if Jesus existed. But I can still appreciate the essential messages- the same as I can appreciate the central messages of any other religion I also don't believe in. I think though that many jump to taking on many beliefs because of an experience. So to me, the energy phenomenon of the Christian laying on of hands or speaking in tongues or all sorts of things like that....are real. Same with prayer- its very real to me. However, I don't personally then put those experiences in a Christian context because I have other contexts to put them in- but I can see that the Christian context, which involves a whole lot of beliefs, is how Christians put those things. In other words, just because I pray to God (any God of my choosing according to be upbringing or culture, most likely), AND my prayers are answered, or even if I see visions....doesn't make the WHOLE of that religious context valid or true. I don't jump to that and believe the whole Bible just because it has some beautiful wisdom in it that I have checked out and found to be true or valid. These issues are too deep and complex to be dismissed one way or the other. No, I don't think you can make or choose to believe something you don't believe in. But I think you do believe in something...even if you don't believe in, for example, a Christian God...and it's worth continually examining ALL your beliefs, all the way through, to check their soundness, rather than stopping at dismissing religious dogma. Many westerners have dismissed the whole of natural medicine, for example, because of science- and also all of religion- because of science. So, in effect, they just now believe in science. Science is the new God, the new Truth. While ultimately its intention is to find truth it is so one sided, so left brained...so not inclusive of the mystery of life and the unseen- it cannot tell you the whole truth. Religion is the other side. It is possible to be inclusive of both and not get stuck in dogmatic beliefs either way. I have been examining ALL my beliefs, to the best of my capacity, since I was a child. I was always interested in the essence of all religions rather than taking on beliefs. Beliefs make us feel secure but I would rather ultimately know the truth and be secure in that, even if its uncomfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSheep Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 (edited) Eh...typed up a whole big thing and then decided I don't think I want to go there today. But interesting question, though. :) Edited July 11, 2011 by MamaSheep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annandatje Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 During a conversation with a friend in which I brought up the fact that I'm just not sure exactly what I believe, she used the phrase "choosing to reject God"…to which I replied something along the lines of "it's not a choice - I can't CHOOSE whether I believe something exists!" … can I? Can you? If you believe in God*, would you say that you made a conscious choice to do so?... No, belief in a deity is not a choice. Some people are born unable to give themselves over to magical thinking even if they wished to do so because of some sort of perceived peace or joy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 That is similar to my experience. I don't think I ever "believed," although I tried to, and later tried to pretend that I did. My rational self, however, could not ignore facts over fiction, so to speak. I stopped pretending to believe because I no longer felt like being a liar about it just to please other people. I think that, when people believe in gods, it is because they want to and can ignore other countering factors over faith in their belief. When people do not believe in gods, it is NOT (necessarily) because they don't want to, but because they cannot or will not ignore countering factors. Of course, the usual disclaimers apply... this is just my opinion, YMMV, and yada yada... Out of curiosity, what beliefs come with your current religion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 It is not a choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeannpal Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I do believe that initially, religious belief is a choice. Faith comes in making the choice, and, later, when doubt sets in. Very often, it seems that belief in God grows over time to become a relationship-one that is active. At times when I have had doubts about the reality of any deity, including Christ, after spending time with God and telling all my fears and doubts, something invariably will happen in which God very clearly announces his presence. Some people may call these coincidences, but they have been far too numerous for that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonana Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Possibly. I guess it's all in how you look at it, really. That's true. FWIW, I can see both sides. However, I think it might have more to do with desire or how much you value something. I think a choice for faith can be made if the desire is great enough or you find enough value in it. I don't mean that as a criticism of those who do not believe. I have had many doubts in my own faith walk, and can understand why they do not make the choice. In fact, their choice is probably more rational than mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeannpal Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 (edited) No, belief in a deity is not a choice. Some people are born unable to give themselves over to magical thinking even if they wished to do so because of some sort of perceived peace or joy. This would make sense if people didn't make all kinds of other choices in life that involve "magical thinking" as you call it or "faith" as I call it. I believe that my husband loves me. My best friend believed that her husband loved her as well. That is, until he left her unexpectedly one day because he had met someone else. She knows now that her belief that her husband loved her was wrong. But, up until he left her for another woman, she had no reason to believe otherwise. They did not have a rocky marriage.That is, until he left her unexpectedly one day because he had met someone else. There are actually quite a few situations in life when we have to choose to believe something, or we choose to not believe it. Edited July 11, 2011 by leeannpal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 nm, started to post in the wrong thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Sure. For instance, I CHOOSE to believe that there are no snakes in Connecticut. And especially not in my immediate surrounds. :D astrid (maybe I should move to Ireland?) :lol: I'm like that about the rats in my garden. They are birds. They are most definitely birds even when it is dark and there wouldn't be any birds there. :lol: Unfortunately, a part of my brain that won't do as I tell it to, believes all rats I can't see are five kilo, vampiric heffalumps with Disney style red eyes. I'm so wussy I'm afraid of them even though I don't believe in them. Pathetic, isn't it? :rofl: I can pretend to believe or not believe things if it is going to make me feel better, (with the exception of those rats, they are too tough for me.) I have a nice theory of reincarnation that I pretend I believe because I like it so much. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I don't know. I can't adopt the Calvinist view (they wouldn't have me, anyway ;)) because I can't believe in a God so cruel as to choose some, but not others. I was born and raised Christian, but in a northern/yankee, mainline liberal church kinda way. It was expected that you went to church and "believed". I fell away from God in my alcoholism, but never stopped believing. I returned to relationship with God May 15, 1991. I tried the traditional Christian "thing" for a decade (after my oldest was born). I've been in limbo with specifics since the divorce. It would be easier (a gift or a blessing) to have a clear-cut, absolute answer. I can say that I have felt liberated, free, and closer to God since admitting that the culturally traditional Christian "thing" doesn't work for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Inna* Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I do believe that initially, religious belief is a choice. Faith comes in making the choice, and, later, when doubt sets in. Very often, it seems that belief in God grows over time to become a relationship-one that is active. At times when I have had doubts about the reality of any deity, including Christ, after spending time with God and telling all my fears and doubts, something invariably will happen in which God very clearly announces his presence. Some people may call these coincidences, but they have been far too numerous for that!:iagree: For years I wanted to believe, but failed to recognize Him in the people I've met and circumstances in my life. I waited for a sign, a thunderclap, something dramatic and was too blind to see Him everywhere. I did get to see and hear some pretty amazing things, but it was only after I chose to surrender to His will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.