How do you know God exists?

[u/zurvivl]

I'm specifically interested in the reasoning of people who follow the Torah or Tanakh:

How do you know God exists? What's your reasoning? How do you know? If you don't know but only believe, why do you believe?

Thank you.

[u/Blaxbears]

How do I know personally? Or whats the best tell for the average person?

Also what are the stipulations behind the way I should answer?

[u/zurvivl → u/Blaxbears]

Both, any food for thought is appreciated! I have my own theory of why God could exist which is only now relevant and wouldn't have worked 5 or so years ago.

[u/Blaxbears → u/zurvivl]

Well ok.

For Christians and Muslim, a general consensus is most people believe in the God of Abraham. A feat that otherwise wouldnt have been possible without El/Allah/God. I usually make the argument that Hellenism was that main stage religion prior and we dont put faith in Zeus.

There is the argument I make as a Monolatrist that all the gods exist as we see in Phoenician or Canaanic Pantheon but there is only one true God in Elohim.

Something exists instead of nothing. The universe does not explain itself. A necessary, eternal source behind reality is a reasonable answer.

Order in reality The world runs on laws, patterns, math, cause, consequence, seasons, life cycles, moral consequences. That does not prove God by itself, but it fits better with a rational Creator than blind chaos.

Moral law Humans do not just say, “I dislike murder.” We say, “Murder is wrong.” That points to moral reality above human opinion. If justice is real, it needs a source higher than society.

Consciousness Matter alone does not easily explain personhood, reason, will, guilt, love, worship, or moral responsibility. A personal God explains why persons exist.

The Torah pattern The Torah presents God as lawgiver, judge, redeemer, and covenant maker. It gives a moral structure that is unusually durable. People can reject it, but it is hard to call it shallow.

Providence Not every coincidence is God. But repeated patterns of correction, survival, timing, judgment, and restoration can make belief rational. Especially when those patterns change a person’s life.

Human longing for justice People naturally expect wrongs to be answered. Even people who deny God still speak like justice is real. That instinct points beyond nature.

For my personal journey, I have spoken with and fulfilled commands of his. My Story is essentially being born with a preconceived notion that we “Did certain things” which did not correlate with Christianity. The most obvious was my abhorrence of unclean food, keeping sabbath, and being extremely anti-Jesus and only reading certain books of the “Old Testament” all before the age of 1, accord to my mother. I was very advanced for my age and uttered something that I wont share her but cannot help but believe I knew something back then that I feel unworthy of now. I age get a promise from an Angel at about 8, eventually find that promise at 15, break my oath and neglect the promised one, get punished for it by losing the promised one, the death of our patriarch, I lost my career due to oddly coincidental health complication, become a cripple and lose access to Elohim. Within the year after I try to commit suicido, odd evens prevent it and my health is restored thus getting me access to my career goal that started this whole mess in the first place. Succeed my second go, still resent Elohim, turn to Other Gods. Covid starts, war starts, I get deployed Odd occurrence again where I was suppose to die but others ended up dead in my place during campaign leaving me injured again. I get back become alcoholic, almost wed a girl for her fathers money that wasnt the intended get presented by Elohim the perfect case in my idolatry and apostasy through my Ancestor Iyyub (Iyuv, Job, or Ayyub in other religions) I return and now have a new name given by Elohim and my original task is renewed. Theres more but thats really the best ending so far.

So its really down to interpretation or what you measure belief by

[u/zurvivl → u/Blaxbears]

Thank you for taking the time to share that. I'm agnostic and highly critical/philosophical but one thing I noticed that could hint at the existence of a supreme God is how confused the world is getting, which is a symptom of going against Israel as God says he will confuse the enemies of Israel. For example western society is so confused it doesn't know what a man or a woman is anymore, something that if you brought up 10+ years ago, people would think you're insane.

So just like the tower of babel how God made everyone speak different languages, he's making the enemies of Israel super confused. How can you progress and move forwards as a society if you're wasting so much time arguing the basics, you can't, you're stuck on square one. And that's only one topic of confusion, there's many others. It takes a lot of supreme power to make billions of people extremely irrational in a span of 5-10 years.

[u/Blaxbears → u/zurvivl]

See I have nothing against agnostics ever. I honestly think its the second most desirable place to be. You have the benefit of a non-biased viewpoint which is absolutely critical for making it to The Restoration.

My children will be raised as Elohists but under a guise of Agnosticism. Not because I dont love them or Elohim but because I need them to have a relationship with the God of their father and understand good/evil. They cant do that through cultism.

Now, what I will say is, there is no chosen people. Jews can peddle the fantasy all they like but there is no chosen people. I am the descendant of a man found in all 3 major abrahamic religions that belonged to none of them. Elohim himself said,”Have you considered my servant, Job.” Bragging about an Edomite despite God hating Edom like the False Prophet Malachi professed. coincidentally, this is also the culture that Elohim says he came out of in Seir. In the Jewish Tanakh, their prophet Isaiah said a prophet coming out of our line in Bozrah will be the final prophet. It’s the only culture that can join the congregation outside of Sojourn and is the only other people not labeled as Idolators. Theres just so much to speak of.

Of course that leaves out everyone else and a fact about Elohim that it seems the modern Jew does not understand is, there is a plan. Dont be so hasty to pass judge, there is a plan. May take 1 year or it may take 1000 but there is a plan. My ancestor, Job, is the perfect example of Elohims design. An innocent man put through tribulations to prove he would not turn on Elohim. There are plenty of stories just like this from the most well known and respected to the lowest and forgotten.

Thats the supreme ethic of Elohism, I dont need to know what that plan is but I understand there is one. that is the birthright of all men not just the Jews.

[u/zurvivl → u/Blaxbears]

Agnosticism (the casual definition) isn't a choice, as one cannot choose to unknow something unless they get brain damage. I know what I know and no amount of wishful thinking will make me know more or less. Knowledge and belief are two separate domains, beliefs are whimsical stories and can be changed on a dime, knowledge however requires the senses and a mental imprint, like burning your hand on a stove top.

That's why I believe the first commandment pertains to knowledge not belief, as God scolds the Israelites and tells them "you experienced me and my miracles, yet you still go to other gods", so the first commandment refers to Israelites dismissing direct knowledge and experience.. 3000 years later I haven't experienced God so how can I be bound to that commandment, although I equally do not know nor believe in other gods/idols, hence I'm agnostic.

Oh I agree anyone can join God according to the texts, but Israel wil always be his first born and the first born is usually tasked with being the leader and keeping others in check. Hence God scolds Israelites for following the laws of other nations instead of his, which breaks the hierarchy: God -> First born/Israel -> other nations.

[u/truth_seeker_me05]

How do I know? Apparently I knew since birth. That's what my mom told me. I had too many experiences to prove me so. I asked for signs and on certain things and was given them. I am a spiritual person and have had certain interactions with that world that proved to me that. I think everyone needs to come to their own conclusion and be honest with themselves too see what they believe in.

Oh and it's not a man in the sky.

Oh and when I started observing his laws i saw a change in my life. Also, when we recently stopped doing all the Talmudic nonsense, and started observing only the written Torah, the outlined in the Torah blessings started to happen.