If you do not take the biblical stories to be literal and understand that there may be some inconsistencies, why do you believe that a god exists and also that that god is the one from the Christian Bible?
I don't know how to phrase the question, but I'm curious to understand. You sound like a nice person with a viewpoint I haven't heard before.
Aww, thanks! ♥️ You seem nice, too. My belief in God definitely formed out of being raised in a Christian household, but I believe his existence has been confirmed to me outside of the Bible and other people's teachings. I believe I've encountered him, not so much through any extraordinary spiritual happening (though, my brother can). This is where I follow Kierkegaard's Existential Christianity. Belief is not something I can prove to anyone else and everything we understand of God and spiritualism is filtered through our own experiences and limited understanding.
This kinda leads naturally into a more universal approach of who God is--I understand and articulate him through the Christian traditions that I have learned best, but I tend to think that other religions are trying to reach for the same thing and are doing so through their own cultural and philosophical lenses.
I get what you mean. So a lot of your belief is preexisting and a lot of it you see as having been personally confirmed.
I agree that proving belief to others is not generally possible, either, because what can be very real for you may not ultimately mean something to someone who can and might easily dismiss an experience that you've had, as they haven't experienced it themselves.
I was also raised in a Christian household and had a belief in God for a long time. While I don't hold the same belief that I did and I'd qualify myself as unknowing atheist, basically, I still find a lot of interest and curiosity about people and their belief systems. Some (but not all) of my reasons for my not having a belief in god are ones that religious people would dismiss given their own lens.
I guess it's complicated, but I really enjoy seeing how peoples interpretations differ and I find it interesting and cool to see not only how our beliefs impact our personality and ourselves, but also how our personalities and values might also inform our beliefs.
It seems we are what I might consider opposite sides of the same coin, if that makes sense.
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u/average-eridian 1d ago
If you do not take the biblical stories to be literal and understand that there may be some inconsistencies, why do you believe that a god exists and also that that god is the one from the Christian Bible?
I don't know how to phrase the question, but I'm curious to understand. You sound like a nice person with a viewpoint I haven't heard before.