Comments on: Why I Believe

By: Bradley Dorrance

Bradley Dorrance — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 22:14:17 +0000

If your god is real, he knows exactly what I need to see / hear in order to believe. So why does he remain silent and aloof? I’ve asked him to manifest for decades and still nothing.

Two possible conclusions:

1. He doesn’t exist
2. He’s a piece of shit

Pick one, Phil.

By: Bruno Corticelli

Bruno Corticelli — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 06:48:56 +0000

to Sheryll James : Interestingly enough, in one of my favorite French translation of the Bible John 3.16 renderes “πιστεύων” as “… that whoever places his trust in Him will escape/avoid perdition and have everlasting/eternal life.”
owever,

By: gary

gary — Wed, 25 Dec 2019 19:50:26 +0000

What is the real reason that most Christians believe?

https://lutherwasnotbornagaincom.wordpress.com/2019/12/24/you-can-lead-a-christian-to-evidence-but-you-cant-make-him-think/

By: Gary

Gary — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 05:11:09 +0000

I have found that very few Christians first believed in the the central truth claim of Christianity, the resurrection of Jesus, due to historical evidence. Rather, we believed due to emotional experiences or perceived miraculous events—and often at a very young age (under 12). It was only after our emotional decision to believe this fantastical claim that we decided, often years later, to obtain historical evidence to back up that emotional decision.

Is that rational?

If one is going to believe that a first century corpse came back to life, ate a fish meal with his friends, and later lifted off the ground and disappeared into the clouds, wouldn’t it be prudent to thoroughly investigate this claim first, researching both the pro and the con arguments, before making a decision to believe it? Wouldn’t most modern, educated people do this type of research for any other fantastical claim?

By: Vicki

Vicki — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 22:32:13 +0000

I didn’t have any real doubts until I was told I might have cancer and then started taking a medication that prevents cancer from occurring.
I’m not having doubts now but when I first received the diagnosis, and was told I need an operation to remove the mass that they were questioning, suddenly I wondered. I couldn’t stop myself from wondering no matter how much I wanted to so I let the questions and doubts come until they were gone.
It’s been an awful 12 weeks trying to get through not knowing if I had malignant cancer and then not being sure, not 100 percent, if the medication will stop the cancer from coming.
I’m just glad I’m not feeling plagued with doubts anymore.

By: Bob Rubin

Bob Rubin — Thu, 27 Jun 2019 23:42:07 +0000

This speaks to my soul. I have been a Jewish believer for 34 years. I love apologetics.

This piece somehow has found the point where the visible and the invisible meet in beautiful unity. It is rational as well as instinctual. If it touches one non-believers heart it is worth the effort it took to compose, I believe, filled to the brim with the Holy Spirit.

By: Ann O'Malley

Ann O'Malley — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 15:15:45 +0000

In response to Chris Spurlock: You’re absolutely right to say that God does not live in a relationless vacuum. After being a Christian for many years, I had one of those aha moments when reading a book about God. (I don’t remember the title or author, but have to wonder if it might have been Philip Yancey!) The writer pointed out that God is a trinity. Therefore, for all eternity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have lived in perfect intimate relationship with each other. We weren’t created out of God’s need for relationship, but out of His joy in creating and relating to His creatures.

A few months after being saved, I went through a period of intense doubt. Then I stumbled across Psalm 22 and I had to ask, how could David, writing many centuries before Jesus was born, describe in one Psalm so many aspects of the day we call Good Friday? It’s not humanly possible. (If anyone wants to read more details of my experience, you can find it in my blog at https://thosewhoweep.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-crucifixion.html.)

Philip, I love the way you describe your reasons for believing. American culture places so much emphasis on the left-brain, logical reasons for belief (my dominant side), that many of us resort to a form of apologetics that bows to this demand. But it seems to me that that approach leaves out some important factors that you include here. Thank you.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 10:07:04 +0000

Dear Fred, I’m sure Philip can answer you much better than i but I came from that skeptical place that you describe. After a Luis Palau rally, I decided, quite consciously, to take the step of faith and to follow Jesus’ teachings. It was radically transforming. My values and priorities were turned upside down and I learned the joy of finding the truth about how to live on this earth, even amid the ongoing noise and pain. With trust in God, I can go on. Trying to live out His teachings by actively loving those around me gives meaning and purpose to life. I have an anchor that does not stop bad things happening but prevents me from being blown over by the storm. I am now a lay preacher and, by the way, Jesus was the corpse who rose from the dead. May God bless you.

By: John W

John W — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 06:11:34 +0000

Again Philip, thanks for your eloquent and engaging honesty. Your trademark.

By: Richard Dawson

Richard Dawson — Sun, 23 Jun 2019 23:15:54 +0000

All life is faith… faith that the sun will rise, faith that the road won’t give way, faith that the lights will work. Faith in God simply looks a little further.