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Nicholas Lukowiak
Belleville, NJ
United States

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How can someone who believes in God, stop believing?

What will it take anyone who believes in any form of God or Gods to
1. consider and/or
2. be convinced without question there is no God or Gods?
What type of evidence? Event? Anything.

I am really interested and I am sure others who do not believe would be just as interested in these answers.

Topics: beliefs faith religion spirituality

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Mir Akram Ali
- +1
Jul 6 2011: http://cpsglobal.org/content/does-god-exist-1
- Jimmy Strobl 30+
  - 0
  TED Translator
  
  Jul 6 2011: hmm.... have I seen this link recently on another conversation?
  
  Edit: sorry, I see that it's not the same link but a similar one..
Laxmi Lobo
- +2
Apr 25 2011: God is a belief. A belief can change. Does it matter whether you assign a religion or a deity to God? God still remains a belief in your/her/his/my mind and exists there, in your/her/his/my mind.
So if you strongly believe there is No God then ironically that belief is your God.
Jordan Miller 20+
- 0
Apr 24 2011: Just as believers most often believe they have a close, personal relationship with God I think ultimately they have to question that relationship and then reject it.

anything could cause this the trick is they have to allow it to happen. for instance perhaps they start reading literature that is anti-their-religion. they feel bad doing it, but continue, they start to question, they seek for answers in all the wrong places, they get no inspiration, they feel god has forsaken them, they stop believing or become hostile.

here's another example: they've been taught never to do things they classify as immoral. they being to, they feel guilty and bad doing it, but continue anyway, they try to stop but don't have the will power, they pray but really want to not stop in their hearts, so they don't stop, they rationalize it, they say they must have been misguided and that this action really isn't bad, they have severed their connection to God and don't feel his daily influence in their lives, they decided they are not misguided now. they must have been misguided in believing in god. they conclude they're now enlightened and lucky to be Healed of their previous frenzied and deranged mind.

in conclusion, I'd say in every case they start doing thinking or saying something. when they feel they shouldn't either by inspiration from god or by guilt they ignore it and if they continue long enough have no option but to reject God or hate themselves for it, or both.
Ryan Davenport
- +2
Apr 4 2011: For me I am agnostic bordering on atheist, I was christian, in fact my dad is a minister. My thing is that there are wayyyyyyy to many condridictions within the idea of god for me to beleive in one. I think that the idea of a compasionate god comes from mankinds need to true compassion. But I feel that the only place you need to look for it is in oneself. Why ask an invisble man for it. It might sound mean, I don't want it to, but how can you receive love from others if you don't love yourself and put your full confidence in yourself first. It doesn't matter how much someone tells you if you don't beleive you are worthy of it. And thats the basis of religion your not worthy of eternal happiness unless you do these things. Well I'm here to tell you you are worthy of anything you want you just have to work for it.
- Jordan Miller 20+
  - +1
  Apr 24 2011: I love what you're saying here. I think you're spot on and that a lot of religious people have fallen into a trap believing they are bad by their very nature.
  
  the truth is we live in a fallen world. thats all. but I also think if you kept looking you'd find a religion that teaches the truth about us and God. the truth that lines up very closely to what you already believe.
Debra Smith 200+
- +1
Apr 2 2011: Hi Nicholas, there may be many roads that lead to disillusionment but for some it comes in times of crises when the value system that a person has espoused does not meausure up or provide the support and rescue that is expected. The answer that someone might give at that point is that the person's faith was defective or that they did not wait long enough. People do come to the end of their capacity to wait for revelaton or help.
Tika Ojha
- 0
Apr 2 2011: A question that ask the reason of existence.
Asking such question is a step to explore reality.
Jimmy Strobl 30+
- 0
TED Translator

Apr 2 2011: I think number 2! (but in a beautiful way)
And it will be interesting to follow this thread, I think those best suited to answer are the ones who have indeed stopped believing in God.
- Jordan Miller 20+
  - 0
  Apr 24 2011: perhaps, unless as in my theory they've simply become self-deceiving.
Nicholas Lukowiak 50+
- 0
Apr 2 2011: I am personally on the border of two beliefs: 1. There is a supreme entity but it ONLY exist as the emotion of love (God is love, the sixth sense), or 2. We as a human race are just one big accident of an existence. (chance)
- Tika Ojha
  - 0
  Apr 2 2011: Both are correct but, to reach to Supreme entity we must step on Chance.
  - Nicholas Lukowiak 50+
    
    0
    Apr 2 2011: So both aren't correct one involves the other. But, I really do not understand what you are trying to say here. Elaborate.
  - Jimmy Strobl 30+
    
    0
    TED Translator
    
    Apr 2 2011: I too am feeling confused!

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