Why do you believe or not believe in a "Creator"?

I invite you all to share what exactly fuels your beliefs and non-beliefs in an intelligent creator.
What do you personally believe you have to gain by believing in a God?
What do you personally believe you have to lose by believing in a God?
What do you personally believe you have to gain by not believing in a God?
What do you personally believe you have to lose by not believing in a God?

For those of you who believe we are God imminent, what fuels your belief? And for those of you who 'know' God, how do you know? In which way did you come to know your creator personally, realistically?

I'd like to make this thread to be a communication of common understanding so all observers may come to understand what beliefs and ideas separate a believer from a non-believer. I'd also like to request that we exercise respect towards freedom of expression and to not slander or defame others for sharing their beliefs. It is my hope that this thread may assist spiritual equality. It is my hope that this thread may bear in peace the beliefs that have stirred the tides of war since beginningless time so that all who take part may come to understand their brothers and sisters on a deeper level.

Also, please try to refrain from preaching. Let's keep the responses real and straight forward. Let's discuss this nobly and with heart-felt intentions to ease strife amongst our fellow ATS'ers.

Ready. Set. GO!

originally posted by: EviLCHiMP
I invite you all to share what exactly fuels your beliefs and non-beliefs in an intelligent creator. What do you personally believe you have to gain by believing in a God? What do you personally believe you have to lose by believing in a God? What do you personally believe you have to gain by not believing in a God? What do you personally believe you have to lose by not believing in a God?

For those of you who believe we are God imminent, what fuels your belief? And for those of you who 'know' God, how do you know? In which way do you come to know your creator personally?

I'd like to make this thread to be a communication of common understanding so all observers may come to understand what beliefs and ideas separate a believe from a non-believer. I'd also like to request that we exercise respect for the freedom of expression and to not slander or defame others for sharing their beliefs. It is my hope that this thread may assist equality. It is my hope that this thread may bear in peace the beliefs that have stirred the tides of war since beginningless time so that all who take part may come to understand their brothers and sisters on a deeper level.

Also, please try to refrain from preaching. Let's keep the responses real and straight forward. Let's discuss this nobly and with heart-felt intentions to ease strife amongst our fellow ATS'ers.

Ready. Set. GO!

I choose to believe in some higher power, or level of consciousness, whatever you want to call it, because having that belief serves me, serves others, and serves the greater good. To clarify, I believe whatever you call it is not separate from me, but that it's always part of me and everything around me.

I don't judge if my belief is the Truth, because it's impossible to know. I make it my truth, with a small t.

a reply to: Jamie1

Beautiful, thank you for sharing!

a reply to: EviLCHiMP

"What do you personally believe you have to gain by believing in a God?"

Immortality and an answer as to why we exist.

"What do you personally believe you have to lose by believing in a God?"

The ability to question religious dogma and our freewill to a fashion. Dominion over our world.

"What do you personally believe you have to gain by not believing in a God?"

Possibly the hope of one day becoming gods ourselves, omnipotence, or at least some-kind of ascension to a higher plane of existence, even if it is of our own creation aka the singularity.

"What do you personally believe you have to lose by not believing in a God?"

Apparently our immortal soul if the bible is to be believed.

a reply to: andy06shake

Perfect! Thank you for sharing as well!

It really wasn’t a choice for me. My mother took me to church, I read the bible and heard the preaching, and all I could think was, do people really believe this? I’m 61 now and don’t feel a bit different about it. Religion baffles me.

Because there is no proof of a "creator", nor is it in my opinion possible for that to be the case. Some HUGE guy thats invisible and picked (from what we have found so far), little old Earth to put humans and animals on? Just does not add up. I find it far more likely that comet brought amino acids to the earth, that just happened to be the perfect climate to allow these things to grow into lifeforms. As far as all the man, many different types of animals/creatures, to that I think just billions of years of mutating/evolving is responsible for that.

a reply to: EviLCHiMP

What do you personally believe you have to gain by believing in a God? Nothing.
What do you personally believe you have to lose by believing in a God? Nothing.
What do you personally believe you have to gain by not believing in a God? Everything. Even if you believe in a supreme being, you are an atheist to the Hindus and any other polytheistic religion.
What do you personally believe you have to lose by not believing in a God? Nothing. God, being all-powerful, already knows our future, before I was born he already knows the end result of my fate. Whether I am an atheist or a theist, my fate is already eternally sealed.

a reply to: Pauligirl

I love your response, it's very straight forward and authentically 'you'. Thank you for sharing

Thesmokinggun and DoctorTruth thank you both for sharing, I really appreciate how you all are treating this thread so far.

a reply to: EviLCHiMP

My pleasure mate, just wanted to give my two cents on the topic, keep em coming!

a reply to: EviLCHiMP

I think "choose" is the wrong word for my own experience...


I look at supreme Mathematics & certain Science that are hard to debate against their point towards Design.

I also have experienced amazing Spiritual & Heavenly events that pushed me to a realisation rather than a choice.



I know it seems silly & almost contradictory to try and put an explanation to the unexplainable...
But I truly believe it's only unexplainable because we are young Mathematically & especially Scientifically.


Everyday, thousands of people come to the conclusion that there is something more to this...
On the other hand thousands lose Faith...


When one finds Faith, more often than not & aside from a perceived "miracle" like battling illness, it's from an outside Source that we just cannot ignore...

When one loses Faith, even if due to indignation or personal loss, it is a choice...
Unless unwittingly influenced by a darker outside source.


What do we have to lose or gain in either belief or non belief...
Our Soul & Salvation in belief...
Free will for certain in both cases.

I believe god is a wonderful group of programmers.

Everything about this existence feels superficial. The precision of nature, evolution, ecology, astronomy, atomic structure, etc. Everything is beautifully intertwined and the superfluidity in which the universe operates are on a level we as humans may never full comprehend. It's pretty sweet

a reply to: CharlieSpeirs

I wish I could give you 10 stars for that post, beautiful, insightful, and full of heart. Thank you for sharing CharlieSpeirs!

Edit: I removed choose from the thread title, it is true some don't choose.

a reply to: theyknowwhoyouare

Love it, thank you for sharing!

a reply to: EviLCHiMP

No problem my friend it's a pleasure.

This is a great idea for a thread, something fresh and something everyone on ATS can have input in with so much to offer on both sides.

a reply to: EviLCHiMP
Who created the creator? That's what I want to know...

a reply to: CharlieSpeirs

Thank you Charlie, you already see where I am going with this, good eye!


a reply to: Wide-Eyes

Intriguing thought!

originally posted by: EviLCHiMP
I invite you all to share what exactly fuels your beliefs and non-beliefs in an intelligent creator.
What do you personally believe you have to gain by believing in a God?

I gain a connection to the other sides. As much as I strive to serve it, it serves me far more. The clarity, peace, and harmony I achieve because of my path are not comparable to any sort of secular endeavor I've ever perused.

originally posted by: EviLCHiMP
What do you personally believe you have to lose by believing in a God?

Personally, nothing. There are things on a social level I've had to sacrifice but, in reality, it's not my sacrifice if people exclude me for my beliefs. I can think of nothing I've sacrificed that I wouldn't have given up eventually on my own initiative.

originally posted by: EviLCHiMP
For those of you who believe we are God imminent, what fuels your belief? And for those of you who 'know' God, how do you know? In which way did you come to know your creator personally, realistically?

I do not believe we are literally sharing personhood with any of the gods (at least not habitually) but I do understand the gods emanate divinity in all manners of ways, sometimes that includes us.

I "know" the gods I know because that's what I do. Through very literal means, I have met personifications of my deities as well as on the other sides. There are rituals in nearly every culture meant for doing exactly that. Some more literal than others but all very valid. When a Christian tells me the "know" Jesus, I don't argue with them because I believe them. Likewise when a pagan who observes a different pantheon than I do says the same thing.

What I can tell you that most who understand me would agree on is that, if you experienced what some people have, you wouldn't even question it.

a reply to: Wide-Eyes

Cause and effect don't necessarily have to operate in such a fashion if time follows a non linear path.