Because the Bible says so.

Yes, I know that there is no doubt in their minds, but I think that stubbornness in our beliefs when we truly cannot be certain of something, is not a good thing to do. People are willing to kill for beliefs that have no more grounds of proof than the ones they oppose, sometimes less.

You think that these attitudes are minor? Here's just one everyday example of why I don't believe so: http://www.atheistmedia.com/2011/08/tool-time-good-christians-threaten.html?spref=fb No, these people may not exactly reflect the teachings, but I sure don't hear much about atheists killing in the name of atheism. Though the Bible and the Quaran sure are violent books.

When you said people willing to kill for their religion belief, these are usually extremists, they don't constitute the majority of people of faiths. In reality, every religion contain extreme elements within their faiths regardless it is Islam, Christianity, Buddism, Hiduism, Judasism, etc.. it doesn't reflect it is the teaching of all these great religion. All these great religions forbid killing of innocent life base on disagreement, only the extremists that kill for disagreement between religion doctrine, many time it is due to misguided notion intentionally spread by their religion teachers, not the true teaching written in the holy book of various religions.

It's like the telephone game.

i dont read the bible because the bible is too long to read lol

OK, it´s up to you. But one day you might start wondering why you - and we all - are here - but what if God only attracts those who really want to know Him. There is lots of proof of His existense, and the prophecies in the Bible that have been fulfilled in our time and earlier, have convinced me, and so have the wonders in the nature we see around us. But as we were created with a free will and a brain that could function forever, which in itself is a miracle, we have a freedom to choose what we want to do with it.. Here is an article about a nuclear scientist who explains why he believes in the Bible: http://www.watchtower.org/e/20040122a/article_01.htm

Well I don't think I will be doing that, but I know that many people have already prayed for me to tell Him to make me realize the "truth" and so far I stand in my place. With the information that I have gathered in my lifetime, I have come to the conclusion that there is no higher being at all. So I feel like I'm a little past that idea. If God wants me to believe, he can seek me out.

Actually, I already have wondered such things. How do you think I became a nonbeliever in the first place? You say that all the wonders in nature we see convince you that God is real. Would you really consider these things less magnificent if they came into existence on their own? Seems much more spectacular to me. Basically, you are saying that these things could not have existed without a creator, am I correct? If so, why is it that you can conceive of a God that has always existed with no need for a creator, but not of a universe that has always existed without the need of a creator? What prophecies from the Bible exactly do you believe have come true? On the subject of free will: You say that God has given us this free will to choose to believe what we want. If this is true, then why is it that he will punish us with eternal torment if we choose not to believe in him?

I did not say you afraid. I said i noticed that many people are afraid. and i 'm not talking about religion( because i dont like religion). i am talking about God'word. People are imperfect, whether civil, malitary, priests or pastors. Mistakes happens. but.. if a person think or know that one way is good, i think it is normal to want to spread the good news. I can not answer by others.. i speak for myself :- I always respect the decision of others and this is what the bible says: PEOPLE HAVE FREE WILL. They have right dont believe BUT.. they have right to believe. The respect has to come from BOTH sides. and i think to live with honest peoples, calm, loving our neighbor is the ideal for a peaceful society.

And I never said that you said I was afraid. Go back and reread what I wrote because you missed it. I was saying that people are not afraid to read the Bible. A great deal of nonbelievers have read the book. I was saying that people are afraid to discern what they read, meaning that they are afraid to question it because if they find something contradictory, then their whole world would change and people fear the unknown. What I mean is, if someone dedicates their life to God and then later finds out he does not exist, what would this do to a person? If he doesn't exist, what does? If there is no heaven, what happens when they die? And so-forth. As far as religion, if you believe the Bible, you are Christian. You may not belong to a particular sect, but you still identify with a particular religious group. So God is religion. If you are talking about "God'word", then you are talking about religion. And yes it may be natural to want to share our beliefs with people, but there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it. I didn't say that the sharing of religious beliefs is wrong, I said that their methods are often disrespectful. As I said before, Christian principles are not necessary for peace in the world. How peaceful is this anyway? http://www.atheistmedia.com/2011/08/tool-time-good-christians-threaten.html?spref=fb This sort of thing happens every single day. I am a nonbeliever and I haven't threatened any strangers like this. It is not Christian principles which are necessary for peace, but just good principles.

Some religious people believe that it is their "duty" to "spread the word of God", though I find that most of the methods these people use are just disrespectful. I do not believe that these Christian principles are necessary for peace in the world. In fact, there have been more wars fought in the name of religion than for anything else. In addition, there are a great deal of atheists who have studied the Bible in more detail than a great deal of Christians. I don't think that the fear lies in studying the Bible. I think that the fear lies in the discernment of what they read.

That is very good advice. I also agree that everyone should do their own research. I think that there would be a lot more peace if people did this. I don't care what other people believe. I only care about why they believe what they believe. Thank you for sharing.

How do you know that the Bible is the word of God? If some person whom you never met told you a very incredible story and told you that it was true and not to question it at all or you will be punished severely, would you? The existence of God, does not prove that the Bible is true, nor vice-versa. What are your reasons for believing in either?

No, I do not just believe something. I question all. If a stranger walked up to you and told you a very unlikely story and told you that you have to believe it without question or else he would punish you for all eternity, what would you do? I don't think I'd want to be around that person anymore, and I'd certainly be questioning his word and his motives. Do I trust history? Depends on what source I am getting this information from. Regardless of how reliable I think my source is, I am not going to just take it as truth without first verifying it with a few different sources. Even if some things in the Bible has been proved to be true, it does not mean that the whole book is true and it does not mean that all of it is to be taken literally. The Bible is full of parables. And yes I know that people who believe in God believe in the Bible, the issue is why they believe in either and why they believe that a belief in one justifies a believe in the other.

How do you treat history? Do you trust history? People who believe in God belive in the Bible. This is what they called faith. Some of the biblical incidents have been proved to be true and there are evidence that they have happened before. Maybe you still do not have faith in God and this is why you have asked such a question before but this is very common in a lot of people, even christians and catholics.

and you danishcanadian.. are right!! When someone tell you that something is written in the bible.. please..you dont believe without checking. be smart dear.

I very much agree. The most malicious crimes are those committed by those who are trying to control others.

Why does loving God automatically come with a belief in the Bible? As I said, how do you know that it actually is the word of God? How do you know that it hasn't been mistranslated or created by someone else entirely?

So you think that nonbelievers don't love and are pessimists? You think that just because someone does not believe in God, that they are not spiritual? I happen to be a very spiritual person, who does not believe in any higher power. There are other spiritual paths to take. Knowledge is never gained purely for the flesh and it does not contradict spirituality. It definitely makes sense to me that a person should want to have a real reason for believing what they believe. Not believing in the Bible has nothing to do with not "nurturing and reaping the fruit of wisdom of truth for peace, compassion, humility, unity, harmony, and love." On the contrary, my non-belief in God is in favor of these things. Walk into a church with some body art and see just how much peace, compassion, humility, unity, harmony, and love you feel, as they all stare at you with their judging eyes. I am not sure if anything has ever separated mankind as much as religion.

I don't hate Christianity or the Bible. What I hate is that people don't really know their stuff as good as they think. People going around hurting people because a book tells them that they're evil? All I want is for people to actually think and question their beliefs. I want them to stop and see what they are doing. I don't know what you are saying about pessimists. I am not a pessimist by any means. And I do know what's in the Bible. The Bible is a single spiritual path of many. You say that it is the true path. It is not the right one for me. The Bible is way too violent and I just can't bring myself to worship someone who doesn't even follow his own rules. And no, knowledge is not "for this physical and materialistic world only." Knowledge is power. Why do you think that there have been so many historical book burnings? So what if they stare at you in church, you ask? It's the very principle of it. It is not that it hurts my feelings; it's the fact that in a place that is supposed to be a place of love and unity, can make anyone who is different in any way feel just the opposite of that. I can go to a drum circle or a concert and feel more love, unity, peace, and respect than ever in any church. You speak as if I have come to this discussion with a closed mind, but I have thought about these things for a long time. I have sincerely considered every option that I can think of and have come up with the best answer that I can at this time. You are always renewing your relationship with God by studying and learning the Bible, but have you ever truly considered any other ideas? Are you considering any contradictory information or ideas or are you just searching for info to back up the beliefs you already have?

The non-involvement of God doesn't really prove that He does not exist. It suggests that the Bible may not be correct and can definitely be used as a point of why he may not exist, but I don't think it proves it either. Perhaps it was in his "divine plan" not to meddle in the lives of humans.

I very much respect your stance. Most people are so afraid of being wrong that they would rather be wrong than admit that they could be. You openly admit that you do not know. It makes me think that you are more interested in the truth than being right or having things the way you want them to be.

You're right! Mostly I am just curious to find the truth and I question the way most churches teach the Bible.

So you also used the same quote as the previous respondent. A quote from a book to prove that that book is true. Well obviously, that book isn't going to tell you that it isn't true. Actually, there are many, many people who have read the Bible and question it. This is often how atheists become atheists. You think that all those who do not believe in the Bible know nothing of the religion, but you are incorrect. And just because the authors did not take credit or talk about themselves, does not mean that they didn't gain anything. They would have gained your belief in what they said at the very least. And actually, I used to believe in God, but with new information I received, my beliefs changed. Would your beliefs be open to change if you were presented with contradicting information? Neither my heart nor my mind is closed to any idea. I have kept an open mind and have accepted what makes the most sense. If I am presented with new information which contradicts my beliefs, then my beliefs will change. You still did not answer my question as to how you know that the Bible really is the word of God? As I said, the existence of God does not prove that the Bible is correct, nor does the existence of the Bible prove that God is correct. You have not answered to me your reasons for believing in either. Are you going to answer my question or continue to make presumptions about me?

So you used a quote from the book as proof that the book is true?

just want to add that the scripture in the Bible do not contradict each other, from the Old Testament to the New.

There is no court of law or higher authority than God Himself so at the end of the day, it is pure faith that arose from past experiences, other sharing their experiences with the divinity of God that attest to the Word of God. Historical sites and historians themselves have also testified to the christian faith. Whether one chooses to believe or not is an individual's choice but certainly there is nothing to dispute the Word of God although there may be different theories.

I don't think that everyone who believes that the Bible is the word of God is not questioning others' beliefs. "Anyway the key online is we believe the bible is the word of God." What do you mean? Who are you referring to?

So in other words, you believe it for no reason without question. If someone came and told you they could fly, would you believe them or would you expect them to prove it?

i mean is if you believe that bible is a word of God, you will never ask the question like what you did in your discussion.

We need to believe in the Bible because the Bible is the word of God or because God said that we have to believe in the Bible? I am sorry. I need clarification on what you mean.

Well of course the Bible isn't going to tell you that it isn't true. That is not a real reason in believing it. So how do you know that it really is the word of God? How do you know that God chose anyone to write His word at all?

I'm also suspicious of the "telephone effect".

Are you familiar with the term, "circular reasoning?" What does the Bible say about that?

That is great that you question the Bible and that you believe in love and compassion, though I definitely see a contradicting message in there too. But yes, not even just made biased through the translator, but simple incorrect translation as well. I mean, if I look up a video, lyrics, etc. translated from another language to English, I can find so, so many versions and a lot of it just makes no sense at all and so I know I can't trust it word-for-word. I have similar thoughts in regards to the Bible.

You believe in God only because you were told that he exists and told about the Bible. If I am mistaken, please correct me. I can explain why I believe in the things that I do. How do you know that God is talking to you? How does your life show it? Is there a real logical reason why you should assume that it is God and not something else entirely? Our minds can easily be decieved and our feelings are a product of the mind. So without any evidence, there is no way to discern these things as fact or fiction, and it is simply irrational to believe in something for no reason, particularly something with such a huge impact on your life and the lives of others. No, I used to believe in God. I also used to believe in monsters and ghosts. Then I realized that I had no reason whatsoever to believe these things and that I was only being superstitious. I find it funny that believers assume that I have not felt the same things, believed I knew the same things, and have gone through the same things. The majority of nonbelievers started out as believers. I understand what you have said, but I am not convinced that you have any actual reason to believe what you do. You haven't actually presented me with any actual reasons.

Whatever! Prove that superman doesn't exist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111 ;)