[Vasu]

That's where the faith and feeling part of human nature comes in. Sadly, you cant see and know everything from the point we're at. it's as if your life consisted of standing behind a wall and trying to look at a painting on the other side. There's something beautiful behind it all but it's simply something that we cant see, and we wont be able to see it till that wall comes down. If that painting's not there, whether it be a picaso, van gough, or whatever (i.e. the different theories on who the Deity/Deities is/are) there's not much point in even trying to walk around the wall, other than to enjoy the walk. But for us, as we walk, and see beautiful things (i.e. Love, Happiness, Family, Peace, Childhood, Etc.) You cant help but think that there's a point to it all; a point to all the beauty and happiness (true happiness, not the happiness that a life of sin brings you), and that there's some master plan behind it all... Some final beauty, some eternal true happiness. some kind of beautiful endpoint. Besides, as you see the bad in the world you cant help but think that the mass murderers who sit on the top of the food chain (i.e. politicians) have to have some kind of cosmic, spiritual karma coming back to them.

Brilliant. That is life. Enjoying the walk. I find pleasure in it. I like getting together with my friends for a game of football, or just to talk. I like hanging out with my family and talking about everyday things, and enjoy the company. I like life. I like living. It gives me pleasure as well as pain, but the pleasure seems to make it worth it all. Correction. YOU can't help but think that there's a point. YOU like to have the world the way YOU want it. I do not live in hope of a beautiful afterlife, or in blind unprovable belief that the "bad guys" will be punished "later". Sure, life isn't fair, but I've gotten over it. I've grown up. I don't believe in fairy tales that the prince marries the beautiful young poor girl. Most of the time the prince marries some other rich girl. I find it wrong maybe. But I don't try to rationalise it with some untrue concept.

One more thing: Just because the lack of god makes life pointless to you, doesn't make god exist.

Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?

And do you mean the list of things? The only way you can know that for sure is through dying. there's no deffinite proof i know of. perhaps you should consult one who has taken theology courses?

Maybe YOU should find the answers to those questions before you subscribe to and believe a religion wholeheartedly? I HAVE posed these questions to every theist friend I was close enough to, a few agreed they didn't really know what they were on about, while a few were adamant that they just "knew" god existed.

To answer your question finally, i believe because i have faith that there's a higher being that acctually cares and sympathizes with us. someone who makes all the crap you endure through life worth it in the end. i cant help but think that this isnt the end. that those who lie and cheat and kill succeed in the end. that those who are virtuous, but misfortunate, will die lonely and unhappy only to rot and decay. To sum it up, i believe in God because it's the only way to make sense of this world. Plus, all the teachings of Christ make total sense to me.

Wrong, you believe in god because it's the only way you can have the world the way you want it to be. You can't settle for what you have, and what you see, so you decide that by thinking god exists, the world is fine. I'll repeat, just because believing in god makes your world better, that doesn't mean he really exists.