Does accepting God require a leap of faith?
547788
well, faith is all about being able to believe in something without physical proof of it existing. logically, that doesnt make sense. but, thats what faith is about. anyone can have faith in something when its right in front of you with the answers spelled out. but to be realistic, the bible doesnt explain everything. and it contradicts what we know is scientifically proven. but thats just it, you've independantly thought about this, and questioned it, you obviously werent brainwashed into anything. and if you want to believe in it, it sounds like you're ready. if you decide not to, thats cool too. i can understand that.\n\nto me, faith is about saying "i believe theres more to existence than what we understand right now".
1155590
No one can say for sure, for proving Gods existence would remove the need for faith. Without faith God does not exist.\nThe concept of Gods was created by every culture independent of each other. Can the whole of humanity be wrong?
899015
You can choose to use either your (1) faith or (2) reason.  If you choose to use only faith, then you must ignore the physical world about you.\n\nReligious faith is completely compatible with science as long as religion stays exclusively in the spiritual realm and science stays exclusively in the physical realm.  It is only when religion pontificates about the physical world or science speculates about the non-physical that we run into trouble.
302197
Belief is a very strong thing, I'm not sure that if you really thought about it you would be surprised that your decision upsets your parents. Although the freedom to choose is yours alone, I don't think you will easily get your dad to accept your faith. Just make sure you follow it because you believe it, not to make dad mad.
444263
The first answer is prayer. However I will caution you about a prayer for more faith. To get more faith, God usually puts us in a position that is very uncomfortable for us in order for us to learn faith. Peter was in a ship that was tossed around in a vicious storm. To top it off he saw a what appeared to be a ghost walking on the water. Can you imagine his fear. Yet the ghost turned out to be Jesus and Peter was beckoned to step out of the boat (his comfort zone) into the water - the unknown. He achieved the unachievable. Are you ready to walk the water? If so then ask God to increase your faith and fasten your seat belt. My prayers are with you as you move forward on this wonderful journey.
586181
*blushes at Wrathpuppet's comment*  \n\nThanks! I made my grand entrance!\n\nI am a spiritual atheist.  Religion usually requires a "god" belief, or faith in "god".  Spirituality, otoh, does not require it. It can have it if the person wants a "god" belief, but it is not neccessary. Definitions: \n\nReligion    http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/religion\n\nSpirituality   http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/spirituality
1092609
I'm with weemaryanne on this one.\nYour take on religion is pretty much the same as mine - and many others. And you are not alone in being the only agnostic in a religious family.\nI think it's healthy to question the world around you and not take everything at face value. If you find faith in your god again, you won't have lost anything by examining your faith.\nIf you decide god doesn't exist, you won't be a worse person. You'll be accepting the world as it realyy is. And that is really quite liberating.\nGood luck with your journey.
534575
Back to the "leap of faith." \n\nPeople like you and I cannot accept that simply because the bible says something, that it must be true. However, there are billions of people who think otherwise.\n\nWe cannot accept this argument because it cannot be tested. They feel that they can accept it because reason has no place in matters of faith.\n\nThis is pretty much the whole issue in a nutshell.
646282
Apparently you can, but it is not easy. It requires a total change of lifestyle and, in some cases, of faith.
771283
Truth and Love do walk hand in hand. The need would/could never be to large for God to fulfill. I would never want to learn to live a lie. And there is no way that my Faith is going to be shattered, with the misconception that God is not real. Thanks for the thought provoking questions. God bless
607717
Its all about Faith yes. but you can test it as well. I have many testimonies to proof that there is a God. Things that happen every day wich i ask of God. I dont believe in coinsedince.\nRead the Bible And Pray. I promise you that u will get answers if you put your  heart to it
34259
Simple:\n\nJust ask Christ to enter your heart. All other things come after. Sure read the bible, but it is not required, although it is jolly good reading. It is written:\n\nJohn 20:31\nBut these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.\n\nThe only hard thing about accepting him is trusting him, and beliving him. Trust is hard but you have to work at it.
445739
No. Absolutely not. The fact that I have a strong faith is a personal decision. What anyone else chooses to believe in is entirely up to them, and I do respect that. I wouldn't be living the way my faith requires if I were to push it onto someone else. I respect their beliefs the same way that I would want someone to respect mine. (Lutheran)
536772
A speaker from the "freedom from religion" foundation spoke at my college a few years ago.  He proposed that, because it is more logical to believe God is fiction, but less heartwarming, maybe God will only reward those who have the courage NOT to believe in Him.
578004
If you have faith in God you don't need it in writing, don't think of God as a person like you and I think of him as a something far greater. It's thanks to how man has written the Bible that so many of us have lost the true path to God, if you read the Bible, and yes there is some truth there, you can see how man gains out of whats written, not God, but man.\nLove & Peace
742325
Hi, good question...I have just recently gone through some difficult times at my "former" church, and though I did not lose my faith, I did take a break from church, "organized religion".  A very difficult time since worshipping God has alot to do with serving God and it's hard to serve Him if you aren't going somewhere.  I honestly did struggle WITH my faith, but never stopped having my faith.  Once you have that salvation through Jesus Christ, you can't lose it.  I've always heard that if you're not close to God anymore, then you're the one that moved, not Him.   what I did, I clung to Him, prayed to Him and let Him do His work in me.  When I was ready, He was waiting.  He is a patient, loving God.
969625
Faith.  Believing even when you do not physically see it in front of you.  \n\nI have seen many miracles.  I do believe in God.  He has told messages to people to record and translate.  The BIBLE, should be valued and loved.  I will someday see God face to face.