My Christian friends say they "know" that God exists, refusing to acknowledge the possibility?

Wesman Todd Shaw: You are, of course, correct, but your answer didn't address my question.

Having a religious zealot for a mother, I understand how frustrating this can be, especially when trying to get across that without proof all they have is faith not fact. But to so many Christians their faith is fact, that they bulldoze any questions raised that might dispute this. Closing their minds off from the very search that may have led them to their faith in the first place.

Christians like this, I believe are the ones who NEED to believe. They Need it to be true. Because if it wasn't, then everything that they have based their lives on would fall apart.As humans we are born to question, to search out the truth for ourselves, but these Christians almost seem to resent that search in others, wanting everyone to fall in line with them.

Which would of course reinforce their personal belief that, what they have chosen to follow is of course fact. Some Christians will provide numerous stories of their own experience as the very proof that we all need, to know the way. Forgetting all the while that a relationship with god is a personal one, just like falling in love.

You cant force faith like you cant force love, it is shame that these Christians cannot see how damaging their singular views to others can be...or how unapproachable it makes them, they are even blinded to how they sound, (my mother hates being called religious, but unfortunately for her, that's what she is, even if she refuses to see it).

It breaks down to brainwashing. Religion is basically that. You can show a religious person any proof you want that god is fictional but when something has been drilled into your head since birth, it's quite difficult to get a person to be rational and change their way of thinking.

Plus religion and god is a great way to comfort yourself and let life go by with something else to blame for the good and bad times.

They can't see how ridiculous their position is because they suffer from blind faith. This malady does not allow them to acknowledge any argument other than their own as being possible.

Because they themselves are closed minded they are judgin you based on your opioin and thats not right.

I'm a Christian and have been pondering about these kinds of questions. I've found a good representation of the point of view of the Christian thinker (as opposed to the asking-no-questions Christian) here: thinkingaboutthebigquestions.blogspot.com/2 Giselle.

From my experience it is due to a misguided viewpoint that emotion equates to reality. The religious (especially the evangelical protestants) are exposed early and repeatedly to emotion-laden sermons and gatherings, and it is quite easy to feel a euphoric sense of well being in those groups events. That euphoria is simply a biological chemical reaction, but to the believer it is a reenforcement of faith.

For the most part, man is driven by his emotions, sometimes spending entire lives not understanding that emotions are simply that - feelings - and are not the driver of actions and do not necessarily have the slightest thing to do with reality. The brain always determines actions, and it can supercede what is being felt. The old adage of count to ten when angry is an example of the brain controlling the body instead of the anger, as is "act enthusiastic and you will feel enthusiastic".

Truth is, action (started from the brain) will transcend the power of any emotion. Endorphin release is a powerful feeling of well being, not unlike a narcotic high, while dopamine release brings with it a rush of euphoria. When these two combined powerful sources are released during the height of a spiritual powow, and the worldview of the participants is that feelings are a part of and mirror reality, it is no wonder that so many claim a spiritual experience and believe so deeply.

Atheist are equally ridiculous in their insistence that there is no God. Nobody can prove that there is or isn't. It's not going to change.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.