Okay... Thanks for all the good replies. I should have realized that this forum probably gets a ton of people who just bash Christianity, and I just want to say that's not what I'm here for. I respect Christianity (I also have a lot of family who are devout Christians/Catholics) and my intention here is not to convince you guys I'm right, but instead be open to and consider your opinion on why God exists. Sometimes it's good consider the stuff you know you'll disagree with at first.
With what I said about concise replies... I just didn't want to have to read a 3 paragraph comment on some tangent since we all know it can easily happen on any forum. If it's on topic, feel free to write as much as you want.
Also, with the whole convinced by evidence and believing thing: What I mean is that from my current perspective, I just don't see the Christian faith (and God in general) as a reasonable explanation for why we are here. This is because the whole Big Bang theory—from the beginning to how Earth was formed—makes more sense to me than "The Creation" listed in Genesis. I can't say that I know my perspective is true, I don't think any of us can know; but it's possible to persuade and convince someone of something so they believe it to be true. I'm just looking for reasons to believe in God and believe that Christianity is a credible religion.
I believe that in order to have a world where true love was possible, God had to allow creation to make itself to a large extent. Otherwise, it would end up being some sort of divine puppet show or "simulation" in the mind of God. So I am not shocked in the least when we find a naturalistic explanation for "the way things are." In fact, it's to be expected.
You won't find many amongst us Orthodox who believe in God for explanatory purposes. That's a logical fallacy called God-of-the-gaps and it is rightly scoffed at.
Instead, everything is summed up in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. God had to "break through" to us, as it were, and the fullest expression of this breakthrough is found in Jesus. Direct all your attention to him, start with history if you have to, familiarize yourself with the available sources, read, read, read and keep moving forward.
If one genuinely wants to find God though, this will not be enough. I offer here these extremely helpful and insightful points by Fr. Thomas Hopko. He calls them his "10 Essential Conditions For Coming To Know God's Truth."
1. The belief that the truth of things can be known, and the desire to know the truth and to do it, wherever it leads, is most essential. Indeed it is everything. When people have this desire and seek truth in order to do it, and are ready to do it whatever it takes to find it, know it and do it, God promises that they will find, and understand and live. In a sense, this desire and seeking is all that is necessary.
2. The seeking person must read the New Testament through, slowly and without judgment of details, at least two or three times, taking the time needed to do this. They should let go of what is not clear, and focus on what they can understand, what is clear to them. It would also be helpful to read a Psalm or two everyday.
3. The person must pray, as they can. If they claim to be Christian, at least somehow, they should say the Lord’s Prayer, and other prayers of the Church tradition, and attend Liturgical services, without serving or singing or reading. If they are not Christians, or are unsure, they must at least pray, “to whom it may concern,” saying something like, “if you are there, teach me, lead me, guide me…”
4. The person must eat good foods in moderation. A couple of days a week (like Wed and Fri) the person should fast; eating much less than usual. During this search the person should abstain from all alcohol, tobacco and drugs. Except a minimal amount of wine with meals. If overeating or drinking, smoking or drug-taking is a problem, the seeker must get formal help, like, for example, a 12 step program.
5. The person should abstain from all sexual activity unless they are married and expressing love (and not just having sex). There should be no TV or Internet porn. If sex is an addictive problem, they must take steps to get formal help.
6. The person should sit alone and still in silence for at least a half hour each day. They should watch their thoughts, but not engage them. They should say a very short prayer while doing them, to avoid engaging their thoughts.
7. The person should give at least a couple of hours a week to charitable work, and should give away some of their money (if they can) in a sacrificial way. They should do this, as far as possible, without anyone knowing what they are doing.
8. The person should open their life fully to at least one other trustworthy person, telling absolutely everything, without editing or hiding anything: their thoughts, dreams, temptations, actions, sins, fears, anxieties, etc.
9. The person must regularly talk with someone trustworthy specifically about their family of origin: their family history going back as far as possible, their childhood, relations with their parents and grandparents and siblings, their spiritual and religious history, their sexual history, education, etc.
10. The person must find a community of friends with whom to struggle to know the truth and to find life. The search cannot be done alone. We need each other.
Welcome to the boards!
