But you don't have to believe if you choose not to. I'm not one of those "believe what I believe or go to hell" types.
Assuming you are married, do you have "faith" that your husband isn't cheating on you?
I am not married but I am in an exclusive, long-term relationship. It also happens to be a long-distance relationship so I do have to rely on faith, his word, and his actions that he is not cheating on me.
If you do have this faith, would it remain staunch and unmoving if you find lipstick on all his shirts, you find panties that aren't yours in his pants pockets, and all of your friends that have seen his out say that he's cheating?
Now, that is physical evidence and eye witness evidence from people known to me. I would have to say that would trump faith.
Religious faith is the same way, theists want their story to be true so badly, they will make excuse after excuse for the counter evidence, but they will avoid facing the evidence it's self because it makes them uncomfortable, and that uncomfort it the key to their true honest feelings.
I freely admit that I do not believe the bible to be infallible.
Secondly how can you not be a believe what I believe or you're going to hell? Are you not certain why the bible says about who goes to hell and who doesn't? How could you not know? And if you know, how can you resist both jesus' command of the great commission and the "knowledge" that someone will be tortured horribly for all eternity if they don't get it right. Are you so callous as to not to care about others? (Unless of course you are a closet atheist and you know deep down that it's not real.)
My beliefs are highly non-traditional. I don't claim the bible as the only source of inspiration or knowledge. I have been accused of being a cherry picker and of SPAG which by the standards of this forum is accurate. I choose to accept the statements which match the character of Christ as saviour, teacher, servant. I admit sometimes when I am in a pissy mood I blame the problems of the world on God and have a regular hissy fit. Like today I lost a patient. A 43 year old woman who has been fighting cancer for years. So she damn well better be in heaven. There had better be some reward for the battle she fought. I have another patient who is celebrating his 60th birthday Sunday. He is having a great big blowout party. The 1st time I walked in to this man's home I felt unbelievable peace, contentment and joy dwelt there. He smiled the entire visit. He sent me home with a book he wrote, articles he wrote, CD's of music he wrote. He showed me art he created. All on his computer. Because he can barely speak. Because machines talk, breathe, eat & pee for him. He has ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) and is confined to his bed. And this guy is literally one of the happiest guys I've ever met. Go figure. So despite all the "evidence" to the contrary I believe. I want the magic. I want to believe my girl is in heaven and my guy has the strength of the holy spirit. And maybe I'm the one who will go to hell because even though I profess to follow Christ - I cuss, and dance and drink, I hang out with gays, my BF is black & I'm not, I socialize with atheists and I don't condemn anyone unless they honk their horn at me or cut me off in traffic. But Christ hung out with tax collectors, fishermen, ex-possessed people, those normally looked down upon. I treat everyone the way expect to be treated and try to bring a smile to anyone I can.
