Why I Believe in god(s)

Rickie The Grey wrote: ... it is simple arrogant to think we are the end of the line.

A couple of things on this:
First, why do you think that the alternative to believing that superior and/or supreme beings are real would be believing that we are the "end of the line"?
Second, we are, as a matter of fact, among the most recent living things. Now, are we the only ones? No. Are we any better than any of the others? Well, maybe in some areas. I'd say "unique" is what we are, rather than superior. Just as honey bees are unique for making honey. Arguably we are more unique than some other animals since we are the only surviving species of our genus whereas there are nine species of honey bees. But there is only one remaining species of giraffes, so even our uniqueness isn't a unique thing. So is it arrogant to consider that we are both recent beings and the last of our branch, if both happens to be true?
Third, and this is not about you specifically or anyone in particular, but there is a frequently reoccurring idea among the faithful that humans are a special creation or that their god(s) had a particular plan for them. Some even believe they can communicate with the divine. How is it arrogant to consider that you are one of the living, one of the incredibly lucky ones to experience a magnificent and breathtaking and yet vast and cold universe that will hardly even remember your petty existence on one spec of dust somewhere in its corner once you are gone, but then it is suddenly humble to believe that it was created for you, with you in mind, or let alone that you have a private channel to the mastermind behind it?

Moving on:
Scott, what makes you think that "the stuff that all came from" came from God, let alone your idea of God rather than the nothing you say your God came from? The reason atheists will ask where god came from is precisely that: Why would one add a step to an already complicated problem? The best one would be doing is just replace one mystery with another, and arguably an even more complex one than the former. The God-solution raises more questions than it answers. The I-don't-know solution, of course isn't a solution, but at least it doesn't make things worse. As Khaos said, it is sure more honest than assert knowledge none of us can possibly have. And there is always an opportunity to ammend that solution to a I-don't-know-but-let's-find-out-solution. Its honest, open-minded, and it works.
I personally usually would go a step back and ask why you'd think time transcends the universe. The cause and effect relationship takes time as a necessary condition to even consider. However, if there was no time when the universe didn't exist, it follows necessarily that it always existed, despite having had a beginning.

I even wondered if god had parents

I remember thinking this very thing at about seven.

It was sort of like the multiverse, multi multiverse, thing Tyson talks about.

As those parents had to have had parents, etc.

Then. my head exploded.

:laugh:

Proteus wrote: since the OP is not explaining why you believe in god, only that you do, and that's that.

I thought I did?

Gisteron wrote:

Rickie The Grey wrote: ... it is simple arrogant to think we are the end of the line.

A couple of things on this:
First, why do you think that the alternative to believing that superior and/or supreme beings are real would be believing that we are the "end of the line"?

I believe we are not the end of the line. I'm not sure what you mean by alternative?

Second, we are, as a matter of fact, among the most recent living things. Now, are we the only ones? No. Are we any better than any of the others? Well, maybe in some areas. I'd say "unique" is what we are, rather than superior. Just as honey bees are unique for making honey. Arguably we are more unique than some other animals since we are the only surviving species of our genus whereas there are nine species of honey bees. But there is only one remaining species of giraffes, so even our uniqueness isn't a unique thing. So is it arrogant to consider that we are both recent beings and the last of our branch, if both happens to be true?
Third, and this is not about you specifically or anyone in particular, but there is a frequently reoccurring idea among the faithful that humans are a special creation or that their god(s) had a particular plan for them. Some even believe they can communicate with the divine. How is it arrogant to consider that you are one of the living, one of the incredibly lucky ones to experience a magnificent and breathtaking and yet vast and cold universe that will hardly even remember your petty existence on one spec of dust somewhere in its corner once you are gone, but then it is suddenly humble to believe that it was created for you, with you in mind, or let alone that you have a private channel to the mastermind behind it?

Believing isn't arrogant. Insisting you are right is.

Moving on:
Scott, what makes you think that "the stuff that all came from" came from God, let alone your idea of God rather than the nothing you say your God came from? The reason atheists will ask where god came from is precisely that: Why would one add a step to an already complicated problem? The best one would be doing is just replace one mystery with another, and arguably an even more complex one than the former. The God-solution raises more questions than it answers. The I-don't-know solution, of course isn't a solution, but at least it doesn't make things worse. As Khaos said, it is sure more honest than assert knowledge none of us can possibly have. And there is always an opportunity to ammend that solution to a I-don't-know-but-let's-find-out-solution. Its honest, open-minded, and it works.
I personally usually would go a step back and ask why you'd think time transcends the universe. The cause and effect relationship takes time as a necessary condition to even consider. However, if there was no time when the universe didn't exist, it follows necessarily that it always existed, despite having had a beginning.

I am saying there is much we don't know or ever could know. Infinity will never be known by the finite. If you want to call that god or by anyother name I fine with that.

I am saying there is much we don't know or ever could know.

Which has no bearing on anything, as you dont know what we ever could know, or do know now.

You cant really argue that we cant ever know anything. Your speaking as a finite being in which, beyond your lifespan, that assumption, which is vague anyway, could be proven wrong.

As Newton thought he would replace God with his ignorance, others simply took the next step, but Newton assumed(wrongly) that we couldnt know things we do now.

Infinity will never be known by the finite. If you want to call that god or by any other name I fine with that.

So then, what reasoning is behind your belief in God(s)

You cant, by your own admission know. Given that God would be infinite yes? You are, unless I am sorely mistaken, finite. It seems in poor judgement to just fill in the blanks with God.

There is much we dont know, I will give you that.

To say we could never know it, not being able to quantify "it" in any regard, is a bit of a logical fallacy.

I am just a grain of sand on a beach, finite, on a world circling a star in a cosmos made up of billions and billions of stars. infinite, god is as close to a word as anything I can use.

God(s) is a word I use. I'm comfortable with and open to other terms some people use. Yes, it would be in poor judgment to fill in the blanks with the one word god and insist I am right.

I'll stick to the finite can never know infinite. We can know lots of stuff and we can, and I hope will, know more and more, just not everything. We will never know everything. I except my limits and embrace the unknown.

Yes I could be wrong and may very well be. My reasoning is I know I don't know and some day I will know more but will never know it all now or in the furture.

If we could quantify "it" then we'd know it.

Unknown and logic...peas and carrots, each different and both good for you.

Just because I don't believe in God doesn't mean that I believe that there isn't a God. They are quite different things.

The reason why I don't believe in god is, simply, there is no evidence of a god. I have not observed any phenomenon in the universe that the only explanation for its occurrence is that it was caused by a god. That's not to say that I claim to understand everything and That's also not to say there is no possibility of a higher being or god...I just simply don't need god to explain the happenings of the universe...

Also, despite some people's claims I do not need the belief in god to give me purpose or happiness in my life. I am perfectly happy finding purpose in the seemingly randomness of the universe as I currently understand it...

I really liked hearing Neil deGrasse Tyson's view...I hadn't heard much of his perspective before, but I like the way he thinks