What do you do when people mock/criticize your religion?

[Rowan]

I understand that..but I also believe that Jesus Christ was the son of God and was placed upon this Earth to wash away our Sins.

Okay, now what evidence do you base these beliefs on? What I'm trying to understand is why you believe this.

[Firefly]

Umm..for one...its in the Bible.And for two,I believe what I want to believe.

[Rowan]

Umm..for one...its in the Bible.And for two,I believe what I want to believe.

"peter 3:15: give a logical explanation for the faith that you have."

If you fail to provide anything other than "its just what I believe" then its an illogical thought and you're not doing your job as a christian by not giving me the logical explanation that I ask for.

[Firefly]

Why do I need to prove myself to you anyway? I am still learning,and just because I don't have the answers that satisfies you, doesn't mean that I am not a Christian. I came to this topic to answer the question," What do you do when people mock/criticize your religion??",not to explain why I believe in Jesus Christ and God to anyone. I am 15,and still kinda lacking when it comes to fully knowing my religion... -.-

[Rowan]

Why do I need to prove myself to you anyway?

"peter 3:15: give a logical explanation for the faith that you have."

I am still learning,and just because I don't have the answers that satisfies you, doesn't mean that I am not a Christian.

Im merely asking the most simplest of questions, "why do you believe what you do" and you cant answer it. Saying you believe in god but not being able to answer 'why', other than "its just what I believe", sounds to me like you're believing in something blindly.

I am 15,and still kinda lacking when it comes to fully knowing my religion... -.-

So you'll believe in something without knowing everything about it. Im not claiming to know god doesnt exist 100%, but what I will say is that he doesnt based on lack of evidence , hence, there being no reason to believe in it.

once again, if you are a christian, please remember to

"peter 3:15: give a logical explanation for the faith that you have."

im convinced that noone can do it.

[Firefly]

Im merely asking the most simplest of questions, "why do you believe what you do" and you cant answer it. Saying you believe in god but not being able to answer 'why', other than "its just what I believe", sounds to me like you're believing in something blindly.

I believe in what I do,because I do honestly believe that there IS God,and I believe,FROM THE BIBLE, that his son was sent here to wash away our sins.< This makes the second time I have told you,and yet it still isn't good enough for you to be consider 'an answer'. Now,if my answer doesn't 'satisfy' you,then I suggest you get off my back.

[Rowan]

I believe in what I do,because I do honestly believe that there IS God,and I believe,FROM THE BIBLE, that his son was sent here to wash away our sins.< This makes the second time I have told you,and yet it still isn't good enough for you to be consider 'an answer'. Now,if my answer doesn't 'satisfy' you,then I suggest you get off my back.

So you believe in god because of the bible? and you think thats sufficient evidence to justify your belief in god and devotion to christianity? Is the bible an accurate representation of his character? You think god is okay with slavery, genocide, human sacrifice? because its all in there.

[grims sakura]

I haven't had people mock me for my religion, as I don't parade about shouting it at everyone. Even my mother knew I am a Pagan, yet I didn't leave my things about so I didn't make her uncomfortable.

I also haven't really been mocked to my face. The worst I've gotten so far is Christians coming to my door to shove their word down my throat. I usually let them have their say, then say good day. The one time I tried to explain that I didn't want to hear it, especially at my door as early as that, they jumped at the chance to 'convert the non-believer'.

As to what I would do if I were openly mocked, I'd probably just sit there and smile, then walk away. I don't have the courage or the quick-wit to think of responses on the spot. =/

[Heartless Angel]

Actually if all you want is an explanation, that would be relatively simple. An argument may require solid evidence that the belief true, but an explanation for having a belief could be as simple as having been raised to believe it.

However if you do want an argument, there are a few. One of the most compelling would be Aquinas' cosmological argument, though I personally do not accept it.

There are multiple definitions of truth, one of which that makes most beliefs perfectly logical is the coherent theory. This suggests that when we say something is true or false, we are saying it fits in logically with other beliefs (or facts) we have (we know).

Everything everyone knows is ultimately based on a leap of faith, that we percieve and understand the world and some the most fundamental concepts. Why then, do we claim to know anything, when some of these fundamental concepts which we base our entire lives around are unprovable? Simply, because we could not function in the world without some logical understanding of it. We can't prove the fundamentals of existence, but without them, we can't know anything else, so we take a leap of faith, and accept what we seem to know, but can't prove beyond all doubt, and build a web of beliefs that cohere to it. However we don't all have the same fundamental beliefs (though most are relatively similar), which leads to different beliefs about other things.

Here's a fun one to confuse people with, how can you prove logically, that your concept of logic is logical? The very instant you try, you commit the logical fallacy of begging the question and lose. Even the rules of logic are ultimately just a belief based on some observation. But if we don't accept it, we can't really know anything, so we take a leap of faith to make the world we live in make sense.

[Rowan]

Actually if all you want is an explanation, that would be relatively simple. An argument may require solid evidence that the belief true, but an explanation for having a belief could be as simple as having been raised to believe it.

However if you do want an argument, there are a few. One of the most compelling would be Aquinas' cosmological argument, though I personally do not accept it.

There are multiple definitions of truth, one of which that makes most beliefs perfectly logical is the coherent theory. This suggests that when we say something is true or false, we are saying it fits in logically with other beliefs (or facts) we have (we know).

Everything everyone knows is ultimately based on a leap of faith, that we percieve and understand the world and some the most fundamental concepts. Why then, do we claim to know anything, when some of these fundamental concepts which we base our entire lives around are unprovable? Simply, because we could not function in the world without some logical understanding of it. We can't prove the fundamentals of existence, but without them, we can't know anything else, so we take a leap of faith, and accept what we seem to know, but can't prove beyond all doubt, and build a web of beliefs that cohere to it. However we don't all have the same fundamental beliefs (though most are relatively similar), which leads to different beliefs about other things.

Here's a fun one to confuse people with, how can you prove logically, that your concept of logic is logical? The very instant you try, you commit the logical fallacy of begging the question and lose. Even the rules of logic are ultimately just a belief based on some observation. But if we don't accept it, we can't really know anything, so we take a leap of faith to make the world we live in make sense.

You're getting far too philisophical for this subject. I like talking philosophy, but for this particular topic I dont think its relevant. Im talking about what's practical, and by practical I mean whats useful to us.

I have spoken and asked numerous times why people believe in god and while most tend to just ignore and splatter obscene nonsense such as "its just what I believe" and "theres no evidence to prove hes not real" I remind them that my question still remains, "Why do YOU believe in him?"

noone has been able to provide sufficient evidence to back up their claims and beliefs. The idea of "faith' being reason enough to believe is a copout. As I've stated, faith is believing something without a good reason (or a logical one, at that).

As far as arguments and explanations ago, I reiterate:
Im asking 'why' people believe what they do, based on evidence or any proof that they can provide and I will quote the bible "peter 3:15 be ready to provide logical evidence for the faith that you have" if they turn their heads away from me.

If by mentioning perceptions and definitions, you are asking me what I base my beliefs on, I will tell you. I base my beliefs on evidence and scienfific method. Anything that has shown to be functional and work I will believe because I can count on it and I've seen it happen. It doesnt it mean it always will, but it has credability. Science gives us testability and repeatability. We have only know of pluto for about 70 years, but we know that it takes 200 years to orbit the sun. We know this based on math even though we havnt even known about it long enough for that to happen.

So my question still stands. Give me a logical reason for your belief in god and religion.