Talk Back 24
A reason to believe
by John
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There are many reasons to believe in God, but for this discussion let's dwell on the pragmatic. The old argument goes like this.
Either God exists or He doesn't.
If He doesn't, it makes no difference what we believe or do. If He does, then He sets the rules and we benefit by obeying the rules. If we follow the rules, we get the reward. The reward being a better life now, and more importantly a better life in the here after.
So if we choose to not follow the rules and there is a God, we have missed the opportunity and our eternal life will be less enjoyable than it would have if we had followed them.
On-the-other-hand if we follow the rules and there is no God, we are no worse off than if we had not followed them, and probably a little better off because we have had a better mortal life.
So, there's nothing to lose by following the rules, and nothing to gain by not following them.
So, what are the rules? Seek and ye shall find. They are out there. The Bible is a good place to start. But it takes more than simply reading to to discern them. It takes diligent effort. At least as much effort as it takes to get a college degree. And, it's a different kind of effort - much more spiritual.
Most churches have some of rules. No church has all of them.