Explanation

[NOSCharhar]

Ill start off by saying...I am very much an atheist. I believe in science. Evolution. Dinosaurs. Blah Blah Blah

But at the same time, I feel it necessary to hear out the other side. The bible itself is not something that is able convince me to believe or even sway me to think there MAY be a God.

What exactly is it that makes one believe?  

[real eyes realize]

Some people come to believe because: (1) they experience paranormal activity (2) their prayers get answered exactly, but in unexpected ways, usually if people are involved they were unaware of your request or they're strangers (3) archaeological evidence corroborating events and people that are described in the text (4) studying fulfilled prophecies (5) carrying-out what the text says and getting results.

That's what comes to mind at the moment.  

[Aquatic_blue]

A lot of people believe because they've hit that point a lot of us call "rock bottom" in their life and realize that they need help to pull them out - help that only God, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit can offer. some people experience tragic near death events, or are "clinically dead" and see Heavenly type characteristics and realize that they need to turn things around in their life. Some people also may receive a miracle and that's enough for them to turn it all around and believe in God. For me, I realize that without believing in God and His word for what it is - I feel lost, without direction, or without a firm belief foundation in my life. I see God as awesome and He works in my life all the time, and He's my friend when no one else is willing to be there for me.

There is a lot of archaeological evidence to prove that the places and people in the Bible were real. A great site for this is icr.org (The Institute for Creation Research) so feel free to read some of the articles there of the evidence they find regarding evolution issues. It's rather interesting stuff. Many museums out there consider The Holy Bible a historical document because a lot of things in there are proven to be true.

This topic reminds me of a testimony from turning atheistic beliefs to Christianity:

Atheism Letter:

I will live my life according to these beliefs.

God does not exist

It's just foolish to think

That there is an all knowing God with a cosmic plan.

That an all powerful God brings purpose to the pain and suffering in the world

is a comforting though however

It

is only wishful thinking

People can do as they please without eternal consequences.

The idea that

I am deserving of hell

Because of sin,

is a lie meant to make me a slave to those in power

"The more you have, the happier you will be."

Our existence has no grand meaning or purpose

In a world with no God

There is freedom to be who I want to be

But with God

Life is an endless cycle of guilt and shame

Without God

Everything is fine

It is ridiculous to think

I am lost and in need of saving

That same letter reversed to Christianity

I am lost and in need of saving

It is ridiculous to think

Everything is fine without God

Life is an endless cycle of guilt and shame

But with God, there is freedom to be who I want to be

In a world with no God

Our existence has no grand meaning or purpose

"The more you have, the happier you will be." is a lie meant to make me a slave to those in power

Because of sin, I am deserving of hell

The idea that people can do as they please without eternal consequences is only wishful thinking.

It is a comforting thought however, that an all powerful God brings purpose to the pain and suffering in the world.

That there is an all knowing God with a cosmic plan.

It's just foolish to think God does not exist.

I will live my life according to these beliefs.

*Just figured it was a neat testimony to share =]  

[Aoife]

NOSCharhar

Ill start off by saying...I am very much an atheist. I believe in science. Evolution. Dinosaurs. Blah Blah Blah

But at the same time, I feel it necessary to hear out the other side. The bible itself is not something that is able convince me to believe or even sway me to think there MAY be a God.

What exactly is it that makes one believe?

I'll start by saying that I am very much a Christian. xd

I believe in science (science and the Bible do not contradict each other!) I don't believe in evolution in the sense that something can become something different...there has NEVER been a case of anything becoming something different, I do believe in "evolving" in the sense of adapting to the surroundings, yes, survival of the fittest, yes, those I believe in, but the only evolving proven ever has been stuff that has already been in the DNA already, maybe dormant, but in there...of whatever species to begin with. Something can grow longer or shorter legs, less or more fur, things like that, but not a different species.

I believe in Dinosaurs as well, they are mentioned in the Bible and there are skeletons, I can't believe any Christian would dispute those, lol.

I did grow up believing in a God though, it was how I was raised. I didn't think about Him too much though truthfully. Kinda like I grew up believing in air or gravity, nothing you think about too much. I didn't have a relationship with God growing up though, I didn't know that was possible. It wasn't until I was much much older when I was watching people talk about God on-line that I was curious more...intrigued even. But still sorta put-off a bit by it, it seemed so weird to me to have some sort of special relationship with God, even though I believed in Him. After several days of seeing people talk about Him though, I was curious to the point to wanting to see what I was missing. I prayed. I had prayed a lot of times growing up, but I never had a sense it changed anything or did anything really. But this time, maybe because I was really seeking to know what I had been missing, and I prayed a different prayer, something happened. Instead of asking God to protect and bless and keep me out of trouble when I did something wrong, I prayed, "God...I don't know what I have been missing, but I feel like I want to know. I am going to choose to believe you are real, and your Bible is real and I am going to start reading it and I want you to help me learn" and that is exactly what happened, It couldn't have been ME, there was no way I could conjure up such a different feeling in myself, all I can say is from then on, I I felt God living in me and speaking to me, everything felt suddenly different. When I had read the Bible before it was the most boring book ever to me, but suddenly it became alive to me.
I can't convince someone to seek God, I can only share why I believe, what I know NOW to be true.  

[911child]

I believe because for one, without him i wouldnt be alive literally. Months after i was born i was really frail, i had been clinically dead twice and was really sick. My family prayed for me and prayed over me, the doctors did not know what was wrong with me and said that if i did survive the most i'll live to see was the age of 6. Thanks to the prayers and God i am alive, and i am 21. Everyday i see God's blessings and i dont know why anyone would deny God. I have had many experiences with God, feeling his presence when i am scared as well as when i help out the homeless, i feel him next to me.  

[Necessitarian]

NOSCharhar, your question seems to me ambiguous. Are you asking what causes one to accept Christianity in a causal sense? For example, when I kick a ball, it is caused to move in the opposite direction. Are you asking what causes one to accept Christianity in a doxastic sense? For example, I believe I am addressing a real person because of the plausible assumption that the gaian avatar NOS actually represents a human being with real questions. Are you asking what causes one to accept Christianity in an epistemic sense? In other words, what warrant is there to justify belief in the Christian religion? Some clarification would be useful.

I have a question for you, though. What do you mean, "I believe in science"? Do you mean the strong claim that you are a scientific realist, or are you just saying you put trust in the pragmatic applicability of scientific methodology?

More importantly, what do you mean when you call yourself an atheist? What definition of atheism? What kind of atheism under your given definition?

God bless!