To believe or to believe in, that is the question.

[Joe7000]

To my way of thinking, there is absolutely no harm in believing something. I do, however, think there can be great harm in believing in something.

Of course, if someone does not believe something, that's okay too. I once had a friend who lived in a high-rise who didn't believe in gravity. He no longer lives in a high-rise.

One can believe that gravity is a viable topic for belief if one so chooses, but would it be proper to say one believes in gravity? Is it proper to say one puts his/her faith or trust in gravity? I suppose one could, but that's about all one can say about gravity when it comes to faith and trust.

So, is it dangerous to believe in God? This is not as simple a question as it first appears.

Belief is a two-way street: If one believes in God, it requires that God must also believe in you.

How so?

Lets take the God of the Judeo/Christian variety, for example.

This particular God requires much from His followers, belief (alone) in Christ notwithstanding.

For Jews, there is a host of different laws one must follow if one is to be (and remain) in good stead with God; hundreds in fact, not just the decalogue (Ten Commandments).

Of course, if John 3:16 is correct, belief alone (in Jesus) is all that is required of its adherents. But if this is the case, why even have a Christian Church? Why so many admonishments? Why so many do's and don'ts? If Jews and Christians pray to the same God, wouldn't it be better (easier) for Jews to all convert to Christianity? After all, its much easier to believe in than to obey those hundreds of laws, isn't it?

But wait! There are hundreds of Christian denominations all clamoring for membership to their exclusively true God. If all Jews were to convert to Christianity today, which denomination would they become a part of? Which one would be the proper one?

In the long run, maybe it would be safer to obey hundreds of God's laws than it would be to accidently join the wrong Christian Church!

Perhaps it might be better to believe something than to believe in something!

This is just my opinion, of course. One can believe it or believe in it.:twisted:

 

[leejosepho]

Greetings, Joe. I like your style ... and I believe we think quite alike, or at least somewhat similarly. However, that does not necessarily mean I actually "believe in" any particular way any human being might happen to merely think!

Hoping I have caught your point, here is what I believe I have heard:

To my way of thinking, there is absolutely no harm in believing something. I do, however, think there can be great harm in believing in something ...

As you likely already know, belief or even disbelief can best be followed by careful investigation to discover the actual truth of any given matter. You have mentioned someone who apparently acted upon his disbelief concerning the power of gravity, and I recall once seeing some footage of a man who strongly believed he could defy that power by strapping a hope-it-will-fly contraption to his back and jumping from a high tower – the Wright brothers comparatively believed it better to begin at ground level – and neither did that man even bounce once when he hit the pavement.

Point: Yes, there might be “absolutely no harm in believing something”, but the experience of those two individuals should at least lead us toward the exercise of some great caution before ever actually “believing in” any kind of “contraption” ... including sectarian religion.

So, is it dangerous to believe in God?
...
... if John 3:16 is correct, belief alone (in Jesus) is all that is required ...
After all, its much easier to believe in [something or someone, such as a given religion] than to obey those hundreds of laws, isn't it?

Perhaps it might be better to believe something than to believe in something!

Yes, I believe so. In my own case, I first had to stop “believing in” any sectarian religion in favor of merely “believing” certain things YHWH has allegedly said ... thereafter ultimately finding “believing in” Him to actually be completely safe.