One of the reasons I believe there is a God

[Annuit Coeptis]

Hey, I read your post, never did read the book, but I like your reasoning and logic. Unlike some more radical religious, you take the "faith" question out of it. Now as for what I believe, I can't say whether or not I believe in God because God, life, existence, they're all a paradox.

If there is a God, how did he emerge out of nothingness? If God didn't create the universe, and how things work, how could it have just come out of nowhere and suddenly there was existence? How could every one of these specific requirements for living ended up on one planet?

Well I don't like to question where existence came to be and how, but I question many beliefs about "gods" because I simply can't bring myself to believe in some overpowering being living over us. No being can possess so much power and if it turned out there was one, he/she is cruel and imperfect. Why would they torture their creations with things like natural disaster, extinction, unstable minds, ect.

These things aside, it just seems that if there was a god, we wouldn't really be living in such a horrible place. (yes I know and understand Adam and Eve, the whole book of Genesis, and basically the whole Old Testament, no problem there)

I ask anyone who disagrees to by all means disagree, but in a respectful manner please. Thanks for your time

For God to possess a beginning he has to be subject to time. God created time and thus he 'lives' outside of the boundaries of time. Time does not apply to God because God is a timeless being. As for the creation of the universe, I agree. It is very hard to believe that the this entire universe just sprung into being out of nothing. God is the creator, the universe is designed. God's fingerprints are all over it. All the specific requirements were applied to this planet because that is how it was drawn out in the blueprints.
As for the 'allowance' of evil how do you know what evil is unless you know what good is? And how do you know what good is unless there is an objective standard of good beyond yourself? If god were to do away with all the evil in the world and make everything good then he would also be eliminating free will. A world that is full of goodness and righteousness but lacks free will is more of a dystopia than a world that is full of crime and hatred but possesses free will.

(Also if God were to eliminate evil from the entire earth now we would all be in trouble because we have all done wrong; in that sense I am glad that God allows evil or I would not be here.)