Short answer: there’s no definitive proof either way, and thoughtful people disagree. Whether you think God exists depends on what you mean by “God,” what counts as evidence for you, and how you weigh philosophical arguments, science, and personal experience.

Common reasons people believe:
- Cosmological: contingent things point to a necessary ground or first cause.
- Fine‑tuning/teleological: the universe’s constants look narrowly set for life.
- Moral: objective moral values or duties seem to require a moral ground.
- Consciousness/reason: mind and intelligibility of nature hint at something deeper.
- Religious experience: widespread reports of encounters with the divine.

Common reasons people doubt:
- Evil and suffering: a good, all‑powerful God seems incompatible with them.
- Divine hiddenness: sincere seekers often don’t find God.
- Conceptual puzzles: paradoxes about omnipotence, omniscience, timelessness.
- Naturalistic explanations: physics, evolution, and psychology explain much without invoking God.
- Sociology of belief: beliefs track culture and upbringing.

Not all “God” concepts are the same: personal theism, deism, pantheism/panentheism, “ground of being,” and non-theistic spiritual views (e.g., some forms of Buddhism) approach the question differently.

If you want to explore:
- Clarify what you mean by God and your standards of evidence.
- Sample both sides: Aquinas, Anselm, Swinburne, or Collins; and Hume, J. L. Mackie, Rowe, Schellenberg, Oppy.
- Consider what science can and can’t address (it speaks to natural causes, not metaphysical ultimates).
- Reflect on personal experience while watching for cognitive biases; talk with diverse communities.

What kind of answer are you looking for—philosophical arguments, scientific constraints, or a more personal/practical path?
