If I believed in something as strongly as most deists believe in god, and then become aware that a lot of people had very good reasons to doubt that thing, I would start to seriously question myself.
I wouldn't simply start to doubt it, I would go farther, and start to wonder what made me so eager to believe something that defies logic and reason.
Most of your discourse in this thread has shown an ability to think things through, and I would bet that you have asked yourself such questions. What were the answers you gave yourself?
Now, don't answer about god, about belief, or faith. Pretend the question isn't even about god. I'm really curious about the inner conflict that must accompany believing in something that a lot of people can't see any reason to believe in.
I want to know how you arrived at (a)I'm right, everybody who doubts is unfortunately wrong and missing out on something great, when (b)Wow, maybe I'm crazy and gullible for blindly following something that many people can't buy must have been another possible answer that occurred to you.
Please do not take this as an insult or an argument. I'm really interested in how the outcome of the inner conversations that any religious person must have. My only response for whatever answer you give will be "Thanks for sharing."
In an attempt to give the best answer I can I will respond.
I was raised as a Catholic and attended Catholic school until I was in 8th grade. I never really was a devote Catholic and my mom took me to Church sometimes, but mostly around the holidays.
In high school I started to care less and less about religion in general because, as a teenager, I had better things to concern myself with. You know girls, friends, finding yourself, all that crap. I started questioning my beliefs throughout high school and by the time I hit college I was an atheist. I continued to hold on to atheist beliefs for quite sometime until I start thinking about it.
Then I realize that virtually every atheist I have ever come across was angry with religion and God. They weren't so much a non-believer and more anti-believer. I reflected on the way I looked at things and saw that being an atheist was making me angry at religion too. I found that to be unacceptable because how could I possibly function in the world if I thought less of people who believed in a God or gods? So I started to examine why I thought the way I thought.
I answered hundreds if not thousands of questions and struggled with the topic of religion and God for quite sometime. I ended up thinking agnosticism was probably the best discourse since we don't know and I don't believe we ever really could know if there is or isn't a God. The more questions I asked and the most I thought about it I began to think there is a possibility for a supernatural presence to exist, which is where I am today. I label myself as an agnostic with deist leanings. I don't know for sure, nor do I ever think I can know, but I believe there is a slightly greater chance for a God then not. All other philosophical questions lead me through the same thought process. Pretty straight forward questions dealing with tangible things are often approached differently.
As for your A & B points, I don't believe any who doubts there is a God to be missing out on something great. For all I know if I would have stayed an atheist I might currently be missing out on something great too, but I honestly don't believe so. I think I would have been much more close minded and less accepting of other people. I also think I would have drove the people close to me away since I would think less of them for being religious or just a believer in general. The same goes for meeting new people, I doubt I would have ever met my current girlfriend if I didn't have an open mindedness about a deity.
I know that it all could be wrong, but if I spend my entire life stuck on one question then it will drive me crazy. So eventually I have to say enough is enough and interrupt the world around me the way that it makes sense to me. Now if I was preaching a belief in God I believe it would have to be approached differently. I would need far more evidence and points to show why a belief in God is correct. But when it's a personal belief then all you need to do is satisfy yourself.
I try to never change a person's beliefs but rather just discuss the ones I know best, my own. Everyone's personal beliefs, morals, etc. are going to be different so who am I to say who's wrong and who's right? Someone who's right in one person's eyes is not in another.
That's honestly the best summary I can give on my belief.
