The question “Is God real?” carries weight for many people. Faith can shape identity, community and meaning.

For me, I don’t personally think god is real. I haven’t seen any evidence or heard any logic that “anyone made” earth or controls mass outcomes. I think we evolved and create our own paths. I see that as one of the core principles of deliberate living.

My upbringing within a religious family gave me a lot of positive experiences and values. The importance of integrity, trust and alignment to what you believe. It also gave me a number of moments where reality didn’t deliver the promises of god. As a child that was disappointing, but it grounded me. I didn’t realise at the time, it was building a new belief system for me. I learnt that “hope is not a strategy”. It has its place when you’ve done everything in your control.

Over time, those early experiences challenged me to question things more carefully.

I’m very aware that the question “is God real?” isn’t simple. Intelligent, thoughtful people land on different conclusions for deeply considered reasons. My view isn’t built on certainty that I have all the answers. It’s built on the fact that, so far, I haven’t encountered evidence or reasoning that convinces me of a personal, interventionist God. That doesn’t mean I dismiss the question. It means I’ve answered it differently.

Modern day leaders as a point of evidence

I can understand how powerful leaders of the past might once have been perceived as divine. Charismatic individuals still exist today. They influence millions, inspire devotion and shape history. When you combine leadership, storytelling and a pre-scientific world, it’s plausible that extraordinary events became amplified over time. That doesn’t diminish the moral or cultural impact of historical figures like Jesus or other religious leaders. It simply makes it more believable to me that influence and legend can grow together, without requiring supernatural explanation.

Multiple gods as a point of evidence

I also find it difficult to reconcile the sheer number of mutually exclusive religious claims. Across cultures and history, different societies have worshipped different gods, each often presented as the ultimate truth. Geography appears to shape belief more than universal revelation does. If I had been born in another country or century, I would likely hold a completely different conviction with equal sincerity. That doesn’t automatically disprove God, but it does raise questions about whether belief is more culturally inherited than divinely revealed.

Suffering as a point of evidence

Another challenge for me is suffering. If God is both all-powerful and wholly good, then the scale of unnecessary suffering in the world is difficult to reconcile. War, abuse, disease and natural disasters don’t feel selectively distributed in a way that reflects protection or justice. I understand that some argue suffering serves a higher purpose or reflects human free will. But I’ve struggled to see how that explanation accounts for suffering that appears random or disproportionate. That tension has made belief harder for me to sustain.

Responsibility instead of reliance

I respect that this is a controversial subject and that faith gives many people meaning, structure and comfort.

I sometimes wish belief came more naturally to me for that reason. But for now, my conviction is different. If there isn’t a divine force shaping outcomes, then responsibility sits more squarely with us. That doesn’t make life smaller. It makes intention matter more. It means the way we think, act and respond carries real weight.

For me, deliberate living and Actfullness as a protocol, is a response to that belief. If outcomes aren’t guided from above, then they’re shaped by what we choose to do. That’s why I focus on behaviour, responsibility and conscious action rather than hope alone.