The Concept of God

oftenreading · July 2017

HughFreakingDillon said:

oftenreading said:

Gern Blansten said:

Smellyman said:

Yeah, it's always funny when Christians make fun of Mormons thinking they are crazy especially since it is so new yet they believe in something old. Just weird to me.

All religions are just a different form of crazy to me.

I actually respect the Jehovah's Witness and Mormon movements more than christianity. At least they believe enough to go door to door to spread the word.

But do they really believe more than adherents other sects? I doubt that. It's just a feature of how they express that. Some religions take pride in the fact that they don't proselytize in this manner, and personally I see that as more respectful.

but if you are following the instructions of Jesus, you are supposed to bother your neighbours spread his word.

Well, I was thinking of Judaism; Jesus isn't the only game in town

And I don't know much about LDS but I don't think it's Jesus' instructions they are following.

HughFreakingDillon · July 2017

oftenreading said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

oftenreading said:

Gern Blansten said:

Smellyman said:

Yeah, it's always funny when Christians make fun of Mormons thinking they are crazy especially since it is so new yet they believe in something old. Just weird to me.

All religions are just a different form of crazy to me.

I actually respect the Jehovah's Witness and Mormon movements more than christianity. At least they believe enough to go door to door to spread the word.

But do they really believe more than adherents other sects? I doubt that. It's just a feature of how they express that. Some religions take pride in the fact that they don't proselytize in this manner, and personally I see that as more respectful.

but if you are following the instructions of Jesus, you are supposed to bother your neighbours spread his word.

Well, I was thinking of Judaism; Jesus isn't the only game in town

And I don't know much about LDS but I don't think it's Jesus' instructions they are following.

I know. I was saying that if christians were to follow jesus' instructions, they'd be the ones going door to door.

brianlux · July 2017

HughFreakingDillon said:

RYME said:

I'm not offended. No your not flippant.
I believe that what I wrote above are facts. You can believe what ever you want.
How can anyone prove that God is real? Well yes a lot of it is faith. And unfortunately I cannot bring Him to the front door of your house and show you Him, which is apparently what the people here need to see in order to believe. I'm not being flippant. But really.
Well that's why I provided some scripture with my answer or non answer as it were. The bible is my proof. The intricacies of nature is proof to me. The perfection, the way the oceans and seas have high tide & low tide every day feeding countless species on beaches around the globe. The moon is set at the right distance to cause high tide, low tide, and often be a nice night light at the same time.. I think it rises and receeds about 5 feet in most cases, can you imagine the tonage on that? The unbelievable camouflage on animals. And the timing of it. Deer fawns are born in mid spring. Fawns have white spots on them when they hit the ground, at the same time the forest floor is spraling with white flowers that pop up every where. coincidence? We along with many animals have baby teeth, and then as we or animals grow one by one the baby teeth get pushed out by adult teeth. coincidence? You eat and drink and gravity kind of does the rest for you. coincidence? Good thing it doesn't go the other way. You have a little hair on the back of your knuckles so that maby if you get a finger stuck somewhere maby you can have your finger back. coincidence?Lol.
Butterflies & hummingbird can migrate so far including a 500 mile trip across the Gulf to me that's proof, but I'm sure there is a scientific reason for this that doesn't include God. ok.
As far as prayer goes, no I don't hear voices in my head. No it's not like talking to an imigianary friend. It is hard to explain. It's just a close personal
relationship. How does He talk or answer? It's a combination of being patient, studying the bible a little every day. I don't know how else to describe it, but the Holy Spirit is a very comforting presence that you can actually feel. It's like a warmth, but not like heat from a furnace, but a warmth that warms the soul. And then you see or get the answers as life unfolds around you.
Thanks for your respectful question.

you know, I hear people use the natural world as the basis for their faith, or at least a partial basis, and I get that. because in many ways it makes sense to me that someone, someTHING, had to create all of these perfect scenarios, billions and billions of them, for it all to work. But why is that proof of a christian god as opposed to a supreme being that has nothing to do with the bible or jesus or moses or adam and eve? the earth is billions of years old. man has been here for a million. and god wrote his book only 2000 years ago? why? what took so long?

I used to have a "relationship" with god/jesus. and yes, it gave me that comfortable feeling you describe. then I realized, in my mind (around 19 or 20 years old), that organized religion was all hogwash, and the relationship I was having didn't actually exist. it seemed real at the time. what you describe is the same feeling people get when they meditate, or do yoga, or simply sit in nature and listen to the birds for an afternoon. or even go to the spa.

honestly, a book that resonated with me more than the bible ever did was the Celestine Prophecy.

again, whatever works for you as an individual, then that's great. my wife is christian, and she prays every day.

peace.

This says it so well for me- and I went through a similar personal realization.

The way I understand it, life on earth and much of what we know of the known universe is explained by science. What's left is a mystery too big and complex to simply describe by as recent a philosophy as Christianity.

And I don't mind that people have faith in Christ, but I would encourage believers to keep an open mind and not think (or act like) they have one up on the rest of us.

unsung · July 2017

Why does the left have a war on Christianity but embrace Islam?

Gern Blansten · July 2017

Daddy what's a straw man fallacy?

unsung · July 2017

Ok, hide from the truth.

brianlux · July 2017

unsung said:

Why does the left have a war on Christianity but embrace Islam?

Who... what the... huh?

HughFreakingDillon · July 2017

unsung said:

Why does the left have a war on Christianity but embrace Islam?

where in this thread has anyone waged war on christianity? offering one's own perspective on spirituality is hardly war. and quite different from trying to prevent misinformation and bigotry to paint one religion with the same brush to justify war and human rights violations.

come on.

Gern Blansten · July 2017

unsung said:

Ok, hide from the truth.

What "truth"? There is no war on christianity from the left and I don't know anyone on the left embracing Islam.

oftenreading · July 2017

unsung said:

Why does the left have a war on Christianity but embrace Islam?

Or you could notice that the discussion is about the concept of "god", and not "the Christian god"

RYME · July 2017

brianlux said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

RYME said:

I'm not offended. No your not flippant.
I believe that what I wrote above are facts. You can believe what ever you want.
How can anyone prove that God is real? Well yes a lot of it is faith. And unfortunately I cannot bring Him to the front door of your house and show you Him, which is apparently what the people here need to see in order to believe. I'm not being flippant. But really.
Well that's why I provided some scripture with my answer or non answer as it were. The bible is my proof. The intricacies of nature is proof to me. The perfection, the way the oceans and seas have high tide & low tide every day feeding countless species on beaches around the globe. The moon is set at the right distance to cause high tide, low tide, and often be a nice night light at the same time.. I think it rises and receeds about 5 feet in most cases, can you imagine the tonage on that? The unbelievable camouflage on animals. And the timing of it. Deer fawns are born in mid spring. Fawns have white spots on them when they hit the ground, at the same time the forest floor is spraling with white flowers that pop up every where. coincidence? We along with many animals have baby teeth, and then as we or animals grow one by one the baby teeth get pushed out by adult teeth. coincidence? You eat and drink and gravity kind of does the rest for you. coincidence? Good thing it doesn't go the other way. You have a little hair on the back of your knuckles so that maby if you get a finger stuck somewhere maby you can have your finger back. coincidence?Lol.
Butterflies & hummingbird can migrate so far including a 500 mile trip across the Gulf to me that's proof, but I'm sure there is a scientific reason for this that doesn't include God. ok.
As far as prayer goes, no I don't hear voices in my head. No it's not like talking to an imigianary friend. It is hard to explain. It's just a close personal
relationship. How does He talk or answer? It's a combination of being patient, studying the bible a little every day. I don't know how else to describe it, but the Holy Spirit is a very comforting presence that you can actually feel. It's like a warmth, but not like heat from a furnace, but a warmth that warms the soul. And then you see or get the answers as life unfolds around you.
Thanks for your respectful question.

you know, I hear people use the natural world as the basis for their faith, or at least a partial basis, and I get that. because in many ways it makes sense to me that someone, someTHING, had to create all of these perfect scenarios, billions and billions of them, for it all to work. But why is that proof of a christian god as opposed to a supreme being that has nothing to do with the bible or jesus or moses or adam and eve? the earth is billions of years old. man has been here for a million. and god wrote his book only 2000 years ago? why? what took so long?

I used to have a "relationship" with god/jesus. and yes, it gave me that comfortable feeling you describe. then I realized, in my mind (around 19 or 20 years old), that organized religion was all hogwash, and the relationship I was having didn't actually exist. it seemed real at the time. what you describe is the same feeling people get when they meditate, or do yoga, or simply sit in nature and listen to the birds for an afternoon. or even go to the spa.

honestly, a book that resonated with me more than the bible ever did was the Celestine Prophecy.

again, whatever works for you as an individual, then that's great. my wife is christian, and she prays every day.

peace.

This says it so well for me- and I went through a similar personal realization.

The way I understand it, life on earth and much of what we know of the known universe is explained by science. What's left is a mystery too big and complex to simply describe by as recent a philosophy as Christianity.

And I don't mind that people have faith in Christ, but I would encourage believers to keep an open mind and not think (or act like) they have one up on the rest of us.

No no. I don't think that I'm better than anyone. And going door to door usually just pisses people off. I have never considered going that route. I've had people stop by my place they wanted to teach me things. And usually it's when you have a young child who's been cranky just finally went down for a nap and then somebody shows up in a car with some pamphlets and then the dogs are barking and then they come a-knockin when I didn't answer the door they jiggle the handle to see if it's unlocked and poked her head in and say hello woke the baby up. And I yelled it to them get the hell out of here I didn't send out any invites and you woke my baby up again. no that's not a good way to spread your message.

rgambs · July 2017

RYME said:

I'm not offended. No your not flippant.
I believe that what I wrote above are facts. You can believe what ever you want.
How can anyone prove that God is real? Well yes a lot of it is faith. And unfortunately I cannot bring Him to the front door of your house and show you Him, which is apparently what the people here need to see in order to believe. I'm not being flippant. But really.
Well that's why I provided some scripture with my answer or non answer as it were. The bible is my proof. The intricacies of nature is proof to me. The perfection, the way the oceans and seas have high tide & low tide every day feeding countless species on beaches around the globe. The moon is set at the right distance to cause high tide, low tide, and often be a nice night light at the same time.. I think it rises and receeds about 5 feet in most cases, can you imagine the tonage on that? The unbelievable camouflage on animals. And the timing of it. Deer fawns are born in mid spring. Fawns have white spots on them when they hit the ground, at the same time the forest floor is spraling with white flowers that pop up every where. coincidence? We along with many animals have baby teeth, and then as we or animals grow one by one the baby teeth get pushed out by adult teeth. coincidence? You eat and drink and gravity kind of does the rest for you. coincidence? Good thing it doesn't go the other way. You have a little hair on the back of your knuckles so that maby if you get a finger stuck somewhere maby you can have your finger back. coincidence?Lol.
Butterflies & hummingbird can migrate so far including a 500 mile trip across the Gulf to me that's proof, but I'm sure there is a scientific reason for this that doesn't include God. ok.
As far as prayer goes, no I don't hear voices in my head. No it's not like talking to an imigianary friend. It is hard to explain. It's just a close personal
relationship. How does He talk or answer? It's a combination of being patient, studying the bible a little every day. I don't know how else to describe it, but the Holy Spirit is a very comforting presence that you can actually feel. It's like a warmth, but not like heat from a furnace, but a warmth that warms the soul. And then you see or get the answers as life unfolds around you.
Thanks for your respectful question.

You need to take a couple science classes brosef.
Highschool level would be sufficient.

Everything you listed there has a basic 7th to 10th grade level scientific explanation.

HughFreakingDillon · July 2017

RYME said:

brianlux said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

RYME said:

I'm not offended. No your not flippant.
I believe that what I wrote above are facts. You can believe what ever you want.
How can anyone prove that God is real? Well yes a lot of it is faith. And unfortunately I cannot bring Him to the front door of your house and show you Him, which is apparently what the people here need to see in order to believe. I'm not being flippant. But really.
Well that's why I provided some scripture with my answer or non answer as it were. The bible is my proof. The intricacies of nature is proof to me. The perfection, the way the oceans and seas have high tide & low tide every day feeding countless species on beaches around the globe. The moon is set at the right distance to cause high tide, low tide, and often be a nice night light at the same time.. I think it rises and receeds about 5 feet in most cases, can you imagine the tonage on that? The unbelievable camouflage on animals. And the timing of it. Deer fawns are born in mid spring. Fawns have white spots on them when they hit the ground, at the same time the forest floor is spraling with white flowers that pop up every where. coincidence? We along with many animals have baby teeth, and then as we or animals grow one by one the baby teeth get pushed out by adult teeth. coincidence? You eat and drink and gravity kind of does the rest for you. coincidence? Good thing it doesn't go the other way. You have a little hair on the back of your knuckles so that maby if you get a finger stuck somewhere maby you can have your finger back. coincidence?Lol.
Butterflies & hummingbird can migrate so far including a 500 mile trip across the Gulf to me that's proof, but I'm sure there is a scientific reason for this that doesn't include God. ok.
As far as prayer goes, no I don't hear voices in my head. No it's not like talking to an imigianary friend. It is hard to explain. It's just a close personal
relationship. How does He talk or answer? It's a combination of being patient, studying the bible a little every day. I don't know how else to describe it, but the Holy Spirit is a very comforting presence that you can actually feel. It's like a warmth, but not like heat from a furnace, but a warmth that warms the soul. And then you see or get the answers as life unfolds around you.
Thanks for your respectful question.

you know, I hear people use the natural world as the basis for their faith, or at least a partial basis, and I get that. because in many ways it makes sense to me that someone, someTHING, had to create all of these perfect scenarios, billions and billions of them, for it all to work. But why is that proof of a christian god as opposed to a supreme being that has nothing to do with the bible or jesus or moses or adam and eve? the earth is billions of years old. man has been here for a million. and god wrote his book only 2000 years ago? why? what took so long?

I used to have a "relationship" with god/jesus. and yes, it gave me that comfortable feeling you describe. then I realized, in my mind (around 19 or 20 years old), that organized religion was all hogwash, and the relationship I was having didn't actually exist. it seemed real at the time. what you describe is the same feeling people get when they meditate, or do yoga, or simply sit in nature and listen to the birds for an afternoon. or even go to the spa.

honestly, a book that resonated with me more than the bible ever did was the Celestine Prophecy.

again, whatever works for you as an individual, then that's great. my wife is christian, and she prays every day.

peace.

This says it so well for me- and I went through a similar personal realization.

The way I understand it, life on earth and much of what we know of the known universe is explained by science. What's left is a mystery too big and complex to simply describe by as recent a philosophy as Christianity.

And I don't mind that people have faith in Christ, but I would encourage believers to keep an open mind and not think (or act like) they have one up on the rest of us.

No no. I don't think that I'm better than anyone. And going door to door usually just pisses people off. I have never considered going that route. I've had people stop by my place they wanted to teach me things. And usually it's when you have a young child who's been cranky just finally went down for a nap and then somebody shows up in a car with some pamphlets and then the dogs are barking and then they come a-knockin when I didn't answer the door they jiggle the handle to see if it's unlocked and poked her head in and say hello woke the baby up. And I yelled it to them get the hell out of here idiots I didn't send out any invites and you woke my baby up again. no that's not a good way to spread your message.

there was an air of superiority in your longer post. the phrases like "coincidence? lol" and "I'm sure there's a scientific answer besides god. ok."

there is a general patronizing that SOME christians hold, the "I know something you don't" "you'll figure it out someday" type of attitude that is very annoying and is what gets many people's backs up when talking about this stuff.

Gern Blansten · July 2017

rgambs said:

RYME said:

I'm not offended. No your not flippant.
I believe that what I wrote above are facts. You can believe what ever you want.
How can anyone prove that God is real? Well yes a lot of it is faith. And unfortunately I cannot bring Him to the front door of your house and show you Him, which is apparently what the people here need to see in order to believe. I'm not being flippant. But really.
Well that's why I provided some scripture with my answer or non answer as it were. The bible is my proof. The intricacies of nature is proof to me. The perfection, the way the oceans and seas have high tide & low tide every day feeding countless species on beaches around the globe. The moon is set at the right distance to cause high tide, low tide, and often be a nice night light at the same time.. I think it rises and receeds about 5 feet in most cases, can you imagine the tonage on that? The unbelievable camouflage on animals. And the timing of it. Deer fawns are born in mid spring. Fawns have white spots on them when they hit the ground, at the same time the forest floor is spraling with white flowers that pop up every where. coincidence? We along with many animals have baby teeth, and then as we or animals grow one by one the baby teeth get pushed out by adult teeth. coincidence? You eat and drink and gravity kind of does the rest for you. coincidence? Good thing it doesn't go the other way. You have a little hair on the back of your knuckles so that maby if you get a finger stuck somewhere maby you can have your finger back. coincidence?Lol.
Butterflies & hummingbird can migrate so far including a 500 mile trip across the Gulf to me that's proof, but I'm sure there is a scientific reason for this that doesn't include God. ok.
As far as prayer goes, no I don't hear voices in my head. No it's not like talking to an imigianary friend. It is hard to explain. It's just a close personal
relationship. How does He talk or answer? It's a combination of being patient, studying the bible a little every day. I don't know how else to describe it, but the Holy Spirit is a very comforting presence that you can actually feel. It's like a warmth, but not like heat from a furnace, but a warmth that warms the soul. And then you see or get the answers as life unfolds around you.
Thanks for your respectful question.

You need to take a couple science classes brosef.
Highschool level would be sufficient.

Everything you listed there has a basic 7th to 10th grade level scientific explanation.

yes...a basic class on natural selection answers a lot of "questions"

Gern Blansten · July 2017

RYME said:

I'm not offended. No your not flippant.
I believe that what I wrote above are facts. You can believe what ever you want.
How can anyone prove that God is real? Well yes a lot of it is faith. And unfortunately I cannot bring Him to the front door of your house and show you Him, which is apparently what the people here need to see in order to believe. I'm not being flippant. But really.
Well that's why I provided some scripture with my answer or non answer as it were. The bible is my proof. The intricacies of nature is proof to me. The perfection, the way the oceans and seas have high tide & low tide every day feeding countless species on beaches around the globe. The moon is set at the right distance to cause high tide, low tide, and often be a nice night light at the same time.. I think it rises and receeds about 5 feet in most cases, can you imagine the tonage on that? The unbelievable camouflage on animals. And the timing of it. Deer fawns are born in mid spring. Fawns have white spots on them when they hit the ground, at the same time the forest floor is spraling with white flowers that pop up every where. coincidence? We along with many animals have baby teeth, and then as we or animals grow one by one the baby teeth get pushed out by adult teeth. coincidence? You eat and drink and gravity kind of does the rest for you. coincidence? Good thing it doesn't go the other way. You have a little hair on the back of your knuckles so that maby if you get a finger stuck somewhere maby you can have your finger back. coincidence?Lol.
Butterflies & hummingbird can migrate so far including a 500 mile trip across the Gulf to me that's proof, but I'm sure there is a scientific reason for this that doesn't include God. ok.
As far as prayer goes, no I don't hear voices in my head. No it's not like talking to an imigianary friend. It is hard to explain. It's just a close personal
relationship. How does He talk or answer? It's a combination of being patient, studying the bible a little every day. I don't know how else to describe it, but the Holy Spirit is a very comforting presence that you can actually feel. It's like a warmth, but not like heat from a furnace, but a warmth that warms the soul. And then you see or get the answers as life unfolds around you.
Thanks for your respectful question.

How do you explain vestigial organs?

brianlux · July 2017

RYME said:

brianlux said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

RYME said:

I'm not offended. No your not flippant.
I believe that what I wrote above are facts. You can believe what ever you want.
How can anyone prove that God is real? Well yes a lot of it is faith. And unfortunately I cannot bring Him to the front door of your house and show you Him, which is apparently what the people here need to see in order to believe. I'm not being flippant. But really.
Well that's why I provided some scripture with my answer or non answer as it were. The bible is my proof. The intricacies of nature is proof to me. The perfection, the way the oceans and seas have high tide & low tide every day feeding countless species on beaches around the globe. The moon is set at the right distance to cause high tide, low tide, and often be a nice night light at the same time.. I think it rises and receeds about 5 feet in most cases, can you imagine the tonage on that? The unbelievable camouflage on animals. And the timing of it. Deer fawns are born in mid spring. Fawns have white spots on them when they hit the ground, at the same time the forest floor is spraling with white flowers that pop up every where. coincidence? We along with many animals have baby teeth, and then as we or animals grow one by one the baby teeth get pushed out by adult teeth. coincidence? You eat and drink and gravity kind of does the rest for you. coincidence? Good thing it doesn't go the other way. You have a little hair on the back of your knuckles so that maby if you get a finger stuck somewhere maby you can have your finger back. coincidence?Lol.
Butterflies & hummingbird can migrate so far including a 500 mile trip across the Gulf to me that's proof, but I'm sure there is a scientific reason for this that doesn't include God. ok.
As far as prayer goes, no I don't hear voices in my head. No it's not like talking to an imigianary friend. It is hard to explain. It's just a close personal
relationship. How does He talk or answer? It's a combination of being patient, studying the bible a little every day. I don't know how else to describe it, but the Holy Spirit is a very comforting presence that you can actually feel. It's like a warmth, but not like heat from a furnace, but a warmth that warms the soul. And then you see or get the answers as life unfolds around you.
Thanks for your respectful question.

you know, I hear people use the natural world as the basis for their faith, or at least a partial basis, and I get that. because in many ways it makes sense to me that someone, someTHING, had to create all of these perfect scenarios, billions and billions of them, for it all to work. But why is that proof of a christian god as opposed to a supreme being that has nothing to do with the bible or jesus or moses or adam and eve? the earth is billions of years old. man has been here for a million. and god wrote his book only 2000 years ago? why? what took so long?

I used to have a "relationship" with god/jesus. and yes, it gave me that comfortable feeling you describe. then I realized, in my mind (around 19 or 20 years old), that organized religion was all hogwash, and the relationship I was having didn't actually exist. it seemed real at the time. what you describe is the same feeling people get when they meditate, or do yoga, or simply sit in nature and listen to the birds for an afternoon. or even go to the spa.

honestly, a book that resonated with me more than the bible ever did was the Celestine Prophecy.

again, whatever works for you as an individual, then that's great. my wife is christian, and she prays every day.

peace.

This says it so well for me- and I went through a similar personal realization.

The way I understand it, life on earth and much of what we know of the known universe is explained by science. What's left is a mystery too big and complex to simply describe by as recent a philosophy as Christianity.

And I don't mind that people have faith in Christ, but I would encourage believers to keep an open mind and not think (or act like) they have one up on the rest of us.

No no. I don't think that I'm better than anyone. And going door to door usually just pisses people off. I have never considered going that route. I've had people stop by my place they wanted to teach me things. And usually it's when you have a young child who's been cranky just finally went down for a nap and then somebody shows up in a car with some pamphlets and then the dogs are barking and then they come a-knockin when I didn't answer the door they jiggle the handle to see if it's unlocked and poked her head in and say hello woke the baby up. And I yelled it to them get the hell out of here I didn't send out any invites and you woke my baby up again. no that's not a good way to spread your message.

You seem very sincere, RHYM and though I don't share it, I respect your faith.

ponytd · July 2017

goldrush said:

RYME said:

bootlegger10 said:

Both sides have to answer a similar question.

The Religious person asks the atheist: how did something come from nothing?

The atheist asks the religious person: How could God have existed for all eternity?

it is like the chicken or the egg.

Thinking about how and why the universe exists makes my head spin. Why is there a universe? Why is there anything? Can there even be nothing without there being something?

I'll take a stab at this, and then it's up to individuals to go forward with it or not for further understanding.
IS GOD REAL?
YES! God is Very Real! Look around you...He created everything. The flowers, the birds, the heavens...He even created YOU! He is not some bid floating ball of energy out in space somewhere! We were made in His and the angels' image. Even though we cannot see Him, we look a lot like He and the angels look.
We are His children, and like most parents, He loves us very much! He loves us so much in fact, that He gave us His letter of instructions, the bible, to teach us of His love. He expects us to love Him enough to study and follow His Word, the Truth, not the traditions of men. He wants you to help Him carry forth His plan which is explained in the bible. (The answers to the questions are all layed out in the bible.)
He wants you to read His Word with the innocence of a child and without men's theories and beliefs getting in your way. He is your protector. He is SUPER-Natural, which means He is
"MORE-Natural" than you can even imagine. He will watch over you like a mama bear watches over her baby cubs.
You have to make an effort though. He's not going to beg you to come to Him.
Revelation 22:13. "I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last."
GOD is Eternal.
It is impossible to doubt the reality of GOD when you see the beauty of HIS nature!
Did you know that God's Children have an angel in heaven that watches over them? They have God's attention at any time if that child needs God. As Jesus said:. Matthew 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father Which is in heaven.
Our Father wants you to communicate with Him. He wants you to talk to Him. He wants to hear from you. He wants to know how He can help you. You can talk to God anywhere, anytime, without saying a single word out loud, because He knows your every thought. He created your soul, He is your Heavenly Father. Let Him know you love Him, and that you want to be on His side.

No offence, but just because you state these things as fact doesn't make them true, or provide any kind of proof that they are. How can anyone prove God is real? Where did He come from? What was He doing before He started creating? How can you prove any of the things you stated are God's work? Because the Bible says so? What makes the Bible, or an other religious texts for that matter, more important than any other book?

Another question I have always wanted to ask these who believe: how does God communicate with you? When you pray, or talk to God, how does He answer? Do you hear His voice in your head, or do thoughts come into your head that you attribute to Him, and then take as 'a sign'?

Sorry for all of the questions, but given how open you have been in this thread I didn't think you'd mind. I can assure that they are genuine and not trying to sound flippant.

Honest answers from a Christian...
How can I prove God is real? I can't. I don't think anyone can, at least from a scientific standpoint. My faith tells me he's real.
What was he doing before he created the Earth? Who knows? I wonder that myself. Who's to say he didn't create other worlds in other galaxies. Why would he only create one? Kinda like the many worlds theories. I think there is probably life out there somewhere else.
How can I prove that any of the things stated are God's work? Well, if I believe that he created this world and everything in it, he therefore created those things. Can I prove that? No, but it's what I believe.
What makes the Bible more important than other religious texts? because it's what I was taught when I was growing up lol. That's really the simplest and most honest answer. When I was younger, it wasn't really specifically said in our church that other religions were wrong, but we kind of had this feeling that we were right. I'm sure Methodists, Baptists, Adventists, etc maybe felt the same way. Maybe they didn't, I don't know. As I've gotten older, I've come to believe the Bible is more of a manual for how to live. It's man that has taken it and cherry picked the specific things that fit that person's narrative to what they want to believe and perverted God's wishes/plans. God didn't really invent religion, man did. I don't see one religion as being more right or more deserving than another.
How does God communicate with me? Like Ryme said, it's kind of hard to explain. I don't hear voices. I think it's just kinda actions or signs mostly. And they don't necessarily have to be big. Some maybe are, but some may be small. And we may miss them all the time, but they're there. Like a feeling you get to do something nice for somebody. Or when you're feeling down or having a rough go of things, and an old friend or someone calls you out of the blue to say hello and wants to hang out with you. I don't know, maybe those are just being a kind person or coincidences, but maybe they're God nudging you do to something nice or giving you a friend in a time of need. I sometimes feel they're both. I don't feel that everything has to be a sign from God, and like others, I can kind of get annoyed by that. A lot of times, it's just being a good person and others maybe it's God.

ponytd · July 2017

brianlux said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

RYME said:

I'm not offended. No your not flippant.
I believe that what I wrote above are facts. You can believe what ever you want.
How can anyone prove that God is real? Well yes a lot of it is faith. And unfortunately I cannot bring Him to the front door of your house and show you Him, which is apparently what the people here need to see in order to believe. I'm not being flippant. But really.
Well that's why I provided some scripture with my answer or non answer as it were. The bible is my proof. The intricacies of nature is proof to me. The perfection, the way the oceans and seas have high tide & low tide every day feeding countless species on beaches around the globe. The moon is set at the right distance to cause high tide, low tide, and often be a nice night light at the same time.. I think it rises and receeds about 5 feet in most cases, can you imagine the tonage on that? The unbelievable camouflage on animals. And the timing of it. Deer fawns are born in mid spring. Fawns have white spots on them when they hit the ground, at the same time the forest floor is spraling with white flowers that pop up every where. coincidence? We along with many animals have baby teeth, and then as we or animals grow one by one the baby teeth get pushed out by adult teeth. coincidence? You eat and drink and gravity kind of does the rest for you. coincidence? Good thing it doesn't go the other way. You have a little hair on the back of your knuckles so that maby if you get a finger stuck somewhere maby you can have your finger back. coincidence?Lol.
Butterflies & hummingbird can migrate so far including a 500 mile trip across the Gulf to me that's proof, but I'm sure there is a scientific reason for this that doesn't include God. ok.
As far as prayer goes, no I don't hear voices in my head. No it's not like talking to an imigianary friend. It is hard to explain. It's just a close personal
relationship. How does He talk or answer? It's a combination of being patient, studying the bible a little every day. I don't know how else to describe it, but the Holy Spirit is a very comforting presence that you can actually feel. It's like a warmth, but not like heat from a furnace, but a warmth that warms the soul. And then you see or get the answers as life unfolds around you.
Thanks for your respectful question.

you know, I hear people use the natural world as the basis for their faith, or at least a partial basis, and I get that. because in many ways it makes sense to me that someone, someTHING, had to create all of these perfect scenarios, billions and billions of them, for it all to work. But why is that proof of a christian god as opposed to a supreme being that has nothing to do with the bible or jesus or moses or adam and eve? the earth is billions of years old. man has been here for a million. and god wrote his book only 2000 years ago? why? what took so long?

I used to have a "relationship" with god/jesus. and yes, it gave me that comfortable feeling you describe. then I realized, in my mind (around 19 or 20 years old), that organized religion was all hogwash, and the relationship I was having didn't actually exist. it seemed real at the time. what you describe is the same feeling people get when they meditate, or do yoga, or simply sit in nature and listen to the birds for an afternoon. or even go to the spa.

honestly, a book that resonated with me more than the bible ever did was the Celestine Prophecy.

again, whatever works for you as an individual, then that's great. my wife is christian, and she prays every day.

peace.

This says it so well for me- and I went through a similar personal realization.

The way I understand it, life on earth and much of what we know of the known universe is explained by science. What's left is a mystery too big and complex to simply describe by as recent a philosophy as Christianity.

And I don't mind that people have faith in Christ, but I would encourage believers to keep an open mind and not think (or act like) they have one up on the rest of us.

Agreed, just because I'm a Christian doesn't make me better than you. I wish more would understand that, instead of using their "belief" as crutch for their own self-righteousness

RYME · July 2017

ponytd said:

goldrush said:

RYME said:

bootlegger10 said:

Both sides have to answer a similar question.

The Religious person asks the atheist: how did something come from nothing?

The atheist asks the religious person: How could God have existed for all eternity?

it is like the chicken or the egg.

Thinking about how and why the universe exists makes my head spin. Why is there a universe? Why is there anything? Can there even be nothing without there being something?

I'll take a stab at this, and then it's up to individuals to go forward with it or not for further understanding.
IS GOD REAL?
YES! God is Very Real! Look around you...He created everything. The flowers, the birds, the heavens...He even created YOU! He is not some bid floating ball of energy out in space somewhere! We were made in His and the angels' image. Even though we cannot see Him, we look a lot like He and the angels look.
We are His children, and like most parents, He loves us very much! He loves us so much in fact, that He gave us His letter of instructions, the bible, to teach us of His love. He expects us to love Him enough to study and follow His Word, the Truth, not the traditions of men. He wants you to help Him carry forth His plan which is explained in the bible. (The answers to the questions are all layed out in the bible.)
He wants you to read His Word with the innocence of a child and without men's theories and beliefs getting in your way. He is your protector. He is SUPER-Natural, which means He is
"MORE-Natural" than you can even imagine. He will watch over you like a mama bear watches over her baby cubs.
You have to make an effort though. He's not going to beg you to come to Him.
Revelation 22:13. "I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last."
GOD is Eternal.
It is impossible to doubt the reality of GOD when you see the beauty of HIS nature!
Did you know that God's Children have an angel in heaven that watches over them? They have God's attention at any time if that child needs God. As Jesus said:. Matthew 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father Which is in heaven.
Our Father wants you to communicate with Him. He wants you to talk to Him. He wants to hear from you. He wants to know how He can help you. You can talk to God anywhere, anytime, without saying a single word out loud, because He knows your every thought. He created your soul, He is your Heavenly Father. Let Him know you love Him, and that you want to be on His side.

No offence, but just because you state these things as fact doesn't make them true, or provide any kind of proof that they are. How can anyone prove God is real? Where did He come from? What was He doing before He started creating? How can you prove any of the things you stated are God's work? Because the Bible says so? What makes the Bible, or an other religious texts for that matter, more important than any other book?

Another question I have always wanted to ask these who believe: how does God communicate with you? When you pray, or talk to God, how does He answer? Do you hear His voice in your head, or do thoughts come into your head that you attribute to Him, and then take as 'a sign'?

Sorry for all of the questions, but given how open you have been in this thread I didn't think you'd mind. I can assure that they are genuine and not trying to sound flippant.

Honest answers from a Christian...
How can I prove God is real? I can't. I don't think anyone can, at least from a scientific standpoint. My faith tells me he's real.
What was he doing before he created the Earth? Who knows? I wonder that myself. Who's to say he didn't create other worlds in other galaxies. Why would he only create one? Kinda like the many worlds theories. I think there is probably life out there somewhere else.
How can I prove that any of the things stated are God's work? Well, if I believe that he created this world and everything in it, he therefore created those things. Can I prove that? No, but it's what I believe.
What makes the Bible more important than other religious texts? because it's what I was taught when I was growing up lol. That's really the simplest and most honest answer. When I was younger, it wasn't really specifically said in our church that other religions were wrong, but we kind of had this feeling that we were right. I'm sure Methodists, Baptists, Adventists, etc maybe felt the same way. Maybe they didn't, I don't know. As I've gotten older, I've come to believe the Bible is more of a manual for how to live. It's man that has taken it and cherry picked the specific things that fit that person's narrative to what they want to believe and perverted God's wishes/plans. God didn't really invent religion, man did. I don't see one religion as being more right or more deserving than another.
How does God communicate with me? Like Ryme said, it's kind of hard to explain. I don't hear voices. I think it's just kinda actions or signs mostly. And they don't necessarily have to be big. Some maybe are, but some may be small. And we may miss them all the time, but they're there. Like a feeling you get to do something nice for somebody. Or when you're feeling down or having a rough go of things, and an old friend or someone calls you out of the blue to say hello and wants to hang out with you. I don't know, maybe those are just being a kind person or coincidences, but maybe they're God nudging you do to something nice or giving you a friend in a time of need. I sometimes feel they're both. I don't feel that everything has to be a sign from God, and like others, I can kind of get annoyed by that. A lot of times, it's just being a good person and others maybe it's God.

Well said! Some of my answers to the questions asked here are long, spacific & detailed. I don't know how to answer without getting preachy. None of which are ment to anoy or offend anyone. But I find it hard to answer without annoying people. One guy suggests that I should go back to kindergarten and start over.lol. Maby this time I'll pay more attention in school.

I think you articulate what I've been trying to say better than I.

PJfanwillneverleave1 · July 2017

^^^
It's difficult for non-believers to be preached at. Tell them facts like it is not what you think or feel like it is.

The Concept of God

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