"Why Doesn't God Reveal Its Existence?" and other FAQ

[Avatar4321]

God reveals Himself to those who seek Him all the time. Humble yourself and do as He asks and you can know for yourself that He is there too.

 

[The Irish Ram]

How many times does He have to comeback? Every generation? How many times does He have to bring the dead back with Him after He was dead and buried? How many eyewitnesses have to testify before we can believe? How many prophesies have to come to fruition before we realize that there is someone who actually can see the end from the beginning?

Did you ask the boys which countries are about to invade Israel? Do you think they even know there is an Israel when they can't even recognize a picture of our Vice President?

I would have told them, "God said these things would happen. Now go home and watch the news, and if they are happening just the way God told us 2000 years ago that they would, there must be God." Tell them the countries that God said would invade Israel. Tell them the weaponry God intends to use to defeat those who invade Israel. Tell them to look for the invaders to kill each other instead of the Jews. Tell them to look for giant hail to drive the invaders back.

Maybe when they see these signs, they will realize that there really is a God. Most kids today have never seen a Bible. And have 0 knowledge of who we're talking about, and don't know what to look for. They wouldn't recognize Christ unless He was on Facebook or sending them texts with selfies....

 

[BillyP]

How many times does He have to comeback? Every generation? How many times does He have to bring the dead back with Him after He was dead and buried? How many eyewitnesses have to testify before we can believe? How many prophesies have to come to fruition before we realize that there is someone who actually can see the end from the beginning?

Did you ask the boys which countries are about to invade Israel? Do you think they even know there is an Israel when they can't even recognize a picture of our Vice President?

I would have told them, "God said these things would happen. Now go home and watch the news, and if they are happening just the way God told us 2000 years ago that they would, there must be God." Tell them the countries that God said would invade Israel. Tell them the weaponry God intends to use to defeat those who invade Israel. Tell them to look for the invaders to kill each other instead of the Jews. Tell them to look for giant hail to drive the invaders back.

Maybe when they see these signs, they will realize that there really is a God. Most kids today have never seen a Bible. And have 0 knowledge of who we're talking about, and don't know what to look for. They wouldn't recognize Christ unless He was on Facebook or sending them texts with selfies....

Fucking right he should come back every generation and walk on water, turn water into wine, ride a donkey, and then get nailed to a cross in a Depends and then come back again, over and over again. Otherwise there's seriously no proof that that Jesus even existed.

 

[sealybobo]

Inspired by a discussion with some local kids the other day about the existence (or non-existence) of God, my mind's been chewing over the question ever since. My current thinking os two-fold:

"First, if we had incontrovertible evidence God existed, something sufficient that even Richard Dawkins and disciples would have to agree, "Yep, that's God all right." would we then worship GOd because we chose to, or because we feared the consequences if we didn't? Isn't it better to be worshipped by choice instead of compulsion?

Secondly, proof of God doesn't translate into faith in God. The Jews freed from slavery in Egypt had such proof. God was giving them mana daily and presumedly water, and other things to keep them alive as they crossed open-desert en route to the Promised Land. But despite this evidence they could all agree upon that God existed, they demanded more. More food, more water, and of course endless "Are we there yet?" So while they had proof God existed, it didn't then mean they also had faith.

So perhaps the dilemna we have today with nothing concrete to set our backs against is by design. God knows that if She proved Her existence ('He' or 'Her' is just as accurate as 'It') we'd either submit to Her Law out of fear, or, if out of love we'd eventually seek more from Her. Whereas by concealing Her existence and leaving it up to faith we make a choice to believe and obey or disbelieve. But faith seems to be preferred in any event. But isn't as likely to come about with solid evidence.

We KNOW the government exists. But rather than simply being content with roads and bridges (such as they are heh) and having the lights go on, and food in our stores and bellies, we invariably seek more from it. More tax breaks, more freedom, etc.. Whereas if government were uncertain, and whether the next food shipment to stores for us to buy wasn't a certainty, maybe we'd be content with whatever we had at a given moment rather than striving for more.

"I want more power Scotty!"

"I can't werk meeruhkles Cap'n!"

Just occured to me.

1. I don't see the problem with showing us that you exist first and then telling us that if we don't worship you or follow your rules we will go to hell. The problem with asking me to have blind faith is that I have to believe our ignorant ancestors and the corrupt churches/cults. Consider this. Do you believe the rich and powerful people that own/run this country? Well guess what? The church is one of them. Hell, until America the church and state were one and the same.

2. And so why would a god punish us for being smart and not swallowing what is clearly a made up story written by men? I wouldn't take a priests word for anything. What makes them any different than anyone else who has swallowed a fairy tale? Hell, they swallowed it even more. So much they gave up pussy to be priests.

3. I am a good person, not because I fear hell or believe in gods, but because I want to be a good person. So your whole argument seems backward to me. If you believe in god and heaven and hell then you are being good out of fear. I'm a good person without worrying about eternal damnation.

4. You don't know the jews back then had proof of god. Those are all made up stories. But lets say they did get proof. How come we are the losers in the dice roll of time? How come god talked to adam, mosus, noah and jesus but won't talk to us? Funny the old stories of miracles you guys talk about them like they are factual historical events and not made up stories. God gave them Mana and water?

If god really talked to that many people, we'd all be one religion AND why wouldn't he talk to us today and feed the poor today? So he fed the jews mana and water but today lets people starve? Wake up.

To believe things that couldn't be true happened in the past even though they can't show you any miracles today is insane.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

God already proved His existence. He died for mankind. He wrote to us through the scriptures, He answers believers and we pray to Him.

God exists in the minds of people who have contrived up a supernatural deity to explain things science cannot. Just like primitive men thought gods were responsible for volcano eruptions and earthquakes and the sun rising and setting. We now know how those things happen and thus, those gods are now obsolete.

 

[ErikViking]

If everyone on the planet was Christian, there would be war between those who believed Jesus wore a white robe and those who belived he wore a brown one.

What god reveals himself to that sort of spiecie?

 

[Steven_R]

There used to be huge debates during the Middle Ages among the learned folks over such important questions like "did Jesus actually own his own clothes?" They would show up at various monasteries and the Benedictines would have one position and the Jesuits another and this sect another position and so on and so forth.

I wonder if during those debates if any of the cardinals or bishops invited ever just stood up and yelled "who gives a shit?"

 

[sealybobo]

God reveals Himself to those who seek Him all the time. Humble yourself and do as He asks and you can know for yourself that He is there too.

Translation: If you believe hard enough you will believe because you want to believe and you will even throw out common sense and logic.

I can't claim to be perfect but I lived my life just about as right as you can. I have my faults, I've sinned, but I lived a good life and I am a good person and I was raised christian and I'm sorry but I just can not call myself a christian anymore and nor can I say I believe in an invisible man no matter what stories of hell you try to scare me with, I just can't believe a lie. Nor will I feel guilty because fools tell me I should.

 

[MaxGrit]

God reveals Himself to those who seek Him all the time. Humble yourself and do as He asks and you can know for yourself that He is there too.

Translation: If you believe hard enough you will believe because you want to believe and you will even throw out common sense and logic.

I can't claim to be perfect but I lived my life just about as right as you can. I have my faults, I've sinned, but I lived a good life and I am a good person and I was raised christian and I'm sorry but I just can not call myself a christian anymore and nor can I say I believe in an invisible man no matter what stories of hell you try to scare me with, I just can't believe a lie. Nor will I feel guilty because fools tell me I should.

Actually it is God who calls for the seekers to seek. Faith is from God and not a man can have faith without God giving it to him.

 

[sealybobo]

God reveals Himself to those who seek Him all the time. Humble yourself and do as He asks and you can know for yourself that He is there too.

Translation: If you believe hard enough you will believe because you want to believe and you will even throw out common sense and logic.

I can't claim to be perfect but I lived my life just about as right as you can. I have my faults, I've sinned, but I lived a good life and I am a good person and I was raised christian and I'm sorry but I just can not call myself a christian anymore and nor can I say I believe in an invisible man no matter what stories of hell you try to scare me with, I just can't believe a lie. Nor will I feel guilty because fools tell me I should.

Actually it is God who calls for the seekers to seek. Faith is from God and not a man can have faith without God giving it to him.

Why won't he give it to me then?

 

[MaxGrit]

Translation: If you believe hard enough you will believe because you want to believe and you will even throw out common sense and logic.

I can't claim to be perfect but I lived my life just about as right as you can. I have my faults, I've sinned, but I lived a good life and I am a good person and I was raised christian and I'm sorry but I just can not call myself a christian anymore and nor can I say I believe in an invisible man no matter what stories of hell you try to scare me with, I just can't believe a lie. Nor will I feel guilty because fools tell me I should.

Actually it is God who calls for the seekers to seek. Faith is from God and not a man can have faith without God giving it to him.

Why won't he give it to me then?

Grace is a gift from God.

 

[BillyP]

Actually it is God who calls for the seekers to seek. Faith is from God and not a man can have faith without God giving it to him.

Why won't he give it to me then?

Grace is a gift from God.

Who's she?

 

[PratchettFan]

Translation: If you believe hard enough you will believe because you want to believe and you will even throw out common sense and logic.

I can't claim to be perfect but I lived my life just about as right as you can. I have my faults, I've sinned, but I lived a good life and I am a good person and I was raised christian and I'm sorry but I just can not call myself a christian anymore and nor can I say I believe in an invisible man no matter what stories of hell you try to scare me with, I just can't believe a lie. Nor will I feel guilty because fools tell me I should.

Actually it is God who calls for the seekers to seek. Faith is from God and not a man can have faith without God giving it to him.

Why won't he give it to me then?

Seriously... do you want it? I certainly don't.

 

[Chuckt]

How many times does He have to comeback? Every generation? How many times does He have to bring the dead back with Him after He was dead and buried? How many eyewitnesses have to testify before we can believe? How many prophesies have to come to fruition before we realize that there is someone who actually can see the end from the beginning?

Did you ask the boys which countries are about to invade Israel? Do you think they even know there is an Israel when they can't even recognize a picture of our Vice President?

I would have told them, "God said these things would happen. Now go home and watch the news, and if they are happening just the way God told us 2000 years ago that they would, there must be God." Tell them the countries that God said would invade Israel. Tell them the weaponry God intends to use to defeat those who invade Israel. Tell them to look for the invaders to kill each other instead of the Jews. Tell them to look for giant hail to drive the invaders back.

Maybe when they see these signs, they will realize that there really is a God. Most kids today have never seen a Bible. And have 0 knowledge of who we're talking about, and don't know what to look for. They wouldn't recognize Christ unless He was on Facebook or sending them texts with selfies....

How many more prophets would have to die for Jesus?

God holds us accountable for only two.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

It really all comes down to the simple fact that we don't know. That is not a happy state in general for human beings so most of us decide we do know. Some decide they know god exists, other decide they know god does not exist. Both are equally invalid/valid beliefs. The only rational stand is neutrality. To be honest, I don't think I've actually met a neutral yet - though I have met many who claimed to be.

Wouldn't say I'm neutral so much as the questions can be argued convincingly either way, for or against. And depending on my mood I do so. When upset over some news item, most recently the carjacking that ran down 3 kids doing fundraising for their church, I find I'm more on the 'God doesn't exist' side of the fence. When I've calmed down, as I am today, I find myself more on the fence as opposed to down on either side of it. And sometimes, when I experience something unusual I get on the other side believing, or at least trying to believe God does in fact exist.

I'd say it's important to seperate out religion from God. There's all kinds of falsehoods in every religion ever conceived, but none of that speaks directly to anything about God as Man (and Woman) wrote every bit of it. So basing any belief, or disbelief about God because of a given religion is foolish.Rather I try to think about God from the point of view independent of religion altogether.

Might be difficult, if not impossible to use science to prove or disprove God, but I think we can use reason to at least come up with some better arguements for God than "It says so in this book." Well of course it does, what else is it gonna say?" Be like argueing in favor of Harry Potter existing because it says so in the books.

In the absence of evidence any guess is as good as another. Any reason for a guess is as good as another. Where people run into problems, IMO, is when they insist their guess is the only guess allowed. I don't think it is relevant whether there is a God, but it is certainly relevant that people are believers, one way or another. I believe this would be a better world if people could just come to grips with that part of our nature. I also don't believe it will happen.

"Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it." - Andre Gide

 

[Delta4Embassy]

How many times does He have to comeback? Every generation? How many times does He have to bring the dead back with Him after He was dead and buried? How many eyewitnesses have to testify before we can believe? How many prophesies have to come to fruition before we realize that there is someone who actually can see the end from the beginning?

Did you ask the boys which countries are about to invade Israel? Do you think they even know there is an Israel when they can't even recognize a picture of our Vice President?

I would have told them, "God said these things would happen. Now go home and watch the news, and if they are happening just the way God told us 2000 years ago that they would, there must be God." Tell them the countries that God said would invade Israel. Tell them the weaponry God intends to use to defeat those who invade Israel. Tell them to look for the invaders to kill each other instead of the Jews. Tell them to look for giant hail to drive the invaders back.

Maybe when they see these signs, they will realize that there really is a God. Most kids today have never seen a Bible. And have 0 knowledge of who we're talking about, and don't know what to look for. They wouldn't recognize Christ unless He was on Facebook or sending them texts with selfies....

Fucking right he should come back every generation and walk on water, turn water into wine, ride a donkey, and then get nailed to a cross in a Depends and then come back again, over and over again. Otherwise there's seriously no proof that that Jesus even existed.

As I told the children here, if we had irrefutable proof of God would we still worship him out of love, or out of fear? If we know God exists like we know the Sun does, do we still have free will to worship or not? When confronted by a god so much higher on the evolutionary food chain than ourselves, isn't worshipping it a no-brainer out of self-interest? Whereas if God avoids revealing its' existence, then those that seek him and worship him in the complete absence of proof are the ones he'd be pleased with moreso than any just going through the motions out of fear.

Great line from an episode of "Futurama" "Godfellas" episode, "When you do things right, people wont be sure you did anything at all."

 

[Delta4Embassy]

God already proved His existence. He died for mankind. He wrote to us through the scriptures, He answers believers and we pray to Him.

God exists in the minds of people who have contrived up a supernatural deity to explain things science cannot. Just like primitive men thought gods were responsible for volcano eruptions and earthquakes and the sun rising and setting. We now know how those things happen and thus, those gods are now obsolete.

You're making the assumption God or gods are like their religions describe it. Supernatural ghosts of some sort. Could be that what ancient humans thought of as gods was simply aliens. Thus when I discuss past encounters with gods I'm allowing for the possibility an encounter of some kind did in fact occur. Otherwise, everybody's lying. In every country, and on every continent. Odd thing to arbitarily pull out of your bum.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

There used to be huge debates during the Middle Ages among the learned folks over such important questions like "did Jesus actually own his own clothes?" They would show up at various monasteries and the Benedictines would have one position and the Jesuits another and this sect another position and so on and so forth.

I wonder if during those debates if any of the cardinals or bishops invited ever just stood up and yelled "who gives a shit?"

"Name of the Rose" reference? Darn my eidetic memory.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Translation: If you believe hard enough you will believe because you want to believe and you will even throw out common sense and logic.

I can't claim to be perfect but I lived my life just about as right as you can. I have my faults, I've sinned, but I lived a good life and I am a good person and I was raised christian and I'm sorry but I just can not call myself a christian anymore and nor can I say I believe in an invisible man no matter what stories of hell you try to scare me with, I just can't believe a lie. Nor will I feel guilty because fools tell me I should.

Actually it is God who calls for the seekers to seek. Faith is from God and not a man can have faith without God giving it to him.

Why won't he give it to me then?

Interestingly, no one in the Bible had faith. Everyone there KNEW God or Jesus existed. Was never a matter of listening to some disciple telling them things then having to put their trust and faith in that disciple while hoping they weren't corrupt. Yet today we're asked to have faith absent anyone reliable. Most every theologian today is earning a living from religion thus their claims aren't very reliable. Of course they're saying God exists, they'd be out of work if they didn't.

 

[Chuckt]

Actually it is God who calls for the seekers to seek. Faith is from God and not a man can have faith without God giving it to him.

Why won't he give it to me then?

Interestingly, no one in the Bible had faith. Everyone there KNEW God or Jesus existed. Was never a matter of listening to some disciple telling them things then having to put their trust and faith in that disciple while hoping they weren't corrupt. Yet today we're asked to have faith absent anyone reliable. Most every theologian today is earning a living from religion thus their claims aren't very reliable. Of course they're saying God exists, they'd be out of work if they didn't.

They didn't have hindsight like we have when reading the Bible.
When Jesus died, the disciples went back to fishing which means they gave up. What faith is that?