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Old 06-20-2016, 02:41 PM
 
18,185 posts, read 16,750,104 times
Reputation: 7418

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Any relationship is a 50-50 proposition, even a relationship with God. You reach out, He responds. But if you think carefully about how often you've reached out you'll likely find it was you reaching 100% of the distance and not finding any hand at the other end to grasp hold of.

I thought when I lost my faith God would come down and do something to bridge the gap in our former relationship. But nothing happened. I once prayed, "Lord if you ever find me drifting away and putting my soul in danger of eternal torment please take my life." (shows you how totally screwed up I was on Christian dogmatic balderdash. Two years later I'm still here living in unbelief and not a thing in my life has changed.

I was reading about parents who lose their faith after losing a child. Gradually they just drift away from God and feel no attempt on God's part to bring them back. They finally come to the realization that in reality it was them reaching out 100% of the way to God. The good feelings they were getting from believing God was intervening and taking care of them was just a purely subjective emotional experience--nothing supernaturally spiritual about it. I found the same thing, even though I have never lost a child.

Christian emotional "highs"--that incredible euphoria that the Holy Spirit is indwelling you--is just endorphins beings released in response to your positive vibes. There's nothing supernatural about it. We're all biological creatures who have evolved a certain way to react to certain stimuli.

As a deist I don't expect God to intervene and make contact with me on any level. He's up there, I'm down here and I have to find my way by myself as best I can, as we all do if we live long enough and mature in the process. Others will will go on living in this fairytale world they construct out of the personal beliefs of how God operates that their pastor preaches to them fro the pulpit--thinking God hears their prayers and answers them accordingly when He doesn't. If they can live happily with that kind of life more power to them. It makes the process of death a heck of a lot easier believing God is holding your hand when you're ready to die than it does knowing you're all alone when death comes calling.
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Old 06-20-2016, 02:55 PM
 
63,375 posts, read 39,639,230 times
Reputation: 7775
Quote:
Originally Posted by thrillobyte View Post
Any relationship is a 50-50 proposition, even a relationship with God. You reach out, He responds. But if you think carefully about how often you've reached out you'll likely find it was you reaching 100% of the distance and not finding any hand at the other end to grasp hold of.

I thought when I lost my faith God would come down and do something to bridge the gap in our former relationship. But nothing happened. I once prayed, "Lord if you ever find me drifting away and putting my soul in danger of eternal torment please take my life." (shows you how totally screwed up I was on Christian dogmatic balderdash. Two years later I'm still here living in unbelief and not a thing in my life has changed.

I was reading about parents who lose their faith after losing a child. Gradually they just drift away from God and feel no attempt on God's part to bring them back. They finally come to the realization that in reality it was them reaching out 100% of the way to God. The good feelings they were getting from believing God was intervening and taking care of them was just a purely subjective emotional experience--nothing supernaturally spiritual about it. I found the same thing, even though I have never lost a child.

Christian emotional "highs"--that incredible euphoria that the Holy Spirit is indwelling you--is just endorphins beings released in response to your positive vibes. There's nothing supernatural about it. We're all biological creatures who have evolved a certain way to react to certain stimuli.

As a deist I don't expect God to intervene and make contact with me on any level. He's up there, I'm down here and I have to find my way by myself as best I can, as we all do if we live long enough and mature in the process. Others will will go on living in this fairytale world they construct out of the personal beliefs of how God operates that their pastor preaches to them fro the pulpit--thinking God hears their prayers and answers them accordingly when He doesn't. If they can live happily with that kind of life more power to them. It makes the process of death a heck of a lot easier believing God is holding your hand when you're ready to die than it does knowing you're all alone when death comes calling.
::Sigh::The ONLY way God intervenes here physically is through other human beings. The only direct interventions are spiritually in our heart and mind (consciousness). You are continuously encountering others who present ways of understanding God and your relationship to Him. You seem deaf to them in your frustration and anger so you are missing any possibilities to hear His actual answers for you. You want God to do all the work of finding Him among the many beliefs ABOUT Him out there. As long as your mind is closeted off by your frustration and anger at the many absurd beliefs ABOUT God, you will miss the truth when you encounter it.
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Old 06-20-2016, 03:05 PM
Status: "Without God, life is tragic and absurd." (set 24 days ago)
 
Location: Free State of Texas
20,362 posts, read 12,640,092 times
Reputation: 2470
Quote:
Originally Posted by thrillobyte View Post
Any relationship is a 50-50 proposition, even a relationship with God. You reach out, He responds. But if you think carefully about how often you've reached out you'll likely find it was you reaching 100% of the distance and not finding any hand at the other end to grasp hold of.

I thought when I lost my faith God would come down and do something to bridge the gap in our former relationship. But nothing happened. I once prayed, "Lord if you ever find me drifting away and putting my soul in danger of eternal torment please take my life." (shows you how totally screwed up I was on Christian dogmatic balderdash. Two years later I'm still here living in unbelief and not a thing in my life has changed.

I was reading about parents who lose their faith after losing a child. Gradually they just drift away from God and feel no attempt on God's part to bring them back. They finally come to the realization that in reality it was them reaching out 100% of the way to God. The good feelings they were getting from believing God was intervening and taking care of them was just a purely subjective emotional experience--nothing supernaturally spiritual about it. I found the same thing, even though I have never lost a child.

Christian emotional "highs"--that incredible euphoria that the Holy Spirit is indwelling you--is just endorphins beings released in response to your positive vibes. There's nothing supernatural about it. We're all biological creatures who have evolved a certain way to react to certain stimuli.

As a deist I don't expect God to intervene and make contact with me on any level. He's up there, I'm down here and I have to find my way by myself as best I can, as we all do if we live long enough and mature in the process. Others will will go on living in this fairytale world they construct out of the personal beliefs of how God operates that their pastor preaches to them fro the pulpit--thinking God hears their prayers and answers them accordingly when He doesn't. If they can live happily with that kind of life more power to them. It makes the process of death a heck of a lot easier believing God is holding your hand when you're ready to die than it does knowing you're all alone when death comes calling.
Sounds like you're mad at God, since you choose to belittle others. Classic.
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Old 06-20-2016, 03:17 PM
 
32,516 posts, read 36,988,532 times
Reputation: 32571
Quote:
Originally Posted by thrillobyte View Post
God is holding your hand when you're ready to die.....snip
Can't say I've heard that one.

Sounds like something coming out of a juke box in the Bible Belt.
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Old 06-20-2016, 03:19 PM
 
Location: USA
18,422 posts, read 9,040,549 times
Reputation: 8461
Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticPhD View Post
::Sigh::The ONLY way God intervenes here physically is through other human beings. The only direct interventions are spiritually in our heart and mind (consciousness). You are continuously encountering others who present ways of understanding God and your relationship to Him. You seem deaf to them in your frustration and anger so you are missing any possibilities to hear His actual answers for you. You want God to do all the work of finding Him among the many beliefs ABOUT Him out there. As long as your mind is closeted off by your frustration and anger at the many absurd beliefs ABOUT God, you will miss the truth when you encounter it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmiej View Post
Sounds like you're mad at God, since you choose to belittle others. Classic.
Obviously something is wrong with the OP, right? He/she is defective in some way.

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Old 06-20-2016, 03:26 PM
Status: "Without God, life is tragic and absurd." (set 24 days ago)
 
Location: Free State of Texas
20,362 posts, read 12,640,092 times
Reputation: 2470
Quote:
Originally Posted by Freak80 View Post
Obviously something is wrong with the OP, right? He/she is defective in some way.

We're all defective, in some way.
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Old 06-20-2016, 03:33 PM
 
Location: USA
18,422 posts, read 9,040,549 times
Reputation: 8461
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmiej View Post
We're all defective, in some way.
But some are more defective than others, right? The OP is more defective than you are, and you weren't afraid to let him/her know it:

Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmiej View Post
Sounds like you're mad at God, since you choose to belittle others. Classic.
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Old 06-20-2016, 04:00 PM
Status: "Without God, life is tragic and absurd." (set 24 days ago)
 
Location: Free State of Texas
20,362 posts, read 12,640,092 times
Reputation: 2470
Quote:
Originally Posted by Freak80 View Post
But some are more defective than others, right? The OP is more defective than you are, and you weren't afraid to let him/her know it:
Yes.

If the OP didn't want comments, he/she should not have posted on a public forum.
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Old 06-20-2016, 04:07 PM
 
Location: Southwestern, USA, now.
21,020 posts, read 19,193,098 times
Reputation: 23648
You are correct in the OP...there is nothing supernatural about the endorphins that
are released in the brain.
(Rem, I am not a Christian.)
But, I also do not see anything supernatural in walking on water or healing people.
Everything and anything under the Sun and beyond, are the most natural things.
That being said...every single thing you see with your eyes open or closed
is supernatural, also...every particle floating in the sunbeam in your living room.

Endorphins or using the mind to make atoms that are far apart simply move closer, thus,
more dense
with the power of the Mind to be walked on...is not supernatural...it is just something
man doesn't know how to do or is not ready to open to ...yet.
(Of course, yogi's and masters can do all those 'walking thru wall' things
for centuries...so it is reported.)Btw, I am sorry God did not respond to you.
'He' has never not responded to me...every prayer has been answered,
but one my whole life...but I know what happened that 'one time'.

God is SO not 'up there' anywhere...I will tell you truthfully from my many direct experiences...
'He', Who has no gender, is so close ..."He' is closer than your own skin and can be perceived
in your every thought and in your every breath...it does take a focus almost beyond belief,
however.
(Be still and know that I am God....it is a stillness almost unimaginable!
Rem, I have been meditating for 40 yrs...for many hours a sitting...I don't make this
stuff up or get it from any book.)

Btw, I have no concern if you have a belief in a God or not...
you are perfect the way you are.



Juke box in the bible Belt...good one!!!! Dew
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Old 06-20-2016, 04:12 PM
 
Location: Dallas,Texas
1,379 posts, read 1,752,561 times
Reputation: 1482
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimmiej View Post
Sounds like you're mad at God, since you choose to belittle others. Classic.
Pathetic jimmie. Just pathetic. You are right. People who once believed are mad when they figure out it's all a delusion and wake-up. It's a natural human response but yet you like so many Christians want to make excuses for Bible God if it exists.
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