Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
First you say it was about contradictions in the Bible. Then you say God never revealed Himself to you. Which is it?
Well, it's just a matter of putting two and two together, jimmie. First I prayed and God never answered my prayers or revealed himself to me despite my sincerest attempts to communicate with him. When my prayers consistently went unanswered I began noticing posts dealing with this topic in the "religion" forum. I began to research Christianity and its history and found out what a checkered past it had with no secular historic evidence for Jesus' existence, the checkered creation of the gospels with all their contradictions, and the fact that Christianity didn't really make Jesus divine or create the Trinity until Constantine made it official doctrine in 335 AD, I said to myself, "Huh! No wonder my prayers never got answered. God (who I firmly believe in) doesn't answer prayer or get involved in human affairs." That's when I became a deist like Thomas Jefferson and the founding fathers and millions of others.
Well, it's just a matter of putting two and two together, jimmie. First I prayed and God never answered my prayers or revealed himself to me despite my sincerest attempts to communicate with him. When my prayers consistently went unanswered I began noticing posts dealing with this topic in the "religion" forum. I began to research Christianity and its history and found out what a checkered past it had with no secular historic evidence for Jesus' existence, the checkered creation of the gospels with all their contradictions, and the fact that Christianity didn't really make Jesus divine or create the Trinity until Constantine made it official doctrine in 335 AD, I said to myself, "Huh! No wonder my prayers never got answered. God (who I firmly believe in) doesn't answer prayer or get involved in human affairs." That's when I became a deist like Thomas Jefferson and the founding fathers and millions of others.
Did you go into Christianity with an open mind or a bias?
Well, it's just a matter of putting two and two together, jimmie. First I prayed and God never answered my prayers or revealed himself to me despite my sincerest attempts to communicate with him. When my prayers consistently went unanswered I began noticing posts dealing with this topic in the "religion" forum. I began to research Christianity and its history and found out what a checkered past it had with no secular historic evidence for Jesus' existence, the checkered creation of the gospels with all their contradictions, and the fact that Christianity didn't really make Jesus divine or create the Trinity until Constantine made it official doctrine in 335 AD, I said to myself, "Huh! No wonder my prayers never got answered. God (who I firmly believe in) doesn't answer prayer or get involved in human affairs." That's when I became a deist like Thomas Jefferson and the founding fathers and millions of others.
Who does God reveal His secrets to?
Who did God talk to?
The prophets. That is why Jesus said to follow Him. He said He would reveal Himself (the word of God) to those who keep His commandments, His word, the truth.
"The Lord God does nothing without revealing His secrets to His servants the prophet's."
"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and it shall be given to you and all that you need as well."
"The Lord guides the humble to justice and He teaches the meek His way."
Follow me and I will give you peace.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart and I will give you rest for my yoke is upright and my burden is light.
Did you go into Christianity with an open mind or a bias?
I mentioned in another post (you probably didn't read it) that I was raised by my grandparents who were staunch Catholics, said the rosary every night, went to early mass ever morning. I practically grew up in the Church so naturally I was programmed from a very early age to believe in God and I do believe in God. This universe and these human bodies in all their complexities could never have come about by random chance. There had to be a Higher Intelligence that created all this. I believe in that God. But for 60 years prior I believed in the God of the Bible.
I used to think that the metaphor 'my sheep hear my voice' was about being able to discern the false from the true - recognize deception from truthfulness - understand that not everything the bible says is true or of god.
I used to think that the metaphor 'my sheep hear my voice' was about being able to discern the false from the true - recognize deception from truthfulness - understand that not everything the bible says is true or of god.
Works for me.
Have you heard that Jesus said; "Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear is you do not belong to God."?
Exactly. Jesus never heard my voice when I was crying to him for decades for understanding about contradictions in the Bible. He just left me high and dry so I said, "Okay, if that's how it is..." and just walked away.
Fundamentalists always pull that nonsensical chestnut out of the hat, "Well, it couldn't have been Jesus. It had to be you. There must be some unconfessed sin in your life impeding Jesus to answer your prayers."
RIIIIIGGGGGHT!
Like all those decades I was praying I was secretly carrying on some horrendous secret sinful life.
Maybe God predestined me to hell from the foundation of the world, like the Calvinists believe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticPhD
You are angry about the expectations PEOPLE gave you. They have nothing to do with God OR Christ, Thrill. The refusal to THINK when reading the human recorded writings is responsible for the retention of ancient ignorance and superstition. Christ's life and death provided a completely unambiguous message about the TRUE NATURE of God . . . in complete opposition to the barbaric and savage belief of our ignorant primitive ancestors. In true blind acceptance of the barbaric thinking of our ancestors . . . the religious leaders simply perpetuated the same nonsense despite 2000+ years of accumulated knowledge and understanding. It is a travesty . . . but it is NOT God's fault nor is it Christ's fault.
All I know is that the Testaments are replete with promises that God will come or reveal himself to you if you call upon him. I called repeatedly and God never came nor did he reveal himself to me. It was like I was talking to empty air. You get to feeling foolish pretty fast calling into the sky for God so many times over 40 years or so, assuming I was a teen when I began taking Christianity seriously after a traumatic run-in with the Children of God cult, and not hearing the slightest whisper of a response.
In the thread, "Anyone ever hear the audible voice of god" plenty of people claim they have. So why does God play favorite? Why does he speak to this Christian and not to that one who really needs him? Would millions of people be dropping out of Christianity at such an alarming rate if God was trying to hold onto his children by at least revealing enough of himself to them that they said, "Okay, I see now that you are real and I'm in it for the long haul."
This is the biggest question I have about Christianity:
Why is God allowing millions of his children to fall away/leave the Christian faith without so much as lifting a finger to reveal himself to them so they will believe and repent????
People are dropping out of the faith, all faiths actually in record numbers and there's not a glimmer from God to do something about it. It's like he really doesn't care whether people stay or leave.
Now if you're deist, this makes perfect sense because a deist believes God doesn't interfere in human lives. He provided the spark of life for evolution to start, set natural laws in motion, and left it at that. A Christian has no explanation for why millions of parents of children with cancer pray and pray and pray on God's promise of asking for anything in his name, and millions of their children die anyway. The striking thing is that statistically their death rates are completely in line with the death rates of ALL children around the world. Christians get no free passes from God for being Christian.
Many Christians dodge the question by saying, "Paul said that in the end times people would fall away from the faith", but that's just a cop-out. I have to remind people time and time again that Paul and the apostles and church members believed they were in the end times in 50 AD--that Jesus return was imminent in their lifetimes so that's why Paul said, "We [including Paul himself] shall not all die..." Paul genuinely believed he was going to be raptured with all his church. Paul was NOT looking forward to 2000-3000 years into the future when he talked about the end times.
No, there is no predestination to an individual but to the wicked who do evil.
Remember, there are few who even find the way to life via the narrow gate.
What did the prophet's do? They served God and spread His word. He hears His son who serves Him.
"The son can do nothing on His own, he can only do what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does the son does likewise for the Father loves the son and whatever he does He shows him."
Become the son, the servant of God, who acts in truth and comes to the light so you will see the kingdom of God and live.
Well, it's just a matter of putting two and two together, jimmie. First I prayed and God never answered my prayers or revealed himself to me despite my sincerest attempts to communicate with him. When my prayers consistently went unanswered ...
Serious question - what were you expecting as a response from God?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
