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.
How would you know they spend thousands of hours debating these topics? Do you spend thousands of hours reading their post. Maybe, you feel deep down inside that you don't really believe, but are just too afraid to make the jump. So, you hang out on forums, following like a groupie, all the atheist, secretly wishing you had the courage. These are questions you might wish to ask yourself.
How do I know? Deductive reasoning...that's how. How do you put up 5,6,7,8,9,10 thousand posts devoting a small amount of time?
I know what I know...I'm a Gnostic Theist.
I do spend lots of time on this forum.
See, I'm at work. MOF, that's where I am right now. I jump back and forth...from the security cameras...to reviewing all the stuff for magazine and video content (I'm in the porn business and this computer is in a stripclub I own/operate)...to the Accounts Payable/Receivable...to the performer schedule/line-up...to the internet...back to the security cams...back to the internet....more review...etc.
I'm here anyway...it's not City-Data proprietary time...but C-D is one of my favorite "fillers".
I was an Atheist for most of my life...I was "blind" (right-brain perception deficient)...I acquired "sight" a little over a year ago.
Now that I can "see"...I have sympathy for those that are like I used to be...thinking no one could "see", because I couldn't, and thought they were making it up that there was actually such a thing as "sight".
I KNOW different now. And realize how I sounded to the vast majority of "sighted" people while I was "blind" and insisting they were "imagining" that they could "see".
Feeling "energy" around you doesn't mean it's "God", let alone a god that wants you to worship it. How do you know this "energy" is "God"?
Still, even if your method does work to "find god", it still makes it far from obvious, and hardly accessible to all.
It's a knowing and it's what I call God. I don't believe in the Abrahamic God. I believe in a God of all love, peace, and joy. That is the love and peace and joy that everything ultimately is made of. It's just a matter of connecting to our source.
I am just answering the question in the thread title. You may answer differently. That's OK. This is my answer.
How do I know? Deductive reasoning...that's how. How do you put up 5,6,7,8,9,10 thousand posts devoting a small amount of time?
I know what I know...I'm a Gnostic Theist.
I do spend lots of time on this forum.
See, I'm at work. MOF, that's where I am right now. I jump back and forth...from the security cameras...to reviewing all the stuff for magazine and video content (I'm in the porn business and this computer is in a stripclub I own/operate)...to the Accounts Payable/Receivable...to the performer schedule/line-up...to the internet...back to the security cams...back to the internet....more review...etc.
I'm here anyway...it's not City-Data proprietary time...but C-D is one of my favorite "fillers".
I was an Atheist for most of my life...I was "blind" (right-brain perception deficient)...I acquired "sight" a little over a year ago.
Now that I can "see"...I have sympathy for those that are like I used to be...thinking no one could "see", because I couldn't, and thought they were making it up that there was actually such a thing as "sight".
I KNOW different now. And realize how I sounded to the vast majority of "sighted" people while I was "blind" and insisting they were "imagining" that they could "see".
Who told you that you're right brain deficient? Is this some type of new age hocus pocus pseudo-psychology? But then again you said you're a gnostic, so you have the key to all the mysteries of Christianity, which evade the rest of us(left brainers???) dismal existences, right? Yes, always the spiel of" I once was lost", but what if you still are? You must except your position on faith alone, which I suppose would be your right brain, right? Are you a good artist, too? How's your math skills? Oh wait, that's more left brain, but I bet you've mastered that side, also. Yes, you have the answers where we are just a bunch of lost fools. The smugness and hubris you posses, must be quite suffocating at times, no? But, anyway, i'll let you get back to your right brain superiority, wouldn't want to waste a minute of your vast time, for it's precious when attaining higher levels of feeling.
I was an Atheist for most of my life...I was "blind" (right-brain perception deficient)...I acquired "sight" a little over a year ago.
Now that I can "see"...I have sympathy for those that are like I used to be...thinking no one could "see", because I couldn't, and thought they were making it up that there was actually such a thing as "sight".
I KNOW different now. And realize how I sounded to the vast majority of "sighted" people while I was "blind" and insisting they were "imagining" that they could "see".
Exactly! I gained this "sight" when I was physically blind too. I found I could move around people and objects by feeling their presence. I can still do that now, eyes closed. Physical blindness was God's gift to me to give me this other type of sight. That "sight" is being in tune with the universal energy that everything is made up of, being connected. That energy is God, or at least, what I choose to call God.
I think the "blind"/"sighted" metaphor is a great one. I used to be a diehard atheist too. Now I realize I was like a (spiritually) blind person denying the existence of colors just because I couldn't see them. But all I had to do was open my eyes.
It's there if you're just willing to be open to it. And there is plenty of evidence that it's real and not just imagined. When you are tuned into energy, you can navigate around objects and and people with your eyes closed. You can tell when someone is ill, or emotionally or spiritually compromised. You can tell when someone is filled with love or with fear. It all just fills in.
Many people who read this thread will decide to blow it off. In the end that's their call. Maybe one day they will open up to it, maybe not. It's a change that has to happen from within. We can talk about it but we can't convince anyone. They have to just see it for themselves.
If God is in all of us, does that mean if there were no people, there would be no God? Does His existance require ours?
Wow, no one touched this. I will say, no. His existence does not depend on us.
He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. In the beginning the world was void and without form. Yet He existed. In the end---a great fire will destroy the earth.
We were an after thought. In the beginning God created the animals. imho, He should have stopped there. But instead, he created man as caretakers to the animals. Wow, did He ever mess up. We eat them instead.
Did He make a mistake, all depends on a person's perspective on how they believe in man kind. Me, if man were kind, they'd be no killings, because there would be no reason to do so.
To the OP, God shows himself to me every day and so I don't have an answer for those who do not see Him.
~ bell ~
PS: The Omega, God will make it right again and we are running out of time. Unless of course science can provide proof that this world will stand throughout an infinity. I do believe in the big bang and I believe we will leave, the same way we came in and God, He will remain in existence even after we are gone.
But, anyway, i'll let you get back to your right brain superiority.
There is no need to see it as a superiority anything, because anyone can BECOME connected to God/the Universe/the source. It's not like some have the privilege of being connected and others are destined to be cut off. Anyone can choose to be connected. It's just a matter of choice. And choosing to be connected is all it takes to become connected.
It's a knowing and it's what I call God. I don't believe in the Abrahamic God. I believe in a God of all love, peace, and joy. That is the love and peace and joy that everything ultimately is made of. It's just a matter of connecting to our source.
I am just answering the question in the thread title. You may answer differently. That's OK. This is my answer.
It's a knowing? How do you know? Or a better question, what is this you claim to know? "all love, peace and joy"... Does your god have a consciousness? Or is it just human emotions with a neat name?
You are entitled to your answer as anyone is. Though saying "he is obvious" in so many words, is not really an answer to "why is God not obvious?"
Instead it seems you intended to refute a main premise of the thread, which is that "God" is not obvious.. though that seems like something that would refute itself if it was false.
It's a knowing? How do you know? Or a better question, what is this you claim to know? "all love, peace and joy"... Does your god have a consciousness? Or is it just human emotions with a neat name?
It's just a sense of intuitive knowing. Not everything in life has to be broken down into logical steps. Intuition has its place too.
God is consciousness. They are one and the same.
Quote:
You are entitled to your answer as anyone is. Though saying "he is obvious" in so many words, is not really an answer to "why is God not obvious?"
That pretty much is my answer. S/He is obvious, when you just open your eyes.
Quote:
Instead it seems you intended to refute a main premise of the thread, which is that "God" is not obvious.. though that seems like something that would refute itself if it was false.
Nailed it. God is right there in front of all of our eyes to see, in other words, pretty obvious. It's just a matter of opening our eyes.
Who told you that you're right brain deficient? Is this some type of new age hocus pocus pseudo-psychology? But then again you said you're a gnostic, so you have the key to all the mysteries of Christianity, which evade the rest of us(left brainers???) dismal existences, right? Yes, always the spiel of" I once was lost", but what if you still are? You must except your position on faith alone, which I suppose would be your right brain, right? Are you a good artist, too? How's your math skills? Oh wait, that's more left brain, but I bet you've mastered that side, also. Yes, you have the answers where we are just a bunch of lost fools. The smugness and hubris you posses, must be quite suffocating at times, no? But, anyway, i'll let you get back to your right brain superiority, wouldn't want to waste a minute of your vast time, for it's precious when attaining higher levels of feeling.
You got it wrong Man! I don't thing I'm anything special. MOF I'm not such-a-much...and I KNOW that as well.
I don't have "the key to all mysteries"...why would you say you feel I think that I do?
I just know what I know...which isn't very impressive, since 98% of the people that ever lived knew it too. They must have had "normal" right-brain perception...I had to develop it, just to get to the "normal" level.
It's not "faith" once you "know". Just like the person that was blind...that somehow achieves sight...doesn't now imagine how things might look and have a "belief" they look that way...he actually now KNOWS...because, now he can see.
You seem to take exception that I worked to acquire an ability that most people have without even trying. Why is that?
There is no need to see it as a superiority anything, because anyone can BECOME connected to God/the Universe/the source. It's not like some have the privilege of being connected and others are destined to be cut off. Anyone can choose to be connected. It's just a matter of choice. And choosing to be connected is all it takes to become connected.
But what does the right side of your brain have to do with this? Are you next going to show me the secret "God Gene". Please, i've heard the spiel:atheist are a bunch of angry god haters, why in the world would atheist want to wax philosophy with theist since they don't believe, they(atheist) just need to open up their hearts then they'll see. Yeah, i've heard it and I understand why your side believes and feels the things you do. Feelings are very powerful and a lot of the time just plain wrong. It's okay that this is your only leg to stand on for it's a mighty one at that. No one knows what lies after this life and our anxieties related to that unknown conjure up strong emotions(feelings). This doesn't automatically mean though that your right. It just means that we as a specie share a common mystery. What works for you might not for another. Look at all the different taste in food, music, clothing, etc. What makes you think people wouldn't have different taste about life's finality? Do you remember were you were before you were born?
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.
I do believe in the big bang and I believe we will leave, the same way we came in and God, He will remain in existence even after we are gone.
