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Some theists claim to have direct experiences with “God.” What’s going on here? Is it ultimately caused by chemicals in the brain? Or is it literally God himself? Is there any way to determine the truth?
I think if this could definitively be answered, nobody would be arguing.
In my opinion, God does not directly talk and/or establishes “direct relationships” with the masses.
God has communicated with all humanity in the form of holy scriptures via his messengers over time. These messengers were sent to many different nations and tribes of the historic past. And this message of God has one common theme for all - Monotheism - There is only ONE God who created it all and who is the owner of all. So pray and worship to ONE God only.
Second, live a peaceful, honest and morally cautious life as per the boundaries set forth by God.
The message itself is clear - it warns you and it also gives glad tidings.
You follow the redline and it may lead you into trouble.
You follow the green line, and you could be rewarded. Along the way, if you make mistakes and genuinely repent and try to make up for your mistakes, I will forgive you.
This message is for all humanity.
God has then given all of us a certain time limit and limited resources.
EVERYONE’S time limit will end and everyone will be exhausted of his/her resources before the final bell rings and it’s time for judgement in the court of God where justice will be served. There will be no place to run and nowhere to hide.
Now,
Whether someone believes and follows it or not - is all his/her free Choice. There is no compulsion.
That’s pretty much the gist of it.
In an attempt to answer the OP IMO, those who claim to have a personal relationship with God and/or God talks to them etc, are likely to have a psychiatric disorder of some sort.
There is no need for that anymore - God is pretty much done talking. It’s now for us to hit the road with the rubber.
And hence, Those who believe that they have a guaranteed spot in Heaven reserved and a cosmic red carpet welcome is awaiting - have also gone astray and living in deception.IMO.
No one knows who is going to hell or Heaven. That’s for our actions and God’s judgement to decide, in the hereafter.
No, the above is true for only one comparatively small segment of the globe.
Many scriptures teach there are more than one God. Even the Bible does, but believers in the Bible can't admit this so they invented the Holy Trinity, state apologetics for the God of the Bible actually ment I King other gods, etc.
There actually is no monotheism. Which I'm okay with but I'm sure others aren't.
And this message of God has one common theme for all - Monotheism - There is only ONE God who created it all and who is the owner of all. So pray and worship to ONE God only.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JerZ
There actually is no monotheism.
Islam is the only monotheistic religion.
All others practice polytheism like some Hindu sects and nearly all tribal groups, or henotheism like some Hindu sects and the remainder of the tribal groups, or monolatry like Judaism, x-tianity, and Sikhism.
The Yahweh-thing says there are other gods, he was allied with some gods and enemies of other gods, and he fought other gods, which is what the Book of the Wars of Yahweh is about.
If x-tians reject the existence of other gods, then they reject the Hebrew texts and are forced to reject the Jesus-thing as a messiah, because the whole idea that Jesus might be the messiah is predicated entirely on the Hebrew texts which x-tians proclaim is faulty by rejecting Yahweh's claim that other gods exist.
The issue with the polytheistic and henotheistic Germanic and Gothic tribes was that Yahweh and Jesus is polytheism, or henotheism if you're elevating Yahweh above Jesus or vice versa.
To solve that conundrum, x-tians concocted the Trinity fantasy but that fails because we can't trust the Jesys-Yahweh-thing who is so discombobulated he keeps changing his mind.
You can build temples and altars anywhere you want....oh, wait, you can only have one temple, but you can build altars anywhere you want...wait, I change my mind again, you can only have one temple and one altar.....oh, wait, you can have as many temples and altars as you want.
What's next? Probably you can only have one altar but as many temples as you want.
The dynamic duo of Jesus-Yahweh can't seem to figure out when Jesus died, or how Joseph ended up in Egypt exactly, or how the acquired the town of Sheckem, and a host of other things.
One thing the Divine Pyromaniac and Divine Pyromaniac Junior do agree on is that they're coming back to kill everyone and destroy Earth....except for 144,000 Hebrews and they can't even figure out which of the 14 tribes are the 12 tribes.
All others practice polytheism like some Hindu sects and nearly all tribal groups, or henotheism like some Hindu sects and the remainder of the tribal groups, or monolatry like Judaism, x-tianity, and Sikhism.
Wrong. Hinduism is not polytheistic. It is monism.
You are very generous and fancy free with your lies, throwing them hither and yon. Name the “sects” that do.
Wrong. Hinduism is not polytheistic. It is monism.
You are very generous and fancy free with your lies, throwing them hither and yon. Name the “sects” that do.
The there is no need for all the fantastical "characters" that we see.
No, the above is true for only one comparatively small segment of the globe.
Many scriptures teach there are more than one God. Even the Bible does, but believers in the Bible can't admit this so they invented the Holy Trinity, state apologetics for the God of the Bible actually ment I King other gods, etc.
There actually is no monotheism. Which I'm okay with but I'm sure others aren't.
The statement that believers in the Bible can't admit that the Bible does teach that there is more than one god is a blanket statement and therefore inaccurate. I am quite sure that I as a believer am not the only one who recognizes this. The Hebrew Bible is quite clear that Yahweh is not the only elohim but that Yahweh is in a class by himself. The ancient Hebrews even believed that Yahweh had a wife or a consort (Asherah) whom they worshipped alongside Yahweh.
Also, the Trinity wasn't invented to get around the biblical teaching of other gods. The Trinitarian view was one of a few different views such as modalism for example. But it became the dominant view among Christians that Trinitarianism best explained the NT's relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And of course not everyone agreed with that. But it had nothing to do with not wanting to admit that the Bible teaches that there are other gods.
Even the Hebrew Bible hints at a binitarian aspect to Yahweh which is why before the 2nd century AD there was a belief within Judaism of a ''Two powers in heaven'' in which there were two complimentary powers in heaven. While after the 2nd century this belief was declared to be a heresy, prior to that it was a legitimate belief with connections to Merkabah mysticism. Professor of religion and Jewish studies Alan F. Segal who died in 2011 wrote a book called 'Two Powers in Heaven' in which he writes on the 'Two Powers' belief from the standpoint of it being a heresy.
Do I? Why don’t you tell us all that you know about Hinduism?
Maybe you should.
After all, you tell us all about christianity and Buddhism...and you're neither.
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