How can rational people believe in any religion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

How, specifically, does your god differ from a magic man in the sky? If your explanation is apt I promise I will never use that phrase again.

Interesting how the people who object to the term can't, or won't answer this question.

"Magic man in the sky" is (as PP admitted) pejorative and derisive. It is a caricature of what religious people believe, not an accurate description of the religious conception of God. It's not a good faith engagement with the complexity of belief about the nature of God. It's not an argument against God so much as an over-simplification so that the idea can be dismissed out of hand.

To give you a cursory answer to your ridiculous question:

God isn't a "magic man in the sky." God is not gendered and doesn't have a body. Anthropomorphizing God can help us conceptualize a Divine being beyond our language and earthly experience, but that doesn't mean that God literally has arms or that referring to God as "He" denotes a literal maleness. The Bible uses different pronouns for God depending on the context; most often male, but sometimes female when referring to God's mercy or nurturing nature. Not having a body also means that God doesn't have a specific place of residence (God is everywhere, not literally in the sky).

Doesn’t the bible always refer to god as “he”?

Doesn’t the bible say man was made in god’s own image?

Doesn’t the bible constantly refer to him being in “the heavens”?

Doesn’t the bible say god is all powerful?

Sounds exactly like a magic man in the sky.

1. No, the Bible does not always refer to God as "He" as I already noted above. Also, as I already explained, the use of gendered pronouns for God does NOT mean that God has a gender. Gendered pronouns can convey attributes of God (strength, nurturing, etc). It's metaphor.

2. The Bible says mankind/humanity was made in God's image. Both man and woman were made in God's image. It's not about physical similarities (because, as I said before, God has no boost). It's about mankind's capacity for creativity, stewardship, etc.

3. "The heavens" is not literally the sky.

4. "All powerful" doesn't mean "magic."

1) Educate me and tell me where god's gender is not he. And before you tell me to "google it", I did:

Yes, the Bible consistently uses masculine pronouns ("He," "Him") and titles ("Father," "King") to refer to God, though it explicitly states God is a Spirit without human sexual characteristics. While masculine language is dominant (e.g., Theos in Greek), female metaphors—such as a mother comforting a child or a mother hen (Isaiah 66:13, Matthew 23:37)—appear occasionally to describe His love, explains GotQuestions.org.

2. This is your interpretation, and it is fine but absolutely requires acceptance of non-standard meanings for the terms "image" and "likeness". So how would a rationalization to have it mean whatever you wanted differ?

3. This one I am calling you on. They meant heavens, they meant the sky

Psalm 68:4: Explicitly calls God the "One who rides on the clouds"
Deuteronomy 33:26: "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to help you, and in His excellency on the clouds."
Psalm 18:9: "He bowed the heavens also, and came down; dark clouds were under his feet."
Exodus 16:10: "And as Aaron spoke... they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud."
Matthew 24:30: Jesus predicts that people "will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
The Tower of Babel: The people said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens" (Genesis 11:4). This indicates they believed a sufficiently tall building could physically enter God's space.
Jesus’ Ascension: After His resurrection, Jesus "was lifted up before their very eyes, and a cloud took him out of their sight" (Acts 1:9). Two angels then asked the disciples, "Why do you stand looking into heaven?".
A "Vaulted Dome": The Bible describes God as "The One who builds His upper chambers in the heavens and has founded His vaulted dome over the earth" (Amos 9:6).
Jesus Praying: When Jesus performed miracles or prayed, He often began by "looking up to heaven" (Mark 6:41; John 17:1).
A "High" God: Multiple verses emphasize God's literal height: "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love..." (Psalm 103:11).
God Looking Down: "The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand" (Psalm 14:2).

I literally could fill pages with this. Again, if you want to claim it means other than what the words say, well, then that means it can be whatever you want, and therefore pretty meaningless as a guideline.

4. Would you like another bunch of quotes like above or would you just like to stop at "water into wine"?

Man. Sky. Magic.

He’s definitely something because you think about Him as much as people who believe He’s God do.

He is on your mind constantly and you feel you have to disparage Him and people who believe in Him.

It’s fine to disagree with Christianity and not believe in God, but you are choosing to characterize Christianity and God as the cartoon version. Nobody believes what you are insisting God/Christianity is.

When Christians here tell you what you say we believe in is not accurate, you don’t listen and just forge ahead with nonsense.

The Bible sometimes uses “heaven” and “above” language. “Heaven” can mean:
the sky, or the spiritual realm (God’s presence). People in ancient times used up/down language to describe things beyond normal experience.

What about clouds and imagery in the Bible?

You’ll see imagery like: God appearing in a cloud, or Jesus Christ “coming on the clouds.”

Those are generally understood as symbolic of glory, mystery, or divine presence. Not literally saying God lives inside clouds like a house.

God is beyond the physical universe. He’s not confined to any time or space.

You can personally think of God that way. But you can’t tell Christians what they actually believe. You are very wrong about Christians believing God lives in the sky above the clouds. That’s a depiction from movies and cartoons.

PP thinks you are lying or delusional.

No, I am pp, and I don’t think people discussing their personal beliefs about God are lying or delusional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

anonymous wrote:If you are reading this thread, do not listen to the people who are cherry picking Christianity to suit their anti-Christian agenda.

They don’t know what they are talking about. If they do know, they are purposely leaving huge and important parts of what prayer really is to support their anti-religious/anti-Christian beliefs.

Nobody has to like Christianity or be Christian, but also nobody should lie about it. Or listen to people who don’t know what they’re talking about.

+10.

And the same principle applies also to other religions.

Nobody was “lying”.

If people posting here claim to know answers to questions that have never been able to be answered, they are lying.

The most common thing claimed in these threads is “God doesn’t exist.”

Nobody know if God exists.

Science has not demonstrated the existence of God, but science cannot definitively prove or disprove God, because the concept of God is outside of what science can test.

Billions of people throughout history have believed in some form of God or higher reality, while other people have been skeptical, agnostic, or atheist.

That’s it. That’s what we all know. Nobody posting here has secret inside information on the status of God. Or Jesus.

So yes, if anyone here believes they know God doesn’t exist, they are either lying or delusional

If someone posts that they don’t believe God exists, that’s different. They are sharing their opinion, and everyone is entitled to their opinion on the matter.

So if someone posts something about god(s) existing -- "God is great" -- then they are also "lying"?

I apologize if English isn't your first language, but that is not what "lying" means.

Someone posted:
"James 4:3 states that prayers often go unanswered because they are motivated by selfish desires rather than God's will. The verse, according to Bible Gateway, explains that requests are denied when asked with wrong motives ("amiss"), intended only for personal pleasure or passions, rather than for honorable purposes."

Which would be accurately summarized by:
"if you have “honorable” wishes, god will grant them"

That's not "lying".

People have noted that sometimes Christians pray for ridiculous/silly/weird things.

Jesus tells us directly through Him we have access to pray to God, and God will always listen to our prayers.

But if we pray for something that doesn’t glorify God or honor God, God doesn’t have to give us what we prayed for.

Q. Are there any conditions to answered prayer?

A. Some people would like prayer with no conditions. They wish God to be a celestial genie who, when summoned by prayer, must grant any request they make. They find a measure of encouragement in the fable of Aladdin and his lamp, aspiring to that level of control over God’s power in their prayer life. But the biblical fact is that prayer has conditions. It’s true that Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22). But, even in that statement, we have one condition to prayer: faith. As we examine the Bible, we find that there are other conditions to prayer, as well.

Here are ten biblical instructions concerning prayer that imply conditions to prayer:


1) Pray to the Heavenly Father (see Matthew 6:9). This condition to prayer might seem obvious, but it’s important. We don’t pray to false gods, to ourselves, to angels, to Buddha, or to the Virgin Mary. We pray to the God of the Bible, who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and whose Spirit indwells us. Coming to Him as our “Father” implies that we are first His children—made so by faith in Christ (see John 1:12).

2) Pray for good things (see Matthew 7:11). We don’t always understand or recognize what is good, but God knows, and He is eager to give His children what is best for them. Paul prayed three times to be healed of an affliction, and each time God said, “No.” Why would a loving God refuse to heal Paul? Because God had something better for him, namely, a life lived by grace. Paul stopped praying for healing and began to rejoice in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7–10).

3) Pray for needful things (see Philippians 4:19). Placing a priority on God’s kingdom is one of the conditions to prayer (Matthew 6:33). The promise is that God will supply all our needs, not all our wants. There is a difference.

4) Pray from a righteous heart (see James 5:16). The Bible speaks of having a clean conscience as a condition to answered prayer (Hebrews 10:22). It is important that we keep our sins confessed to the Lord. “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18, NAS).

5) Pray from a grateful heart (see Philippians 4:6). Part of prayer is an attitude of thanksgiving.

6) Pray according to the will of God (see 1 John 5:14). An important condition to prayer is that it is prayed within the will of God. Jesus prayed this way all the time, even in Gethsemane: “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). We can pray all we want, with great sincerity and faith, for XYZ, but, if God’s will is ABC, we pray amiss.

7) Pray in the authority of Jesus Christ (see John 16:24). Jesus is the reason we are able to approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 10:19–22), and He is our mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). A condition to prayer is that we pray in His name.

8) Pray persistently (see Luke 18:1). In fact, pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). One of the conditions to effective prayer is that we don’t give up.

9) Pray unselfishly (see James 4:3). Our motives are important.

10) Pray in faith (see James 1:6). Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), who alone can do the impossible (Luke 1:37). Without faith, why pray?

PP thinks you are lying or delusional.

Discussing personal belief in God is not lying or delusional.

The PP didn't say it was a belief. They said it as a matter of fact.

Therefore, the PP thinks that the PP above is lying or delusional.

I am pp, stop speaking for me.

You clearly said above that anyone claiming that god(s) exist are either "lying or delusional".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

anonymous wrote:If you are reading this thread, do not listen to the people who are cherry picking Christianity to suit their anti-Christian agenda.

They don’t know what they are talking about. If they do know, they are purposely leaving huge and important parts of what prayer really is to support their anti-religious/anti-Christian beliefs.

Nobody has to like Christianity or be Christian, but also nobody should lie about it. Or listen to people who don’t know what they’re talking about.

+10.

And the same principle applies also to other religions.

Nobody was “lying”.

If people posting here claim to know answers to questions that have never been able to be answered, they are lying.

The most common thing claimed in these threads is “God doesn’t exist.”

Nobody know if God exists.

Science has not demonstrated the existence of God, but science cannot definitively prove or disprove God, because the concept of God is outside of what science can test.

Billions of people throughout history have believed in some form of God or higher reality, while other people have been skeptical, agnostic, or atheist.

That’s it. That’s what we all know. Nobody posting here has secret inside information on the status of God. Or Jesus.

So yes, if anyone here believes they know God doesn’t exist, they are either lying or delusional

If someone posts that they don’t believe God exists, that’s different. They are sharing their opinion, and everyone is entitled to their opinion on the matter.

So if someone posts something about god(s) existing -- "God is great" -- then they are also "lying"?

I apologize if English isn't your first language, but that is not what "lying" means.

Someone posted:
"James 4:3 states that prayers often go unanswered because they are motivated by selfish desires rather than God's will. The verse, according to Bible Gateway, explains that requests are denied when asked with wrong motives ("amiss"), intended only for personal pleasure or passions, rather than for honorable purposes."

Which would be accurately summarized by:
"if you have “honorable” wishes, god will grant them"

That's not "lying".

People have noted that sometimes Christians pray for ridiculous/silly/weird things.

Jesus tells us directly through Him we have access to pray to God, and God will always listen to our prayers.

But if we pray for something that doesn’t glorify God or honor God, God doesn’t have to give us what we prayed for.

Q. Are there any conditions to answered prayer?

A. Some people would like prayer with no conditions. They wish God to be a celestial genie who, when summoned by prayer, must grant any request they make. They find a measure of encouragement in the fable of Aladdin and his lamp, aspiring to that level of control over God’s power in their prayer life. But the biblical fact is that prayer has conditions. It’s true that Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22). But, even in that statement, we have one condition to prayer: faith. As we examine the Bible, we find that there are other conditions to prayer, as well.

Here are ten biblical instructions concerning prayer that imply conditions to prayer:


1) Pray to the Heavenly Father (see Matthew 6:9). This condition to prayer might seem obvious, but it’s important. We don’t pray to false gods, to ourselves, to angels, to Buddha, or to the Virgin Mary. We pray to the God of the Bible, who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and whose Spirit indwells us. Coming to Him as our “Father” implies that we are first His children—made so by faith in Christ (see John 1:12).

2) Pray for good things (see Matthew 7:11). We don’t always understand or recognize what is good, but God knows, and He is eager to give His children what is best for them. Paul prayed three times to be healed of an affliction, and each time God said, “No.” Why would a loving God refuse to heal Paul? Because God had something better for him, namely, a life lived by grace. Paul stopped praying for healing and began to rejoice in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7–10).

3) Pray for needful things (see Philippians 4:19). Placing a priority on God’s kingdom is one of the conditions to prayer (Matthew 6:33). The promise is that God will supply all our needs, not all our wants. There is a difference.

4) Pray from a righteous heart (see James 5:16). The Bible speaks of having a clean conscience as a condition to answered prayer (Hebrews 10:22). It is important that we keep our sins confessed to the Lord. “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18, NAS).

5) Pray from a grateful heart (see Philippians 4:6). Part of prayer is an attitude of thanksgiving.

6) Pray according to the will of God (see 1 John 5:14). An important condition to prayer is that it is prayed within the will of God. Jesus prayed this way all the time, even in Gethsemane: “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). We can pray all we want, with great sincerity and faith, for XYZ, but, if God’s will is ABC, we pray amiss.

7) Pray in the authority of Jesus Christ (see John 16:24). Jesus is the reason we are able to approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 10:19–22), and He is our mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). A condition to prayer is that we pray in His name.

8) Pray persistently (see Luke 18:1). In fact, pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). One of the conditions to effective prayer is that we don’t give up.

9) Pray unselfishly (see James 4:3). Our motives are important.

10) Pray in faith (see James 1:6). Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), who alone can do the impossible (Luke 1:37). Without faith, why pray?

PP thinks you are lying or delusional.

Discussing personal belief in God is not lying or delusional.

The PP didn't say it was a belief. They said it as a matter of fact.

Therefore, the PP thinks that the PP above is lying or delusional.

I am pp, stop speaking for me.

You clearly said above that anyone claiming that god(s) exist are either "lying or delusional".

Anyone claiming to know definitely if God/gods exist.

Belief that God/gods exist is different.

To believe in God is primarily a statement about your own conviction, trust, faith, or worldview. It means: “I accept that God is real,” or “I live as though God is real.”

To claim God exists is a broader assertion about reality itself. It means: “God objectively exists, independent of what anyone believes.”

God’s existence or non-existence is not something demonstrated the same way as a chemistry experiment or a mathematical proof.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

anonymous wrote:If you are reading this thread, do not listen to the people who are cherry picking Christianity to suit their anti-Christian agenda.

They don’t know what they are talking about. If they do know, they are purposely leaving huge and important parts of what prayer really is to support their anti-religious/anti-Christian beliefs.

Nobody has to like Christianity or be Christian, but also nobody should lie about it. Or listen to people who don’t know what they’re talking about.

+10.

And the same principle applies also to other religions.

Nobody was “lying”.

If people posting here claim to know answers to questions that have never been able to be answered, they are lying.

The most common thing claimed in these threads is “God doesn’t exist.”

Nobody know if God exists.

Science has not demonstrated the existence of God, but science cannot definitively prove or disprove God, because the concept of God is outside of what science can test.

Billions of people throughout history have believed in some form of God or higher reality, while other people have been skeptical, agnostic, or atheist.

That’s it. That’s what we all know. Nobody posting here has secret inside information on the status of God. Or Jesus.

So yes, if anyone here believes they know God doesn’t exist, they are either lying or delusional

If someone posts that they don’t believe God exists, that’s different. They are sharing their opinion, and everyone is entitled to their opinion on the matter.

So if someone posts something about god(s) existing -- "God is great" -- then they are also "lying"?

I apologize if English isn't your first language, but that is not what "lying" means.

Someone posted:
"James 4:3 states that prayers often go unanswered because they are motivated by selfish desires rather than God's will. The verse, according to Bible Gateway, explains that requests are denied when asked with wrong motives ("amiss"), intended only for personal pleasure or passions, rather than for honorable purposes."

Which would be accurately summarized by:
"if you have “honorable” wishes, god will grant them"

That's not "lying".

People have noted that sometimes Christians pray for ridiculous/silly/weird things.

Jesus tells us directly through Him we have access to pray to God, and God will always listen to our prayers.

But if we pray for something that doesn’t glorify God or honor God, God doesn’t have to give us what we prayed for.

Q. Are there any conditions to answered prayer?

A. Some people would like prayer with no conditions. They wish God to be a celestial genie who, when summoned by prayer, must grant any request they make. They find a measure of encouragement in the fable of Aladdin and his lamp, aspiring to that level of control over God’s power in their prayer life. But the biblical fact is that prayer has conditions. It’s true that Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22). But, even in that statement, we have one condition to prayer: faith. As we examine the Bible, we find that there are other conditions to prayer, as well.

Here are ten biblical instructions concerning prayer that imply conditions to prayer:


1) Pray to the Heavenly Father (see Matthew 6:9). This condition to prayer might seem obvious, but it’s important. We don’t pray to false gods, to ourselves, to angels, to Buddha, or to the Virgin Mary. We pray to the God of the Bible, who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and whose Spirit indwells us. Coming to Him as our “Father” implies that we are first His children—made so by faith in Christ (see John 1:12).

2) Pray for good things (see Matthew 7:11). We don’t always understand or recognize what is good, but God knows, and He is eager to give His children what is best for them. Paul prayed three times to be healed of an affliction, and each time God said, “No.” Why would a loving God refuse to heal Paul? Because God had something better for him, namely, a life lived by grace. Paul stopped praying for healing and began to rejoice in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7–10).

3) Pray for needful things (see Philippians 4:19). Placing a priority on God’s kingdom is one of the conditions to prayer (Matthew 6:33). The promise is that God will supply all our needs, not all our wants. There is a difference.

4) Pray from a righteous heart (see James 5:16). The Bible speaks of having a clean conscience as a condition to answered prayer (Hebrews 10:22). It is important that we keep our sins confessed to the Lord. “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18, NAS).

5) Pray from a grateful heart (see Philippians 4:6). Part of prayer is an attitude of thanksgiving.

6) Pray according to the will of God (see 1 John 5:14). An important condition to prayer is that it is prayed within the will of God. Jesus prayed this way all the time, even in Gethsemane: “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). We can pray all we want, with great sincerity and faith, for XYZ, but, if God’s will is ABC, we pray amiss.

7) Pray in the authority of Jesus Christ (see John 16:24). Jesus is the reason we are able to approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 10:19–22), and He is our mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). A condition to prayer is that we pray in His name.

8) Pray persistently (see Luke 18:1). In fact, pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). One of the conditions to effective prayer is that we don’t give up.

9) Pray unselfishly (see James 4:3). Our motives are important.

10) Pray in faith (see James 1:6). Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), who alone can do the impossible (Luke 1:37). Without faith, why pray?

I hope people asking questions about prayer read this, because someone is trying very hard to bury it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

anonymous wrote:If you are reading this thread, do not listen to the people who are cherry picking Christianity to suit their anti-Christian agenda.

They don’t know what they are talking about. If they do know, they are purposely leaving huge and important parts of what prayer really is to support their anti-religious/anti-Christian beliefs.

Nobody has to like Christianity or be Christian, but also nobody should lie about it. Or listen to people who don’t know what they’re talking about.

+10.

And the same principle applies also to other religions.

Nobody was “lying”.

If people posting here claim to know answers to questions that have never been able to be answered, they are lying.

The most common thing claimed in these threads is “God doesn’t exist.”

Nobody know if God exists.

Science has not demonstrated the existence of God, but science cannot definitively prove or disprove God, because the concept of God is outside of what science can test.

Billions of people throughout history have believed in some form of God or higher reality, while other people have been skeptical, agnostic, or atheist.

That’s it. That’s what we all know. Nobody posting here has secret inside information on the status of God. Or Jesus.

So yes, if anyone here believes they know God doesn’t exist, they are either lying or delusional

If someone posts that they don’t believe God exists, that’s different. They are sharing their opinion, and everyone is entitled to their opinion on the matter.

So if someone posts something about god(s) existing -- "God is great" -- then they are also "lying"?

I apologize if English isn't your first language, but that is not what "lying" means.

Someone posted:
"James 4:3 states that prayers often go unanswered because they are motivated by selfish desires rather than God's will. The verse, according to Bible Gateway, explains that requests are denied when asked with wrong motives ("amiss"), intended only for personal pleasure or passions, rather than for honorable purposes."

Which would be accurately summarized by:
"if you have “honorable” wishes, god will grant them"

That's not "lying".

People have noted that sometimes Christians pray for ridiculous/silly/weird things.

Jesus tells us directly through Him we have access to pray to God, and God will always listen to our prayers.

But if we pray for something that doesn’t glorify God or honor God, God doesn’t have to give us what we prayed for.

Q. Are there any conditions to answered prayer?

A. Some people would like prayer with no conditions. They wish God to be a celestial genie who, when summoned by prayer, must grant any request they make. They find a measure of encouragement in the fable of Aladdin and his lamp, aspiring to that level of control over God’s power in their prayer life. But the biblical fact is that prayer has conditions. It’s true that Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22). But, even in that statement, we have one condition to prayer: faith. As we examine the Bible, we find that there are other conditions to prayer, as well.

Here are ten biblical instructions concerning prayer that imply conditions to prayer:


1) Pray to the Heavenly Father (see Matthew 6:9). This condition to prayer might seem obvious, but it’s important. We don’t pray to false gods, to ourselves, to angels, to Buddha, or to the Virgin Mary. We pray to the God of the Bible, who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and whose Spirit indwells us. Coming to Him as our “Father” implies that we are first His children—made so by faith in Christ (see John 1:12).

2) Pray for good things (see Matthew 7:11). We don’t always understand or recognize what is good, but God knows, and He is eager to give His children what is best for them. Paul prayed three times to be healed of an affliction, and each time God said, “No.” Why would a loving God refuse to heal Paul? Because God had something better for him, namely, a life lived by grace. Paul stopped praying for healing and began to rejoice in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7–10).

3) Pray for needful things (see Philippians 4:19). Placing a priority on God’s kingdom is one of the conditions to prayer (Matthew 6:33). The promise is that God will supply all our needs, not all our wants. There is a difference.

4) Pray from a righteous heart (see James 5:16). The Bible speaks of having a clean conscience as a condition to answered prayer (Hebrews 10:22). It is important that we keep our sins confessed to the Lord. “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18, NAS).

5) Pray from a grateful heart (see Philippians 4:6). Part of prayer is an attitude of thanksgiving.

6) Pray according to the will of God (see 1 John 5:14). An important condition to prayer is that it is prayed within the will of God. Jesus prayed this way all the time, even in Gethsemane: “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). We can pray all we want, with great sincerity and faith, for XYZ, but, if God’s will is ABC, we pray amiss.

7) Pray in the authority of Jesus Christ (see John 16:24). Jesus is the reason we are able to approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 10:19–22), and He is our mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). A condition to prayer is that we pray in His name.

8) Pray persistently (see Luke 18:1). In fact, pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). One of the conditions to effective prayer is that we don’t give up.

9) Pray unselfishly (see James 4:3). Our motives are important.

10) Pray in faith (see James 1:6). Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), who alone can do the impossible (Luke 1:37). Without faith, why pray?

PP thinks you are lying or delusional.

Discussing personal belief in God is not lying or delusional.

The PP didn't say it was a belief. They said it as a matter of fact.

Therefore, the PP thinks that the PP above is lying or delusional.

I am pp, stop speaking for me.

You clearly said above that anyone claiming that god(s) exist are either "lying or delusional".

Anyone claiming to know definitely if God/gods exist.

Belief that God/gods exist is different.

To believe in God is primarily a statement about your own conviction, trust, faith, or worldview. It means: “I accept that God is real,” or “I live as though God is real.”

To claim God exists is a broader assertion about reality itself. It means: “God objectively exists, independent of what anyone believes.”

God’s existence or non-existence is not something demonstrated the same way as a chemistry experiment or a mathematical proof.

They didn't phrase it as a belief, but as a matter of fact.

PP didn't say "I believe that Jesus tells us X", they just said "Jesus tells us X".

So that'd be considered "lying or delusional" according to your definition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

anonymous wrote:If you are reading this thread, do not listen to the people who are cherry picking Christianity to suit their anti-Christian agenda.

They don’t know what they are talking about. If they do know, they are purposely leaving huge and important parts of what prayer really is to support their anti-religious/anti-Christian beliefs.

Nobody has to like Christianity or be Christian, but also nobody should lie about it. Or listen to people who don’t know what they’re talking about.

+10.

And the same principle applies also to other religions.

Nobody was “lying”.

If people posting here claim to know answers to questions that have never been able to be answered, they are lying.

The most common thing claimed in these threads is “God doesn’t exist.”

Nobody know if God exists.

Science has not demonstrated the existence of God, but science cannot definitively prove or disprove God, because the concept of God is outside of what science can test.

Billions of people throughout history have believed in some form of God or higher reality, while other people have been skeptical, agnostic, or atheist.

That’s it. That’s what we all know. Nobody posting here has secret inside information on the status of God. Or Jesus.

So yes, if anyone here believes they know God doesn’t exist, they are either lying or delusional

If someone posts that they don’t believe God exists, that’s different. They are sharing their opinion, and everyone is entitled to their opinion on the matter.

So if someone posts something about god(s) existing -- "God is great" -- then they are also "lying"?

I apologize if English isn't your first language, but that is not what "lying" means.

Someone posted:
"James 4:3 states that prayers often go unanswered because they are motivated by selfish desires rather than God's will. The verse, according to Bible Gateway, explains that requests are denied when asked with wrong motives ("amiss"), intended only for personal pleasure or passions, rather than for honorable purposes."

Which would be accurately summarized by:
"if you have “honorable” wishes, god will grant them"

That's not "lying".

People have noted that sometimes Christians pray for ridiculous/silly/weird things.

Jesus tells us directly through Him we have access to pray to God, and God will always listen to our prayers.

But if we pray for something that doesn’t glorify God or honor God, God doesn’t have to give us what we prayed for.

Q. Are there any conditions to answered prayer?

A. Some people would like prayer with no conditions. They wish God to be a celestial genie who, when summoned by prayer, must grant any request they make. They find a measure of encouragement in the fable of Aladdin and his lamp, aspiring to that level of control over God’s power in their prayer life. But the biblical fact is that prayer has conditions. It’s true that Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22). But, even in that statement, we have one condition to prayer: faith. As we examine the Bible, we find that there are other conditions to prayer, as well.

Here are ten biblical instructions concerning prayer that imply conditions to prayer:


1) Pray to the Heavenly Father (see Matthew 6:9). This condition to prayer might seem obvious, but it’s important. We don’t pray to false gods, to ourselves, to angels, to Buddha, or to the Virgin Mary. We pray to the God of the Bible, who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and whose Spirit indwells us. Coming to Him as our “Father” implies that we are first His children—made so by faith in Christ (see John 1:12).

2) Pray for good things (see Matthew 7:11). We don’t always understand or recognize what is good, but God knows, and He is eager to give His children what is best for them. Paul prayed three times to be healed of an affliction, and each time God said, “No.” Why would a loving God refuse to heal Paul? Because God had something better for him, namely, a life lived by grace. Paul stopped praying for healing and began to rejoice in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7–10).

3) Pray for needful things (see Philippians 4:19). Placing a priority on God’s kingdom is one of the conditions to prayer (Matthew 6:33). The promise is that God will supply all our needs, not all our wants. There is a difference.

4) Pray from a righteous heart (see James 5:16). The Bible speaks of having a clean conscience as a condition to answered prayer (Hebrews 10:22). It is important that we keep our sins confessed to the Lord. “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18, NAS).

5) Pray from a grateful heart (see Philippians 4:6). Part of prayer is an attitude of thanksgiving.

6) Pray according to the will of God (see 1 John 5:14). An important condition to prayer is that it is prayed within the will of God. Jesus prayed this way all the time, even in Gethsemane: “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). We can pray all we want, with great sincerity and faith, for XYZ, but, if God’s will is ABC, we pray amiss.

7) Pray in the authority of Jesus Christ (see John 16:24). Jesus is the reason we are able to approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 10:19–22), and He is our mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). A condition to prayer is that we pray in His name.

8) Pray persistently (see Luke 18:1). In fact, pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). One of the conditions to effective prayer is that we don’t give up.

9) Pray unselfishly (see James 4:3). Our motives are important.

10) Pray in faith (see James 1:6). Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), who alone can do the impossible (Luke 1:37). Without faith, why pray?

PP thinks you are lying or delusional.

Discussing personal belief in God is not lying or delusional.

The PP didn't say it was a belief. They said it as a matter of fact.

Therefore, the PP thinks that the PP above is lying or delusional.

I am pp, stop speaking for me.

You clearly said above that anyone claiming that god(s) exist are either "lying or delusional".

Anyone claiming to know definitely if God/gods exist.

Belief that God/gods exist is different.

To believe in God is primarily a statement about your own conviction, trust, faith, or worldview. It means: “I accept that God is real,” or “I live as though God is real.”

To claim God exists is a broader assertion about reality itself. It means: “God objectively exists, independent of what anyone believes.”

God’s existence or non-existence is not something demonstrated the same way as a chemistry experiment or a mathematical proof.

They didn't phrase it as a belief, but as a matter of fact.

PP didn't say "I believe that Jesus tells us X", they just said "Jesus tells us X".

So that'd be considered "lying or delusional" according to your definition.

To be clear: if anyone states God doesn’t exist, they are either lying or delusional.

The most accurate answer is:

The existence of God is not scientifically settled as His existence cannot be scientifically proven or disproven.

People reach different conclusions about God’s existence based on evidence, philosophy, experience, upbringing, and personal interpretation of reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

anonymous wrote:If you are reading this thread, do not listen to the people who are cherry picking Christianity to suit their anti-Christian agenda.

They don’t know what they are talking about. If they do know, they are purposely leaving huge and important parts of what prayer really is to support their anti-religious/anti-Christian beliefs.

Nobody has to like Christianity or be Christian, but also nobody should lie about it. Or listen to people who don’t know what they’re talking about.

+10.

And the same principle applies also to other religions.

Nobody was “lying”.

If people posting here claim to know answers to questions that have never been able to be answered, they are lying.

The most common thing claimed in these threads is “God doesn’t exist.”

Nobody know if God exists.

Science has not demonstrated the existence of God, but science cannot definitively prove or disprove God, because the concept of God is outside of what science can test.

Billions of people throughout history have believed in some form of God or higher reality, while other people have been skeptical, agnostic, or atheist.

That’s it. That’s what we all know. Nobody posting here has secret inside information on the status of God. Or Jesus.

So yes, if anyone here believes they know God doesn’t exist, they are either lying or delusional

If someone posts that they don’t believe God exists, that’s different. They are sharing their opinion, and everyone is entitled to their opinion on the matter.

So if someone posts something about god(s) existing -- "God is great" -- then they are also "lying"?

I apologize if English isn't your first language, but that is not what "lying" means.

Someone posted:
"James 4:3 states that prayers often go unanswered because they are motivated by selfish desires rather than God's will. The verse, according to Bible Gateway, explains that requests are denied when asked with wrong motives ("amiss"), intended only for personal pleasure or passions, rather than for honorable purposes."

Which would be accurately summarized by:
"if you have “honorable” wishes, god will grant them"

That's not "lying".

People have noted that sometimes Christians pray for ridiculous/silly/weird things.

Jesus tells us directly through Him we have access to pray to God, and God will always listen to our prayers.

But if we pray for something that doesn’t glorify God or honor God, God doesn’t have to give us what we prayed for.

Q. Are there any conditions to answered prayer?

A. Some people would like prayer with no conditions. They wish God to be a celestial genie who, when summoned by prayer, must grant any request they make. They find a measure of encouragement in the fable of Aladdin and his lamp, aspiring to that level of control over God’s power in their prayer life. But the biblical fact is that prayer has conditions. It’s true that Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22). But, even in that statement, we have one condition to prayer: faith. As we examine the Bible, we find that there are other conditions to prayer, as well.

Here are ten biblical instructions concerning prayer that imply conditions to prayer:


1) Pray to the Heavenly Father (see Matthew 6:9). This condition to prayer might seem obvious, but it’s important. We don’t pray to false gods, to ourselves, to angels, to Buddha, or to the Virgin Mary. We pray to the God of the Bible, who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and whose Spirit indwells us. Coming to Him as our “Father” implies that we are first His children—made so by faith in Christ (see John 1:12).

2) Pray for good things (see Matthew 7:11). We don’t always understand or recognize what is good, but God knows, and He is eager to give His children what is best for them. Paul prayed three times to be healed of an affliction, and each time God said, “No.” Why would a loving God refuse to heal Paul? Because God had something better for him, namely, a life lived by grace. Paul stopped praying for healing and began to rejoice in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7–10).

3) Pray for needful things (see Philippians 4:19). Placing a priority on God’s kingdom is one of the conditions to prayer (Matthew 6:33). The promise is that God will supply all our needs, not all our wants. There is a difference.

4) Pray from a righteous heart (see James 5:16). The Bible speaks of having a clean conscience as a condition to answered prayer (Hebrews 10:22). It is important that we keep our sins confessed to the Lord. “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18, NAS).

5) Pray from a grateful heart (see Philippians 4:6). Part of prayer is an attitude of thanksgiving.

6) Pray according to the will of God (see 1 John 5:14). An important condition to prayer is that it is prayed within the will of God. Jesus prayed this way all the time, even in Gethsemane: “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). We can pray all we want, with great sincerity and faith, for XYZ, but, if God’s will is ABC, we pray amiss.

7) Pray in the authority of Jesus Christ (see John 16:24). Jesus is the reason we are able to approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 10:19–22), and He is our mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). A condition to prayer is that we pray in His name.

8) Pray persistently (see Luke 18:1). In fact, pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). One of the conditions to effective prayer is that we don’t give up.

9) Pray unselfishly (see James 4:3). Our motives are important.

10) Pray in faith (see James 1:6). Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), who alone can do the impossible (Luke 1:37). Without faith, why pray?

I hope people asking questions about prayer read this, because someone is trying very hard to bury it.

So just to be clear, you just believe that God is real - you don't really know it for sure, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

anonymous wrote:If you are reading this thread, do not listen to the people who are cherry picking Christianity to suit their anti-Christian agenda.

They don’t know what they are talking about. If they do know, they are purposely leaving huge and important parts of what prayer really is to support their anti-religious/anti-Christian beliefs.

Nobody has to like Christianity or be Christian, but also nobody should lie about it. Or listen to people who don’t know what they’re talking about.

+10.

And the same principle applies also to other religions.

Nobody was “lying”.

If people posting here claim to know answers to questions that have never been able to be answered, they are lying.

The most common thing claimed in these threads is “God doesn’t exist.”

Nobody know if God exists.

Science has not demonstrated the existence of God, but science cannot definitively prove or disprove God, because the concept of God is outside of what science can test.

Billions of people throughout history have believed in some form of God or higher reality, while other people have been skeptical, agnostic, or atheist.

That’s it. That’s what we all know. Nobody posting here has secret inside information on the status of God. Or Jesus.

So yes, if anyone here believes they know God doesn’t exist, they are either lying or delusional

If someone posts that they don’t believe God exists, that’s different. They are sharing their opinion, and everyone is entitled to their opinion on the matter.

So if someone posts something about god(s) existing -- "God is great" -- then they are also "lying"?

I apologize if English isn't your first language, but that is not what "lying" means.

Someone posted:
"James 4:3 states that prayers often go unanswered because they are motivated by selfish desires rather than God's will. The verse, according to Bible Gateway, explains that requests are denied when asked with wrong motives ("amiss"), intended only for personal pleasure or passions, rather than for honorable purposes."

Which would be accurately summarized by:
"if you have “honorable” wishes, god will grant them"

That's not "lying".

People have noted that sometimes Christians pray for ridiculous/silly/weird things.

Jesus tells us directly through Him we have access to pray to God, and God will always listen to our prayers.

But if we pray for something that doesn’t glorify God or honor God, God doesn’t have to give us what we prayed for.

Q. Are there any conditions to answered prayer?

A. Some people would like prayer with no conditions. They wish God to be a celestial genie who, when summoned by prayer, must grant any request they make. They find a measure of encouragement in the fable of Aladdin and his lamp, aspiring to that level of control over God’s power in their prayer life. But the biblical fact is that prayer has conditions. It’s true that Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22). But, even in that statement, we have one condition to prayer: faith. As we examine the Bible, we find that there are other conditions to prayer, as well.

Here are ten biblical instructions concerning prayer that imply conditions to prayer:


1) Pray to the Heavenly Father (see Matthew 6:9). This condition to prayer might seem obvious, but it’s important. We don’t pray to false gods, to ourselves, to angels, to Buddha, or to the Virgin Mary. We pray to the God of the Bible, who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and whose Spirit indwells us. Coming to Him as our “Father” implies that we are first His children—made so by faith in Christ (see John 1:12).

2) Pray for good things (see Matthew 7:11). We don’t always understand or recognize what is good, but God knows, and He is eager to give His children what is best for them. Paul prayed three times to be healed of an affliction, and each time God said, “No.” Why would a loving God refuse to heal Paul? Because God had something better for him, namely, a life lived by grace. Paul stopped praying for healing and began to rejoice in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7–10).

3) Pray for needful things (see Philippians 4:19). Placing a priority on God’s kingdom is one of the conditions to prayer (Matthew 6:33). The promise is that God will supply all our needs, not all our wants. There is a difference.

4) Pray from a righteous heart (see James 5:16). The Bible speaks of having a clean conscience as a condition to answered prayer (Hebrews 10:22). It is important that we keep our sins confessed to the Lord. “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18, NAS).

5) Pray from a grateful heart (see Philippians 4:6). Part of prayer is an attitude of thanksgiving.

6) Pray according to the will of God (see 1 John 5:14). An important condition to prayer is that it is prayed within the will of God. Jesus prayed this way all the time, even in Gethsemane: “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). We can pray all we want, with great sincerity and faith, for XYZ, but, if God’s will is ABC, we pray amiss.

7) Pray in the authority of Jesus Christ (see John 16:24). Jesus is the reason we are able to approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 10:19–22), and He is our mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). A condition to prayer is that we pray in His name.

8) Pray persistently (see Luke 18:1). In fact, pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). One of the conditions to effective prayer is that we don’t give up.

9) Pray unselfishly (see James 4:3). Our motives are important.

10) Pray in faith (see James 1:6). Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), who alone can do the impossible (Luke 1:37). Without faith, why pray?

PP thinks you are lying or delusional.

Discussing personal belief in God is not lying or delusional.

The PP didn't say it was a belief. They said it as a matter of fact.

Therefore, the PP thinks that the PP above is lying or delusional.

I am pp, stop speaking for me.

You clearly said above that anyone claiming that god(s) exist are either "lying or delusional".

Anyone claiming to know definitely if God/gods exist.

Belief that God/gods exist is different.

To believe in God is primarily a statement about your own conviction, trust, faith, or worldview. It means: “I accept that God is real,” or “I live as though God is real.”

To claim God exists is a broader assertion about reality itself. It means: “God objectively exists, independent of what anyone believes.”

God’s existence or non-existence is not something demonstrated the same way as a chemistry experiment or a mathematical proof.

They didn't phrase it as a belief, but as a matter of fact.

PP didn't say "I believe that Jesus tells us X", they just said "Jesus tells us X".

So that'd be considered "lying or delusional" according to your definition.

To be clear: if anyone states God doesn’t exist, they are either lying or delusional.

The most accurate answer is:

The existence of God is not scientifically settled as His existence cannot be scientifically proven or disproven.

People reach different conclusions about God’s existence based on evidence, philosophy, experience, upbringing, and personal interpretation of reality.

And for people who state that god(s) exist?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

How, specifically, does your god differ from a magic man in the sky? If your explanation is apt I promise I will never use that phrase again.

Interesting how the people who object to the term can't, or won't answer this question.

"Magic man in the sky" is (as PP admitted) pejorative and derisive. It is a caricature of what religious people believe, not an accurate description of the religious conception of God. It's not a good faith engagement with the complexity of belief about the nature of God. It's not an argument against God so much as an over-simplification so that the idea can be dismissed out of hand.

To give you a cursory answer to your ridiculous question:

God isn't a "magic man in the sky." God is not gendered and doesn't have a body. Anthropomorphizing God can help us conceptualize a Divine being beyond our language and earthly experience, but that doesn't mean that God literally has arms or that referring to God as "He" denotes a literal maleness. The Bible uses different pronouns for God depending on the context; most often male, but sometimes female when referring to God's mercy or nurturing nature. Not having a body also means that God doesn't have a specific place of residence (God is everywhere, not literally in the sky).

Doesn’t the bible always refer to god as “he”?

Doesn’t the bible say man was made in god’s own image?

Doesn’t the bible constantly refer to him being in “the heavens”?

Doesn’t the bible say god is all powerful?

Sounds exactly like a magic man in the sky.

1. No, the Bible does not always refer to God as "He" as I already noted above. Also, as I already explained, the use of gendered pronouns for God does NOT mean that God has a gender. Gendered pronouns can convey attributes of God (strength, nurturing, etc). It's metaphor.

2. The Bible says mankind/humanity was made in God's image. Both man and woman were made in God's image. It's not about physical similarities (because, as I said before, God has no boost). It's about mankind's capacity for creativity, stewardship, etc.

3. "The heavens" is not literally the sky.

4. "All powerful" doesn't mean "magic."

1) Educate me and tell me where god's gender is not he. And before you tell me to "google it", I did:

Yes, the Bible consistently uses masculine pronouns ("He," "Him") and titles ("Father," "King") to refer to God, though it explicitly states God is a Spirit without human sexual characteristics. While masculine language is dominant (e.g., Theos in Greek), female metaphors—such as a mother comforting a child or a mother hen (Isaiah 66:13, Matthew 23:37)—appear occasionally to describe His love, explains GotQuestions.org.

2. This is your interpretation, and it is fine but absolutely requires acceptance of non-standard meanings for the terms "image" and "likeness". So how would a rationalization to have it mean whatever you wanted differ?

3. This one I am calling you on. They meant heavens, they meant the sky

Psalm 68:4: Explicitly calls God the "One who rides on the clouds"
Deuteronomy 33:26: "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to help you, and in His excellency on the clouds."
Psalm 18:9: "He bowed the heavens also, and came down; dark clouds were under his feet."
Exodus 16:10: "And as Aaron spoke... they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud."
Matthew 24:30: Jesus predicts that people "will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
The Tower of Babel: The people said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens" (Genesis 11:4). This indicates they believed a sufficiently tall building could physically enter God's space.
Jesus’ Ascension: After His resurrection, Jesus "was lifted up before their very eyes, and a cloud took him out of their sight" (Acts 1:9). Two angels then asked the disciples, "Why do you stand looking into heaven?".
A "Vaulted Dome": The Bible describes God as "The One who builds His upper chambers in the heavens and has founded His vaulted dome over the earth" (Amos 9:6).
Jesus Praying: When Jesus performed miracles or prayed, He often began by "looking up to heaven" (Mark 6:41; John 17:1).
A "High" God: Multiple verses emphasize God's literal height: "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love..." (Psalm 103:11).
God Looking Down: "The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand" (Psalm 14:2).

I literally could fill pages with this. Again, if you want to claim it means other than what the words say, well, then that means it can be whatever you want, and therefore pretty meaningless as a guideline.

4. Would you like another bunch of quotes like above or would you just like to stop at "water into wine"?

Man. Sky. Magic.

He’s definitely something because you think about Him as much as people who believe He’s God do.

He is on your mind constantly and you feel you have to disparage Him and people who believe in Him.

It’s fine to disagree with Christianity and not believe in God, but you are choosing to characterize Christianity and God as the cartoon version. Nobody believes what you are insisting God/Christianity is.

When Christians here tell you what you say we believe in is not accurate, you don’t listen and just forge ahead with nonsense.

The Bible sometimes uses “heaven” and “above” language. “Heaven” can mean:
the sky, or the spiritual realm (God’s presence). People in ancient times used up/down language to describe things beyond normal experience.

What about clouds and imagery in the Bible?

You’ll see imagery like: God appearing in a cloud, or Jesus Christ “coming on the clouds.”

Those are generally understood as symbolic of glory, mystery, or divine presence. Not literally saying God lives inside clouds like a house.

God is beyond the physical universe. He’s not confined to any time or space.

You can personally think of God that way. But you can’t tell Christians what they actually believe. You are very wrong about Christians believing God lives in the sky above the clouds. That’s a depiction from movies and cartoons.

PP thinks you are lying or delusional.

No, I am pp, and I don’t think people discussing their personal beliefs about God are lying or delusional.

I am not PP, and I think that belief in God is not usually lying, but it is delusional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

anonymous wrote:If you are reading this thread, do not listen to the people who are cherry picking Christianity to suit their anti-Christian agenda.

They don’t know what they are talking about. If they do know, they are purposely leaving huge and important parts of what prayer really is to support their anti-religious/anti-Christian beliefs.

Nobody has to like Christianity or be Christian, but also nobody should lie about it. Or listen to people who don’t know what they’re talking about.

+10.

And the same principle applies also to other religions.

Nobody was “lying”.

If people posting here claim to know answers to questions that have never been able to be answered, they are lying.

The most common thing claimed in these threads is “God doesn’t exist.”

Nobody know if God exists.

Science has not demonstrated the existence of God, but science cannot definitively prove or disprove God, because the concept of God is outside of what science can test.

Billions of people throughout history have believed in some form of God or higher reality, while other people have been skeptical, agnostic, or atheist.

That’s it. That’s what we all know. Nobody posting here has secret inside information on the status of God. Or Jesus.

So yes, if anyone here believes they know God doesn’t exist, they are either lying or delusional

If someone posts that they don’t believe God exists, that’s different. They are sharing their opinion, and everyone is entitled to their opinion on the matter.

So if someone posts something about god(s) existing -- "God is great" -- then they are also "lying"?

I apologize if English isn't your first language, but that is not what "lying" means.

Someone posted:
"James 4:3 states that prayers often go unanswered because they are motivated by selfish desires rather than God's will. The verse, according to Bible Gateway, explains that requests are denied when asked with wrong motives ("amiss"), intended only for personal pleasure or passions, rather than for honorable purposes."

Which would be accurately summarized by:
"if you have “honorable” wishes, god will grant them"

That's not "lying".

People have noted that sometimes Christians pray for ridiculous/silly/weird things.

Jesus tells us directly through Him we have access to pray to God, and God will always listen to our prayers.

But if we pray for something that doesn’t glorify God or honor God, God doesn’t have to give us what we prayed for.

Q. Are there any conditions to answered prayer?

A. Some people would like prayer with no conditions. They wish God to be a celestial genie who, when summoned by prayer, must grant any request they make. They find a measure of encouragement in the fable of Aladdin and his lamp, aspiring to that level of control over God’s power in their prayer life. But the biblical fact is that prayer has conditions. It’s true that Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22). But, even in that statement, we have one condition to prayer: faith. As we examine the Bible, we find that there are other conditions to prayer, as well.

Here are ten biblical instructions concerning prayer that imply conditions to prayer:


1) Pray to the Heavenly Father (see Matthew 6:9). This condition to prayer might seem obvious, but it’s important. We don’t pray to false gods, to ourselves, to angels, to Buddha, or to the Virgin Mary. We pray to the God of the Bible, who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and whose Spirit indwells us. Coming to Him as our “Father” implies that we are first His children—made so by faith in Christ (see John 1:12).

2) Pray for good things (see Matthew 7:11). We don’t always understand or recognize what is good, but God knows, and He is eager to give His children what is best for them. Paul prayed three times to be healed of an affliction, and each time God said, “No.” Why would a loving God refuse to heal Paul? Because God had something better for him, namely, a life lived by grace. Paul stopped praying for healing and began to rejoice in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7–10).

3) Pray for needful things (see Philippians 4:19). Placing a priority on God’s kingdom is one of the conditions to prayer (Matthew 6:33). The promise is that God will supply all our needs, not all our wants. There is a difference.

4) Pray from a righteous heart (see James 5:16). The Bible speaks of having a clean conscience as a condition to answered prayer (Hebrews 10:22). It is important that we keep our sins confessed to the Lord. “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18, NAS).

5) Pray from a grateful heart (see Philippians 4:6). Part of prayer is an attitude of thanksgiving.

6) Pray according to the will of God (see 1 John 5:14). An important condition to prayer is that it is prayed within the will of God. Jesus prayed this way all the time, even in Gethsemane: “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). We can pray all we want, with great sincerity and faith, for XYZ, but, if God’s will is ABC, we pray amiss.

7) Pray in the authority of Jesus Christ (see John 16:24). Jesus is the reason we are able to approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 10:19–22), and He is our mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). A condition to prayer is that we pray in His name.

8) Pray persistently (see Luke 18:1). In fact, pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). One of the conditions to effective prayer is that we don’t give up.

9) Pray unselfishly (see James 4:3). Our motives are important.

10) Pray in faith (see James 1:6). Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), who alone can do the impossible (Luke 1:37). Without faith, why pray?

PP thinks you are lying or delusional.

Discussing personal belief in God is not lying or delusional.

The PP didn't say it was a belief. They said it as a matter of fact.

Therefore, the PP thinks that the PP above is lying or delusional.

I am pp, stop speaking for me.

You clearly said above that anyone claiming that god(s) exist are either "lying or delusional".

Anyone claiming to know definitely if God/gods exist.

Belief that God/gods exist is different.

To believe in God is primarily a statement about your own conviction, trust, faith, or worldview. It means: “I accept that God is real,” or “I live as though God is real.”

To claim God exists is a broader assertion about reality itself. It means: “God objectively exists, independent of what anyone believes.”

God’s existence or non-existence is not something demonstrated the same way as a chemistry experiment or a mathematical proof.

I don’t believe fairies exist either. Nobody does after childhood, but people still believe that God exists
because they want to live forever. That’s the only reason, even though they know that it’s not possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

How, specifically, does your god differ from a magic man in the sky? If your explanation is apt I promise I will never use that phrase again.

Interesting how the people who object to the term can't, or won't answer this question.

"Magic man in the sky" is (as PP admitted) pejorative and derisive. It is a caricature of what religious people believe, not an accurate description of the religious conception of God. It's not a good faith engagement with the complexity of belief about the nature of God. It's not an argument against God so much as an over-simplification so that the idea can be dismissed out of hand.

To give you a cursory answer to your ridiculous question:

God isn't a "magic man in the sky." God is not gendered and doesn't have a body. Anthropomorphizing God can help us conceptualize a Divine being beyond our language and earthly experience, but that doesn't mean that God literally has arms or that referring to God as "He" denotes a literal maleness. The Bible uses different pronouns for God depending on the context; most often male, but sometimes female when referring to God's mercy or nurturing nature. Not having a body also means that God doesn't have a specific place of residence (God is everywhere, not literally in the sky).

Doesn’t the bible always refer to god as “he”?

Doesn’t the bible say man was made in god’s own image?

Doesn’t the bible constantly refer to him being in “the heavens”?

Doesn’t the bible say god is all powerful?

Sounds exactly like a magic man in the sky.

1. No, the Bible does not always refer to God as "He" as I already noted above. Also, as I already explained, the use of gendered pronouns for God does NOT mean that God has a gender. Gendered pronouns can convey attributes of God (strength, nurturing, etc). It's metaphor.

2. The Bible says mankind/humanity was made in God's image. Both man and woman were made in God's image. It's not about physical similarities (because, as I said before, God has no boost). It's about mankind's capacity for creativity, stewardship, etc.

3. "The heavens" is not literally the sky.

4. "All powerful" doesn't mean "magic."

1) Educate me and tell me where god's gender is not he. And before you tell me to "google it", I did:

Yes, the Bible consistently uses masculine pronouns ("He," "Him") and titles ("Father," "King") to refer to God, though it explicitly states God is a Spirit without human sexual characteristics. While masculine language is dominant (e.g., Theos in Greek), female metaphors—such as a mother comforting a child or a mother hen (Isaiah 66:13, Matthew 23:37)—appear occasionally to describe His love, explains GotQuestions.org.

2. This is your interpretation, and it is fine but absolutely requires acceptance of non-standard meanings for the terms "image" and "likeness". So how would a rationalization to have it mean whatever you wanted differ?

3. This one I am calling you on. They meant heavens, they meant the sky

Psalm 68:4: Explicitly calls God the "One who rides on the clouds"
Deuteronomy 33:26: "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to help you, and in His excellency on the clouds."
Psalm 18:9: "He bowed the heavens also, and came down; dark clouds were under his feet."
Exodus 16:10: "And as Aaron spoke... they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud."
Matthew 24:30: Jesus predicts that people "will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
The Tower of Babel: The people said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens" (Genesis 11:4). This indicates they believed a sufficiently tall building could physically enter God's space.
Jesus’ Ascension: After His resurrection, Jesus "was lifted up before their very eyes, and a cloud took him out of their sight" (Acts 1:9). Two angels then asked the disciples, "Why do you stand looking into heaven?".
A "Vaulted Dome": The Bible describes God as "The One who builds His upper chambers in the heavens and has founded His vaulted dome over the earth" (Amos 9:6).
Jesus Praying: When Jesus performed miracles or prayed, He often began by "looking up to heaven" (Mark 6:41; John 17:1).
A "High" God: Multiple verses emphasize God's literal height: "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love..." (Psalm 103:11).
God Looking Down: "The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand" (Psalm 14:2).

I literally could fill pages with this. Again, if you want to claim it means other than what the words say, well, then that means it can be whatever you want, and therefore pretty meaningless as a guideline.

4. Would you like another bunch of quotes like above or would you just like to stop at "water into wine"?

Man. Sky. Magic.

He’s definitely something because you think about Him as much as people who believe He’s God do.

He is on your mind constantly and you feel you have to disparage Him and people who believe in Him.

It’s fine to disagree with Christianity and not believe in God, but you are choosing to characterize Christianity and God as the cartoon version. Nobody believes what you are insisting God/Christianity is.

When Christians here tell you what you say we believe in is not accurate, you don’t listen and just forge ahead with nonsense.

The Bible sometimes uses “heaven” and “above” language. “Heaven” can mean:
the sky, or the spiritual realm (God’s presence). People in ancient times used up/down language to describe things beyond normal experience.

What about clouds and imagery in the Bible?

You’ll see imagery like: God appearing in a cloud, or Jesus Christ “coming on the clouds.”

Those are generally understood as symbolic of glory, mystery, or divine presence. Not literally saying God lives inside clouds like a house.

God is beyond the physical universe. He’s not confined to any time or space.

You can personally think of God that way. But you can’t tell Christians what they actually believe. You are very wrong about Christians believing God lives in the sky above the clouds. That’s a depiction from movies and cartoons.

PP thinks you are lying or delusional.

No, I am pp, and I don’t think people discussing their personal beliefs about God are lying or delusional.

I am not PP, and I think that belief in God is not usually lying, but it is delusional.

Yes, obviously none of this is "lying" -- the PP must not be familiar with the English language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

anonymous wrote:If you are reading this thread, do not listen to the people who are cherry picking Christianity to suit their anti-Christian agenda.

They don’t know what they are talking about. If they do know, they are purposely leaving huge and important parts of what prayer really is to support their anti-religious/anti-Christian beliefs.

Nobody has to like Christianity or be Christian, but also nobody should lie about it. Or listen to people who don’t know what they’re talking about.

+10.

And the same principle applies also to other religions.

Nobody was “lying”.

If people posting here claim to know answers to questions that have never been able to be answered, they are lying.

The most common thing claimed in these threads is “God doesn’t exist.”

Nobody know if God exists.

Science has not demonstrated the existence of God, but science cannot definitively prove or disprove God, because the concept of God is outside of what science can test.

Billions of people throughout history have believed in some form of God or higher reality, while other people have been skeptical, agnostic, or atheist.

That’s it. That’s what we all know. Nobody posting here has secret inside information on the status of God. Or Jesus.

So yes, if anyone here believes they know God doesn’t exist, they are either lying or delusional

If someone posts that they don’t believe God exists, that’s different. They are sharing their opinion, and everyone is entitled to their opinion on the matter.

So if someone posts something about god(s) existing -- "God is great" -- then they are also "lying"?

I apologize if English isn't your first language, but that is not what "lying" means.

Someone posted:
"James 4:3 states that prayers often go unanswered because they are motivated by selfish desires rather than God's will. The verse, according to Bible Gateway, explains that requests are denied when asked with wrong motives ("amiss"), intended only for personal pleasure or passions, rather than for honorable purposes."

Which would be accurately summarized by:
"if you have “honorable” wishes, god will grant them"

That's not "lying".

People have noted that sometimes Christians pray for ridiculous/silly/weird things.

Jesus tells us directly through Him we have access to pray to God, and God will always listen to our prayers.

But if we pray for something that doesn’t glorify God or honor God, God doesn’t have to give us what we prayed for.

Q. Are there any conditions to answered prayer?

A. Some people would like prayer with no conditions. They wish God to be a celestial genie who, when summoned by prayer, must grant any request they make. They find a measure of encouragement in the fable of Aladdin and his lamp, aspiring to that level of control over God’s power in their prayer life. But the biblical fact is that prayer has conditions. It’s true that Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22). But, even in that statement, we have one condition to prayer: faith. As we examine the Bible, we find that there are other conditions to prayer, as well.

Here are ten biblical instructions concerning prayer that imply conditions to prayer:


1) Pray to the Heavenly Father (see Matthew 6:9). This condition to prayer might seem obvious, but it’s important. We don’t pray to false gods, to ourselves, to angels, to Buddha, or to the Virgin Mary. We pray to the God of the Bible, who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and whose Spirit indwells us. Coming to Him as our “Father” implies that we are first His children—made so by faith in Christ (see John 1:12).

2) Pray for good things (see Matthew 7:11). We don’t always understand or recognize what is good, but God knows, and He is eager to give His children what is best for them. Paul prayed three times to be healed of an affliction, and each time God said, “No.” Why would a loving God refuse to heal Paul? Because God had something better for him, namely, a life lived by grace. Paul stopped praying for healing and began to rejoice in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7–10).

3) Pray for needful things (see Philippians 4:19). Placing a priority on God’s kingdom is one of the conditions to prayer (Matthew 6:33). The promise is that God will supply all our needs, not all our wants. There is a difference.

4) Pray from a righteous heart (see James 5:16). The Bible speaks of having a clean conscience as a condition to answered prayer (Hebrews 10:22). It is important that we keep our sins confessed to the Lord. “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18, NAS).

5) Pray from a grateful heart (see Philippians 4:6). Part of prayer is an attitude of thanksgiving.

6) Pray according to the will of God (see 1 John 5:14). An important condition to prayer is that it is prayed within the will of God. Jesus prayed this way all the time, even in Gethsemane: “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). We can pray all we want, with great sincerity and faith, for XYZ, but, if God’s will is ABC, we pray amiss.

7) Pray in the authority of Jesus Christ (see John 16:24). Jesus is the reason we are able to approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 10:19–22), and He is our mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). A condition to prayer is that we pray in His name.

8) Pray persistently (see Luke 18:1). In fact, pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). One of the conditions to effective prayer is that we don’t give up.

9) Pray unselfishly (see James 4:3). Our motives are important.

10) Pray in faith (see James 1:6). Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), who alone can do the impossible (Luke 1:37). Without faith, why pray?

PP thinks you are lying or delusional.

Discussing personal belief in God is not lying or delusional.

The PP didn't say it was a belief. They said it as a matter of fact.

Therefore, the PP thinks that the PP above is lying or delusional.

I am pp, stop speaking for me.

You clearly said above that anyone claiming that god(s) exist are either "lying or delusional".

Anyone claiming to know definitely if God/gods exist.

Belief that God/gods exist is different.

To believe in God is primarily a statement about your own conviction, trust, faith, or worldview. It means: “I accept that God is real,” or “I live as though God is real.”

To claim God exists is a broader assertion about reality itself. It means: “God objectively exists, independent of what anyone believes.”

God’s existence or non-existence is not something demonstrated the same way as a chemistry experiment or a mathematical proof.

They didn't phrase it as a belief, but as a matter of fact.

PP didn't say "I believe that Jesus tells us X", they just said "Jesus tells us X".

So that'd be considered "lying or delusional" according to your definition.

To be clear: if anyone states God doesn’t exist, they are either lying or delusional.
.

Depends on the god in question though, doesn't it?

The most accurate answer is:

The existence of God is not scientifically settled as His existence cannot be scientifically proven or disproven.

You left out the most important part: Because you can't scientifically disprove something that does not exist. This is why YOU can't disprove leprechauns, bigfoot, faeries, Xenu or Allah. Do you believe in those things? No, you do not. Because given the lack of evidence, that would be stupid.

People reach different conclusions about God’s existence based on evidence, philosophy, experience, upbringing, and personal interpretation of reality

And yet no one here is presenting any evidence, so you can cross that one off your list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just like how the “physics research scientist” never came back to explain how physics led her to believe in god: it isn’t a rational explanation.

Supernatural forces don’t exist in the real world. They exist only in your mind to explain the unknown and fill the gaps.

As we learn more about the universe these gaps will continue to close.

Thus sayeth the troll....

There is no point to engage with a troll once they out themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

anonymous wrote:If you are reading this thread, do not listen to the people who are cherry picking Christianity to suit their anti-Christian agenda.

They don’t know what they are talking about. If they do know, they are purposely leaving huge and important parts of what prayer really is to support their anti-religious/anti-Christian beliefs.

Nobody has to like Christianity or be Christian, but also nobody should lie about it. Or listen to people who don’t know what they’re talking about.

+10.

And the same principle applies also to other religions.

Nobody was “lying”.

If people posting here claim to know answers to questions that have never been able to be answered, they are lying.

The most common thing claimed in these threads is “God doesn’t exist.”

Nobody know if God exists.

Science has not demonstrated the existence of God, but science cannot definitively prove or disprove God, because the concept of God is outside of what science can test.

Billions of people throughout history have believed in some form of God or higher reality, while other people have been skeptical, agnostic, or atheist.

That’s it. That’s what we all know. Nobody posting here has secret inside information on the status of God. Or Jesus.

So yes, if anyone here believes they know God doesn’t exist, they are either lying or delusional

If someone posts that they don’t believe God exists, that’s different. They are sharing their opinion, and everyone is entitled to their opinion on the matter.

So if someone posts something about god(s) existing -- "God is great" -- then they are also "lying"?

I apologize if English isn't your first language, but that is not what "lying" means.

Someone posted:
"James 4:3 states that prayers often go unanswered because they are motivated by selfish desires rather than God's will. The verse, according to Bible Gateway, explains that requests are denied when asked with wrong motives ("amiss"), intended only for personal pleasure or passions, rather than for honorable purposes."

Which would be accurately summarized by:
"if you have “honorable” wishes, god will grant them"

That's not "lying".

People have noted that sometimes Christians pray for ridiculous/silly/weird things.

Jesus tells us directly through Him we have access to pray to God, and God will always listen to our prayers.

But if we pray for something that doesn’t glorify God or honor God, God doesn’t have to give us what we prayed for.

Q. Are there any conditions to answered prayer?

A. Some people would like prayer with no conditions. They wish God to be a celestial genie who, when summoned by prayer, must grant any request they make. They find a measure of encouragement in the fable of Aladdin and his lamp, aspiring to that level of control over God’s power in their prayer life. But the biblical fact is that prayer has conditions. It’s true that Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22). But, even in that statement, we have one condition to prayer: faith. As we examine the Bible, we find that there are other conditions to prayer, as well.

Here are ten biblical instructions concerning prayer that imply conditions to prayer:


1) Pray to the Heavenly Father (see Matthew 6:9). This condition to prayer might seem obvious, but it’s important. We don’t pray to false gods, to ourselves, to angels, to Buddha, or to the Virgin Mary. We pray to the God of the Bible, who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and whose Spirit indwells us. Coming to Him as our “Father” implies that we are first His children—made so by faith in Christ (see John 1:12).

2) Pray for good things (see Matthew 7:11). We don’t always understand or recognize what is good, but God knows, and He is eager to give His children what is best for them. Paul prayed three times to be healed of an affliction, and each time God said, “No.” Why would a loving God refuse to heal Paul? Because God had something better for him, namely, a life lived by grace. Paul stopped praying for healing and began to rejoice in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7–10).

3) Pray for needful things (see Philippians 4:19). Placing a priority on God’s kingdom is one of the conditions to prayer (Matthew 6:33). The promise is that God will supply all our needs, not all our wants. There is a difference.

4) Pray from a righteous heart (see James 5:16). The Bible speaks of having a clean conscience as a condition to answered prayer (Hebrews 10:22). It is important that we keep our sins confessed to the Lord. “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18, NAS).

5) Pray from a grateful heart (see Philippians 4:6). Part of prayer is an attitude of thanksgiving.

6) Pray according to the will of God (see 1 John 5:14). An important condition to prayer is that it is prayed within the will of God. Jesus prayed this way all the time, even in Gethsemane: “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). We can pray all we want, with great sincerity and faith, for XYZ, but, if God’s will is ABC, we pray amiss.

7) Pray in the authority of Jesus Christ (see John 16:24). Jesus is the reason we are able to approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 10:19–22), and He is our mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). A condition to prayer is that we pray in His name.

8) Pray persistently (see Luke 18:1). In fact, pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). One of the conditions to effective prayer is that we don’t give up.

9) Pray unselfishly (see James 4:3). Our motives are important.

10) Pray in faith (see James 1:6). Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), who alone can do the impossible (Luke 1:37). Without faith, why pray?

PP thinks you are lying or delusional.

Discussing personal belief in God is not lying or delusional.

The PP didn't say it was a belief. They said it as a matter of fact.

Therefore, the PP thinks that the PP above is lying or delusional.

I am pp, stop speaking for me.

You clearly said above that anyone claiming that god(s) exist are either "lying or delusional".

Anyone claiming to know definitely if God/gods exist.

Belief that God/gods exist is different.

To believe in God is primarily a statement about your own conviction, trust, faith, or worldview. It means: “I accept that God is real,” or “I live as though God is real.”

To claim God exists is a broader assertion about reality itself. It means: “God objectively exists, independent of what anyone believes.”

God’s existence or non-existence is not something demonstrated the same way as a chemistry experiment or a mathematical proof.

They didn't phrase it as a belief, but as a matter of fact.

PP didn't say "I believe that Jesus tells us X", they just said "Jesus tells us X".

So that'd be considered "lying or delusional" according to your definition.

To be clear: if anyone states God doesn’t exist, they are either lying or delusional.

The most accurate answer is:

The existence of God is not scientifically settled as His existence cannot be scientifically proven or disproven.

People reach different conclusions about God’s existence based on evidence, philosophy, experience, upbringing, and personal interpretation of reality.

And for people who state that god(s) exist?

DP. It's neither rational or irrational to believe in something called God. The universe is so immense and extraordinary and we don't really understand it at all. Shit is going down in galaxies far and wide all over the universe. And we have no clue until a thousand light years later. Then still don't understand it. Things are afoot in the universe. Does that help me with my kids math problem or my Starbucks order? No.

Religion is a social construct that has been very useful for most of humanity since we became bipedal. Whether you believe in Zeus or Ganesh is irrelevant. Religion is a way to organize society. And that has value.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

anonymous wrote:If you are reading this thread, do not listen to the people who are cherry picking Christianity to suit their anti-Christian agenda.

They don’t know what they are talking about. If they do know, they are purposely leaving huge and important parts of what prayer really is to support their anti-religious/anti-Christian beliefs.

Nobody has to like Christianity or be Christian, but also nobody should lie about it. Or listen to people who don’t know what they’re talking about.

+10.

And the same principle applies also to other religions.

Nobody was “lying”.

If people posting here claim to know answers to questions that have never been able to be answered, they are lying.

The most common thing claimed in these threads is “God doesn’t exist.”

Nobody know if God exists.

Science has not demonstrated the existence of God, but science cannot definitively prove or disprove God, because the concept of God is outside of what science can test.

Billions of people throughout history have believed in some form of God or higher reality, while other people have been skeptical, agnostic, or atheist.

That’s it. That’s what we all know. Nobody posting here has secret inside information on the status of God. Or Jesus.

So yes, if anyone here believes they know God doesn’t exist, they are either lying or delusional

If someone posts that they don’t believe God exists, that’s different. They are sharing their opinion, and everyone is entitled to their opinion on the matter.

So if someone posts something about god(s) existing -- "God is great" -- then they are also "lying"?

I apologize if English isn't your first language, but that is not what "lying" means.

Someone posted:
"James 4:3 states that prayers often go unanswered because they are motivated by selfish desires rather than God's will. The verse, according to Bible Gateway, explains that requests are denied when asked with wrong motives ("amiss"), intended only for personal pleasure or passions, rather than for honorable purposes."

Which would be accurately summarized by:
"if you have “honorable” wishes, god will grant them"

That's not "lying".

People have noted that sometimes Christians pray for ridiculous/silly/weird things.

Jesus tells us directly through Him we have access to pray to God, and God will always listen to our prayers.

But if we pray for something that doesn’t glorify God or honor God, God doesn’t have to give us what we prayed for.

Q. Are there any conditions to answered prayer?

A. Some people would like prayer with no conditions. They wish God to be a celestial genie who, when summoned by prayer, must grant any request they make. They find a measure of encouragement in the fable of Aladdin and his lamp, aspiring to that level of control over God’s power in their prayer life. But the biblical fact is that prayer has conditions. It’s true that Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22). But, even in that statement, we have one condition to prayer: faith. As we examine the Bible, we find that there are other conditions to prayer, as well.

Here are ten biblical instructions concerning prayer that imply conditions to prayer:


1) Pray to the Heavenly Father (see Matthew 6:9). This condition to prayer might seem obvious, but it’s important. We don’t pray to false gods, to ourselves, to angels, to Buddha, or to the Virgin Mary. We pray to the God of the Bible, who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and whose Spirit indwells us. Coming to Him as our “Father” implies that we are first His children—made so by faith in Christ (see John 1:12).

2) Pray for good things (see Matthew 7:11). We don’t always understand or recognize what is good, but God knows, and He is eager to give His children what is best for them. Paul prayed three times to be healed of an affliction, and each time God said, “No.” Why would a loving God refuse to heal Paul? Because God had something better for him, namely, a life lived by grace. Paul stopped praying for healing and began to rejoice in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7–10).

3) Pray for needful things (see Philippians 4:19). Placing a priority on God’s kingdom is one of the conditions to prayer (Matthew 6:33). The promise is that God will supply all our needs, not all our wants. There is a difference.

4) Pray from a righteous heart (see James 5:16). The Bible speaks of having a clean conscience as a condition to answered prayer (Hebrews 10:22). It is important that we keep our sins confessed to the Lord. “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18, NAS).

5) Pray from a grateful heart (see Philippians 4:6). Part of prayer is an attitude of thanksgiving.

6) Pray according to the will of God (see 1 John 5:14). An important condition to prayer is that it is prayed within the will of God. Jesus prayed this way all the time, even in Gethsemane: “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). We can pray all we want, with great sincerity and faith, for XYZ, but, if God’s will is ABC, we pray amiss.

7) Pray in the authority of Jesus Christ (see John 16:24). Jesus is the reason we are able to approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 10:19–22), and He is our mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). A condition to prayer is that we pray in His name.

8) Pray persistently (see Luke 18:1). In fact, pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). One of the conditions to effective prayer is that we don’t give up.

9) Pray unselfishly (see James 4:3). Our motives are important.

10) Pray in faith (see James 1:6). Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), who alone can do the impossible (Luke 1:37). Without faith, why pray?

I hope people asking questions about prayer read this, because someone is trying very hard to bury it.

Still does not explain, say, terminal cancer in children. Are their parents just not praying correctly?