Do you ever wish that God would show himself at least once?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For all the atheists out there.. what if it all turns out to be true? Won't you wish you had believed?

Ah, fire insurance faith. "Isn't it better to believe than risk eternal damnation."

I am not sure if athiest applies to me, but I can tell you I have a peace that passes all understanding the prevailing monotheistic deities do not exist.

Can you rephrase this?

I am no pp -- but sounds to me like pp is quite comfortable not believing in any of the God stories she/he has heard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I often have strong gut feelings but see no reason to attribute them to an unseen being. Also, sometimes my gut feelings are wrong.

"... but it does strongly imply that he sometimes isn't caring for us when we really need it"

No, this is not true. Sometimes things happen that we can't understand. Sometimes we force our kids to do things they don't want to do but it is for their own good. Just because they don't get it doesn't mean it's not being done for their good. Same thing with life -- we learn and grow from adversity. It does not prove God does not care. Haven't you seen the hallmark coffee mug with the footsteps in the sand???.....



I've seen that saying on the cup -- and lots of other pleasant and comforting words, without assuming they are indicative of God's existence.

Consider that the learning that comes from adversity is is just that -- learning from adversity. It doesn't prove that God cares or doesn't care or that there's a god at all -- more likely that there is not, when you look at the randomness of life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God has shown himself over and over again through out history. There will always be those who continue to doubt even when he is standing right before their face - part of it is human nature. But as Christ said, blessed are those who have not seen and still believe.

Reading the Word of God is how you can surround yourself in God's guidance and that will make it easier for your recognize him when he does appear. There's a prayer for visitation - perhaps you would find that helpful.

Good that Christ made seeing without believing a blessing, because it encouraged a lot of people, who otherwise wouldn't, to believe.

Also, if god is so powerful and wonderful, I don't know why people would have to try so hard be aware of him.

I wonder what God was thinking when he made it easier for people to see their favorite rock star in person than to see God?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I often have strong gut feelings but see no reason to attribute them to an unseen being. Also, sometimes my gut feelings are wrong.

"... but it does strongly imply that he sometimes isn't caring for us when we really need it"

No, this is not true. Sometimes things happen that we can't understand. Sometimes we force our kids to do things they don't want to do but it is for their own good. Just because they don't get it doesn't mean it's not being done for their good. Same thing with life -- we learn and grow from adversity. It does not prove God does not care. Haven't you seen the hallmark coffee mug with the footsteps in the sand???.....

I've seen that saying on the cup -- and lots of other pleasant and comforting words, without assuming they are indicative of God's existence.

Consider that the learning that comes from adversity is is just that -- learning from adversity. It doesn't prove that God cares or doesn't care or that there's a god at all -- more likely that there is not, when you look at the randomness of life.

The saying on the cup is not from God -- it is human. It means: Human: why did you abandon me in my time of need? God: that was when I was helping you the most, but you didn't realize it.

All the ways God does NOT seem to show up in ways we recognize do not negate the times God DOES show up in ways we recognize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God has shown himself over and over again through out history. There will always be those who continue to doubt even when he is standing right before their face - part of it is human nature. But as Christ said, blessed are those who have not seen and still believe.

Reading the Word of God is how you can surround yourself in God's guidance and that will make it easier for your recognize him when he does appear. There's a prayer for visitation - perhaps you would find that helpful.

Good that Christ made seeing without believing a blessing, because it encouraged a lot of people, who otherwise wouldn't, to believe.

Also, if god is so powerful and wonderful, I don't know why people would have to try so hard be aware of him.

I wonder what God was thinking when he made it easier for people to see their favorite rock star in person than to see God?

They don't, if they spend their lives in awe, worship and communion with Him, instead of so defensively trying to assert that He does not exist.

[Anonymous]

God (Judeo-Christian) does indeed have a face. God passed before Moses but used his hand so that Moses would not see his face. That's how I remember the text.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:God (Judeo-Christian) does indeed have a face. God passed before Moses but used his hand so that Moses would not see his face. That's how I remember the text.

And now I'm also remembering that Moses looked different for a while afterwards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I often have strong gut feelings but see no reason to attribute them to an unseen being. Also, sometimes my gut feelings are wrong.

"... but it does strongly imply that he sometimes isn't caring for us when we really need it"

No, this is not true. Sometimes things happen that we can't understand. Sometimes we force our kids to do things they don't want to do but it is for their own good. Just because they don't get it doesn't mean it's not being done for their good. Same thing with life -- we learn and grow from adversity. It does not prove God does not care. Haven't you seen the hallmark coffee mug with the footsteps in the sand???.....

I've seen that saying on the cup -- and lots of other pleasant and comforting words, without assuming they are indicative of God's existence.

Consider that the learning that comes from adversity is is just that -- learning from adversity. It doesn't prove that God cares or doesn't care or that there's a god at all -- more likely that there is not, when you look at the randomness of life.

The saying on the cup is not from God -- it is human. It means: Human: why did you abandon me in my time of need? God: that was when I was helping you the most, but you didn't realize it.

All the ways God does NOT seem to show up in ways we recognize do not negate the times God DOES show up in ways we recognize.

I know what the saying on the cup means -- and that it was written by humans - not by God and can be presumed to be channeling god.

If there is a God who shows up sometimes and not others, it does suggest that, while he may exist, he's not looking out for some of us very well.

[Anonymous]

"I know what the saying on the cup means -- and that it was written by humans - not by God and can be presumed to be channeling god.

If there is a God who shows up sometimes and not others, it does suggest that, while he may exist, he's not looking out for some of us very well."


No, you do not get it. If you assume God is not looking out for you very well when he doesn't show up in the way you think is best, then you are assuming you know better than God what is best for you (or the world). God may be looking out for you in ways you aren't able to see or understand. There is a greater good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:God has shown himself over and over again through out history. There will always be those who continue to doubt even when he is standing right before their face - part of it is human nature. But as Christ said, blessed are those who have not seen and still believe.

Reading the Word of God is how you can surround yourself in God's guidance and that will make it easier for your recognize him when he does appear. There's a prayer for visitation - perhaps you would find that helpful.

Good that Christ made seeing without believing a blessing, because it encouraged a lot of people, who otherwise wouldn't, to believe.

Also, if god is so powerful and wonderful, I don't know why people would have to try so hard be aware of him.

I wonder what God was thinking when he made it easier for people to see their favorite rock star in person than to see God?

They don't, if they spend their lives in awe, worship and communion with Him, instead of so defensively trying to assert that He does not exist.

I suppose a few cloistered nuns and monks spend their lives in awe, etc with God, but most other people focus more on the lives they are living for the short while we're all here.

Is it defensive to suggest (not assert - can't prove a negative) that a being that has never been seen in the usual way that people experience things may not exist? Plenty of people have arrived at non-belief, even though the society they live in encourages and often forces belief on people. It's not defensiveness - it's reasoning about the world around us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"I know what the saying on the cup means -- and that it was written by humans - not by God and can be presumed to be channeling god.

If there is a God who shows up sometimes and not others, it does suggest that, while he may exist, he's not looking out for some of us very well."


No, you do not get it. If you assume God is not looking out for you very well when he doesn't show up in the way you think is best, then you are assuming you know better than God what is best for you (or the world). God may be looking out for you in ways you aren't able to see or understand. There is a greater good.

meant to say CAN't be presumed to be from god.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"I know what the saying on the cup means -- and that it was written by humans - not by God and can be presumed to be channeling god.

If there is a God who shows up sometimes and not others, it does suggest that, while he may exist, he's not looking out for some of us very well."


No, you do not get it. If you assume God is not looking out for you very well when he doesn't show up in the way you think is best, then you are assuming you know better than God what is best for you (or the world). God may be looking out for you in ways you aren't able to see or understand. There is a greater good.

God does a lot of that -- doing things we don't understand -- that seem against our best interests -- like getting terminal cancer - at a young age. Going down in an airplane on the way to your wedding. then sometimes he gives someone who's already rich a lot more money and at the same time burns down the house of poor people.

All part of his divine plan, or is there no plan because there is no god?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"I know what the saying on the cup means -- and that it was written by humans - not by God and can be presumed to be channeling god.

If there is a God who shows up sometimes and not others, it does suggest that, while he may exist, he's not looking out for some of us very well."


No, you do not get it. If you assume God is not looking out for you very well when he doesn't show up in the way you think is best, then you are assuming you know better than God what is best for you (or the world). God may be looking out for you in ways you aren't able to see or understand. There is a greater good.

God does a lot of that -- doing things we don't understand -- that seem against our best interests -- like getting terminal cancer - at a young age. Going down in an airplane on the way to your wedding. then sometimes he gives someone who's already rich a lot more money and at the same time burns down the house of poor people.

All part of his divine plan, or is there no plan because there is no god?

I think there are too many things we can't understand to make the assumption that because bad things happen, there must not be a God. We have no way of knowing what we or the world have been spared -- even spared as a direct result of something that seems "bad" or unfair. Sometimes it takes years and years to realize how much better off we are because of something bad we had been forced to endure. No one would choose to endure the things that make us stronger if given a choice. We would choose what was "best" at the time and not what was bad but made us stronger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"I know what the saying on the cup means -- and that it was written by humans - not by God and can be presumed to be channeling god.

If there is a God who shows up sometimes and not others, it does suggest that, while he may exist, he's not looking out for some of us very well."


No, you do not get it. If you assume God is not looking out for you very well when he doesn't show up in the way you think is best, then you are assuming you know better than God what is best for you (or the world). God may be looking out for you in ways you aren't able to see or understand. There is a greater good.

God does a lot of that -- doing things we don't understand -- that seem against our best interests -- like getting terminal cancer - at a young age. Going down in an airplane on the way to your wedding. then sometimes he gives someone who's already rich a lot more money and at the same time burns down the house of poor people.

All part of his divine plan, or is there no plan because there is no god?

I think there are too many things we can't understand to make the assumption that because bad things happen, there must not be a God. We have no way of knowing what we or the world have been spared -- even spared as a direct result of something that seems "bad" or unfair. Sometimes it takes years and years to realize how much better off we are because of something bad we had been forced to endure. No one would choose to endure the things that make us stronger if given a choice. We would choose what was "best" at the time and not what was bad but made us stronger.

You sure are giving God a lot of slack. And discounting a lot of human suffering

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"I know what the saying on the cup means -- and that it was written by humans - not by God and can be presumed to be channeling god.

If there is a God who shows up sometimes and not others, it does suggest that, while he may exist, he's not looking out for some of us very well."


No, you do not get it. If you assume God is not looking out for you very well when he doesn't show up in the way you think is best, then you are assuming you know better than God what is best for you (or the world). God may be looking out for you in ways you aren't able to see or understand. There is a greater good.

God does a lot of that -- doing things we don't understand -- that seem against our best interests -- like getting terminal cancer - at a young age. Going down in an airplane on the way to your wedding. then sometimes he gives someone who's already rich a lot more money and at the same time burns down the house of poor people.

All part of his divine plan, or is there no plan because there is no god?

I think there are too many things we can't understand to make the assumption that because bad things happen, there must not be a God. We have no way of knowing what we or the world have been spared -- even spared as a direct result of something that seems "bad" or unfair. Sometimes it takes years and years to realize how much better off we are because of something bad we had been forced to endure. No one would choose to endure the things that make us stronger if given a choice. We would choose what was "best" at the time and not what was bad but made us stronger.

You sure are giving God a lot of slack. And discounting a lot of human suffering

Yes, I am. I assume that God knows better than I do what is best. I have also felt "divine intervention" and I have a sense of faith, which is a real feeling, so that is why I have assumptions that God exists when it is not obvious.