Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should feel naive.
You are like children still believing in Santa Claus.

I believe God shows himself by acting through our emotions. We get feelings to avoid certain people or things, or to reach out for certain people or things. I also have a strong sense of faith, which is a real feeling. I don't think this is like believing in Santa Claus at all. Pretty naive of you to think that most people on this planet are childish because they have spiritual beliefs.

Not childish, necessarily - but naive. The god you describe above warns you to avoid bad things and directs you to good things, but surely this is not always the case -- bad things happen to you too and sometimes, after much careful deliberation you might make a decision that turns out to be bad. Where is God then? Same place as when you felt protected or guided -- nowhere.

Do people who know me assume I still exist when I am not there at the moment? Of course they do. Why does God have to communicate with us 24/7 for us to believe in the existence of God?

People who know you were not taught to believe you existed or that you had unusual powers, including being invisible but omnipresent. they determined for themselves that you were real based on seeing or hearing you and spending time with you and sharing ideas and experiences.

My point though was, just because God sometimes gives us clear guidance and other times doesn't, doesn't mean God does not exist. If you have ever experienced a strong gut feeling about something, then you have experienced God, IMO. Of course that doesn't ALWAYS happen. Just like I still exist when I am not in the room, so does God even when we are not feeling God's presence.

the fact that God sometimes doesn't provide guidance doesn't mean he doesn't exist, but it does strongly imply that he sometimes isn't caring for us when we really need it -- and seems to be much kinder to some people than to others. This suggests that it is more likely that there is not a special being watching over those who believe in him.

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???.....

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should feel naive.
You are like children still believing in Santa Claus.

I believe God shows himself by acting through our emotions. We get feelings to avoid certain people or things, or to reach out for certain people or things. I also have a strong sense of faith, which is a real feeling. I don't think this is like believing in Santa Claus at all. Pretty naive of you to think that most people on this planet are childish because they have spiritual beliefs.

Not childish, necessarily - but naive. The god you describe above warns you to avoid bad things and directs you to good things, but surely this is not always the case -- bad things happen to you too and sometimes, after much careful deliberation you might make a decision that turns out to be bad. Where is God then? Same place as when you felt protected or guided -- nowhere.

Do people who know me assume I still exist when I am not there at the moment? Of course they do. Why does God have to communicate with us 24/7 for us to believe in the existence of God?

People who know you were not taught to believe you existed or that you had unusual powers, including being invisible but omnipresent. they determined for themselves that you were real based on seeing or hearing you and spending time with you and sharing ideas and experiences.

My point though was, just because God sometimes gives us clear guidance and other times doesn't, doesn't mean God does not exist. If you have ever experienced a strong gut feeling about something, then you have experienced God, IMO. Of course that doesn't ALWAYS happen. Just like I still exist when I am not in the room, so does God even when we are not feeling God's presence.

the fact that God sometimes doesn't provide guidance doesn't mean he doesn't exist, but it does strongly imply that he sometimes isn't caring for us when we really need it -- and seems to be much kinder to some people than to others. This suggests that it is more likely that there is not a special being watching over those who believe in him.

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

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?

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.

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

what is "it all?" Do you mean the promise of an afterlife for those who believe in a particular god - with the option of eternal suffering if you don't believe?

That's one religion's promise and threat.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should feel naive.
You are like children still believing in Santa Claus.

I believe God shows himself by acting through our emotions. We get feelings to avoid certain people or things, or to reach out for certain people or things. I also have a strong sense of faith, which is a real feeling. I don't think this is like believing in Santa Claus at all. Pretty naive of you to think that most people on this planet are childish because they have spiritual beliefs.

Not childish, necessarily - but naive. The god you describe above warns you to avoid bad things and directs you to good things, but surely this is not always the case -- bad things happen to you too and sometimes, after much careful deliberation you might make a decision that turns out to be bad. Where is God then? Same place as when you felt protected or guided -- nowhere.

Do people who know me assume I still exist when I am not there at the moment? Of course they do. Why does God have to communicate with us 24/7 for us to believe in the existence of God?

People who know you were not taught to believe you existed or that you had unusual powers, including being invisible but omnipresent. they determined for themselves that you were real based on seeing or hearing you and spending time with you and sharing ideas and experiences.

My point though was, just because God sometimes gives us clear guidance and other times doesn't, doesn't mean God does not exist. If you have ever experienced a strong gut feeling about something, then you have experienced God, IMO. Of course that doesn't ALWAYS happen. Just like I still exist when I am not in the room, so does God even when we are not feeling God's presence.

Anonymous wrote:"I think it pisses God off if people walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it. People think pleasing God is all God cares about. But any fool living in the world can see it trying to please us back." (From memory - may be slightly in exact.)

It's a lovely line written by Alice Walker in a work of fiction.

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

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should feel naive.
You are like children still believing in Santa Claus.

I believe God shows himself by acting through our emotions. We get feelings to avoid certain people or things, or to reach out for certain people or things. I also have a strong sense of faith, which is a real feeling. I don't think this is like believing in Santa Claus at all. Pretty naive of you to think that most people on this planet are childish because they have spiritual beliefs.

Not childish, necessarily - but naive. The god you describe above warns you to avoid bad things and directs you to good things, but surely this is not always the case -- bad things happen to you too and sometimes, after much careful deliberation you might make a decision that turns out to be bad. Where is God then? Same place as when you felt protected or guided -- nowhere.

Do people who know me assume I still exist when I am not there at the moment? Of course they do. Why does God have to communicate with us 24/7 for us to believe in the existence of God?

People who know you were not taught to believe you existed or that you had unusual powers, including being invisible but omnipresent. they determined for themselves that you were real based on seeing or hearing you and spending time with you and sharing ideas and experiences.

Anonymous wrote:I don't know that God can "show" himself. I'm not sure what you are expecting to see. God is spiritual, a sense of integrity, doing unto others. He shows himself every time that little voice inside our heads speaks up...and tells us that we've been petty, mean, dishonest, unfaithful, unkind..

He also shows us encouragement when we are trying to do our best. This does not mean that we won't have our struggles because we ALL do at some point. But He will be there for us when we do struggle.

Have you studied any cognitive psychology? Chimps can "do unto others" -- it's part of evolution that animals learned to cooperative in order to survive.

And where is God's voice when we are being petty, mean, etc? As for struggles -- sometimes they work out and perhaps you give god credit for helping, but what about when things don't work out? Where is god then? taking a break or helping someone else?

It's natural to be grateful when things go well, but that doesn't mean there is is an unseen being who is responsible.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should feel naive.
You are like children still believing in Santa Claus.

I believe God shows himself by acting through our emotions. We get feelings to avoid certain people or things, or to reach out for certain people or things. I also have a strong sense of faith, which is a real feeling. I don't think this is like believing in Santa Claus at all. Pretty naive of you to think that most people on this planet are childish because they have spiritual beliefs.

Not childish, necessarily - but naive. The god you describe above warns you to avoid bad things and directs you to good things, but surely this is not always the case -- bad things happen to you too and sometimes, after much careful deliberation you might make a decision that turns out to be bad. Where is God then? Same place as when you felt protected or guided -- nowhere.

Do people who know me assume I still exist when I am not there at the moment? Of course they do. Why does God have to communicate with us 24/7 for us to believe in the existence of God?

Anonymous wrote:God shows Himself to me everyday through the beauty of the cosmos and the goodwill of my fellow human beings.

And what about when there is a tsunami or an earthquake or a school full of little kids gunned down by a deranged gunman? where is god hiding then?

Seems like god gets credit for all the good things and none of the blame for the bad things.

Truly, I think it's possible to appreciate the cosmos and the many times when people can be really good to each other, without ascribing it all to a unseen being.

"I think it pisses God off if people walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it. People think pleasing God is all God cares about. But any fool living in the world can see it trying to please us back." (From memory - may be slightly in exact.)

I don't know that God can "show" himself. I'm not sure what you are expecting to see. God is spiritual, a sense of integrity, doing unto others. He shows himself every time that little voice inside our heads speaks up...and tells us that we've been petty, mean, dishonest, unfaithful, unkind..

He also shows us encouragement when we are trying to do our best. This does not mean that we won't have our struggles because we ALL do at some point. But He will be there for us when we do struggle.

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.