Anonymous wrote:
Lots of people "have the faith" to simply gain notoriety, attention, money, prestige, respect, etc.

God experience wouldn't exactly bring him popularity among his peers. Again, he's a medical doctor, a scientists, from ivy-league institutions. What do you think he colleagues will say? Most likely that he's crazy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are scientists that still don't believe in climate change. There are lawyers that defend child rapists. There are engineers that poorly design buildings. There are physicians that believe in "faith healing." A person's career has nothing to do with it. A person's career also doesn't stop someone from potentially having ulterior motives. Or from being a plain ol' idiot.

He wasn't religious before the coma, didn't go to church, didn't believe in God.

I'm not sure how that's relevant.

Why would he believe in faith healing if he didn't have the faith?

Lots of people "have the faith" to simply gain notoriety, attention, money, prestige, respect, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
A little OT, but this is the kind of response that makes those of us skeptical about religion throw up our hands in frustration. If you find God, great. If not - well, just try harder - "with all your heart." Still didn't work? You must not be trying with all of your heart! How do I know this? Because the Bible says so.

Stop trying, start feeling. Just pay attention to your feelings, that's all.

FWIW I did this, and that's how I came to admit to myself that I didn't believe in any religion or any gods. When quite with myself, when I stopped trying, when I was still with my heart, admitting that I was an atheist was my most genuine feeling.

Anonymous wrote:

therefore there must be a God?

He came to that conclusion and wanted to share. So he wrote a book. He also started a non-profit for those who experienced NDE.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are scientists that still don't believe in climate change. There are lawyers that defend child rapists. There are engineers that poorly design buildings. There are physicians that believe in "faith healing." A person's career has nothing to do with it. A person's career also doesn't stop someone from potentially having ulterior motives. Or from being a plain ol' idiot.

He wasn't religious before the coma, didn't go to church, didn't believe in God.

I'm not sure how that's relevant.

Why would he believe in faith healing if he didn't have the faith?

Anonymous wrote:
A little OT, but this is the kind of response that makes those of us skeptical about religion throw up our hands in frustration. If you find God, great. If not - well, just try harder - "with all your heart." Still didn't work? You must not be trying with all of your heart! How do I know this? Because the Bible says so.

Stop trying, start feeling. Just pay attention to your feelings, that's all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are scientists that still don't believe in climate change. There are lawyers that defend child rapists. There are engineers that poorly design buildings. There are physicians that believe in "faith healing." A person's career has nothing to do with it. A person's career also doesn't stop someone from potentially having ulterior motives. Or from being a plain ol' idiot.

He wasn't religious before the coma, didn't go to church, didn't believe in God.

therefore there must be a God?

Anonymous wrote:

Me again. The bible tells us that God loves us unconditionally and that nothing can separate us from that love. Because He knows that human beings can never be perfect (thats a whole other sermon) and that our sins would send us to a place without Him, He sacrificed His son to take on the punishment we deserve. What God does require is that we accept that sacrifice that Christ made for us because in doing so He promises us that every thing we do wrong is covered by that one sacrifice. So anyone who accepts that sacrifice has a clean slate as far as God is concerned.

Then what about hell? Who goes to hell? Those who didn't accept the sacrifice?

That's not what they tell us. I'm an Orthodox Christian. I'm told by the priest that deadly sins lead to hell as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There are scientists that still don't believe in climate change. There are lawyers that defend child rapists. There are engineers that poorly design buildings. There are physicians that believe in "faith healing." A person's career has nothing to do with it. A person's career also doesn't stop someone from potentially having ulterior motives. Or from being a plain ol' idiot.

He wasn't religious before the coma, didn't go to church, didn't believe in God.

I'm not sure how that's relevant.

Anonymous wrote:

I'm not a Christian in the accepted sense of the word, but I don't believe that true Christianity teaches this.

Then how do you know what it teaches?

Anonymous wrote:

There are scientists that still don't believe in climate change. There are lawyers that defend child rapists. There are engineers that poorly design buildings. There are physicians that believe in "faith healing." A person's career has nothing to do with it. A person's career also doesn't stop someone from potentially having ulterior motives. Or from being a plain ol' idiot.

He wasn't religious before the coma, didn't go to church, didn't believe in God.

Anonymous wrote:If there is a heaven, why so much mystery? Why would a God not just let us all know that it truly exists by showing us.

I think, and it's also mentioned in the book that some things we're not able to learn, comprehend from our limited level of development. So the only thing left is to believe he's there. Take the word for it.

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Anonymous wrote:Slightly OT but kind of relevant. Doesn't the fact that we exist at all just blow your mind? For me that was one of the driving forces in investigating the existence of higher power - in my case God/Jesus. I really find it amazing that people dismiss God outright without any attempt at finding out if He exists.

How do you suggest we go about this?

Have you ever tried just asking Him? Just saying , "God, if you're really there please show me", then see what happens.

I did when I saw your post. Still waiting. Though I just found out I may have to work this weekend - which way does that cut?

God says " if you seek me you will find me, if you seek me with all our heart"
Don't give up.
Let me know what happens.

A little OT, but this is the kind of response that makes those of us skeptical about religion throw up our hands in frustration. If you find God, great. If not - well, just try harder - "with all your heart." Still didn't work? You must not be trying with all of your heart! How do I know this? Because the Bible says so.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Slightly OT but kind of relevant. Doesn't the fact that we exist at all just blow your mind? For me that was one of the driving forces in investigating the existence of higher power - in my case God/Jesus. I really find it amazing that people dismiss God outright without any attempt at finding out if He exists.

How do you suggest we go about this?

Have you ever tried just asking Him? Just saying , "God, if you're really there please show me", then see what happens.

NP.

Yes. I tried this. I've tried meditation, prayer, other people praying for me, praying with other people, ritual, rosaries, Mass, fasting, hallucinogens, etc. I really mean it when I say I looked everywhere for God and concluded that he wasn't there. I looked hard and I looked for years. I was raised RC, became a mushy New Age Christian (Unity), became a pagan, became a Buddhist, tried to go back to Christianity several times, tried to go back to being RC a couple of times. I ended up as an atheist. I don't feel God and I don't perceive God through reason.

It wasn't for lack of trying, though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Slightly OT but kind of relevant. Doesn't the fact that we exist at all just blow your mind? For me that was one of the driving forces in investigating the existence of higher power - in my case God/Jesus. I really find it amazing that people dismiss God outright without any attempt at finding out if He exists.

How do you suggest we go about this?

Have you ever tried just asking Him? Just saying , "God, if you're really there please show me", then see what happens.

I did when I saw your post. Still waiting. Though I just found out I may have to work this weekend - which way does that cut?

I did, then I suddenly felt the urge to use the loo. I'm not sure what to extract from that kind of alleged response.