1/15,000 chance that you're right.

[Prometheus]

To every single person who follows an organized religion, I ask two questions.

If you believe your religious convictions are correct, how can you be so certain about them when you know there are thousands of other religions out there in this world?

Let me put it this way. As much faith as you may have, as strongly as you believe your religion is the truth, as much as you think you know you're correct, I guarantee there is someone out there who believes in a different religion and is just as, if not more convinced they are right than you are. How do you justify your belief considering how stacked the odds are against you?

Second, to those who still believe in the religion they were raised in, don't you ever wonder that your beliefs are just an accident of geography?

If you were born in India, chances are very good you would be a Hindu. If you were born in the Middle East, chances are very good you would be a Muslim. If you were born in a Western country, chances are very good you would be a Christian.

Or, to take it one step further, if you were born in ancient Greece or Norway, there's no doubt in my mind you would believe in Zeus or Thor respectively.

For so many of you, your religion is an accident of where and what conditions you were born into. Are you so egotistical to think you are one of the lucky few who just happened to be born into the right religion? Because I've got news for you, so does everyone else.

If you still believe in the religion you were brought up in, I'd advise you to seriously, seriously consider why you believe what you do. It has nothing to do with if it's true or not. It's simply what you were taught. You believe what you do because it's what you were told to do.

Think about it.

 

[wizanda]

Mustard seed = Upanishads, Dhammapada, Quran, Bible + possibly more…..
Mammon = Bible, Gita + possibly more
Carpenter as Judge = Tao Te Ching, Bible, Quran + Possibly more
Fig as final messenger = Bible, Gita + Possibly more

That is just some and haven’t even started yet, they are what we have found along my travels of the books, which has been brief as there are so many…yet all is one in our eyes….Man clearly follows each other and separates nations and states also, when all is one world….so if we stopped looking with blinkers on, maybe we might see that there are others working along side as one unit.
Which is the inherent meaning of the mustard seed…..all grow towards the light without the need of books to do so.

 

[Comprehend]

Q1. Communication with God.

Q2. I don't believe we are born in places by chance.

 

[wizanda]

Hey our photo's look like twins :angel2: yet that is me and yours is an artist impression.......lol

 

[Prometheus]

Q1. Communication with God.

Everyone else communicates with God as well.

Q2. I don't believe we are born in places by chance.

This goes back to the egotism thing. What makes you so special?

 

[James the Persian]

Q1. Communication with God.

Q2. I don't believe we are born in places by chance.

I agree with the answer to Q1 (and no, it doesn't have to be objectively provable to make it seem subjectively certain). I can't agree with your answer to Q2 because that question simply doesn't apply to me. I am not, any longer, in the faith in which I was raised and nor am I a member of a faith that has any great prevalence where I live. I chose to convert to it because I believed it to be correct, so geographic accident simply doesn't apply.

James

 

[FFH]

Prometheus,

I gained my belief that the LDS church had the most amount of truth by pure knowledge fed to my mind, not from an earthly father, but a heavenly Father.

No mortal man convinced me of the many truths the LDS church possessed.

I am also a descendant of Hyrum Smith...

We are placed on this earth in the families that we chose in the pre-existence. The circumstance, time and place were also based on our obedience and choices we made in the pre-existence.

If you have ever had a patriarchal blessing you would know that this is true...

The person who gave me my patriarchal blessing knew nothing of me. We had never met, yet he knew all about me, when he blessed me, and spoke about things that only I would know...

Nothing in this life is random, but is the result of a perfect design by God, orchestrated to bring as many of his children back to him as possible..

 

[Prometheus]

I agree with the answer to Q1 (and no, it doesn't have to be objectively provable to make it seem subjectively certain).

If you and Comprehend both communicate with God, then why do you have different beliefs?

 

[Prometheus]

I gained my belief that the LDS church had the most amount of truth by pure knowledge fed to my mind, not from an earthly father, but a heavenly Father.

No mortal man convinced me of the truth the LDS church possessed.

Why doesn't God do this for everyone? How come he only tells Latter-Day Saints the truth in their minds but not the other billions of people in the world?

I am also a descendant of Hyrum Smith...

That's irrelevant.

We are placed on this earth in the families that we chose in the pre-existence and the circumstances and the time were also based on our obedience and choices we made in the pre-existence.

So people choose to be born to abusive parents? People choose to be born to a drug-addicted mother so they can be born with the addiction as well?

If you have ever had a patriarchal blessing you would know that this is true...

I have had one.

The person who gave me my patriarchal blessing knew nothing of me. We had never met, yet he knew all about me when he blessed me and spoke things about me that only I would know...

Claimed "psychics" do this all the time. Are they inspired by God?

 

[James the Persian]

If you and Comprehend both communicate with God, then why do you have different beliefs?

Because what communication there is, for most people, is not entirely clear cut. Few people have revelations as such. For most of us it's just the fact that we are made in the image of God and that whilst that may be clouded, it isn't entirely gone. We aren't being dictated to, but there are enough hints that are sufficient to convince us that God is there. I, personally, find that the most complete and consistent explanation for this is Orthodox Christianity. I don't doubt that Comprehend feels the same about his faith or that anyone else who is in a differing faith thinks the same of theirs. That doesn't mean that subjectively I am not utterly convinced that my faith is correct. We can't all be correct and yet one of the beauties of my faith (and the LDS seem to share this view) is that God wills that all be saved and pours His grace on all, so I'm fairly confident that honestly trying to serve God is far more important in the grand sense than which of us is correct. The thing is that faith is a synergy of God's grace and man's effort - and man will always remain fallible, so I find it unremarkable that people hold to different faiths with such conviction.

James

 

[neves]

I got my faith through learning… every time I put it up to scrutiny… at the end… it stood up in my mind… I am sure other people have different faiths and good for them… I am not the one to push my beliefs up their noses… If they ask me honest questions I will try to answer them best as possible and let god sort out the rest…

Geographically /Demographically … I should have been Buddhist or Hindu… where I was born only 10-13 % are Muslims… so I don’t consider that a factor personally…

 

[Comprehend]

Everyone else communicates with God as well.

I am happy they do. You asked why I believe my religious convictions to be correct. I told you the answer. Why would God only communicate with people of my religion? We are all His children.

This goes back to the egotism thing. What makes you so special?

I don't know.

 

[FFH]

Everyone else communicates with God as well.

Yeah, but do we listen and obey his word as it is dictated to our hearts and minds or do we push it aside thinking we know better...

I do the same thing, don't get me wrong...

This goes back to the egotism thing. What makes you so special?

Probably his choices in the pre-existence...

You were born into an LDS family, at least I think you said you were, which says a lot about the choices you made before coming to earth...

We have all made different choices before coming to earth and then are given different challenges and responsibilities on this earth..

Life is hard for all of us...

What religion we are born into depends on what level of understanding and acceptance of Christ's gospel we have prior to coming to earth...

 

[Comprehend]

If you and Comprehend both communicate with God, then why do you have different beliefs?

we are both learning. Just because we both communicate with God doesn't mean we have a perfect understanding. I certainly don't.

There is also a great deal that our two faiths have in common.

 

[Comprehend]

Because what communication there is, for most people, is not entirely clear cut. Few people have revelations as such. For most of us it's just the fact that we are made in the image of God and that whilst that may be clouded, it isn't entirely gone. We aren't being dictated to, but there are enough hints that are sufficient to convince us that God is there. I, personally, find that the most complete and consistent explanation for this is Orthodox Christianity. I don't doubt that Comprehend feels the same about his faith or that anyone else who is in a differing faith thinks the same of theirs. That doesn't mean that subjectively I am not utterly convinced that my faith is correct. We can't all be correct and yet one of the beauties of my faith (and the LDS seem to share this view) is that God wills that all be saved and pours His grace on all, so I'm fairly confident that honestly trying to serve God is far more important in the grand sense than which of us is correct. The thing is that faith is a synergy of God's grace and man's effort - and man will always remain fallible, so I find it unremarkable that people hold to different faiths with such conviction.

James

I agree. We are all God's children. It would not make any sense for God to refuse to speak to those who seek to do His will regardless of their professed faith.



Matt 7:7-11
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

 

[FFH]

If you and Comprehend both communicate with God, then why do you have different beliefs?

We all have a different understanding of more complicated issues, our basic belefs being the same...

We are not perfect yet and have many questions that may not be answered fully until we have entered into the next phase of our existence, when we will be given more light and knowledge until we have obtained a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of God...

There will be varying degrees of understanding among all religions and even among those of our own faith...

We are not all robots and can think and obtain knowledge at our own pace..

 

[FFH]

Why doesn't God do this for everyone? How come he only tells Latter-Day Saints the truth in their minds but not the other billions of people in the world?

Everyone is at a different level of understanding of Christ's gospel. Line upon line we are taught by the Spirit of God, which is the Holy Ghost.

We as LDS have a right to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, which is the Spirit and power of God. because hands have been laid upon our heads and the Holy Ghost given to us if we are worthy to receive it..

If you were baptized and confirmed (hands layed upon your head) you would have that same right to the influence of the Holy Ghost, unless there is something amiss in your life...

It takes righteous effort on our part in order to receive the promptings of the Holy Ghost, which is just God's way of talking to us while we are seperated from him physically.

God tries to get our attention but only a few really listen and hear his voice. The rest of us just think we know better and don't need his help,..

We all do it at times or all the time...

God is the only one who knows what's best for us because he is not bound by time, space, etc...

He can see all and knows all both, past present and future...

 

[FFH]

That's irrelavent.

Nothing is irrelavent.

So people choose to be born to abusive parents? People choose to be born to a drug-addicted mother so they can be born with the addiction as well?

Yes, I beleive we have a say in what families we are born into, but it does also depend on our degree of obedience to God prior to coming to earth, of that I am sure.

We choose from among a number of choices set before us and are counseled by God which choice will be best for us...

God is a sovereign God and we are allowed to make certain choices within certain boundaries...

I have had one.

So you should know that God is aware of you and your particular circumstances...

Claimed "psychics" do this all the time. Are they inspired by God?

Difference is phychics are working by a different power opposed to God and his work.

Phsycics work within a different spiritual realm...

Patriarchs are not physcics, but only pronounce blessings upon our lives that can become reality if we are faithful...

It's an offense to the priesthood of God to think of a patriarchal blessing as something that will happen no matter what. It's only a set of possibilities that can happen if we are faithful...

Phycics foretell the future, patriarchs give a blessing, listing the possible set of circumstances, that can happen, if we fully obey God.

 

[wizanda]

Do any of you listen?
The Books link....stop with the high percentages, that drops those by astronomical figures.
The chances of those being recorded the same is astronomical...was going to say this earlier…………… if you do get the blinkers off for even one second to realize a capital I is a timeline, a little i has a head in part of Oneness/heaven...
So stop with the EGO that all books are separate and get with the program, that they all interweave.....

Will inform and remind for those who haven't heard me say this yet, that the elders, ascended masters in heaven are
Lao Tzu, Buddha etc left hand side of a circle = sages advisors.....
Yeshua, my self and others right hand side = Warriors....

so when we spend all day again and again in many life times, trying to show the world it is one, why are people so determined to ignore this and go back to separating our books all the time?

 

[FFH]

Do any of you listen?
The Books link....stop with the high percentages, that drops those by astronomical figures.
The chances of those being recorded the same is astronomical...was going to say this earlier…………… if you do get the blinkers off for even one second to realize a capital I is a timeline, a little i has a head in part of Oneness/heaven...
So stop with the EGO that all books are separate and get with the program, that they all interweave.....

Will inform and remind for those who haven't heard me say this yet, that the elders, ascended masters in heaven are
Lao Tzu, Buddha etc left hand side of a circle = sages advisors.....
Yeshua, my self and others right hand side = Warriors....

so when we spend all day again and again in many life times, trying to show the world it is one, why are people so determined to ignore this and go back to separating our books all the time?

Dude, I'm gonna pray for you man...:angel2: