leibowde84
Veteran Member
If Jesus appeared to me in that way of course that would be enough FOR ME. But for anyone else, they would be foolish to take my word for it without substantial proof.
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Can you swear that - you're affirm your religion is truth, and will never change to disbelieve it?
- Thread starter Pudding
- Start date
And I would completely agree of course leibowde84. I have always thought that, and often been ridiculed or asked to leave a particular church. I was visiting a friend's Pentecostal church and watched as these people 'spoke in tongues' and let's be honest, it's the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. I was both fascinated and perplexed but most of all, found it absurd. No one has the right to a claim on God. To imagine one does is the height of arrogance.
What if God appeared in a different form, or in the form of a differing religon? Does that mean it was ' not really God?' Because that is what happened for me. I never have asked a soul to believe me in this and never will. And therein lies my problem with this. The need to convert others to a faith makes zero sense to me. It is completely subjective, between them persons and God. Why bother with the folderol? And please, I am not trying to insult by any fashion. Just plain curious.Then you would be subjectively certain?
Have you considered Calvinism?
Lots of people will hate what you believe and accuse you of believing things that either are not your beliefs, or that they believe too, but word it to sound evil the way you believe it and good the way they say it.
On the plus side, God is responsible to do all of the heavy lifting when it comes to salvation.
[I am just kidding.]
As a serious answer, 'test the spirits' is good advice.
Start with what is knowable about God without any supernatural revelation.
Does whatever has been revealed agree with what is knowable from life and creation?
If no, then that should make you nervous.
If yes, then that should give you comfort.
[For the record, Calvinists believe that God chooses whom he chooses, so It is not on my shoulders to convert anyone.]
leibowde84
Veteran Member
There is no knowable information about God. It is merely speculation if it is based on subjective experience that in your opinion is connected with God.Have you considered Calvinism?
Lots of people will hate what you believe and accuse you of believing things that either are not your beliefs, or that they believe too, but word it to sound evil the way you believe it and good the way they say it.
On the plus side, God is responsible to do all of the heavy lifting when it comes to salvation.
[I am just kidding.]
As a serious answer, 'test the spirits' is good advice.
Start with what is knowable about God without any supernatural revelation.
Does whatever has been revealed agree with what is knowable from life and creation?
If no, then that should make you nervous.
If yes, then that should give you comfort.
[For the record, Calvinists believe that God chooses whom he chooses, so It is not on my shoulders to convert anyone.]
You are correct in that Leibo. I had such an experience but I will never say I can prove it. Of course, for me, it proved to me that there is something. Was it really 'God'. I cannot say that with 100% certainty. I beleive so but belief is not true knowledge. And I must admit that as a scientist.
Does it agree with what is knowable from life and creation? How do you mean that? I don't beleive God created us. I believe we evolved. I do believe something had a hand in it but was it God? I cannot say that with 100% certainty. Does that make me nervous? Nope. Not one bit. It proved to me that there is something watching us. I call it God because that is the most comfortable conceptual word for me. I have faced and survived death countless times in this life and know that there is something watching out for me. You choose to follow your faith with an organized religion. I choose to follow a more ubiquitous path.Have you considered Calvinism?
Lots of people will hate what you believe and accuse you of believing things that either are not your beliefs, or that they believe too, but word it to sound evil the way you believe it and good the way they say it.
On the plus side, God is responsible to do all of the heavy lifting when it comes to salvation.
[I am just kidding.]
As a serious answer, 'test the spirits' is good advice.
Start with what is knowable about God without any supernatural revelation.
Does whatever has been revealed agree with what is knowable from life and creation?
If no, then that should make you nervous.
If yes, then that should give you comfort.
[For the record, Calvinists believe that God chooses whom he chooses, so It is not on my shoulders to convert anyone.]
Thinking further about the question proposed by the OP, may I ask whether it isn't more important to be honest in one's practice than to be certain that it is "true" and resistant to disbelief?
leibowde84
Veteran Member
You are a scientist?! What do you work on?
Nursing research and the development of graduate level nursing courses. I admit that almost all of my research is of necessity qualitative, given the subject. I have, in the past, done quantitative research on FAS with rats and monkeys. Fascinating stuff, really. But my first love is, of course, doing research on elder abuse and pain.
How do you mean this Luis? Are you asking if I should resist other faiths or my own?
Right now, JoStories, I'm wondering what resisting a faith would be like. It sounds quite a bit more active and of far less clear purpose than I would advise.
Religious ideas should be learned about, judged for their worth, and adopted or not as we see fit. It is not very complicated, IMO.
I guess I really don't know how to answer Luis, oand it's just Jo. I don't really resist other faiths. They just don't work for me. It's not a question of needing to resist anything. If you choose to be an atheist, I don't see that as resistance either. It's just what makes sense to you, no?
Pretty much that, except that I don't even think it is fair to say I chose to be an atheist. I just turned out to be one.
Not sure i said it was an impossibility, though i do feel it highly unlikely ...more i would think that my understanding may be modified as new data became available,
or perhaps a degree of maturity allowed a softening of the dogmas in my programming ..
Norman
Defender of Truth
Norman: Hi FearGod, I answered that I can swear that what my Church teaches is true. However, I like your comment because that is How I feel also.