Experiencing God

[Sonofason]

Teaching you your own scripture should be taken as a blessing - you should thank me, after all it's the words of god you have failed to read.

Yes, and please don't forget that. It's the word of God, just as you said.

 

[Muffled]

Do you remember these events better at 72 than you did at, say, 20?


But the other gospels say things that John didn't, so how is this a mark in John's favour?

BTW: for a while now, I've thought that "Paraclete" would be a good name for a brand of high quality bedding ("a comforter that will be with you forever").

I believe having an experiene of the Parclete gives evidence that John understood the message but I perhaps exaggerated because John talks about it more but it is also true that the other authors talked about the Paraclete also.

I believe my memories of it are the same as they were when I was 20.

I would not trnslate it as comforter but as companion. I do have a more peaceful sleep with Hin but I don't think that can be marketed.

 

[Muffled]

So, when Allah, or any other deity different from yours, speaks to people, would you consider that a fact?

If not, why not?

Ciao

- viole

I don't believe Allah is a different deity. I can discern God by what He says and how He says it.

 

[Muffled]

Teaching you your own scripture should be taken as a blessing - you should thank me, after all it's the words of god you have failed to read.

I don't believe in accepting teachers verbatim and rely on the teaching of Jesus instead. I believe you are able to read the words but that doesn't mean you comprehend them.

 

[john2054]

Bunyip, as much as I hate to rock your boat (again) but the theory of zero sum energy in the universe is a theory nothing more nothing less. Useful for certain physicists and mathematicians when they were researching their theses no doubt, but actually of futile lasting worth. In my opinion!

 

[Muffled]

Someone has to because apparently the choir has no idea what the hell they're talking about. There are reasons that the studies show conclusively that non-theists know a lot more about religion than the people who supposedly follow it.

My granddaughter says she knows her Bible but she doesn't believe any of it. I believe knowledhge can only go so far. However there are certainly many people on RF who know their Bible as well as anyone and I nbeleive I am one of them but I go even further than that because I have the Paraclete to give me an understanding of what I read.

 

[Cephus]

My granddaughter says she knows her Bible but she doesn't believe any of it. I believe knowledhge can only go so far. However there are certainly many people on RF who know their Bible as well as anyone and I nbeleive I am one of them but I go even further than that because I have the Paraclete to give me an understanding of what I read.

There are unfortunately a lot of people who claim to have faith but absolutely zero knowledge. They have no idea what it is they claim to have faith in. They have faith in faith. That's really stupid IMO. If you don't know the details of what you supposedly have faith in, then your faith is entirely misplaced.

 

[Sonofason]

There are unfortunately a lot of people who claim to have faith but absolutely zero knowledge. They have no idea what it is they claim to have faith in. They have faith in faith. That's really stupid IMO. If you don't know the details of what you supposedly have faith in, then your faith is entirely misplaced.

I believe that you are not giving faith the credit it is due. Faith is what makes the world go round. We've got people all over the world getting up every day, going to school, going to work, going on vacations, going to ballgames, etc. Virtually everything that everyone does, they do because of faith. We can have faith in ourselves. We can have faith in other people. We can have faith in knowledge and science. We can have faith in nature, and we can also have faith in just about everything else except only those things in which we don't have faith. And some of us also have faith in God. Some people will even place their faith in God simply because they have faith in and trust another person, and I certainly would not say that such a faith in God is somehow misdirected or misplaced. For this world to do well, and for it to do even better than it is doing right now, it would do all of us well to be trustworthy and honest, so that all others can be confident in us, to have faith in us, that what we say is true, we truly believe is true.

According to sociologist Rodney Stark, religious people are much less likely to commit crimes such as burglary, larceny, robbery, assault, rape, and homicide. Religious people are less likely to transmit sexually transmitted diseases. Professor Stark's research also shows that "religious people are the primary source of charitable funds not only for religious causes but for secular philanthropies that benefit all victims of distress and misfortune. They are far more likely to volunteer their time for programs that benefit society and to be active in civic matters." In addition, he has found that the evidence “shows overwhelmingly that religion protects against mental illness," contrary to the lies often taught in schools "that religion either contributes to mental illness or is itself a dangerous species of psychopathology." Nope, religious people are actually "happier, less neurotic, and far less likely to commit suicide.”
Defending the Faith: Sociologist explains how religion benefits even atheists | Deseret News

Religious people are more likely to marry. They are more likely to stay married. They express greater happiness in their marriages. The are less likely to have extra-marital affairs. Religious males are less likely to abuse their wives and children. Mother child relationships are stronger. Religious people suffer fewer heart disease, strokes and high blood pressure or hypertension. They live an average of 7 years longer. Religious students on average get better grades, score higher on achievement tests. They're less likely to be suspended, to be expelled and less likely to drop out of school. They get better jobs. They maintain their jobs, and are less likely to find themselves in the unemployment lines, or on welfare.
Defending the Faith: Sociologist explains how religion benefits even atheists | Deseret News
America's Blessings | Templeton Press

Nope, being religious, believing in God, makes a person's life better. That means that generally speaking, religious people are actually better people. Well, that's my opinion anyhow, for what it's worth. Don't get me wrong, I know a lot of seemingly good atheists, and I have to give them credit for that, because the odds are against them.

In my opinion, whether or not you have ever received any personal satisfying evidence for the existence of God or not, I suggest you consider what I have said as evidence of God. Even if you put your faith in God just to be a better person, I assure you, you can't go wrong. And maybe, just maybe, somewhere along the way, you might get to experience God for yourself. Then you'll know what I know.

Faith in God makes us better people. That alone is a good enough reason to have faith in God. And it is a faith well placed.

 

[joshua3886]

I am amazed that so many believers that have had "spiritual" experiences won't share their experiences with others. It ought not surprise me however, as I too have had "spiritual" experiences that I just will not share with anyone. I gather that the telling of such experiences puts one at risk of throwing one's pearls to the swine.

My experience of God has actually brought me to a point where I no longer require faith to believe in God. I am absolutely certain of his existence and presence in my life.

So I guess that leaves me with a question for those who have had God experiences. What do you think it was that you did which enabled you to experience what you experienced? What did you do to invoke God's attention?

I had many "religious experiences", but then I talked to a psychologist about it. I was diagnosed with bipolar and she explained that certain bipolar people can start to hear voices. She also explained that the main types of voices and visuals that people tend to experience are those that people are most familiar with like God, Jesus or the Devil for example. So now I take medication and the religious experiences magically stopped. So maybe medication is God's kryptonite or maybe every religious person is crazy like me and my father who refused to take his medication until he died.
Also, as I started taking psychology courses in college I started to learn how easily the human mind can be manipulated into seeing what we want to see. The more I learned about human psychology the more atheistic and skeptical I became of so called supernatural experiences. I think the same would apply to anyone else who read up on human psychology and took it seriously.

 

[Sonofason]

I had many "religious experiences", but then I talked to a psychologist about it. I was diagnosed with bipolar and she explained that certain bipolar people can start to hear voices. She also explained that the main types of voices and visuals that people tend to experience are those that people are most familiar with like God, Jesus or the Devil for example. So now I take medication and the religious experiences magically stopped. So maybe medication is God's kryptonite or maybe every religious person is crazy like me and my father who refused to take his medication until he died.
Also, as I started taking psychology courses in college I started to learn how easily the human mind can be manipulated into seeing what we want to see. The more I learned about human psychology the more atheistic and skeptical I became of so called supernatural experiences. I think the same would apply to anyone else who read up on human psychology and took it seriously.

That should be very useful to you on Judgement Day.

 

[Cephus]

That should be very useful to you on Judgement Day.

Judgement Day was a long time ago, Sarah and John Connor stopped it in the early 90s. How does that have anything to do with anything?

 

[AllanV]

I had many "religious experiences", but then I talked to a psychologist about it. I was diagnosed with bipolar and she explained that certain bipolar people can start to hear voices. She also explained that the main types of voices and visuals that people tend to experience are those that people are most familiar with like God, Jesus or the Devil for example. So now I take medication and the religious experiences magically stopped. So maybe medication is God's kryptonite or maybe every religious person is crazy like me and my father who refused to take his medication until he died.
Also, as I started taking psychology courses in college I started to learn how easily the human mind can be manipulated into seeing what we want to see. The more I learned about human psychology the more atheistic and skeptical I became of so called supernatural experiences. I think the same would apply to anyone else who read up on human psychology and took it seriously.

The religious experiences didn't magically stop they were medically stomped on. These psychologist types have been curing this for centuries. It used to be death then shock treatment and now it is chemicals.
I have known a few bipolar and schizophrenic people and it is debilitating. But in saying that when reading scriptures Jesus was said to be mad but then He was eventually murdered.

The experience of God may need a hormonal shift and this can be induced in certain ways. It is real none the less but the goal is Love in a quiet and peaceful nature.
I do question people's motives because they all seem to wear a mask and hide a lot. So called normal people with normal hormone and emotional balance are full of all manner of deficiencies. Just look at what they do to each other. Also I don't like to think what drugs do but just talking and believing can cause problems within the mind.

 

[joshua3886]

That should be very useful to you on Judgement Day.

Yes, I will explain to Odin that I am insane in the mainframe when Ragnarok happens.

 

[joshua3886]

The religious experiences didn't magically stop they were medically stomped on. These psychologist types have been curing this for centuries. It used to be death then shock treatment and now it is chemicals.
I have known a few bipolar and schizophrenic people and it is debilitating. But in saying that when reading scriptures Jesus was said to be mad but then He was eventually murdered.

The experience of God may need a hormonal shift and this can be induced in certain ways. It is real none the less but the goal is Love in a quiet and peaceful nature.
I do question people's motives because they all seem to wear a mask and hide a lot. So called normal people with normal hormone and emotional balance are full of all manner of deficiencies. Just look at what they do to each other. Also I don't like to think what drugs do but just talking and believing can cause problems within the mind.

I get it now, medication kills God. Just like video cameras kill ghosts.

 

[Sha'irullah]

Experiencing god is sort of like experiencing video games. You are under the impression you are experiencing war but you are really just experiencing colored pixels carefully arranged on a screen.
The issue is that we have come to accept that such pixels aren't really war and the same could be said for experiencing god. It is just grownups playing make believe sort of like Call of Duty fanboys.

Millions of people play Call of Duty and treat it as real and billions of people play religious and treat it as real. Does not make it the truth yet alone real

 

[Sonofason]

Judgement Day was a long time ago, Sarah and John Connor stopped it in the early 90s. How does that have anything to do with anything?

I'm sorry, I keep forgetting that unbelievers are incapable of seeing what believers are capable of seeing. By all means continue on your present course. All will work out just fine, and as it should.

 

[AllanV]

I get it now, medication kills God. Just like video cameras kill ghosts.

God is real and there is going to be a judgement. I had an experience of God when I was 26 and thankfully didn't relate it too widely. A friends family were atheists and he ended up in psychiatric care. He stayed at my place with my wife and youngster for a short while. He later became fat and a bit useless although his mind kept working but he died young in a bazaar accident.
It is possible to have an experience of what the Bible is about without ever reading it. It comes into the mind as a whole concept or explanation in a short burst. It is like having another mind or seeing another mind beyond and separate from own mind.
God is clothed in light and He manifests everything that is seen at every instant. We have our being and presence in God. But the natural mind is closed by own personality because knowing God as He requests is a little deeper and just beyond where usual thoughts are.

 

[AllanV]

Experiencing god is sort of like experiencing video games. You are under the impression you are experiencing war but you are really just experiencing colored pixels carefully arranged on a screen.
The issue is that we have come to accept that such pixels aren't really war and the same could be said for experiencing god. It is just grownups playing make believe sort of like Call of Duty fanboys.

Millions of people play Call of Duty and treat it as real and billions of people play religious and treat it as real. Does not make it the truth yet alone real

God is clothed in Light. The colored pixel thought is very close. The whole of creation the whole universe is made to appear at every instant. But of course all life exists and has being and presence as well. This was all written thousands of years ago but this is the same revelation that I received. I had never read the Bible and would not have understood it if I had before the spontaneous experience.

 

[Sha'irullah]

God is clothed in Light. The colored pixel thought is very close. The whole of creation the whole universe is made to appear at every instant. But of course all life exists and has being and presence as well. This was all written thousands of years ago but this is the same revelation that I received. I had never read the Bible and would not have understood it if I had before the spontaneous experience.

No god is god and light is light. With this logic Krishna is light and so is a totem pole. Light is a form of radiation and has nothing to do with a god. From what you speak of I would not have much to say about your experiences except that you seek psychiatric help but it is best to be evaluated first. Sometimes such things are included with your health plan so it may not be that expensive.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I'm sorry, I keep forgetting that unbelievers are incapable of seeing what believers are capable of seeing. By all means continue on your present course. All will work out just fine, and as it should.

You aren't exactly giving a ringing endorsement for your religion. In my experience, non-imaginary things can be seen by anyone.