Experiencing God

[Sonofason]

Then there isn't actually any evidence.

I have evidence of many things you do not have evidence of. I have evidence of many things that no one else has evidence of.

 

[Cephus]

I have evidence of many things you do not have evidence of. I have evidence of many things that no one else has evidence of.

No, you have empty claims about things you believe, but cannot demonstrate. You haven't got the slightest idea what evidence actually is.

 

[AllanV]

I have evidence of many things you do not have evidence of. I have evidence of many things that no one else has evidence of.

Inventors are a good example of a person having an idea in their head or mind and eventually producing what they were talking of. But if they talk to the wrong person or people there is ridicule and even death at the hands of others.
Or someone gets it in their mind to speak out against a drug cartel and then their body is found.
I see an argument with nonbelievers the same. They have a vested interest in the crime, wars, bad behavior, manipulating, control and aging and death with inventions and methods produced for personal gain. All mankind harbor a rebellious nature and it is more familiar to them and they cannot see possibilities beyond it. It is the natural way but is there sufficient evidence.

 

[Sonofason]

No, you have empty claims about things you believe, but cannot demonstrate. You haven't got the slightest idea what evidence actually is.

Indeed, the experiences of God that some people do have are indeed for you nothing but empty claims. And quite honestly, I'm okay with that.

 

[Cephus]

Indeed, the experiences of God that some people do have are indeed for you nothing but empty claims. And quite honestly, I'm okay with that.

They're not empty claims "for me", they're simply empty claims. They will remain empty claims until the individuals making the claims have more than their own bald assertions to back them up. Trying to make it personal doesn't change the reality.

 

[Muffled]

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.

I believe the experience is real. The drugs just block out reality. Of course if one can't cope with reality one needs a way to block reality. The definition of mental illness is not neceasrily that things happen but that a person is not able to cope with what happens.

Who are you goiing to call, ghostbusters?

I believe I have no problem coping and find God helpful.

I believe the human mind is not capable of seeing into the future but God does.

I believe it is a good idea to be skeptical of psychology also since it is a pseudo science.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Inventors are a good example of a person having an idea in their head or mind and eventually producing what they were talking of. But if they talk to the wrong person or people there is ridicule and even death at the hands of others.
Or someone gets it in their mind to speak out against a drug cartel and then their body is found.
I see an argument with nonbelievers the same. They have a vested interest in the crime, wars, bad behavior, manipulating, control and aging and death with inventions and methods produced for personal gain. All mankind harbor a rebellious nature and it is more familiar to them and they cannot see possibilities beyond it. It is the natural way but is there sufficient evidence.

So... you think that non-believers are not only evil, but idiots who will act against their best interests for a chance to ridicule a believer?

 

[Muffled]

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

I believe there is no comparison. The games deal in fantasy. God deals in reality.

 

[Muffled]

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.

I believe that a person who views movies or video games as reality has a problem that will not work out fine.

 

[Theodore A. Jones]

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?

Specifically what did you do to invoke God's attention? regarding "Always be prepared to to give an answer to everyone asks you to give the reason for the hope you have." 1 Pt. 3:15 For me. I had faith that it is the fact that a law has been added in regard to the sin of murdering Jesus Christ, according to the scriptures, and I obeyed only that law with the hope to be declared righteous by God.
"For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous." Rom. 2:13 He is not referencing the OT Sinai code if that's what you are thinking.
I can assure you you've got God's full attention if you have not had the faith to obey this law.

 

[Sonofason]

They're not empty claims "for me", they're simply empty claims. They will remain empty claims until the individuals making the claims have more than their own bald assertions to back them up. Trying to make it personal doesn't change the reality.

You're right. Me claiming that I have experienced God means nothing. The fact is I experience God, whether or not I make the claim.

 

[Sonofason]

I believe that a person who views movies or video games as reality has a problem that will not work out fine.

I believe that a person who views movies or video games as reality is not a problem for me, and that everything will work out fine for me.

 

[Sonofason]

Specifically what did you do to invoke God's attention? regarding "Always be prepared to to give an answer to everyone asks you to give the reason for the hope you have." 1 Pt. 3:15 For me. I had faith that it is the fact that a law has been added in regard to the sin of murdering Jesus Christ, according to the scriptures, and I obeyed only that law with the hope to be declared righteous by God.
"For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous." Rom. 2:13 He is not referencing the OT Sinai code if that's what you are thinking.
I can assure you you've got God's full attention if you have not had the faith to obey this law.

That may be true. It very well may be that we all have God's attention. So I guess you're trying to suggest that atheists are experiencing God just like those who abide in His Word. I'm not really sure this is meaningful. If so, please explain how this is meaningful to the discussion.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

You're right. Me claiming that I have experienced God means nothing. The fact is I experience God, whether or not I make the claim.

You experience something that you call "God". Most of the chain of reasoning that you use to go from the experience itself to the conclusion "God" should be accessible to anyone.

 

[Sonofason]

You experience something that you call "God". Most of the chain of reasoning that you use to go from the experience itself to the conclusion "God" should be accessible to anyone.

My experience of waking up this morning is my experience. No one else has had my experience of waking up this morning. They have their own experiences. No one has ever had my experiences. No one ever will.

 

[Theodore A. Jones]

That may be true. It very well may be that we all have God's attention. So I guess you're trying to suggest that atheists are experiencing God just like those who abide in His Word. I'm not really sure this is meaningful. If so, please explain how this is meaningful to the discussion.

You will, future, have the experience you've castigated as nonsense, but it is not going to be a sleigh ride. Rather a hell chute. God is fully aware of your skepticism I assure you of that irregardless that you have not the faith to believe me.
Have a good day.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

My experience of waking up this morning is my experience. No one else has had my experience of waking up this morning. They have their own experiences. No one has ever had my experiences. No one ever will.

But exactly what those experiences imply is subject to scrutiny by anyone.

For instance, say I tell you that I met Dustin Hoffman. You ask me what he was like and I respond with "he? No - Dustin Hoffman is a woman. She's a tall, blonde woman. She's very nice - we chatted for 15 minutes. She's a lovely person and we got along really well." What would you conclude?

Would you assume that my "experience of Dustin Hoffman" is genuine, or would you think something like "Penguin may have experienced something, but it wasn't actually Dustin Hoffman"?

Edit: anyone who really has "experienced God" should be able to give reasonable answers to basic questions like "how did you know it was God?"

 

[Sonofason]

You will, future, have the experience you've castigated as nonsense, but it is not going to be a sleigh ride. Rather a hell chute. God is fully aware of your skepticism I assure you of that irregardless that you have not the faith to believe me.
Have a good day.

I have no faith in you to believe you. Why should I have faith in you?

 

[AllanV]

So... you think that non-believers are not only evil, but idiots who will act against their best interests for a chance to ridicule a believer?

There would obviously be a mixture, but an overall confusion is perpetuated. It is well known that misinformation or with holding information goes on. Governments and corporations and then there is all the diverse belief to consider.
Most don't know what their best interests are. People do all manner of things and create problems for them selves and those who need to rescue them. Swimming in tidal rips is one example. But it occurs in every aspect of life. Everyone is right in their own mind only. And if some one is told that doing what they are will cause a problem then they become a prophet of doom.

I read your question again and the word evil is a strong word but it comes back to what is in the consciousness of man. It is to experiment with and experience good and evil either purposely or inadvertently. From what can be observed this gives some one equilibrium in their emotions. Every one displays a moderated behavior and do good and bad but some are extreme and they are noticed.

The story of Adam and Eve and their fall denied them access to the tree of life and immortality that is living forever. It could be said that someone developed a story because they could see that everyone eventually died. If the possibility of living forever is accepted then it gives all the answers necessary to understanding life now. Behavior is evidence that the story is true.

But it comes back to understanding what mind is.

There have been cases where twins from the same egg are connected remotely and able to intuitively know when the other one is in trouble. If people become bonded is there a deeper connection. Much testing has been done in this area and it seems that it is not so from a scientific stand point. Visual stimulus is required.

Anecdotally from other peoples experience and in my own experience too much has happened and it can be said there is some remote connection especially with those bonded with. But of course all humans are bonded in familiar responses from a common nature and genetics must be involved.

Can the mind be renewed as the Bible claims and a new nature revealed. Yes, it is totally possible and this is an experience that I went through personally but it could not be maintained. It took three weeks to change but after about three days I came back into my old self and it took several months to recover and be comfortable with my flesh body. I say to people that I came back safely but of course that is my opinion.

People who spread misinformation or base their arguments on opinion with out personal research are a problem. I am more used to being hands on with my work and tend to research if I deem it important to an out come. The mind renewal is shown as a path to follow and the way forward is revealed as forward progress is made and is complete when the body is energized by God.
Of the experience there is no other explanation.

 

[Sha'irullah]

I believe there is no comparison. The games deal in fantasy. God deals in reality.

Games are fantasy and god is fantasy, no difference.