Followers of Abrahamic Religions Only: God, Why So Quiet and Why So Invisible?

[David Davidovich]

In ancient times written in the Hebrew text or Hebrew Scriptures or the Old Testament, as some people like to call it, God often spoke to people or made some sort of visible manifestations of his presence or his power etc. However, now in the 20th and the 21st century, I personally have never seen or heard of any evidence of this other than claims that purportedly occurred in remote villages or parts of the world where most people don't know about or have travel to. And that you find out about because you incidentally read something in a book or magazine or saw something that was ambiguous or suspect in a YouTube video that you had made a search for in regard to that topic. Therefore, can those from the Abrahamic Religions comment more about this?

 

[Brian2]

In ancient times written in the Hebrew text or Hebrew Scriptures or the Old Testament, as some people like to call it, God often spoke to people or made some sort of visible manifestations of his presence or his power etc. However, now in the 20th and the 21st century, I personally have never seen or heard of any evidence of this other than claims that purportedly occurred in remote villages or parts of the world where most people don't know about or have travel to. And that you find out about because you incidentally read something in a book or magazine or saw something that was ambiguous or suspect in a YouTube video that you had made a search for in regard to that topic. Therefore, can those from the Abrahamic Religions comment more about this?

I don't think God is any more invisible or quiet these days. We have a condensation in the Bible of highlights from thousands of years.
God no doubt spoke to others in other cultures over that time, and imo does so today. We hear of some of the highlights these days sometimes also but normal day to day communication is promised and received from God by many these day as just a part of their life. Nothing provable however.

 

[Wildswanderer]

In ancient times written in the Hebrew text or Hebrew Scriptures or the Old Testament, as some people like to call it, God often spoke to people or made some sort of visible manifestations of his presence or his power etc. However, now in the 20th and the 21st century, I personally have never seen or heard of any evidence of this other than claims that purportedly occurred in remote villages or parts of the world where most people don't know about or have travel to. And that you find out about because you incidentally read something in a book or magazine or saw something that was ambiguous or suspect in a YouTube video that you had made a search for in regard to that topic. Therefore, can those from the Abrahamic Religions comment more about this?

Why would you think that God doesn't still speak to people? What kind of evidence are you looking for?
A booming voice from the sky perhaps?
As far as visions go, how do you record evidence of a vision?

 

[Exaltist Ethan]

I don't think God is any more invisible or quiet these days. We have a condensation in the Bible of highlights from thousands of years.
God no doubt spoke to others in other cultures over that time, and imo does so today. We hear of some of the highlights these days sometimes also but normal day to day communication is promised and received from God by many these day as just a part of their life. Nothing provable however.

It appears to most people that God no longer interacts with His followers, but if you read between the lines of many pastors and ministers, many of them will actually claim that He tells them things, or directs them towards the right direction. Once I prayed to God, found the advice I was looking for, but I didn't take it. The choice to not take His advice was a decision I still regret to this day. God can tell you what to do, but God can't make you do it, unfortunately. And I'm not even a Christian or part of one of the Abrahamic religions. God may be nothing more than the invisible agent inside of you talking but that inner light of divinity sometimes has a lot of things to say.

 

[David Davidovich]

I don't think God is any more invisible or quiet these days. We have a condensation in the Bible of highlights from thousands of years.
God no doubt spoke to others in other cultures over that time, and imo does so today. We hear of some of the highlights these days sometimes also but normal day to day communication is promised and received from God by many these day as just a part of their life. Nothing provable however.

Hey there, Brian. Okay, so, the "does so today" is the part that I'm wondering about. But before asking anything else about the other things that you said, you did say at the end of your post that there's nothing provable. Therefore, so far, based upon your answer, I would say that one's perspective of this is basically subjective.

 

[David Davidovich]

Why would you think that God doesn't still speak to people? What kind of evidence are you looking for?
A booming voice from the sky perhaps?

Thank you for your response. But, well sure, why not? Or anything else as far as that's concerned. However, everything is so quiet and so invisible. And it's all based up an ancient book that is subject to multiple interpretations.

As far as visions go, how do you record evidence of a vision?

A smart phone camera? Well, that was a bit of sarcasm, but I don't know. But as I had mentioned to Brian, that sort of question once again starts to point things into the direction of subjective perception.

 

[Brian2]

Hey there, Brian. Okay, so, the "does so today" is the part that I'm wondering about. But before asking anything else about the other things that you said, you did say at the end of your post that there's nothing provable. Therefore, so far, based upon your answer, I would say that one's perspective of this is basically subjective.

It is subjective even if at times great testimonies come from these subjective things. People are given money by strangers who feel they are being led to do that, and the amount of money is just right for an important payment, or someone feels the urge to pray for someone else about something, only to find later that it was just the right time when the someone was going through a particularly tough time etc.
But that is still of course subjective and could be a coincidence and would be called woo woo by skeptics.

 

[David Davidovich]

It appears to most people that God no longer interacts with His followers, but if you read between the lines of many pastors and ministers, many of them will actually claim that He tells them things, or directs them towards the right direction.

Thank you for your answer, but yet, we see so many conflicting religions and denominations that exist in Christendom. Therefore, that would bring into question if everyone is getting their marching orders from God.

Once I prayed to God, found the advice I was looking for, but I didn't take it. The choice to not take His advice was a decision I still regret to this day. God can tell you what to do, but God can't make you do it, unfortunately. And I'm not even a Christian or part of one of the Abrahamic religions. God may be nothing more than the invisible agent inside of you talking but that inner light of divinity sometimes has a lot of things to say.

Well, that's a very nebulous answer because what you're describing could be anything from a person's inner judgement to a person's common sense.

 

[David Davidovich]

It is subjective even if at times great testimonies come from these subjective things. People are given money by strangers who feel they are being led to do that, and the amount of money is just right for an important payment, or someone feels the urge to pray for someone else about something, only to find later that it was just the right time when the someone was going through a particularly tough time etc.

Well, if that's the case, then why is there such disarray in the world that we live in? And if you don't mind, please don't tell me the hackneyed story of free will and Adam and Eve's sin. Because I would think that there would be more "God" in the world and we could hear him if he were actually communicating with us... And I'm not saying that he isn't because I am just a skeptic and not an atheist, but I am just saying that it seems like there would be more of or a clearer evidence of.

But that is still of course subjective and could be a coincidence and would be called woo woo by skeptics.

Yes, this is true.

 

[Brian2]

Well, if that's the case, then why is there such disarray in the world that we live in? And if you don't mind, please don't tell me the hackneyed story of free will and Adam and Eve's sin. Because I would think that there would be more "God" in the world and we could hear him if he were actually communicating with us... And I'm not saying that he isn't because I am just a skeptic and not an atheist, but I am just saying that it seems like there would be more of or a clearer evidence of.

Those things would usually happen within the community of faith probably imo.
People who can't hear God calling them to Jesus probably won't hear or even obey those things I mentioned even if God did prompt them to give money to strangers or pray for a certain person.

 

[PearlSeeker]

In ancient times written in the Hebrew text or Hebrew Scriptures or the Old Testament, as some people like to call it, God often spoke to people or made some sort of visible manifestations of his presence or his power etc. However, now in the 20th and the 21st century, I personally have never seen or heard of any evidence of this other than claims that purportedly occurred in remote villages or parts of the world where most people don't know about or have travel to. And that you find out about because you incidentally read something in a book or magazine or saw something that was ambiguous or suspect in a YouTube video that you had made a search for in regard to that topic. Therefore, can those from the Abrahamic Religions comment more about this?

Yes, Bible is full of manifestations (teophanies). If Bible is myth(s) then it makes sense why in post-biblical times of better documentation, media and technical possibility there is nothing recorded.

 

[PearlSeeker]

It is subjective even if at times great testimonies come from these subjective things.

People are able to communicate with each other in a clear and direct way, only God is supposed to use some vague clues instead...

 

[Brian2]

People are able to communicate with each other in a clear and direct way, only God is supposed to use some vague clues instead...

Is that what is supposed to happen?

 

[PearlSeeker]

Is that what is supposed to happen?

This is the answer of Christians I know. Only in very special and rare occasions there is perceivable feedback in prayer. You have to listen to other (vague and uncertain) channels to get the message that is indistinguishable from confirmation bias and apophenia...

 

[pearl]

In ancient times written in the Hebrew text or Hebrew Scriptures or the Old Testament, as some people like to call it, God often spoke to people or made some sort of visible manifestations of his presence or his power etc.

I think Hebrew Scripture is the story of a peoples experience of/with their God. I do not believe that God 'speaks' words but relates to certain people, mystics, who then must relate the meaning to men in a familiar enough language of the time to be understood.

 

[Brian2]

This is the answer of Christians I know. Only in very special and rare occasions there is perceivable feedback in prayer. You have to listen to other (vague and uncertain) channels to get the message that is indistinguishable from confirmation bias and apophenia...

The messages are not always vague, and God does want us to develop a closer relationship with Him so that we can hear and recognise His voice more clearly. That is a learning process.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

It is amazing to me that the thread was specifically addressed to those of Abrahamic faiths, yet we have so many posts by skeptics, truth seekers, and others who clearly are not.

 

[David Davidovich]

Those things would usually happen within the community of faith probably imo.
People who can't hear God calling them to Jesus probably won't hear or even obey those things I mentioned even if God did prompt them to give money to strangers or pray for a certain person.

When I was part of a community of faith, I never heard God or saw a demonstration of his power. However, it was always about that community of faith's interpretation of hearing God, which is often times different from some other community of faith's interpretation of hearing God and which is different from another community of faith's interpretation of hearing God and so on and so forth.

And it's too the point where some of those faith communities are saying that they are the ones who are really hearing God and therefore, the other faith communities are not hearing God or are deceived or are false prophets or practicing Avodah Zara.

 

[David Davidovich]

Yes, Bible is full of manifestations (teophanies). If Bible is myth(s) then it makes sense why in post-biblical times of better documentation, media and technical possibility there is nothing recorded.

Indeed.

 

[David Davidovich]

This is the answer of Christians I know. Only in very special and rare occasions there is perceivable feedback in prayer. You have to listen to other (vague and uncertain) channels to get the message that is indistinguishable from confirmation bias and apophenia...

Yes, that is the answer that I know of too, with the exception of the very special and rare occasions when there is perceivable feedback in prayer. (Could you elaborate more on that, @PearlSeeker?)

Plus, those other vague and uncertain channels sometimes turn out to be a result of cognitive dissonance, but that's a topic for another thread.