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If You Trust in God....

4consideration

*
Premium Member
You'd think, for a being whose main desire is communication, that it wouldn't be such a big deal for Him to take the first step.

Like perhaps a contant God radio mental broadcast? Seems logical given His desire for communication.

Maybe one just has still the other noise and tune to the God frequency. :)
 

4consideration

*
Premium Member
Again, for a being whose main focus is communication, He would clear that up.

Perhaps the signal is clear and the distortion comes in on the receiving end.

edit: I am including judgmental and negative distortion, along with constant "mind chatter" of the learned sort -- including learning of a "religious" nature.
 
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Gjallarhorn

N'yog-Sothep
I'm sorry, but I am not understanding your Jonah reference. What is your belief about the Jonah story?
God called Jonah. Jonah said no. Jonah ran away. God assaulted the boat with storms. Jonah was thrown overboard. God caught him in a fish. Fish delivered Jonah to the shore where he gave in to God's will.

Really only one answer here: God gets what God wants, whether you want it or not.
 

dawny0826

Mother Heathen
Jonah didn't seem willing or ready. Didn't stop Him then.

When people want to communicate, they find a way.

God does communicate. He communicates in a plethora of ways, sometimes quite directly and other times, more subtly.

One has to be receptive.
 

Gjallarhorn

N'yog-Sothep
God does communicate. He communicates in a plethora of ways, sometimes quite directly and other times, more subtly.

One has to be receptive.
If God communicates as He desires, it really doesn't matter whether we hear it or not, does it? If He wanted you to hear it, you would.
 

dawny0826

Mother Heathen
If God communicates as He desires, it really doesn't matter whether we hear it or not, does it? If He wanted you to hear it, you would.

I have free will. I can ignore God and I have on many occasions. This is the point that I'm making. I understand fully if you disagree with me, but, God has never severed communication and connection with me, even when I've neglected to commune and connect with him.

But, I've chosen to acknowledge him. I choose to be receptive.
 

4consideration

*
Premium Member
God called Jonah. Jonah said no. Jonah ran away. God assaulted the boat with storms. Jonah was thrown overboard. God caught him in a fish. Fish delivered Jonah to the shore where he gave in to God's will.

Really only one answer here: God gets what God wants, whether you want it or not.

In my reply about God, I wasn't restricting it to a christian, or biblical context.

But if you want to talk about that story, I don't personally think that the "fish" part of it is really the point of that story, but more like: If God is Truth (and even truth) and there is a truth you need to face, you can attempt to hide from that truth, or go in another direction, but you can't really hide from it. Eventually life will spite you back out -- right into the situation that you need to deal with.

But, for me, the most interesting part of that story is that Jonah was angry at the thought that God actually did forgive and spare the people that Jonah brought the message to. Just because he was a prophet with a message didn't mean that he actually understood mercy and applied it fully to others, within his own heart. I think the lesson may be more about watching how we might personally behave like Jonah than about God's forgiveness of those that Jonah did not think were worthy of forgiveness.

Don't you think that people can believe in God, and pray and listen within the silence of their own hearts -- without it being necessary to make God fit a particular interpretation from bible stories?
 

Gjallarhorn

N'yog-Sothep
I have free will. I can ignore God and I have on many occasions. This is the point that I'm making. I understand fully if you disagree with me, but, God has never severed communication and connection with me, even when I've neglected to commune and connect with him.

But, I've chosen to acknowledge him. I choose to be receptive.
I disagree with free will, but that's not the point I'm making. I'm talking about God's priorities. If they are primarily for communication, there is nothing that would stop that objective. You seem to believe he favors "free will" over communication.

Don't you think that people can believe in God, and pray and listen within the silence of their own hearts -- without it being necessary to make God fit a particular interpretation from bible stories?
Sure, but that's not my point. See above.
 

dawny0826

Mother Heathen
I disagree with free will, but that's not the point I'm making. I'm talking about God's priorities. If they are primarily for communication, there is nothing that would stop that objective. You seem to believe he favors "free will" over communication.


Sure, but that's not my point. See above.

That's not what I believe at all. I believe that God talks to us all the time. I can't claim to know what God favors.
 

Penumbra

Veteran Member
Premium Member
There are loving people that claim that a god communicates with them about loving things, and hateful people that claim that a god communicates with them about hateful things.

Then there are people who pretty much find both of those concepts to be foreign.
 

horizon_mj1

Well-Known Member
There are loving people that claim that a god communicates with them about loving things, and hateful people that claim that a god communicates with them about hateful things.

Then there are people who pretty much find both of those concepts to be foreign.
(You left out the ones who hear little voices in their head:D; you know the scary ones:areyoucra)
 

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
Let me start with a slight reminder (to some) that I believe everyone has their own opinion on Who or What God is. Personally to me to trust in God is to trust that no matter what happens, everything will be alright one way or the other. I trust in "communication" with God (no not little voices in my head but through other people and nature) and I trust that no Knowledge is Truly hidden, it just hasn't been sought after hard enough;)

Interesting. My view might be kind of the same/kind of different.

Us theists believe in an intelligence way beyond ours. We trust that intelligence and do our best to be loving people. When you say 'everything will be alright one way or the other' , intelligent theists understand that surface events on the physical plane can be both very good and very bad from a worldly viewpoint no matter how well we live our lives. (I believe in reincarnation by the way). But we know the bad is just temporary in the big picture and that we can maintain our joy knowing the greater intelligence is on our side.

A well-adjusted person lives a loving life and is indifferent to the temporary seemingly good/bad events beyond his control. He trusts the greater wisdom and is always joyful.
 

horizon_mj1

Well-Known Member
(I believe in reincarnation by the way). . .
A well-adjusted person lives a loving life and is indifferent to the temporary seemingly good/bad events beyond his control. He trusts the greater wisdom and is always joyful.
Although a subject for a new topic, I believe in Reincarnation as well just not in the "conventional" manner;) I really appreciate your last statement:clap
 
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