Question for Christians and those Who Believe in a Personal God

[Kenny]

In the East "miracles" are called "siddhis", powers, that one can develop through ascetic practices. There may be a purpose to a miracle in a given time and place with specific people, but in and of itself I don't take them as being important.

I wouldn’t say they aren’t “important”. When someone has a death sentence for cancer, a miracle can be quite important. For those who are seeking, it can be a tipping point.

I think I've recommended Dr. Sy Garte's book before but if not, went from atheist to Christian partly due to rational thinking. Sy Garte – Writer, Scientist, Christian has links to articles that speak to the transition from atheist to Christian.

:looks interesting. Maybe @Rational Agnostic would find it interesting too.!

 

[Starise]

Who programmed us? If there is a Creator wanting to personally communicate with us then this doesn't make sense. Or are you saying we are created with a blockage?

I was saying that as humans we are made to communicate in a certain way in this sphere of things. Yes in Christian thought that blockage is sin. Our ' direct interface' was removed at the garden with Adam and can be restored.

 

[sun rise]

I wouldn’t say they aren’t “important”. When someone has a death sentence for cancer, a miracle can be quite important. For those who are seeking, it can be a tipping point.

When I wrote "important", I was thinking of the excessive importance people give to them. And, of course, Matt 24:24 is about misleading "signs and wonders" which some might call miracles. John 6:36 refers to seeing but still not believing. Then an official at a major shrine in India chatting with a friend asked if the friend knows why so many come to the shrine. The answer is looking for a miracle for wealth, health, a child and so forth.

To me there are indeed real miracles or perhaps "gifts" is a better word. It has been said that "love is a gift from God to man" for example.

 

[PearlSeeker]

Yes in Christian thought that blockage is sin. Our ' direct interface' was removed at the garden with Adam and can be restored.

No. God spoke to Adam after first sin... And to others...

 

[Starise]

No. God spoke to Adam after first sin... And to others...

Good point @PearlSeeker . Things were different after they were expelled. Sin caused a disunity.

The original sin was really aiming to put man as God or find another way besides God's way. It goes on to this day. Rebellion closes the doors. Of course there are other entities who will listen but I don't believe any of that is ever good.

 

[Muffled]

"Have you ever thought that it is possible that this relationship could only exist in your imagination"

I believe I have but fulfilled prophecy has made me certain that I have God in me.

 

[PearlSeeker]

Although I personally believe in God, your question wrongly assumes that someone or something programmed us. There is no reason to assume that.

My own thoughts are that as we become more and more sentient, we have developed a kind of God radar, a sense of the Divine. However this sense is still very primitive and inaccurate, much like an eye that can only see light and dark. This would be the reason that while religion is pretty universal, different people interpret the divine differently. You know, the old "Blind men and the elephant" sort of thing. It is also true that just as some people are born unable to hear or see, not everyone has this God radar.

Human mind has wondered, pondered, questioned, speculated... and sought explanations, patterns, principles... to make sense of this world and life. This is IMO the reason for universality of religion. This doesn't exclude the possibility that a Creator intended things to evolve this way but no real evidence is available yet.

 

[Muffled]

Apparently that there are people who will call religious beliefs irrational and call that a day.

I have to admit that he has a point.

I believe it is possible for some relgious beliefs to be irrational but not all of them I find unbelievers tend to be irrational as well.

 

[Muffled]

Human mind has wondered, pondered, questioned, speculated... and sought explanations, patterns, principles... to make sense of this world and life. This is IMO the reason for universality of religion. This doesn't exclude the possibility that a Creator intended things to evolve this way but no real evidence is available yet.

I believe that is called philosophy and there is no doubt a great many speculative philosophies that are wrong. If religion is from God then it is not man making a philosophy but God speaking the truth.

 

[LuisDantas]

I believe it is possible for some relgious beliefs to be irrational but not all of them I find unbelievers tend to be irrational as well.

Fair enough.

It just happens that it is a very asymetrical situacionista.

 

[Colt]

Good point @PearlSeeker . Things were different after they were expelled. Sin caused a disunity.

The original sin was really aiming to put man as God or find another way besides God's way. It goes on to this day. Rebellion closes the doors. Of course there are other entities who will listen but I don't believe any of that is ever good.

The Crafty Beast was already fallen, sin was already on the earth prior to the arrival of Adam and Eve.

 

[PearlSeeker]

I believe that is called philosophy and there is no doubt a great many speculative philosophies that are wrong. If religion is from God then it is not man making a philosophy but God speaking the truth.

Natural religion/theology can also be from God.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.” (Psalm 19:1–3)

 

[Rational Agnostic]

"Have you ever thought that it is possible that this relationship could only exist in your imagination"

I believe I have but fulfilled prophecy has made me certain that I have God in me.

I see. Your personal certainty is not an indicator that you are correct though, if anything, it indicates the opposite. I have seen many people claim they were 100% certain about something, only to be proven wrong. Subjective certainty is utterly meaningless and unconvincing.

 

[Muffled]

The Crafty Beast was already fallen, sin was already on the earth prior to the arrival of Adam and Eve.

I believe it was the angels who fell first and who knows where they were.

 

[Muffled]

I see. Your personal certainty is not an indicator that you are correct though, if anything, it indicates the opposite. I have seen many people claim they were 100% certain about something, only to be proven wrong. Subjective certainty is utterly meaningless and unconvincing.

If certainty meant that people were wrong then no-one would ever be right about anything. The fulfilled prophecy is very convincing for me. However I ma willing to listen to suggested alternatives. How does one know the future other than the fact God knows it?

 

[Rational Agnostic]

If certainty meant that people were wrong then no-one would ever be right about anything. The fulfilled prophecy is very convincing for me. However I ma willing to listen to suggested alternatives. How does one know the future other than the fact God knows it?

I didn't say your certainty implied you were wrong, I said that it did not necessarily imply that you were right. What prophecies in the bible do you think were fulfilled? And how do you explain the unfulfilled biblical prophecies, especially the major ones like Matthew 10:23, Matthew 16:28, and Matthew 24:34?

 

[paarsurrey]

Question for Christians and "those Who Believe in G-d"

Yes, I believe in One G-d, which is neither Jesus-god nor holy-ghost-god, please, right?
And He neither begets nor is/was begotten, please, right?

Regards

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

If certainty meant that people were wrong then no-one would ever be right about anything. The fulfilled prophecy is very convincing for me. However I ma willing to listen to suggested alternatives. How does one know the future other than the fact God knows it?

What "fulfilled prophecy"?

 

[Colt]

Question for Christians and "those Who Believe in G-d"

Yes, I believe in One G-d, which is neither Jesus-god nor holy-ghost-god, please, right?
And He neither begets nor is/was begotten, please, right?

Regards

That’s one reason Jesus was rejected! People’s minds were too small and indoctrinated to conceive that The spirit God could manifest in subordinate deities.

 

[Muffled]

Question for Christians and "those Who Believe in G-d"

Yes, I believe in One G-d, which is neither Jesus-god nor holy-ghost-god, please, right?
And He neither begets nor is/was begotten, please, right?

Regards

I believe you are wrong. The Trinity is one God. Saying otherwise is contrary to the Qu'ran.