Where's God?

[POI]

Does he pop up in my dreams? Is he the one whom produces my goose-bumps? Is He the one giving me my "moral compass"? Is he only experienced during deep meditation? If I have enough faith, will he appear to me? But seriously. Where is he? I was a Christian for decades. I earnestly prayed for him to reach me, to no avail.

For debate: Why have I not felt his presence?

A) I never tried hard enough; lack faith
B) He does not want to reveal Himself to me (yet)
C) Evil is blocking the request(s)
D) I'm too dumb to realize he's reaching me
E) He's not really there at all <- Current conclusion

Do not answer yet. This topic has spawned from another unrelated topic. I decided to devote this large topic to itself. Below are some premises:

P1) does god exist? (dunno)
P2) does god want a relationship with all, especially the ones who seek him (apparently so)
P3) is god capable of communicating (apparently so)
P4) can god communicate his message in a way in which the recipient could no longer deny (apparently so)
P5) have I asked for this communication earnestly and repetitively (YES)
P6) does the Bible state god answers the call to all who seek him (YES)

At best, god has opted not to contact me YET. And this would be after decades of actively seeking him. Without any emotion, I'm logically left with 2 options.

A) God is not really there <- Current conclusion.
B) God is not adhering to his promise (yet).

[Miles]

Does he pop up in my dreams? Is he the one whom produces my goose-bumps? Is He the one giving me my "moral compass"? Is he only experienced during deep meditation? If I have enough faith, will he appear to me? But seriously. Where is he? I was a Christian for decades. I earnestly prayed for him to reach me, to no avail.

For debate: Why have I not felt his presence?

A) I never tried hard enough; lack faith
B) He does not want to reveal Himself to me (yet)
C) Evil is blocking the request(s)
D) I'm too dumb to realize he's reaching me
E) He's not really there at all <- Current conclusion

Do not answer yet. This topic has spawned from another unrelated topic. I decided to devote this large topic to itself. Below are some premises:

P1) does god exist? (dunno)
P2) does god want a relationship with all, especially the ones who seek him (apparently so)
P3) is god capable of communicating (apparently so)
P4) can god communicate his message in a way in which the recipient could no longer deny (apparently so)
P5) have I asked for this communication earnestly and repetitively (YES)
P6) does the Bible state god answers the call to all who seek him (YES)

At best, god has opted not to contact me YET. And this would be after decades of actively seeking him. Without any emotion, I'm logically left with 2 options.

A) God is not really there <- Current conclusion.
B) God is not adhering to his promise (yet).

Join the c̶r̶o̶w̶d̶ (read "masses"). It's a well accepted fact that millions upon millions of people have lived and died without ever having been contacted by a god of any stripe. The god concept is a dying phenomenon, which people recognized as far back as 1966 and more.


............................


.

[AquinasForGod]

[Replying to POI in post #1]

You stated that you were a Christian, so then why were you seeking God? That doesn't make sense. If you were a Christian, it was because you already found God. If you hadn't found God yet, how were you a Christian? Do you mean you were raised Christian? You weren't really a Christian if you did not have faith that God was real.

Also, p6 is wrong.

P6) does the Bible state god answers the call to all who seek him (YES)

Matt 11:27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Finding God is your work, not his.

Acts 17:27 ESV
That they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

Matthew 13:11 ESV
And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

John 6:44 ESV
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

Matt 18: 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matt 13: 58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

And read the following in context. He is talking to believers that have some faith in God to work in their lives.

Matt 7: 6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.


7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Very few humans have ever had faith in God and never doubting at all. Even some of the disciples doubted Jesus even after seeing miracles.

Matt 28: 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.

[POI]

You stated that you were a Christian, so then why were you seeking God? That doesn't make sense. If you were a Christian, it was because you already found God. If you hadn't found God yet, how were you a Christian? Do you mean you were raised Christian? You weren't really a Christian if you did not have faith that God was real.

I was a (P)roduct (O)f (I)ndoctrination. And yet, I never felt I received a response from any divine source in prayer, though I tried for decades. Surely you've heard of this before.... My best friend struggles with this now. He's a Christian. Meaning, he believes Jesus rose to save him. But he does not feel he receives any communication either.

I fell away for reason(s). One of which, is why this thread exists.

Also, p6 is wrong.

No it's not.

"P6) does the Bible state god answers the call to all who seek him"

Matt 7:7-8 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye. shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh. findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Finding God is your work, not his.

Right, I know. He's great at playing hide-and-go-seek.

Very few humans have ever had faith in God and never doubting at all. Even some of the disciples doubted Jesus even after seeing miracles.

What do you mean by 'faith in god'? Do you mean that he 1) even exists at all, or, 2) that he is going to do what he says he's going to do, or 3) other?

Seems irrational to flip/flop between faith, in option 1). I do not think that sometimes my wife does not exist. Heck, I do not even think that sometimes Elvis never existed.

Matt 28: 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.

Doubted WHAT exactly? That he even exists?

Why is having faith in his existence, without evidence, good?

[AquinasForGod]

[Replying to POI in post #4]

Before we continue can you support p6, please? You claim it is correct, so argue for it being correct. I showed why it is incorrect.

[AquinasForGod]

[Replying to POI in post #4]

I was a (P)roduct (O)f (I)ndoctrination. And yet, I never felt I received a response from any divine source in prayer, though I tried for decades. Surely you've heard of this before.... My best friend struggles with this now. He's a Christian. Meaning, he believes Jesus rose to save him. But he does not feel he receives any communication either.

I fell away for reason(s). One of which, is why this thread exists.

While I wait for your argument for P6, I will comment on this.

So you never had a relationship with God, one where God acts in your heart and spirit, in your life. So you were just a Christian by indoctrination, just going through the motions. This is why most people leave any religion because they never experience anything.

You should try to find some faith and pray that God renews in you a new mind and heart. Ask him to help you have some faith. Try to have some faith that maybe God is real. Truly believe that God is possible, because he is. It is not like there is some good argument showing how God is impossible.

Take that faith that God is possible and ask God to help you strengthen your faith. It must be your actual will, though. You have to ask and actually mean it. Ask and believe it is possible that God can strengthen your faith. That is where it starts.

[POI]

[Replying to POI in post #4]

Before we continue can you support p6, please? You claim it is correct, so argue for it being correct. I showed why it is incorrect.

I showed why it is correct.

[POI]

So you never had a relationship with God, one where God acts in your heart and spirit, in your life.

Do you not believe me or something? No. I was a practicing Christian, just like my best friend is. I thought Jesus rose from the grave, because there was too much evidence to deny the claim. However, in prayer, I never felt anything. But I still tried.

So you were just a Christian by indoctrination, just going through the motions. This is why most people leave any religion because they never experience anything.

No. I left because after 30+ years of asking him to contact me, he never did. This is one of the reasons I fell away.

You should try to find some faith and pray that God renews in you a new mind and heart. Ask him to help you have some faith. Try to have some faith that maybe God is real. Truly believe that God is possible, because he is. It is not like there is some good argument showing how God is impossible.

Take that faith that God is possible and ask God to help you strengthen your faith. It must be your actual will, though. You have to ask and actually mean it. Ask and believe it is possible that God can strengthen your faith. That is where it starts.

Been there, done that, and have the T-shirt.

So why did He skip me?

[PolytheistWitch]

You never felt the presence of a God but you called yourself a Christian? I'm curious what made you think you were Christian or what made you adopt that label if you never had a religious or spiritual experience regarding Christ or the God of Abraham. Is it really just a matter of wanting to please your parents?

[POI]

You never felt the presence of a God but you called yourself a Christian? I'm curious what made you think you were Christian or what made you adopt that label if you never had a religious or spiritual experience regarding Christ or the God of Abraham. Is it really just a matter of wanting to please your parents?

As I told AFG, mainly because I thought the resurrection testimonial was supported by evidence. I chose to follow. I never felt anything in prayer, but I kept trying.