How do I determine what God requires of me?

[McCulloch]

I have posted what I think is the single most important issue to debate.

To me, the second most important issue is this. If there is a God, how do I determine what God requires of me? If your answer involves something that is from human agency, a book or an organization, then the question remains, "How do I know that the book's authors or the organization's leaders authoritatively speak for God?"

How do I determine what God requires of me?

[Fallibleone]

I believe that what each number means was set out quite effectively by Zzyzx.

what prevents you from entering into a saving relationship with Jesus that would allow you to live forever with him?

The fact that I believe both a divine Jesus and an afterlife are non-existent would figure pretty highly there.

[Fallibleone]

*American accent* Boy, I sure am looking forward to McCulloch's posts later on. McCulloch, have you been touched by the powah of Jeeesus?

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:hUg ... bucket.com

You have sullied this board with your LOLcats!

[olavisjo]

I believe that what each number means was set out quite effectively by Zzyzx.

The fact that I believe both a divine Jesus and an afterlife are non-existent would figure pretty highly there.

I did not ask "why are you so high?" but rather "why are you not 100%?"
Do you have a reason to not close the door?

You have sullied this board with your LOLcats!

I am just trying to answer "How do I determine what God requires of me?"

[Fallibleone]

I believe that what each number means was set out quite effectively by Zzyzx.

The fact that I believe both a divine Jesus and an afterlife are non-existent would figure pretty highly there.

I did not ask "why are you so high?" but rather "why are you not 100%?"
Do you have a reason to not close the door?

Yes, and here it is. I do not feel that one can know with 100% certainty whether God exists or does not exist based on current knowledge. I'm progressing steadily towards #7, though.

You have sullied this board with your LOLcats!

I am just trying to answer "How do I determine what God requires of me?"

Sorry? I was replying to upallnite's post.

[olavisjo]

Yes, and here it is. I do not feel that one can know with 100% certainty whether God exists or does not exist based on current knowledge. I'm progressing steadily towards #7, though.

You say that you do not feel that one can know with 100% certainty, but I say you can absolutely be 100% certain.
If a loving God exists, would you be willing to give him your life?
To begin the process of knowing God, find a private place and say out loud to God, who is listening, "God I don't know if you exist, but if you do I will give you my life, I just ask that you show me who you are, and if there is any sin that separates us, I ask you to forgive me because of what Jesus did for me 2000 years ago."
Just say that out loud and mean it, and God will do the rest. Knowing God is the best thing that can happen to any person.

[Fallibleone]

Yes, and here it is. I do not feel that one can know with 100% certainty whether God exists or does not exist based on current knowledge. I'm progressing steadily towards #7, though.

You say that you do not feel that one can know with 100% certainty, but I say you can absolutely be 100% certain.

Yes, I know you say that. However, you asked me why I am where I am.

If a loving God exists, would you be willing to give him your life?

You'll have to be a bit more specific than that, I'm afraid. Would he be the God of the Bible?

To begin the process of knowing God, find a private place and say out loud to God, who is listening, "God I don't know if you exist, but if you do I will give you my life, I just ask that you show me who you are, and if there is any sin that separates us, I ask you to forgive me because of what Jesus did for me 2000 years ago."
Just say that out loud and mean it, and God will do the rest. Knowing God is the best thing that can happen to any person.

You see, herein lies my irritation. What do you know of my life? What do you know of my search so far? A lot? A fair amout? Very little? Nothing at all?

Being the daughter of a lapsed Catholic, I spent a large portion of my life feeling guilt for what my father had done. I have spent years tryng to 'find' God, trying to pray, trying to ask someone in whom I do not believe to make himself known to me, to give me a sign. It never happened. Now you can say that I didn't do it right, or that God led me to this forum, or anything you like really. The point is that you're assuming things about me that just aren't true - namely that I have never tried what you suggest. It can fail. It does fail. You see an atheist and decide that I just haven't tried to find God yet. Am I wrong?

[olavisjo]

You see, herein lies my irritation. What do you know of my life? What do you know of my search so far? A lot? A fair amout? Very little? Nothing at all?

Being the daughter of a lapsed Catholic, I spent a large portion of my life feeling guilt for what my father had done. I have spent years tryng to 'find' God, trying to pray, trying to ask someone in whom I do not believe to make himself known to me, to give me a sign. It never happened. Now you can say that I didn't do it right, or that God led me to this forum, or anything you like really. The point is that you're assuming things about me that just aren't true - namely that I have never tried what you suggest. It can fail. It does fail. You see an atheist and decide that I just haven't tried to find God yet. Am I wrong?

I do know of your life, I too have been in a lot of pain, I have been to the point of suicide and I cried out God where are you why do you hide yourself from me? And I got no answer. Then one day a man came from the former Soviet Union and lead me through that simple sinners prayer and I went along with it. I wanted to tell him that I have already been through all that and I have tried for many years to find God but nothing has worked. He had only known Jesus for less than a year. But I received him as if he was an ambassador of God, I invited him and his wife to come to my home, I prepared the most expensive meat I could find at the store. I wanted my relationship with God to be real, so I was not going to let this opportunity slip away. And my life has not been the same since. That is when I found the power of God. I have had lots of difficult times since, but I have always had God at my side as I go through things.
You can pass on this offer, and you may get another one later, but my testimony to you is that in my case it did work, God is a very real presence in my life everyday.
If there is anything more I can do to help you, please just ask. my e-mail is olavisjo@ yahoo dot com.

[Fallibleone]

You see, herein lies my irritation. What do you know of my life? What do you know of my search so far? A lot? A fair amout? Very little? Nothing at all?

Being the daughter of a lapsed Catholic, I spent a large portion of my life feeling guilt for what my father had done. I have spent years tryng to 'find' God, trying to pray, trying to ask someone in whom I do not believe to make himself known to me, to give me a sign. It never happened. Now you can say that I didn't do it right, or that God led me to this forum, or anything you like really. The point is that you're assuming things about me that just aren't true - namely that I have never tried what you suggest. It can fail. It does fail. You see an atheist and decide that I just haven't tried to find God yet. Am I wrong?

I do know of your life, I too have been in a lot of pain, I have been to the point of suicide and I cried out God where are you why do you hide yourself from me? And I got no answer. Then one day a man came from the former Soviet Union and lead me through that simple sinners prayer and I went along with it. I wanted to tell him that I have already been through all that and I have tried for many years to find God but nothing has worked. He had only known Jesus for less than a year. But I received him as if he was an ambassador of God, I invited him and his wife to come to my home, I prepared the most expensive meat I could find at the store. I wanted my relationship with God to be real, so I was not going to let this opportunity slip away. And my life has not been the same since. That is when I found the power of God. I have had lots of difficult times since, but I have always had God at my side as I go through things.
You can pass on this offer, and you may get another one later, but my testimony to you is that in my case it did work, God is a very real presence in my life everyday.
If there is anything more I can do to help you, please just ask. my e-mail is olavisjo@ yahoo dot com.

Thanks, but you do not know of my life. You know your life and have assumed that they are the same.

You seem to suggest by your post that you always believed God was there, but that he was hiding his presence from you. You even saw someone as an 'ambassador from God'. You wanted your relationship with God to be real. I never believed God was real, even though I felt guilt. My guilt was more to do with what I recognise as superstition, an irrational fear of my father having somehow done the 'wrong thing'. This is just one of many ways in which our lives differ. I would never presume to claim I know your life. How can you do so?

[olavisjo]

Thanks, but you do not know of my life. You know your life and have assumed that they are the same.

You seem to suggest by your post that you always believed God was there, but that he was hiding his presence from you. You even saw someone as an 'ambassador from God'. You wanted your relationship with God to be real. I never believed God was real, even though I felt guilt. My guilt was more to do with what I recognise as superstition, an irrational fear of my father having somehow done the 'wrong thing'. This is just one of many ways in which our lives differ. I would never presume to claim I know your life. How can you do so?

Sure the details are different, and if you should ever want to share them with me, I would hear about them with the utmost respect. But in Gods eyes we are the same. My family was Lutheran, but we only went to church for Christmas and Easter and that was only to maintain appearances. My orientation was science, and evolution was the answer to whatever. When I was 18 I joined the US Navy and I was miserable there, my attempt to find meaning lead me to drugs and even more misery, then I noticed that about a half a dozen of my drug friends became religious and I just went along with them, because I wanted to live a clean life. But I found it difficult to stay on the straight and narrow path by my own strength.
Just don't give up on God, because I presumed to know your life, or our lives may have been similar.

[Fallibleone]

Thank you for your obvious good intentions, they are much appreciated. Please rest assured that you presuming to know my life was not what made me give up on God.