Does God want everyone to believe in him?

[Justin108]

Does God want everyone to believe in him?

[Justin108]

Does God want everyone to believe in him?

That would be a start

Then how could God possibly fail at successfully convincing all of us he exists?

but according to the bible, Satan and the demons are not atheists, they know there is a God and they know his identity and power. YHWH (Jehovah) has put the bar much higher than simple belief; biblically speaing the central issue has never been whether God exists or not.

Regardless of whether belief is all that matters, you do agree that God wants all of us to believe in him?

[William]

Does God want everyone to believe in him?

Why not ask her?

Oh your earth God is a she now?

Not really. Does this picture relay to you the feminine?



How does one distinguish a planetary form as 'female' or 'male'?

In my interactions with the EE, I am reminded slightly more of the feminine than the masculine - 'she' is more the hermaphrodite but there is a perceptible leaning toward the feminine.

Well I've asked God several times before, so I guess utter silence in response is essentially the same as "no".

I cannot give much in reply to that as I don't know what methods you used in order to receive nothing but silence.
From my own subjective experience, there was a genuine willingness to commune with 'GOD' and in that, a great amount of necessary sifting of wheat from chaff, but I was up for the task - given my motive was genuine, sincere and approach humble enough in relation to that.

[Justin108]

Not really. Does this picture relay to you the feminine?

How does one distinguish a planetary form as 'female' or 'male'?

I don't know. You're the one referring to it as "her".

Not really. Does this picture relay to you the feminine?

Not a very good point to argue, because that picture also doesn't look like a living being as you seem to believe it is.

In my interactions with the EE, I am reminded slightly more of the feminine than the masculine - 'she' is more the hermaphrodite but there is a perceptible leaning toward the feminine.

Why not "it"?

Well I've asked God several times before, so I guess utter silence in response is essentially the same as "no".

I cannot give much in reply to that as I don't know what methods you used in order to receive nothing but silence.

What method should I use and how will I know when I get a response? Will it be an audible dialogue? Will it be a warm, fuzzy feeling? Will there be a ringing in my ear? How would I know when God is actually talking to me?

From my own subjective experience, there was a genuine willingness to commune with 'GOD'

Are you implying I did not have a genuine willingness to commune with God?

and in that, a great amount of necessary sifting of wheat from chaff

What does that mean exactly?

[William]

[Replying to post 13 by Justin108]

Not a very good point to argue, because that picture also doesn't look like a living being as you seem to believe it is.

Yes. Imagine being able to travel in space-time and you came across this planet. Just by looking you cannot distinguish whether the planet has biological life on it or not. You have to get closer in order to investigate and find out.

Why not "it"?

Mostly that is how I refer to It as. This of course doesn't mean that a perceptible leaning toward the feminine is unacceptable. It makes a pleasant change from referring to GOD in the masculine.

What method should I use and how will I know when I get a response? Will it be an audible dialogue? Will it be a warm, fuzzy feeling? Will there be a ringing in my ear? How would I know when God is actually talking to me?

That is something you can develop in congruity with the relationship. All of the above can be part of that, and more - such as synchronicity, serendipity, thoughts aligned with external events - bird songs, insects symbolizing whatever symbols you wish to attach to them...there is nothing I know of which cannot be used for this purpose.

Are you implying I did not have a genuine willingness to commune with God?

Nope. I am stating that this is a necessary condition to adopt. Without it you might as well not bother.

What does that mean exactly?

It means that when you enter into the relationship there will be some or perhaps even many preconceived notions and other things which act as barriers which will have to be dealt with in order that the seed finds the soil which will allow for it to germinate, take root and mature - as is the case with any relationship.

[FWI]

[Replying to post 1 by Justin108]

Does God want everyone to believe in him?

Yes, but it’s not for God’s benefit, it is for the benefit of the human being that this is required. The plan of God will allow “the way of man� to come to its fullness. This “way� will eventually reach a point, which if God didn’t intervene, man will completely destroy themselves.

So, the only hope for mankind, is a change in man’s nature. This will occur through a series of events in which each individual will need to accept God authority and His ways. This is mankind only hope…

[Justin108]

Yes. Imagine being able to travel in space-time and you came across this planet. Just by looking you cannot distinguish whether the planet has biological life on it or not. You have to get closer in order to investigate and find out.

Yes and despite being on the planet, we still can't find any evidence that the planet itself is alive as you believe.

What method should I use and how will I know when I get a response? Will it be an audible dialogue? Will it be a warm, fuzzy feeling? Will there be a ringing in my ear? How would I know when God is actually talking to me?

That is something you can develop in congruity with the relationship.

Can you perhaps give me a more direct answer? What method should I use?

All of the above can be part of that, and more - such as synchronicity

Synchronicity of what?

serendipity

Serendipity, by definition, is a by chance occurrence. What makes you think serendipity is caused by the "Earth God"? What makes you think it's a sign of communication? How is this any different from concluding a rabbit's foot is lucky or that you must be wearing your lucky underwear because the traffic wasn't so bad this morning? How is this any different from the usual superstitions of lucky objects, horoscopes, etc.?

Are you implying I did not have a genuine willingness to commune with God?

Nope. I am stating that this is a necessary condition to adopt. Without it you might as well not bother.

You do see the flaw in this, right? In order to commune with God, you already need to not only assume there is a God, but be massively invested in the idea that God communicates with people. At this point, things like serendipity, fuzzy feelings, birds chirping, etc. become means of confirmation bias.

"I tried to communicate with God, and then I heard a car horn in the distance. Why, that must be God trying to say hello!"

Of course you're going to hear God in every bird, see God in every cloud, etc. if you expect to. This is known as pareidolia.

thoughts aligned with external events - bird songs, insects symbolizing whatever symbols you wish to attach to them...there is nothing I know of which cannot be used for this purpose.

How the hell to you attribute any of this to God? You seem to be using random, trivial phenomena and assuming that these things are instances of God communicating with you. Again, this can be summed up as pareidolia. You see these patterns because you want to see these patterns . Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Sometimes a bird chirping is just a bird chirping. Assuming that just about every phenomena you experience is communication from God is confirmation bias.

[JehovahsWitness]

Does God want everyone to believe in him?

That would be a start

Then how could God possibly fail at successfully convincing all of us he exists?

Biblically, as I said, its a START, not the end game. If convincing all humans of his existence was the main point he would have done so long ago, as it is the existence of a God was never an issue raised in Eden and it is because of the issues raised at that time that God has allowed wickedness ... and atheists. Both of which had to be allowed to develop in order to set things in order.

• So why does God not simply convince all of us that he exists? Because biblically, doing so, in itself, would have no lasting benefits for mankind or any of his universal subjects.
  
  So why does God allow atheism (and wickedness) to exist? Because, in his wisdom both things are necessary in order to settle the central issues raised in Eden and bring about everlasting peace and security for the righteous.
  
  Does that mean he has failed to convince every living person of his existence? No it means he hasn't attempted to convince everyone; he has provided more than enough evidence to convince reasonable good hearted honest people (see links below). The rest are on their own.
  
  Will he attempt to convince everyone one day? No, he will not try, he will do it! At Harmageddon, just before he kills off all the wicked, there will be no atheists. There will be no atheists in God's new world and logically none in heaven

JW




Read online: https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/lv/r1/lp-e/0/23459

[free download]



Read Online: https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/lv/r1/lp-e/0/23467

[free download][/quote]


Evolution or Creation? A biochemist explains his faith
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 17#p799217



Further reading: FAITH What It Is and Why We Need It?
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1102013280#h=8

For more information please go to other posts related to...

FAITH, TRUTH and ...RELIGION

[Justin108]

Does God want everyone to believe in him?

That would be a start

Then how could God possibly fail at successfully convincing all of us he exists?

Because, as I said, its a START, not the end game.

How does it being a start excuse the failure...? If it's a start, then God should start by convincing everyone he exists.

If convincing all humans of his existence was the main point he would have done so long ago, as it is the existence of a God was never an issue raised in Eden and it is because of the issues raised at that time that God has allowed wickedness ... and atheists.

Both of which will be dealt with in due time.

Why did God allow atheism? And why is it taking thousands of years to "deal" with atheism?

You seem to agree with me that God could, if he wanted, convince all of us that he exists. But you haven't given me a reason why he doesn't. You made the point that belief is not the main priority, but just because something isn't a priority doesn't mean that it shouldn't be done, especially if doing it would be exceedingly easy. Brushing my hair, for example, isn't a priority in my day to day life. But because it takes just a minute to do, I do it.

So even though belief in God is not a priority, why does God not simply convince all of us that he exists?

[JehovahsWitness]

Why did God allow atheism? And why is it taking thousands of years to "deal" with atheism?

God allows atheism for exactly the same reason God has allowed ignorance and wickedness of which it is a by-product. See post below for more. You can find the reasons why God has permitted atheism in the links below.

If there is a God, why does he permit evil [and suffering]?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 277#381277

Why did God not destroy Satan when he rebelled?
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 975#845975

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[Justin108]

God allows atheism for exactly the same reason God has allowed ignorance and wickedness of which it is a by-product. See post below for more.

The posts below are in regards to questions I never asked. I don't want to know why God permits evil or why he did not destroy Satan. I want to know, specifically, why he not only allows atheism but pretty much causes it in a way, given how nothing in the Bible can be tested, God cannot be seen, heaven cannot be seen, Jesus cannot be seen, etc.

God allows atheism for exactly the same reason God has allowed ignorance and wickedness of which it is a by-product.

A by-product of what exactly? The term by-product implies inevitability. Please explain what atheism is a by product of and why it is a by-product (i.e why it was inevitable).