Where's God?

POI · Post by **POI** » Fri Jan 13, 2023 2:32 pm

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).

AquinasForGod · Post by **AquinasForGod** » Wed Jan 25, 2023 5:36 pm

[Replying to POI in post #190]

It is not like God shows favoritism. Anyone of any faith and even atheists can experience God. When an atheist experiences God, he ends up believing.

How the person interprets God is up to them. They will most likely interpret it via their cultures religion, unless of course Jesus visits them like he did Paul.

brunumb · Post by **brunumb** » Wed Jan 25, 2023 5:39 pm

AquinasForGod wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 5:06 pm [Replying to POI in post #91]

How do you distinguish a god experience (vs) a self experience?
If you have to ask, then you can be sure it is not God.

Never having had an experience that one could attribute to God, it is not unreasonable to ask someone who presumably has had such an experience, what one can expect and how one recognises it. Please enlighten us.

AquinasForGod · Post by **AquinasForGod** » Wed Jan 25, 2023 5:42 pm

brunumb wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 5:39 pm
AquinasForGod wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 5:06 pm [Replying to POI in post #91]

How do you distinguish a god experience (vs) a self experience?
If you have to ask, then you can be sure it is not God.
Never having had an experience that one could attribute to God, it is not unreasonable to ask someone who presumably has had such an experience, what one can expect and how one recognises it. Please enlighten us.

Sure, I will be glad to do that once you think of a way to explain what redness and blueness are like to a person born blind.

brunumb · Post by **brunumb** » Wed Jan 25, 2023 5:49 pm

AquinasForGod wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 5:42 pm
brunumb wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 5:39 pm
AquinasForGod wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 5:06 pm [Replying to POI in post #91]

How do you distinguish a god experience (vs) a self experience?
If you have to ask, then you can be sure it is not God.
Never having had an experience that one could attribute to God, it is not unreasonable to ask someone who presumably has had such an experience, what one can expect and how one recognises it. Please enlighten us.
Sure, I will be glad to do that once you think of a way to explain what redness and blueness are like to a person born blind.

In other words, you can't. Got it. Par for the curse with these nebulous theist claims.

JoeyKnothead · Post by **JoeyKnothead** » Wed Jan 25, 2023 6:03 pm

AquinasForGod wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 5:06 pm [Replying to POI in post #91]

How do you distinguish a god experience (vs) a self experience?
If you have to ask, then you can be sure it is not God.

Unfortunately, those experiencing delusions of granduer can't tell the difference.

POI · Post by **POI** » Wed Jan 25, 2023 7:48 pm

AquinasForGod wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 5:36 pm [Replying to POI in post #190]

It is not like God shows favoritism. Anyone of any faith and even atheists can experience God. When an atheist experiences God, he ends up believing.

How the person interprets God is up to them. They will most likely interpret it via their cultures religion, unless of course Jesus visits them like he did Paul.

So basically the answer is, "you'll know when you know?"

Post by **Tcg** » Wed Jan 25, 2023 11:11 pm

AquinasForGod wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 5:36 pm
It is not like God shows favoritism.

There is no reason to conclude gods exists outside of the imaginations of those who imagine them. However, the different versions of God presented in the bible most definitely show favoritism. The O.T. versions favored the Israelites (no surprise given they invented him) and the N.T. versions favor those who believe in Jesus (again no surprise given that Jesus followers' invented new versions after Jesus failed to reform Judaism.)

Tcg

William · Post by **William** » Wed Jan 25, 2023 11:17 pm

Wheres God?

Never mind that! I have enough on my plate looking for Wally!

Wait...what...

AquinasForGod · Post by **AquinasForGod** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:11 am

POI wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 7:48 pm
AquinasForGod wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 5:36 pm [Replying to POI in post #190]

It is not like God shows favoritism. Anyone of any faith and even atheists can experience God. When an atheist experiences God, he ends up believing.

How the person interprets God is up to them. They will most likely interpret it via their cultures religion, unless of course Jesus visits them like he did Paul.
So basically the answer is, "you'll know when you know?"

If you were tasked with trying to explain what the experience of seeing colors was like to a person born blind, how would you go about doing so?

I know that I could not. I would have to give them sight.

AquinasForGod · Post by **AquinasForGod** » Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:15 am

Tcg wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 11:11 pm
AquinasForGod wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 5:36 pm
It is not like God shows favoritism.
There is no reason to conclude gods exists outside of the imaginations of those who imagine them. However, the different versions of God presented in the bible most definitely show favoritism. The O.T. versions favored the Israelites (no surprise given they invented him) and the N.T. versions favor those who believe in Jesus (again no surprise given that Jesus followers' invented new versions after Jesus failed to reform Judaism.)

Tcg

We are going to have to disagree here. In the OT, God was willing to reveal himself to the gentiles, such as the story of the gentile Balaam. He sent an angel to him and made his donkey talk. I am not saying this story happened literally like this, but it shows us that God revealed himself to a gentile.

God did not choose the Jews because he was showing favoritism but rather because they were the best example of humans to do a task at the time.

Choosing someone for a task is not the same as showing favoritism.

Favoritism: the practice of giving unfair preferential treatment to one person or group at the expense of another.

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