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).

[Mae von H]

P4) can god communicate his message in a way in which the recipient could no longer deny (apparently so).
no, not at all. That is something He does not do. It goes against free will He values.

I have to stop you right here... Your answer implies being convinced of something hinged upon free will. But that is not true. If this were true, you could simply 'will' yourself to be convinced of something for which you are not already convinced about.

People do not simply convince themselves of they know is untrue unless extremely foolish. And it’s calling “lying to yourself.” And it’s completely true. God does not insist we believe the truth such that we have no choice. We always have choice.

What we can do is examine the evidence in search of truth. Evidence, for the wise, can convince us. Raw will power won’t do it. We don’t decide to be convinced.

If this God exists, this God apparently knows what it would take to convince anyone of his existence. God either apparently presents it, or he doesn't. He apparently does for some, and not others. Hence, for some reason, he chooses not to present the convincing evidence to me. Why? Like I stated, because he is not really there.

It’s not His part to convince people He’s there. He’s not threatened by our unbelief nor is merely believing He’s there a a goal. The demons know he is there.

So He doesn’t want nor need you to believe inHim. You might need it though. But He’s says what He wants.

He’s told you what is good and what the Lord wants if you. He wants you to do justly by others, to love mercy when they wrong you and to humbly with Him.

I’ve asked you what you expect from Him. My experience is people expect that which He doesn’t promise but I don’t know for sure.

[POI]

Mae We don’t decide to be convinced.

POI Bingo. Since being convinced is not a choice, it is up to God whether or not to decide to convince us. He is apparently skipping me. If he wants all to know him, why skip some? Especially when I asked to be convinced for decades?

Mae It’s not His part to convince people He’s there.

POI Tell that to Saul of Tarsus, just for starters

Mae He’s not threatened by our unbelief nor is merely believing He’s there a a goal.

POI Unbelief equals condemnation, according to the book you believe in. Seems pretty important to him then....

Mae The demons know he is there.

POI Exactly. There exists no atheist demons! And yet, they all have the free will to rebel. Seems the demons have more of an advantage than the atheist. Why? Not all atheists, which later receive evidence of his existence, would still rebel.

Mae So He doesn’t want nor need you to believe in Him.

POI I think I'll instead stick to what the Bible says: "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned" Mark 16:16

[Mae von H]

Finding God is your work, not his.

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

When an omnipotent being plays hide-and-seek with a mere human being, we already know who is going to win that one.

Except He tells those want to find where to look. The hard part is what one must do to find. It’s costly.

[The Nice Centurion]

[Replying to POI in post #1]
LDS : God (suppositionally the mormon one, uncle of Satan), lives on a planet near a sun called Kolob

[brunumb]

Finding God is your work, not his.

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

When an omnipotent being plays hide-and-seek with a mere human being, we already know who is going to win that one.

Except He tells those want to find where to look. The hard part is what one must do to find. It’s costly.

Finding God is nothing more than self brainwashing. The cost is relinquishing one's grip on reality.

[POI]

[Replying to POI in post #1]
LDS : God (suppositionally the mormon one, uncle of Satan), lives on a planet near a sun called Kolob

[Mae von H]

Finding God is your work, not his.

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

When an omnipotent being plays hide-and-seek with a mere human being, we already know who is going to win that one.

Except He tells those want to find where to look. The hard part is what one must do to find. It’s costly.

Finding God is nothing more than self brainwashing. The cost is relinquishing one's grip on reality.

Since most of the major scientific achievements in the 19th and 18th centuries were accomplished by Christians, not to mention the establishment of republics ending tyrannies, and all but one of ivy league schools in America were started by Christians, it’s rather impossible to accept that they all lost grip on reality. Seems more like those who accuse believers of this lost grip on that reality.

I’ve watched a few debates and the overwhelming impression was that the believers are far and away sharper mentally than the atheists. I’ve seen that elsewhere too. The atheists have the sole advantage that since they disbelieve in a Moral Law Giver, they can be as low and insulting as an attack as they wish. We are forbidden from using name calling, they aren’t and it shows.

[Mae von H]

[Replying to POI in post #1]
LDS : God (suppositionally the mormon one, uncle of Satan), lives on a planet near a sun called Kolob

They actually believe that?? Well, since they are required to don special underwear anything is possible.

[TRANSPONDER]

[Replying to POI in post #1]
LDS : God (suppositionally the mormon one, uncle of Satan), lives on a planet near a sun called Kolob

They actually believe that?? Well, since they are required to don special underwear anything is possible.

I have to admit that mainstream Christianity is a lot less demanding in terms of looney shibboleths than some of these associated religious or sects.

It's why Protestantism appeals more than the cluttered and hag -ridden catholicism. But then secularism is even better. It has no crazy at all, not god -driven (looking to find what one wants anyway) searching, but following where evidence leads, not leading it where one wants it to go.

[brunumb]

Since most of the major scientific achievements in the 19th and 18th centuries were accomplished by Christians, not to mention the establishment of republics ending tyrannies, and all but one of ivy league schools in America were started by Christians, it’s rather impossible to accept that they all lost grip on reality. Seems more like those who accuse believers of this lost grip on that reality.

I’ve watched a few debates and the overwhelming impression was that the believers are far and away sharper mentally than the atheists. I’ve seen that elsewhere too. The atheists have the sole advantage that since they disbelieve in a Moral Law Giver, they can be as low and insulting as an attack as they wish. We are forbidden from using name calling, they aren’t and it shows.

Here we go again. Christians are the bestest ever while atheists are immoral scumbags. Nothing of any merit. One of the reasons I decided not to waste time in useless exchanges like this. Have a nice day.