Experiencing God - (An Instructional How-to)

[POI]

I have been given (yet another) way to apparently experience God. (i.e. viewtopic.php?t=39327&start=360):

"I am asking if you are willing to do it now. Rosary for 9 days in a row. You are being offered the chance to experience God."

********************************

In another thread (viewtopic.php?t=40313), I ultimately explained how I was a devout believer for decades. And yet, I never felt I experienced any contact from God. For years/decades, I tried all sorts of methods. I asked others, and sure enough, many would give me their anecdotal accounts. Above, is just another example of a way in which people have given me, over the years, to possibly experience god. But fear not, as the instructions are usually fail-safe. Meaning, if it still does not work, and one is not deemed a liar for not really trying, then the answer MUST INSTEAD BE that it is not yet God's will for that one to experience god. This, of course, begs other questions...

For Debate:

1) I have been given a 9-day-challenge. I will probably pass on trying it myself. Why? I have already been given all sorts of methods, which apparently also worked for the individuals giving the instructions, but not for me.

What is MOST likely (A, B, C, D)?

A) God communicates with some and not others?
B) God communicates with no one, because there is no such god, and some are merely experiencing self deception?
C) God communicates with everyone, but some people don't notice?
D) God exists, but either never has, and/or no longer, communicates with anyone?

I'm going with B).

2) Is anyone down to take this 9-day-challenge and tell me how it goes?

[POI]

But why not a non-Bible God?

Sure, it could still be, of course Why? This is unfalsifiable. However, it would remain a god(s) which has opted not to communicate with me. So which answer seems most reasonable. I still choose B). --> I think it falls upon self deception.

Maybe you can change my mind?

As to why not the Bible God, you are definitely free not to rehash that, but I’m not sure I have the time to piece it together from that thread. I’d love to hear a summary of the reasons why but, again, you don’t owe me to rehash what you wrote in that other thread.

Because this Bible God never bothered to contact me, as explained elsewhere, to keep it very simple. And then pack this on with the unreliability of the Bible to boot.

I believe (C) is the most reasonable position to take. Why? I think (B) is knocked out because I think the theistic worldview accounts for more aspects of reality than an atheistic worldview. I think it better accounts for the intelligibility of reality, mathematical applicability, objective morality, the beginning of space-time, the fine-tuning of our universe, among other reasons.

I think (C) separates itself from the remaining choices due to some of the things I’ve mentioned above, as well as the authority I place upon the Bible, which I think is shown the most reasonable position to take due to the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus, as well as the reliability of the New Testament documents to have recorded what Jesus taught.

Quite a lot of claims to unpack there.... I trust you have debated many/most all of these claims already, to your own personal satisfaction with little bias?

Rather, I think B) --> (self deception) -- Simply because I find it convenient that when I used to attend Pentecostal church(es), many would "speak in tongues". But, when attending Baptist church(es), many would "act erratic." But, when attending non-denominational church(es), many would raise their hands in the air, with their eye's closed, and talk to themselves. Fun how the ones "communicating", did so in a rather organized/unified fashion. It's also funny how none where not really even doing anything, for which they could not have done completely on their own --- without any help from any external agency. But yea, I apparently saw thousands 'communicate'. And at the time, I also asked myself.... "Why do I not feel compelled to do any of these things?"

I do believe I freely communicate with God. I would call that prayer, but I think prayer is a bigger reality than specific methods and includes things like Bible study, worshiping with others, etc. But I don’t think it's to follow such-and-such steps and you’ll automatically communicate; I think it’s also about how we approach the various avenues open to us and the ways God has communicated with us already.

How do you know you are not in self deception? How do you know you are not talking to yourself?

[POI]

However, when the right time came, God opened the doors to people all over the world, and to this day those doors are still open, although not for much longer. Anyone who wishes to be under the care of Jehovah, the Majesty of the Universe, can access Him by following the instructions of his modern people, Christians Jehovah's Witnesses.

I decided to snip all of the "doomsday" stuff to focus here. Are you saying that the (9-day-challange), as presented in Q2 of the OP, is NOT the way to reach Him? If so, what exactly IS the way?

[POI]

[Replying to POI in post #1]

If you are actually serious about experiencing God, you will try it. Many that have tried it have a powerful experience or more than one, such as myself. I honestly did not expect anything from the rosary when I first tried it.

I was serious for decades, and nothing. I tried all sorts of stuff, from my own yearning to contact Him, as well as countless suggestions from others.

Further, are you saying:

powerful experience = YHWH? Please explain?

[Shem Yoshi]

[Replying to POI in post #1]

Do you need God to "communicate" with you to have faith in him?

As I stated, many times now.... I asked for God's contact, for decades, and nothing. Imagine if someone or something provided the promise of "communication", and after about 10K times of trying to do so, for decades, and in every which way imaginable, you never got it... Would you remain as "faithful"? If so, why?

Faith is at the foundation of belief in God... I dont think God communicating with you ought to be the foundation of any relationship with God.

[brunumb]

Faith is at the foundation of belief in God... I dont think God communicating with you ought to be the foundation of any relationship with God.

That's a pity. Genuine, irrefutable communication with God should be enough to establish belief. Faith, on the other hand, is totally unreliable in that it can lead one to believe in what is false just as readily as what is true. Think of all those who have total faith in gods other than the one you have faith in.

[Shem Yoshi]

Faith is at the foundation of belief in God... I dont think God communicating with you ought to be the foundation of any relationship with God.

That's a pity. Genuine, irrefutable communication with God should be enough to establish belief. Faith, on the other hand, is totally unreliable in that it can lead one to believe in what is false just as readily as what is true. Think of all those who have total faith in gods other than the one you have faith in.

I am still unconvinced that "faith" is prevalent in other religions. It is a Christian concept...

None the less, it is undeniable that belief in the Christian God is established on Faith... The original poster's demand for communication seems to be more of an foreign idea, then a Christian one.

[Tcg]

I am still unconvinced that "faith" is prevalent in other religions. It is a Christian concept...

What other religions have you studied upon which to establish this conviction?


Tcg

[Shem Yoshi]

I am still unconvinced that "faith" is prevalent in other religions. It is a Christian concept...

What other religions have you studied upon which to establish this conviction?


Tcg

many...

The the word "faith" is rooted in the original Hebrew... It's origins is biblical... It's origin is founded in faith in the God of Israel.... I dont believe any of the primary sources of Greko-Roman myths talked of having faith in their gods (like Homer), i dont think any of the primary sources of the Egyptian Gods suggesting to have faith in their gods...

It might be true that others barrow the concept of faith to mean other things, which i havent really seen the evidence for..

But surely "salvation through grace by faith" is solely Christianity. There is no where else that teaches that...

[1213]

It's not about whether or not I like the message(s). It's the fact that I never felt any contact myself, even after decades of asking and trying. Thus, I now have my suspicions, as to whether or not anyone is really actually experiencing contact from any external agency at all?.?.?.?.?

Hence, maybe it's actually answer A), B), C), or D)? Is He skipping me, which would mean answer A)? Is He not real, and many are experiencing self deception B)? Am I too stupid to notice, which means God is not really trying to make me aware C)? God either no longer contacts anyone, or never has D)?

Answer B) seems to require the least amount of additional (ad hoc / post hoc) explanation(s).

If you have read the Bible, then you have had the message. I don't see any reason to think it would make any difference, if God would tell it directly to you.

[brunumb]

If you have read the Bible, then you have had the message. I don't see any reason to think it would make any difference, if God would tell it directly to you.

Which do you think is more compelling, your mother telling you that she loves you or a news reporter telling you that your mother loves you?