A literal answer from GOD

[barbco196]

I wish you did not skip my previous question...Oh well.

Would you atleast check out a full scholarly article by a Phd in ancient history? I doubt you will, but others will.

Do not pick up poisonous Snakes, or drink deadly poison because Mark 16:9-20 is a later forgery.

Yes, Darv, based on your posts and our conversations; I conclude you advocate critical thinking and for very good reason.

And, I support this! In truth, practically speaking as a parent I strongly encourage my kids to think and question, because it's the best idea and the most productive, the only thing I would add is one can be theist, or agnostic, or atheist and question and advocate thinking for oneself.

A true story to illustrate my point:

My middle son is away on football scholarship, he is attending a Christian University. He "believed" in God going in, yet had not seriously thought about it, he had the example of his dad and he saw his dad as a good man, and he would say this is why he was open to God. We always (dad I encouraged/ agreed) that he should think for himself, not just inherit his ideas( catholic) or my ideas ( atheism) on face value, just because we are his parents as so many kids do.

Maturity means one does their own thinking.

My boy called me last night and shared that being at this school is causing a lot of questions, he said I talked to my dad about it ( my ex) and I said what did your dad say, this is the guy who was an atheist turned catholic ( remember we talked about this). Dad said he absolutely should be questioning God and that he should not be worshipping anything, or following a book that was written by men, that he needs to let his questions guide him to his own conclusions and that it didn't matter the path he walked, it mattered the person he became on it.

Your son spoke to his father, who is now Catholic, and he told him he shouldn't worship anything or follow a book written by man? I don't understand. Unless you meant his dad was Catholic, turned atheist?

Here's the scholarship that supports this:

http://www.errancywi...?title=Legends2

I

[Podo]

My two favourite words are "For me" or "I have found a way that works, for me", or "namaste."

That's because you're a well-adjusted individual that doesn't push BS beliefs on others

[barbco196]

I wouldn't worry tomuch about it,i've often wondered since religion and spiritual beliefs are supposed to be more of a personal matter between oneself and what they believe than having to prove or disprove them to others,why all the fuss?

I don't care what anyone else has in their head about how everything came to be as long as it doesn't affect my daily life i'm not concerned with it,much less going to study it just to disprove your very own thoughts on something that can't 100% be proved or disproved...That just seems like something tricky governments try to pull lol

No offense to anyone on here for trying one way or the other,but throughout the years gone by through the centuries just think of all the great minds that were pretty much put to waste trying to prove or disprove god...

How many scientific discoveries have been left to ponder because of wasted time?...

I really don't worry about it. I am very happy with my decision to believe in God. I just don't struggle with wondering why we're here or what is the point of our existence. Questions that didn't have answers before I came to know God.

[barbco196]

Well then if it doesn't take a scholar to demonstrate "that whichever disciples (" students") had a hand in writing the NT were in his physical presence" ( barbco) then what are you waiting for show us your evidence.

You are right a scholar's teaching can be analogous to let's see what you've got first, in other words what are you offering as "proof" and this is fine and dandy as long as what the scholar has said is not contested-- then their assertion might hold (be "accepted") ( as if / like evidence).

But, if what the scholar says is being investigated as in the case of the Historicity of Jesus, and now your claim, then evidence has to be forked over.

So what do you have in the way of evidence?

Nota been: And be careful that you are not confusing accepting Jesus as a universal soothsayer on faith ( which is probably the case )as we have very little evidence ( if any) to support the historicity of the Jesus character.

Again, don't want to dismiss your question but work is calling. I will answer later tonight.

[XenoFish]

I really don't worry about it. I am very happy with my decision to believe in God. I just don't struggle with wondering why we're here or what is the point of our existence. Questions that didn't have answers before I came to know God.

I'm driven by those question. To get a little out of character here. "Science is the art of understanding the works of god." now y'all can grill me. lol

Actually this is kind of an interesting saying (came up with it myself). Now that I think about it. People want to externalize god, yet if we really seek to understand ourselves and the world around us, then searching for god is seen everywhere. Doesn't mean that the commonly accepted concept of god is real, it just means that what we see to knowledge. As greenmansgod would say, seeing the divine in nature.

Edited February 5, 2016 by XenoFish

[+Sherapy]

I

No, you read that correctly, his dad told him not to worship God or follow the bible as it was written by men and he also told him God doesn't make bad things happen or good things happen life does and this happens to all of us, regardless of the path. And he told him he will find a way to work out the harshness of life out like we all do. He told him don't buy into the quick fixes, there aren't any.

My ex is an atheist turned catholic, he never lost his atheistic ability to question or decide, conclude or challenge things for himself. And, this is his son he would not outright, mislead or exploit his son, and if he tried I would be calling him, lol. Integrity begins with our kids. He thinks this is the issue with religion and he calls this fake Christianity. (Meaning those that simply follow, who don't think for themselves).

My ex is being the change he wishes to see just putting his efforts into the Catholic expression.

Read Vatican 2, the church is making some changes I understand.

That's because you're a well-adjusted individual that doesn't push BS beliefs on others

Why thank you Podo for your very kind words.

[barbco196]

That's an attribute of a mystery Religion. They tell you the easy to swallow stuff, then as you move along in belief (worthiness) the deeper stuff is laid on you. What I say of the Mormons is true, and they have more.

Question: What do you think of groups of people witnessing miracles, then afterwards act completely aloof that it happened? I'm not talking minor miracles, but full on suspension of physical laws events. I'm not talking about people explaining things away, but act like it never happened at all. I'm not talking you witnessed the same thing, but heard about these groups of people on hearsay. What would you think?

Is this the question? It took me a minute to find it. I read it last night. I didn't answer but meant to ask for clarification. Are you asking if I believe these groups of people that are witness to miraculous, supernatural events?

[barbco196]

No, you read that correctly, his dad told him not to worship God or follow the bible as it was written by men and he also told him God doesn't make bad things happen or good things happen life does and this happens to all of us, regardless of the path. And he told him he will find a way to work out the harshness of life out like we all do. He told him don't buy into the quick fixes, there aren't any.

My ex is an atheist turned catholic, he never lost his atheistic ability to question or decide, conclude or challenge things for himself. And, this is his son he would not outright, mislead or exploit his son, and if he tried I would be calling him, lol. Integrity begins with our kids. He thinks this is the issue with religion and he calls this fake Christianity. (Meaning those that simply follow, who don't think for themselves).

My ex is being the change he wishes to see just putting his efforts into the Catholic expression.

Read Vatican 2, the church is making some changes I understand.

Why thank you Podo for your very kind words.

I would say your ex is confused and I hope this confusion doesn't change your son's view of God or The Bible.

[+Sherapy]

I would say your ex is confused and I hope this confusion doesn't change your son's view of God or The Bible.

Why?

[XenoFish]

Peoples view of god is based on what they're told what god is suppose to be. If god was real it wouldn't need people to interpret it. We'd have no religions nor the need for them. God would be apparent. Yet here we are again. Arguing over something that's subjective. People speak with some false authority to have divine fear. People are both angels and demons roaming this purgatory between life and death.

*my spelling terrible today*

Edited February 5, 2016 by XenoFish

[Davros of Skaro]

How many scientific discoveries have been left to ponder because of wasted time?...

Or diverted from discovery by a pedo Priest, or a beheading?

[CrimsonKing]

Well that's a pretty messed up way of putting it Dav,as i don't think "most" of the religious folks out there are involved in such behavior but your free to view things as you wish...

[Davros of Skaro]

Yes, Darv, based on your posts and our conversations; I conclude you advocate critical thinking and for very good reason.

And, I support this! In truth, practically speaking as a parent I strongly encourage my kids to think and question, because it's the best idea and the most productive, the only thing I would add is one can be theist, or agnostic, or atheist and question and advocate thinking for oneself.

A true story to illustrate my point:

My middle son is away on football scholarship, he is attending a Christian University. He "believed" in God going in, yet had not seriously thought about it, he had the example of his dad and he saw his dad as a good man, and he would say this is why he was open to God. We always (dad I encouraged/ agreed) that he should think for himself, not just inherit his ideas( catholic) or my ideas ( atheism) on face value, just because we are his parents as so many kids do.

Maturity means one does their own thinking.

My boy called me last night and shared that being at this school is causing a lot of questions, he said I talked to my dad about it ( my ex) and I said what did your dad say, this is the guy who was an atheist turned catholic ( remember we talked about this). Dad said he absolutely should be questioning God and that he should not be worshipping anything, or following a book that was written by men, that he needs to let his questions guide him to his own conclusions and that it didn't matter the path he walked, it mattered the person he became on it.

Wow!

Your ex to me is an atypical situation, but in a good way. You have way more control than me because I would be sending your son some links.

Right now I'm on a Bus with a Muslim driver. He's nonstop whispering prayers under his breath to Allah for a safe journey.

The most important thing is the balance that your son has with parents that do not push either way.

[XenoFish]

This life is a forge, making us as we go along. Are you stronger because of it or does it make you a monster. Some of us find the strength to stand without the need for a religious faith, we have friends to lean on as all people should. Those you have such belief might need them to cope with life and this isn't all that bad. It's when such belief clouds reasoning. To find solace in your beliefs is a good thing, to give you for free will because of those beliefs is an injustice against the self. To wrong the world through your beliefs is a crime against humanity. What you believe is a personal matter. Not everyone shares the same beliefs. We will not agree on everything thus is our nature. Yet to progress we must put aside what we believe from time to time in order to step out of darkness and into the light.

God is what you make it, religion is just actions based on faith. Find your inner peace and saturate your soul with it.

I hope one day I will be a great man. When I'm on my death bed I can say I did well. That my actions meant something, that despite the hell I've suffered through that lives of those around me were great because I tried. Looking back I can say to my friend "I love you" all because they were there.

Is this not what life is about?

[CrimsonKing]

@ Davros

If he's whispering prayers under his breath makes one wonder how bad of a driver is he lol,probably best to get off and walk

[Mr Walker]

Sorry but my name is XenoFish. Not Mr. Walker.

I present my point of view, if people do not like it then that's alright to me. To each their own. I have no desire unlike you to constantly hammer how 'right' I am.

You said this

God to you is an emotion that you've give meaning to. And you talk to yourself but address an external entity.

That is not giving an opinion or pov, You are making a claim/statement of fact, that the poster does these things.

You are clearly imputing motivation and delusional tendencies. NO mention of IMO.

[Mr Walker]

Referencing a poorly written article in the Huffington Post as evidence The New Testament wasn't written by Jesus' disciples isn't very convincing. I can find far more articles written by biblical scholars that would state the contrary. BTW, disciples is a term that means 'student'. It doesn't take a scholar to demonstrate that whichever disciples had a hand in writing The New Testament were in his physical presence while he taught.

I am glad you explained this. I was going to reply then thought i would see if you had. Both points are valid Lots of scholars (and not just christian ones) still accept that the gospels were originally told by the disciples and that even the words as we read them, come from at least one eye witness to the events.

[Mr Walker]

Then that would be a bias opinion. I mean people wrote the book. It's littered with their own desire written into the pages.

Having God in your life is basically being in a codependent relationship with an imaginary being.

http://www.webmd.com...nt-relationship

It doesn't require bias although that might exist. Scholarship is divided There are some revisionists who think the gospels were later stories but the evidences show they were written down as we now see them, within less than 50 years of christ's putative death They reflect the teachings of the early Christian jews and later gentile Christians. Paul's letters firm up one particular brand of that early Christianity, which slowly became mainstream

Speaking of bias, how biased is this statement.

Having God in your life is basically being in a codependent relationship with an imaginary being.

Where are your evidences that, in the poster's life, god is an imaginary being? Co dependency is actually a fair word because it implies the existence of two SEPARATE beings, in a relationship with each other. You can't have a codependent relationship with your own imaginary construct.

it is also fair comment that people wrote the gospels and that they are thus not necessarily accurate or truthful. Find me one history book which is not written by people, and thus does not contain the bias of its writers.

[Mr Walker]

No, god is very much an emotion to you. You feel gods hand in everything in life, you see gods work in everything around you. You depend on god to take care of you and help you find a man. God is an emotional anchor in your life. Like so many others who are devout. They scream "Forgive me lord for my sins." like children crying for the love of a parent that's just not there.

If I told you that my faith in Cthulhu was fact would you believe me? That regardless of evidence I knew without a doubt that his love was real, would you believe me? If I told you that Zeus has forgiven me of my sins, would you believe me? Perhaps if I told you that Lucifer has given me great wisdom, would you believe me

If only you could see yourself from my point of view.

if you added that this was personal opinon based on your own life experiences rather than stating that it is a fact of barbco's reality, this would be fair comment as it stands it is quite insulting to suggest she cannot understand her own world and her own reality.

Wuan being. hat you believe and how you experience the world is irrelevant, where another knows something you do not know, and experiences life differently form you, in so many ways. I honestly think you mean well, but lack the experience, or abilty, to comprehend the life of people like barbco and, in a different way, my own

It is correct tha t faith and belief provide powerful positive benefits to humans. It is true that many people chose to construct such beliefs for that very reason But you cant seem to appreciate the reality and the power of such belief, to heal to change to redeem and to strengthen a human being.

You personally apparently also chose to disbelieve that a real, physical, and powerful being on whom such beliefs are based can or does exist and does interact with human beings as an independent conscious entity. This limits your understanding of the connection between faith and reality.

We al have parents. If ours are physically absent we will construct a view or belief about them and their relationship with us. Then we will act on that belief about what the y would want us to do If they are present we STILL have to work out an effective working relationship with them but they are there to physically tell us their wants, and hopes, for us. .

[Mr Walker]

Peoples view of god is based on what they're told what god is suppose to be. If god was real it wouldn't need people to interpret it. We'd have no religions nor the need for them. God would be apparent. Yet here we are again. Arguing over something that's subjective. People speak with some false authority to have divine fear. People are both angels and demons roaming this purgatory between life and death.

*my spelling terrible today*

Its interesting how you can be so correct abut part of this, and so wrong about another

Human self conscious awareness allows humans to both perceive and comprehend external /internal realities and to CONSTRUCT them.

A cat, to a human, is NOT just the physical entity of the cat, it IS how we have learned to see and perceive the cat Some see it as a god others as food. Many see them as charming companions (except the kitten we have just now) .

So, does the cat exist outside our percetion of it ? Certainly. But to us, what is a cat ? Well, that depends on our own mind.

Can we have an imaginary cat companion? Sure can,

Can we have a physical cat comanion? Sure can

What is the difference?

In the first the relationship is shaped entirely by how we construct both the cat and our connection to it,

In the second, the relationship has that component, but is ALSO affected by the nature of the cat and the physicality of the connection.

Gods are exactly the same. Construct one, and your relationship will be as you construct it, as well. Stumble over a real one and the relationship will depend on both how you respond, and how the god responds.

Most people "take on" pre-constructed gods from family or society, and shape the god and themselves into (hopefully) a positive relationship Gods and humans have the abilty to understand consequence and hence the ability to make decisions knowing the effect of those decisions We both have considerable power to shape our world and ourselves as we desire. Thus, yes, we humans have the increasing power to be "devils" or " angels" and actually, almost the power to be gods

[Mr Walker]

This life is a forge, making us as we go along. Are you stronger because of it or does it make you a monster. Some of us find the strength to stand without the need for a religious faith, we have friends to lean on as all people should. Those you have such belief might need them to cope with life and this isn't all that bad. It's when such belief clouds reasoning. To find solace in your beliefs is a good thing, to give you for free will because of those beliefs is an injustice against the self. To wrong the world through your beliefs is a crime against humanity. What you believe is a personal matter. Not everyone shares the same beliefs. We will not agree on everything thus is our nature. Yet to progress we must put aside what we believe from time to time in order to step out of darkness and into the light.

God is what you make it, religion is just actions based on faith. Find your inner peace and saturate your soul with it.

I hope one day I will be a great man. When I'm on my death bed I can say I did well. That my actions meant something, that despite the hell I've suffered through that lives of those around me were great because I tried. Looking back I can say to my friend "I love you" all because they were there.

Is this not what life is about?

A lot to agree with here. Especially the bolded bit

Don't worry. If that is what you want and you work at it that is how it will be.

Unlike a sword, while we are being forged, we are self aware, and can understand and respond to the elements which are shaping us. That makes us the blacksmith of our soul,. and the shapers of of our own future.

It doesn't take much to be a truly great man in this world but many people find it difficult. My father was one, from everything people said to me about him and from my own experiences with him. He left the world a far better place than it would have been without his presence. He helped many people, and he was a builder and constructor of many things which will stand long after he is gone.

[Grandpa Greenman]

Referencing a poorly written article in the Huffington Post as evidence The New Testament wasn't written by Jesus' disciples isn't very convincing. I can find far more articles written by biblical scholars that would state the contrary. BTW, disciples is a term that means 'student'. It doesn't take a scholar to demonstrate that whichever disciples had a hand in writing The New Testament were in his physical presence while he taught.

Poorly written or you didn't bother read it. Ehrman does at least think Jesus was a real person. Though I would disagree with him on than one.

Bart D. Ehrman (born October 5, 1955) is an American New Testament scholar, currently the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. According to the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, he is one of North America's leading scholars[1] in his field, having written and edited 27 books, including three college textbooks. He has also achieved acclaim at the popular level, authoring five New York Times bestsellers. Ehrman's work focuses on textual criticism of the New Testament, the historical Jesus, and the development of early Christianity.

From the New World Encyclopedia.

Authorship

The New Testament is a collection of works, and as such was written by multiple authors. The traditional view is that all the books were written by apostles (e.g. Matthew, Paul, Peter, John) or disciples of apostles (such as Luke, Mark, etc). These traditional ascriptions have been rejected by some church authorities as early as the second century, however. In modern times, with the rise of rigorous historical inquiry and textual criticism, the apostolic origin of many of the New Testament books has been called into serious question.

http://www.newworlde...y/New_Testament

[nothinglizx2]

God is active and he is trying to say so much, but figuring out just what he is saying may be difficult even for those who can hear him. But if you want a more spiritual connection with him and want to be more aware of his work in your life, then ask him to open your senses so that you can have a deeper connection with him. Ask him to take you by the hand and lead you and just have faith and things will fall into place.

I've felt a connection to Yehovah and Yeshua through music and it's a great feeling to have. Ask Yehovah and Yeshua to tune you in to what Yehovah and Yeshua are saying to you through music more often.

[+Nuclear Wessel]

God is active and he is trying to say so much, but figuring out just what he is saying may be difficult even for those who can hear him. But if you want a more spiritual connection with him and want to be more aware of his work in your life, then ask him to open your senses so that you can have a deeper connection with him. Ask him to take you by the hand and lead you and just have faith and things will fall into place.

I've felt a connection to Yehovah and Yeshua through music and it's a great feeling to have. Ask Yehovah and Yeshua to tune you in to what Yehovah and Yeshua are saying to you through music more often.

Assuming God to be the creator of the universe, I highly doubt she/he/it would have any troubles whatsoever communicating with anybody.

[XenoFish]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology_of_religion