How Would You React. To A God Revelation?

[+Sherapy]

7 minutes ago, Hammerclaw said:

Point the ones out that answer the question, it shouldn't take long. I think you'd have to agree, the premise I posited has pretty much been ignored, with many of the responses somewhat surly and disdainful and merely restatements of their stance on non belief. 

For me, I think the posters have done their best.

Sadly, I don’t have much of an answer, sorry about this. 
 

It is a good thread. 

Edited April 27, 2020 by Sherapy

[Will Due]

1 hour ago, Stubbly_Dooright said:

Does it matter to you?

 

Does it matter to me that some refuse to believe in God without evidence?

I'm not exactly sure how I didn't end up in that group. I'm very grateful about that, because like I've already said, I'm not sure that I would cope very well if I'd lived most of my life believing what I'm believing and then finding myself in a position suddenly of having to start the business of deciding what to believe all over again.

If that is, I was faced with a God revelation that is impossible to pretend isn't real.

 

 

Edited April 27, 2020 by Will Due

[Piney]

1 hour ago, third_eye said:

Okay, I'm at a clear disadvantage here, help me out, what language would this God be speaking with... 

American English.......

[+Hammerclaw]

7 minutes ago, Sherapy said:

For me, I think the posters have done their best.

Sadly, I don’t have much of an answer, sorry about this. 
 

It is a good thread. 

No worries, it is typical UM thread and it's denizens have already strayed off the path and are cavorting in the bushes.

[Stubbly_Dooright]

5 minutes ago, Will Due said:

1 hour ago, Stubbly_Dooright said:

Does it matter to you?

 

Does it matter to me that some refuse to believe in God without evidence?

I don’t think it should matter to anyone, believer or non-believer. It’s each everyone’s personal business 

Quote

I'm not exactly sure how I didn't end up in that group. I'm very grateful about that, because like I've already said, I'm not sure that I would cope very well if I'd lived most of my life believing what I'm believing and then finding myself in a position now of having to start the business of deciding what to believe all over again.

If that is, I was faced with a God revelation that is impossible to pretend isn't real.

I don’t get that. I guess it depends on what you consider real. But, I don’t think this is linked to objective reality. If it’s real to you, why pretend?

 I don’t think it’s a good idea, that others are pretending when they honestly don’t see anything to pretend doesn’t exist. You don’t want others thinking for you, so don’t think for them. 

[Will Due]

Just now, Stubbly_Dooright said:

If it’s real to you, why pretend?

 

Well likewise if it isn't real to you, why pretend that it isn't?

In other words why pretend that a God revelation for you isn't real?

 

 

[+Hammerclaw]

3 hours ago, Sherapy said:

It is a good question, No raw nerves abraided, just looking at it.

I think you nailed it with some see no point in pretend. I am one of those, maybe. 
 

Why are you asking is more interesting. 

Just playing flip that thread, the one that was closed, where you asked for a revelation and then actually got one. 

[darkmoonlady]

I immediately thought of the movie Contact, she didn't meet God she met an alien life form or projection of one and her superiors think it was a hoax, or she made it up. I think it is possible to have an encounter with something we as humans would perceive as a god, (doesn't mean it would be one) and especially if it happened while you were alone, with no proof, you'd have to make a choice to reveal it even happened. It's ironic I remember as a kid watching Donahue and he had on atheists and it was like they said they stomped puppies for fun based on audience reaction and the threatening letters they'd recieved. That was the late 70s or early 80s. Not much has changed polls now say very few people would vote an open atheist into office. Yet if one said they had a god revelation people probably wouldn't either. It seems if someone believes they can't not believe completely one way or the other. Personally I've had enough things happen, no one giant gesture, but little things that I believe something is at work but as for all the religions, it's a guess made by limited minds. 

[cormac mac airt]

Quote

Faced with a personal spiritual epiphany, where you were gifted with knowledge or affirmation of a higher power, how would you react, and how would it change your life?

I guess this assumes that said higher power bore some form of sentience, if so my first reaction would be to want to know if it does indeed have an interest in the things it has created or just takes some sort of joy simply from the act of creating. If the former I would want to know where we stand in its eyes as opposed to where many 'think' we stand, yeah I'd still have a lot of questions. If the latter then it wouldn't really change things for me much other than knowing it existed. 

cormac

[+and-then]

5 hours ago, Sherapy said:

How does conforming to the rules of a so called god give a better life? 

The premise that those of faith are suppose to hold is that we are created beings and the Creator would know what is best for our ultimate fulfillment and happiness.  Those who reject that idea have only the history of mankind to look forward to repeating over and over.  So, if you became aware that the "instructions" WOULD make you happier, would you still be willing to reject it and to chart your own course?  I think that most who are living today, would do so.  For believers, the actions of non-believers would not change anything.  Each person has to choose their own path and then deal with whatever consequences would follow.  It's an absolutely just and equitable way for every human.  

[+and-then]

5 hours ago, Sherapy said:

Why does a person have to belief in a Omni faceted perfection to have a better life.

There is, as far as I'm aware, no compulsion to believe anything.  But again, since humanity has created a VERY clear historical record of what we do, over and over, many choose to believe a book that actually predicts coming events.  That is the only proof any person will ever have before God makes Himself known on the earth again.  This discussion has been chewed over for the whole 8 years I've been here and the only response from people who cannot believe seems to be that they - like all other humans - tend to seek answers that "prove" them to be correct.  As we get further into this final age of human government it will be more and more difficult to appear rational and unbiased about the events that are happening.  To each, their own choice.

[Guyver]

7 hours ago, Hammerclaw said:

It's all hypothetical, or a pure fantasy scenario for some. It might be an affirmation or a bewildering experience if disassociated from conventional theology. No one really knows from a factual perspective if there is a God/Creator and what He/She/It is really like.

If one had.a God revelation, there would be no questioning it.  It would be established.  I mean, you could check your sanity, as I had to tonight when I observed a double crescent moon.  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, not having seen it before....so I began to check with friends,  People in different places saw different things, some could see it, some could not. Iphone pictures did not capture the phenomenon.   But, if God revealed himself to you, you would know it...IMO.  

The problem is hindsight and you begin to wonder if you did in fact have the experience you thought you had, or could you be mistaken.  Yes, I have had that experience.  I am thankful for it, but I still don’t believe I know any more now than I did before.  FWIW.

[Guyver]

4 minutes ago, and then said:

There is, as far as I'm aware, no compulsion to believe anything.  But again, since humanity has created a VERY clear historical record of what we do, over and over, many choose to believe a book that actually predicts coming events.  That is the only proof any person will ever have before God makes Himself known on the earth again.  This discussion has been chewed over for the whole 8 years I've been here and the only response from people who cannot believe seems to be that they - like all other humans - tend to seek answers that "prove" them to be correct.  As we get further into this final age of human government it will be more and more difficult to appear rational and unbiased about the events that are happening.  To each, their own choice.

If I may ask, what makes you think we are in the final phase of human government?

[Mr Walker]

7 hours ago, Hammerclaw said:

It's all hypothetical, or a pure fantasy scenario for some. It might be an affirmation or a bewildering experience if disassociated from conventional theology. No one really knows from a factual perspective if there is a God/Creator and what He/She/It is really like.

Not for me its not, although, yes, it depends on your definition of, and parameters for, a god. 

Meeting a real 'god " is as life changing as meeting your real love. EVERYTHING changes,  from your understandings to your behaviours

reactions? 

Astonishment, disbelief, wonder ,empowerment,  some fear,   great curiosity.  Appreciation, encouragement,  renewal, surrendering old beliefs and behaviours, and trying hard to accommodate  new ones 

Basically a human becomes a new being after a revelation from god ( either physical or spiritual)

Some old cherished things become unimportant

Things once considered unimportant become critical  

[Mr Walker]

6 hours ago, freetoroam said:

I would feel pretty special if something decided to show up to little ol non religious me.

As I am not a believer,  no chance of it happening to me as I do not have that mind, but hypothetically:

I would ask why now? I mean after all these thousands of years during hardship and need  of believers praying to a god for help,  why not turn up earlier when someone really wanted and  needed it? 

Next question:

Whats your next big plan and what mistakes did you learn from this one? 

lol Your mind has nothing to do with it.

If such a being decides to manifest in your life, your lack of belief will not prevent it from doing so

You assume this being has  NOT turned up when others needed it ; to protect them, and strengthen them, or to comfort them. 

[Mr Walker]

6 hours ago, eight bits said:

Cautiously.

My response also

 Even if you are not sure it is a god, it is wise to be cautious in the presence of such a being. 

[Mr Walker]

6 hours ago, Tuco's Gas said:

Despite some of the cutesy, even smarmy answers that deny the possibility of their being converted to theism by a powerful epiphany or communication with a supernatural deity, the truth is that none of us can say how we would react until it happened. And the type of "God Shot" would dictate our resulting reactions too.

Who can say? The staunchest and most outspoken hardcore Dawkinsesque atheist might become a mass of quivering, converted,  obedient jelly driven to his knees if his God Revelation was powerful enough. So this question, like the "Do you believe in God" query, which I always answer with, "Define God".. demands an equivalent sort of clarification: "what type of revelation would it be? Describe it.  Visual? Something that irrefutable defied physical laws and reality as we know it?

The OP question cannot be answered with any degree of certainty without the responder knowing the details of the hypothetical revelation.

Peace.

True.

Reality always trumps belief.

Disbelief may be comforting, but can't exist in the face of knowledge.  

[Mr Walker]

6 hours ago, XenoFish said:

Why the F does it always have to be the Christian God? 

How many non christian, non atheists/agnostics, post in this  forum? 

Why are the posts all written in English? 

[+and-then]

9 minutes ago, Guyver said:

If I may ask, what makes you think we are in the final phase of human government?

All of the markers that Christ spoke of on the Temple Mount are coming into focus quite clearly.  Regard of how one sees the nation of Israel, its rejuvenation and the Jews coming in there, literally from the "four corners" of the earth, is a guidepost for what comes next.  Another, yet future indicator will be that a confederacy of nations will surround Israel and take control of it for 3.5 years.  

The clearest signature of this time is that Turkey and "Persia" (Iran) will come together with a leader known as Gog of Magog and the armies they field will surround and invade Israel.  Another which could happen at any point going forward is the destruction of the city of Damascus, so thoroughly that it will be abandoned of inhabitants and it will happen overnight.  

As to the belief that we are seeing the culmination of human government, look no further than to the schism we see in the world today.  The whole planet is sliding into tribal groups and this time around, some of those groups have nukes.

[Mr Walker]

5 hours ago, XenoFish said:

There is a god. I'm going to hell has been confirmed. Yeah, pretty much my view. 

IMO it might mean that you are NOT going to hell, and have an opportunity for a virtually immortal life.

I see nothing  about you that would condemn you to a hell,  even if such a place existed.  

[Mr Walker]

5 hours ago, Hammerclaw said:

Curious, how the minds of all the posters here shy away from the actual question to dispute what has been stated as a clearly hypothetical, foundational premise. 

I'll ask again. If it happened, how to you see it impacting your life, your worldview, you're hopes, dreams, your aspirations?

Maybe its beyond the mindsets of some people to even imagine this possibility. We all have some scenarios too terrible to contemplate.  

[Mr Walker]

4 hours ago, Sherapy said:

If I may what is the appeal of an afterlife?

If you  love your present life, then it is natural to want more of it.

So many things still to learn, so many things to do. So much more to grow and evolve as a human being.  Time to learn music, different languages and experience the transformation of the earth over the next few centuries   New people to meet new worlds to explore.   New books music films or their future equivalents  (I ve got 100 books and 100 dvds in my office waiting for me to get to them,  with more coming out every day) Despite reading/ viewing 2 each day they accumulate faster than i can get through them. 

I spend about 18  hours a day doing things. In the past this was often 20 hours.

Ive been doing this for almost 70 years and yet there has still not been enough time to do/learn /experience a fraction of the things i would like to.

Not sure about eternity, but i could sure do with a few more thousand years to evolve myself,  improve myself, and to enjoy myself .

[Mr Walker]

4 hours ago, XenoFish said:

If you want a better answer. Not even the most profound spiritual experience or divine revelation could change my mind. Heaven, hell, some afterlife, even god itself couldn't cause me to believe. 

Unless you are totally illogical, yes it would.

The human mind can only deny reality by seeking shelter in a form of insanity. 

Of course, given proof, you would not have to believe.

You would be forced to acknowledge this new reality, or go "crazy " 

[Mr Walker]

4 hours ago, eight bits said:

There is more than one possibility within your "givens." At one extreme, I'd be broken, and no longer me. I'd need to reassemble a self, and I have no idea how that would turn out, because I can only speak for the me that I am. Paul writes about dying in his Lord as a result of his revelatory experiences; something like "death of the personality" surely could happen to me.

But that extreme isn't the only possibility. Suppose I'm not broken. Mark's Jesus said, "Be careful that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am,’ and will lead many astray" (13:5-6) Within your givens, God knows that I've read that, and having set aside the hypothetical extreme, I'm still me. That is, the fellow who read that and really admires Mark And now, what do you know, Mark isn't a work of fiction after all. It seems.

So, Question 1: Why ought I overlook your previous advice?

Presumably that begins a conversation, and we'll see how it goes for impact on my life, worldview, hopes, dreams and aspirations.

That's what I meant earlier by cautious. Caution does not exclude the possibility of being finally convinced; I am not answering outside your givens. But so long as I am still here and still me, conviction will be the end of a process. Maybe the process will be as short as a really good answer to Question 1; maybe more give and take will be required.

BTW, I am not shying away from anything. God has my email address and phone number. He can set this up if he'd like. As Moses famously said when called: "I'm here." (Exodus 3:4) Me, too.

Excellent answer and what often happens to people after such encounters 

[Mr Walker]

3 hours ago, Stubbly_Dooright said:

Well if you’re God, and I’m your mom, what does that make me?

Holy mother of god. It doesn't bear thinking about