Searching for GOD...

[Shaker]

He allows you the freedom to speak and believe as you do.

The laws of the land in which I live guarantee me that.

[Alan Burns]

A dog for instance has olfactory perception hundreds of times richer than a human;

Just imagine if humans had the same olfactory perception (sesitivity to smells) as dogs.  Instead of just having a programmed reaction to smells 100's of times stronger than normal, we would actually be consciously aware of them!  Poooeee!!!

[Alan Burns]

So, why did I lose my faith, and why do I feel more peaceful now that I have?

Everyone's life journey is unique to them, so I can't compare my own findings to yours.  I will just hope and pray that your own journey is not yet complete and that you will discover God's love.

From today's Mass reading in Isaiah 35:

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
the ears of the deaf unsealed,

[savillerow]

Msg 6154 AB I never understand when someone of a faith quotes scripture to make a point. So what?? My eyes and hearing are pretty good. The world should try and come together, I really would like that. But there must be some ground rules for that to happen, firstly I would like to see religious stuff out of the public arena, secondly ask for no respect for you beliefs and thirdly ask no no special rules for your belief. Your beliefs on this topic should be a private affair. I don't need preaching at, I really don't.

[torridon]

Just imagine if humans had the same olfactory perception (sesitivity to smells) as dogs.  Instead of just having a programmed reaction to smells 100's of times stronger than normal, we would actually be consciously aware of them!  Poooeee!!!

Dogs are consciously aware of them, of course, except when sleeping.

[Dicky Underpants]

Try telling that to God when you meet up.  He enjoys a good laugh - after all, he invented humour.   

Have to admit that Jesus wasn't entirely devoid of it. That anecdote about the bloke with a plank in his eye was quite droll and to the point. Mind you, we recently had a bloke round here with two planks in that part of his anatomy - and a believer to boot (you can interpret the latter word either way).

[ippy]

Apparently some people do have a highly enhanced sense of smell similar to that of other creatures, and it makes life very unpleasant for them.

I particularly dislike the smell of cigarettes, I can smell smell someone smoking when I'm driving and I wonder where it's coming from, it's frequently the driver of a car two cars in front of me.

I often find places where most people don't notice what are to me quite twangy smells as described by other posters, only this time it's me that can smell the things.

Having had two children, bless their little cotton socks, arr, cleaning up 99% of the rotten smelly things they, all of them, lay out with style, I had no trouble with cleaning them up until I came to the 1% when they were sick, I had to put a handkerchief around my face with a spot of perfume where it went over my nose, then it was no trouble to clean up,  that was the only way I could face doing it.     

Love my Roses love the differing smells but that's one of the good bits.

ippy

[floo]

I have quite a good sense of smell, so on my first walk of the day as I pass teenagers on their way to school I get choked by the strong smell of perfume and aftershave in which they seem to bathe!

[Rhiannon]

Everyone's life journey is unique to them, so I can't compare my own findings to yours.  I will just hope and pray that your own journey is not yet complete and that you will discover God's love.

From today's Mass reading in Isaiah 35:

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
the ears of the deaf unsealed,

The reason why I lost my faith was because it was never real to begin with. I'm happy for you that you have your path; it's a shame that you can't be happy that I have mine.

[BashfulAnthony]

The laws of the land in which I live guarantee me that.

That's so: even the foul and abusive language you espouse so frequently.

[ippy]

The reason why I lost my faith was because it was never real to begin with. I'm happy for you that you have your path; it's a shame that you can't be happy that I have mine.

Crazy paved mine Rhi, looks good.

ippy

[Shaker]

Dogs are consciously aware of them, of course, except when sleeping.

... in which case you're often consciously aware of theirs

[Shaker]

That's so: even the foul and abusive language you espouse so frequently.

Yup!

[BashfulAnthony]

Yup!

Somehow so comforting to see a poster acknowledge his deficiencies, even in his usual poor English usage.   

[Outrider]

In short, nothing compares.

Given that, by your own description, it's entirely subjective, how do you know if it compares?

I know of devout Muslims and people of other faiths, but they do not experience the real presence of God which I share with many other Christians, and the inner peace and joy we get by knowing God through personal experience.

You don't 'know' that, you believe that as an article of faith. You can't 'know' it, because you have no method by which you can compare. They, I'm sure, would say exactly the same about their sense of Allah, or whatever divinity they believe in.

That, to me, is at best an indication that you are all interacting with the same 'something', but that your personal beliefs are shading your interpretation of it.

Then there are the profound answers to prayer which can't be explained away by mere coincidence or selection bias.

If there were any of those, of course, but so far as I know there aren't.

I have no need to explore other religions and belief systems because I have found God and there is nothing in this world that can ever take away God's love.

You have found a sense of God, and that brings you happiness and contentment, and you have no motivation to look for anything more, and that's fine: I question whether you can claim that you 'know' this is any sort of god, and particularly that you can 'know' that it's the Christian God.

O.

[ippy]

Given that, by your own description, it's entirely subjective, how do you know if it compares?

You don't 'know' that, you believe that as an article of faith. You can't 'know' it, because you have no method by which you can compare. They, I'm sure, would say exactly the same about their sense of Allah, or whatever divinity they believe in.

That, to me, is at best an indication that you are all interacting with the same 'something', but that your personal beliefs are shading your interpretation of it.

If there were any of those, of course, but so far as I know there aren't.

You have found a sense of God, and that brings you happiness and contentment, and you have no motivation to look for anything more, and that's fine: I question whether you can claim that you 'know' this is any sort of god, and particularly that you can 'know' that it's the Christian God.

O.

Don't forget Outrider, Alan gets brownie points for believing in this christian idea for something they refer to as god, and even more points if these believers allow themselves to remain completely taken in, even when they know there's zero evidence that could support these ideas about their god thing.

Good luck to him, as long as he doesn't try to pollute the minds of very young children with his nonsense.

ippy

[Alan Burns]

Msg 6154 AB I never understand when someone of a faith quotes scripture to make a point. So what??

I am simply backing up a point by quoting what I believe to be the word of God.  There is surely nothing difficult to understand about my reason for doing this.

[Alan Burns]

Don't forget Outrider, Alan gets brownie points for believing in this christian idea for something they refer to as god, and even more points if these believers allow themselves to remain completely taken in, even when they know there's zero evidence that could support these ideas about their god thing.

Good luck to him, as long as he doesn't try to pollute the minds of very young children with his nonsense.

ippy

My motive has nothing to do with brownie points.  I am driven by a genuine desire to help other people to discover the Good News of salvation.  It is about saving souls.

[Alan Burns]

Given that, by your own description, it's entirely subjective, how do you know if it compares?

You don't 'know' that, you believe that as an article of faith. You can't 'know' it, because you have no method by which you can compare. They, I'm sure, would say exactly the same about their sense of Allah, or whatever divinity they believe in.

That, to me, is at best an indication that you are all interacting with the same 'something', but that your personal beliefs are shading your interpretation of it.

If there were any of those, of course, but so far as I know there aren't.

You have found a sense of God, and that brings you happiness and contentment, and you have no motivation to look for anything more, and that's fine: I question whether you can claim that you 'know' this is any sort of god, and particularly that you can 'know' that it's the Christian God.

O.

I do realise that people of other faiths may also claim to have found the true God, but I can quote the personal testimonies of several Muslims who have had the courage and conviction to convert to Christianity.  It is very difficult for a Muslim to convert because of the fear of being rejected by their own family and community.  One person in particular was a very devout Muslim who out of curiosity started reading the New Testament.  He was not pressurised by any evangelical preacher - he simply discovered God's love by prayerful reading of the Christian Bible which depicted a loving God which is not there in the Koran.

[torridon]

I do realise that people of other faiths may also claim to have found the true God, but I can quote the personal testimonies of several Muslims who have had the courage and conviction to convert to Christianity.  It is very difficult for a Muslim to convert because of the fear of being rejected by their own family and community.  One person in particular was a very devout Muslim who out of curiosity started reading the New Testament.  He was not pressurised by any evangelical preacher - he simply discovered God's love by prayerful reading of the Christian Bible which depicted a loving God which is not there in the Koran.

Yet again we can see the operation of selection bias at work; you seek out ancedotal testimonies of people who have converted from Islam to Christianity because these are stories that will confirm your beliefs; whilst ignoring the personal testimonies of people, far greater in number, that convert from Christianity to Islam.

[torridon]

My motive has nothing to do with brownie points.  I am driven by a genuine desire to help other people to discover the Good News of salvation.  It is about saving souls.

You can't save things that don't exist in the first place.  And even if they did, I don't believe you have any such power, that would lie with God. If God wants to save a 'soul' presumably he would do so, being a God. If he doesn't want to save a 'soul', then he won't.

[Sassy]

Let's hope your God teaches the pitfalls of spiritual arrogance.

What arrogance and what pitfalls?
You see that answer does not make sense. How does someone having a personal relationship with God become spiritual arrogance? What are the pitfalls.
If your honest you just said those words because you could not bear to hear the truth that someone has a personal relationship with God.
These things happen when people have something others do not and where opinion differs. Look at Acts 7 where Stephen said:


51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

then it comes to this:-


55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

There are no spiritual pitfalls or arrogance in telling the truth.
But the reality is that those who cannot bear to hear the truth attack those telling it. It fits more aptly doesn't it.

Tell me Ekim where do you see yourself in the above?

[Sassy]

What a special little cupcake.

How incredibly lucky too to have been chosen by the right god.

As opposed to what?  You mean you have never heard of the 'right' God or been told what CHRIST did?

Sometimes we have to make the choice and the rest follows:-

Tell me Shaker, why don't you know the right God?  That's right you CHOSE not to.

[Sassy]

So, why did I lose my faith, and why do I feel more peaceful now that I have?

You heard and believed for a short while then fell away....

It isn't peace it is the end of your fight and race. You gave up and never finished.
Satan has no reason to test or tempt you now you have walked away and turned your back on God. Satan has you right where he wants you. It isn't peace it is simply Satan has no reason to test you you.

[Sassy]

Pay attention Ippy, Removing the quotes was a bad idea it shows how in the absence of the actual post being replied to, you and others will get things wrong.

Floo had written:

Quote from: Floo on December 04, 2015, 10:37:26 AM
The flipping deity needs to confess its evil deeds and apologise for them, no human is or has been, as bad as it, should it really exist!

My reply was to Floo, and was relating to Floo.

Sass your post saying: "It is amazing how loving he is.. He allows(Floo) you the freedom to speak and believe as you do. Why should he apologise for your freedom and the freedom of those from the past to speak and act as they wish"?

If there were a god whatever it is, or there isn't a god whatever it might be, tell me how would you, or anyone else, come to that, know the above?

Answer, you wouldn't.

ippy