God is an easy scape goat. Something bad happened? God did it. Something good happens? God did it. Something bad happened? God doesn't exist. Something good happened? It was a coincidence.
How has God shown Himself in your life?
by Christ Alone 39 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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King Solomon
It's always safer to ascribe events that could be attributed to coincidence or random chance to some deity, just in case.
Didn't Paul make fun of the Greeks for setting up a temple to an unknown God, just so they could avoid offending some forgotten deity? Better safe than sorry, hedging their bet?
It seems Paul was on the right track with his observation, but failed to fall it through to it's logical conclusion, failing to see that he had the same fear of offending a deity who doesn't care to make his existence known to humans.
EOM said:
People should learn to respect everybody's right to believe in what they want. (unless they are being hypocritical and not allowing others the same)
Why put the limits in there? eg while hypocrisy is not going to score points when it comes to being persuasive, it's not a crime, or automatically warranting disrespect. I say people have a right to believe what they can swallow, but they cannot expect to avoid being challenged or respected for their beliefs, esp when sharing their beliefs in a public forum.
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EndofMysteries
I don't think that. All those murdered each day, tortured, all the horrible things happening around the world. I don't deserve anything extra from those people. I think perhaps I have something I'm meant to do, that God doesn't need everybody on earth to do something, so maybe helping keep me around until it's done, then I'm in with everyone else. Or I need to experience certain things. I believe that those who had or have it worse, there will be a balance and in the end it would work out. Unless don't believe in anything, then it's very sad, this is it and most people on earth have a short miserable life and then it's over.
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EndofMysteries
bottom line I too will die one day. So delaying it would only be to experience or do something.
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Christ Alone
Who said anything about an unknown God, KS? I know my God very well. And I don't ascribe things to Him to be "safe". I see Him work out things in mine other others lives and praise Him for that. If He doesn't come through for me in what I think of as my will, usually later on I can see why things didn't work out the way I wanted.
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keyser soze
I know my God very well.
I do too. Mine doesn't like the color orange. And he chuckles every time he sees a penguin walk.
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EndofMysteries
Christ Alone - Same thing happens with me! lol I've tried so hard for certain things to happen, and it seems the impossible happens to prevent it. Then later on I am like wow, it's a good thing what I was trying to do did not work out. I feel I have freedom to an extent. If somehow I am straying too far from my unknown path, things will happen beyond my control to push me back.
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Christ Alone
Mine doesn't like the color orange. And he chuckles every time he sees a penguin walk.
Mine too. Except he loves orange.
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rip van winkle
This is a discussion forum. If people have comments, regardless of their popularity, they should feel free to make them here. If we all want to continue to suppress our thoughts and our comments, then we can all return to the mind controlling cult of Jehovah's Witnesses. (My personal PSA- your welcome.)
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That being said, I think that most people know how I feel about it. Have my opinions shifted? Perhaps. Do I still believe in a Creator? Yes. Do I understand what that has come to mean? No, not yet. Am I searching for answers? Yes. Do I want to get into a tug-of-war with words? No.
I believe in a Creator because I still cannot wrap my brain around the thought that we just came to exist.
I didn't have much prior knowledge of the Bible as I was not raised in a religion. There were several scriptures that I read which allowed me to accept that my idea of God was true.
Witnesses seemed to have the explanation for why there was so much hatred and injustice in the world .And why God allowed suffering. ETC.
It gave me peace of mind that one day people would love eachother, be respectful, show kindness, be considerate and all other beautiful aspects of the human personality. I guess I'm an idealist.( News to me) Or perhaps an optimistic pessimist.(that's more like it)
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When I engaged with others in a spiritual conversation about God and the Bible, I felt joy deep in my heart ; having a discussion- not an argument. Exchange of ideas and beliefs.
And I felt that God's presence was with me; strengthened me and gave me power beyond what was normal during my mother's illness and death. An inner peace that I had not known. I will not go into the specifics.
Edit- BTW I wrote this after Nambo's post 505- hadn't seen any other post !
As for J.Hofer(Losch face)- You KNOW what I meant(LOL)
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King Solomon
Who said anything about an unknown God, KS? I know my God very well. And I don't ascribe things to Him to be "safe". I see Him work out things in mine other others lives and praise Him for that. If He doesn't come through for me in what I think of as my will, usually later on I can see why things didn't work out the way I wanted.
I meant "known", as in incontrovertible tangible proof of his existence. Heck, God could even prove his existence in a Elijah-style magic show, by lighting his own BBQ inside a controlled environment to preclude fraud and slight-of-hand. That would work for me, if He's not up to a more showy display of power.
Internal verification and rationalization are well-known psychological phenomena in humans: you might look into them, as they may explain some feel a need to believe in God.