JED Posted October 1, 2023 Group: Nonbeliever Followers: 0 Topic Count: 5 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 46 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 3 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/02/2006 Status: Offline Share Posted October 1, 2023 (edited) In hindsight, I have never seen God actually intervene in a situation. If something turns out the way we had prayed, we gave glory and thanks to God. If it didn't turn out the way we wanted to, that was because God has a greater plan and not everyone can be healed for example. Just try it now....ask God to do something there and then...I'd be amazed if anything happens. So the reason that God didn't stop those atrocities is either because he can't, won't or he doesn't exist. Edited October 1, 2023 by JED Typos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FJK Posted October 1, 2023 Group: Royal Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 43 Topics Per Day: 0.10 Content Count: 3,349 Content Per Day: 7.59 Reputation: 1,305 Days Won: 1 Joined: 03/01/2023 Status: Offline Share Posted October 1, 2023 7 minutes ago, JED said: If it didn't turn out the way we wanted to, that was because God has a greater plan and not everyone can be healed for example. Just try it now....ask God to do something there and then...I'd be amazed if anything happens. That's because we didn't really pray for God's involvement and knowledge of his will for us in the situation, we decided what we wanted by our own will and tried to get God to do our bidding instead. What I call Harry Potter religion, we think of God as a magic wand we can just pull out of our pocket and use to do whatever we want done with no actual regard for what God wills in the situation or the part he wants us to play in it. If Christians would simply and sincerely pray for knowledge of God's will for them and how to carry it out we would be much happier with our lives and the World would be a far better place to live in for everyone. My way of seeing it, others may see it differently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Hartono Posted October 1, 2023 Group: Royal Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 777 Topics Per Day: 0.34 Content Count: 6,954 Content Per Day: 3.05 Reputation: 1,985 Days Won: 1 Joined: 02/15/2018 Status: Offline Author Share Posted October 1, 2023 5 hours ago, JED said: In hindsight, I have never seen God actually intervene in a situation. If something turns out the way we had prayed, we gave glory and thanks to God. If it didn't turn out the way we wanted to, that was because God has a greater plan and not everyone can be healed for example. Just try it now....ask God to do something there and then...I'd be amazed if anything happens. So the reason that God didn't stop those atrocities is either because he can't, won't or he doesn't exist. Nations do not get right with God. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JED Posted October 3, 2023 Group: Nonbeliever Followers: 0 Topic Count: 5 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 46 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 3 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/02/2006 Status: Offline Share Posted October 3, 2023 On 10/1/2023 at 7:39 PM, FJK said: That's because we didn't really pray for God's involvement and knowledge of his will for us in the situation, we decided what we wanted by our own will and tried to get God to do our bidding instead. What I call Harry Potter religion, we think of God as a magic wand we can just pull out of our pocket and use to do whatever we want done with no actual regard for what God wills in the situation or the part he wants us to play in it. If Christians would simply and sincerely pray for knowledge of God's will for them and how to carry it out we would be much happier with our lives and the World would be a far better place to live in for everyone. My way of seeing it, others may see it differently. I don't think God can intervene. Assuming there is a God, which I now no longer believe, there seems to be no absolute proof that he ever has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FJK Posted October 3, 2023 Group: Royal Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 43 Topics Per Day: 0.10 Content Count: 3,349 Content Per Day: 7.59 Reputation: 1,305 Days Won: 1 Joined: 03/01/2023 Status: Offline Share Posted October 3, 2023 Just now, JED said: I don't think God can intervene. Assuming there is a God, which I now no longer believe, there seems to be no absolute proof that he ever has. And none that he hasn't. Your life, your choice, you're the one that has to live it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JED Posted October 3, 2023 Group: Nonbeliever Followers: 0 Topic Count: 5 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 46 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 3 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/02/2006 Status: Offline Share Posted October 3, 2023 1 minute ago, FJK said: And none that he hasn't. Your life, your choice, you're the one that has to live it. I think the burden of proof needs to rely on us proving that God is real and not saying that there's no proof he doesn't. Otherwise we could say there is no absolute proof that rainbow coloured unicorns exist for example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still Alive Posted October 3, 2023 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 13 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,029 Content Per Day: 1.32 Reputation: 1,226 Days Won: 3 Joined: 02/05/2018 Status: Offline Share Posted October 3, 2023 (edited) 14 hours ago, JED said: I don't think God can intervene. Assuming there is a God, which I now no longer believe, there seems to be no absolute proof that he ever has. Interestingly, I believe God chooses us, rather than we choose God. And when we share the Gospel, we don't know who is going to believe and who isn't. But in my case there are plenty of reasons not to believe, the latest of which is our son was killed in a car wreck about 20 months ago, leaving our two grandchildren who were 12 and 16 alone with their crazy mom. I mean seriously. he also had started a business about 8 years ago that left her with about $7 million, which she burns up on drugs. It's a very sad situation. Yet He's also done two miraculous healings in our lives and two other miraculous answers to prayer. My joy in the Lord is no longer based on what happens in this life. It's like we're playing Call of Duty and are just characters in the game controlled by the real person that is projected into our bodies from outside. That "real person" is you. Your body is a shell it occupies for a few decades. Your consciousness is a literal miracle from God that you experience all the time. You've just gotten so used to it that you don't even think about it - much. This life is kinda like a boot camp, with your "real" life to follow. In other words, everything really DOES happen for a reason. Don't wash out. I highly recommend C. S. Lewis' book, "The problem of pain". It was inspired by the tremendous grief he suffered when his wife died of cancer. And actually, the history of his marriage is also fascinating. The book deals very much with the question, "why does God allow so much suffering?" Edited October 4, 2023 by Michael37 Reported Content Removed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still Alive Posted October 3, 2023 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 13 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,029 Content Per Day: 1.32 Reputation: 1,226 Days Won: 3 Joined: 02/05/2018 Status: Offline Share Posted October 3, 2023 2 minutes ago, JED said: I think the burden of proof needs to rely on us proving that God is real and not saying that there's no proof he doesn't. Otherwise we could say there is no absolute proof that rainbow coloured unicorns exist for example. I think that Christianity is based on faith, but not blind faith. Sometimes the difference is subtle, and sometimes it's stark. I'll tell you one thing: my personal belief is that if someone thinks that there is no creator, they're not really paying attention. I'll also add that I personally separate "Christianity" from "man made religion". And I believe that ALL Christian denominations are man made religions, but many have "leaven" of Christianity mixed in. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FJK Posted October 3, 2023 Group: Royal Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 43 Topics Per Day: 0.10 Content Count: 3,349 Content Per Day: 7.59 Reputation: 1,305 Days Won: 1 Joined: 03/01/2023 Status: Offline Share Posted October 3, 2023 1 minute ago, JED said: I think the burden of proof needs to rely on us proving that God is real and not saying that there's no proof he doesn't. Otherwise we could say there is no absolute proof that rainbow coloured unicorns exist for example. As I said, it's your life and you're the one that lives it. I've be where you are and found it to be a really miserable and lonely place to be, that's why I fought my way out of it and came to where I am now instead, a journey into faith that seems to have no end to the ever expanding wonders it brings to me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JED Posted October 3, 2023 Group: Nonbeliever Followers: 0 Topic Count: 5 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 46 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 3 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/02/2006 Status: Offline Share Posted October 3, 2023 3 minutes ago, FJK said: As I said, it's your life and you're the one that lives it. I've be where you are and found it to be a really miserable and lonely place to be, that's why I fought my way out of it and came to where I am now instead, a journey into faith that seems to have no end to the ever expanding wonders it brings to me. It's interesting as I've been a non believer, then a believer and now probably an apostate. At the moment, I am very happy and don't miss the christian life. I have respect for faiths but worry that people blindly follow a religion and make choices based upon that and see the world through that lense....that is dangerous when in reality they must all be false religions (or 99.9% must be). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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