”If Paul needed a personal visit from Jesus to know that Jesus was resurrected, then why wouldn’t everyone?”
Comment by someone on a Christian thread.
Hmm…. why indeed?
Ark.
”If Paul needed a personal visit from Jesus to know that Jesus was resurrected, then why wouldn’t everyone?”
Comment by someone on a Christian thread.
Hmm…. why indeed?
Ark.
yep, I need to see him and I need to stick my finger in his hole to know this god lives……
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m sure that could have been worded better, Steve!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Boom boom!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Logical thoughts like this aren’t quite in the Christina wheelhouse.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Or the Christian wheelhouse either.
LikeLiked by 1 person
dyslectic fingers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It Ahppens.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’d rather a visit from Paul McCarthy and just talk Beatles’ lore and music for several hours.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I am not a fan of Paul’s but he was not a member of the “Christian community” in Jerusalem (and only his word that he was a persecutor thereof) so, news travels slowly, especially between groups that deliberately isolate themselves from others. Within those groups news travels at the speed of light, or gossip, whichever is greater.
It is puzzling that the Catholic Church embraced Paul when they wanted any who claimed to acquire knowledge by direct revelation out of the game. But Paul was apparently good for business as his anti-Semitic stances appealed to Roman elites.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Very well stated and positioned Steve! š
LikeLike
Well, you see, the thing is … most Christians believe they HAVE had a personal visit. I mean, after all, isn’t that “special feeling” in their heart the full-fledged proof that the resurrected Jesus stopped by?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Naw. That’s just the result of Aunt Mildred putting too many beans in the Thanksgiving turkey dressing.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Allowing everyone present to hear the voice of the Lord…..
LikeLiked by 2 people
Nan, in my employed clinical years at the Psych/A&D hospital we had mentally-ill patients—typically those with forms of schizophrenia (the extreme) to hyperreligiosity (lesser extremes)—suffering from increased degrees and symptoms of malcognition, even delusions and audio or visual hallucinations in acute cases.
Here’s a very interesting (and ironic!) connection with schizophrenia and/or hyperreligiosity… extravagant episodes of piety. Hmmm. š¤
A noticeable number of them, sometimes a large number would frequently be admitted who ALSO had histories of TLE, or temporal lobe epilepsy, the “ailment” Paul/Saul suffered from his entire adult life. What a coincidence, huh? š
Furthermore, advances in neurology and neuroscience, physiology, and cognitive psychology continue over time to reveal that a much, MUCH larger section of the world’s population suffer—to one degree or another—from these associated disorders, certainly not excluding ColonStorm below and many many others we know! š
LikeLiked by 2 people
….and many many others we know! š
O! Stop talking about me behind my back. I do read the comments on my blog y’know? If anyone’s a nutter it’s you!!!
Bloody Arsenal supporters!
Just saw Aubameyang-the-man miss a bloody sitter!
SMH.
LikeLiked by 1 person
š Oh dag-nabbit! Foiled again by Inspector Clue-seux! (or however you spell your mysterious alias Arkasatan!) š
Ugh, if I’m a “supporter” Arkesatan, it ain’t an Arsenal/Dunners one—more like the undergarment type beneath me footballing knickers/shorts. š¤¦āāļø Someone just point the cannons at The Emirates and put us out of our misery, please!
And congrats again on another of your Reds superb 4 — 0 thumping. Your boys looked VERY good in the attacking third. Enjoyable match to watch for sure. š
LikeLiked by 1 person
You donāt want to hear my take ark- besides, one good comment will launch your short post into a flurry of ridicule, so I respectfully decline to acquiesce to your request.
ha!
LikeLiked by 2 people
CS: don’t be shy, you’ll never get ridicule or scorn from me. Sure, I may challenge your points/logic at some time, but only ever with the very best of intentions (and surprisingly, respect). We all of us have our answers and are open to discussion, no?
You have your answers, so do I … they differ, but without a free discussion nobody can advance (one way or the other). Closed debate is closed minds.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Superb response!
LikeLiked by 1 person
HEAR HEAR Argus!!! š» I’ll drink to that Sir! š
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now that’s the spirit! As the good book says, “always be prepared to deflect and run away whenever anyone asks you to give the reason for the ‘nope’ that you you have.” š
LikeLiked by 3 people
You know this blog. Say whatever you like: you usually do. If I don’t reply it’ll likely be because I can’t type for laughing.
LikeLiked by 2 people
To be fair ark, you ask a common question. Why? Why him and not you. There are many good reasons, all of which will spring into long discussions themselves, so Iāll just have to write a post- you and your friends will then be welcome to visit to discuss a serious question.
Iāll be sure to link to credit you for the inspiration.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Go for it. Far be it for me to tell you how to compose this upcoming response, but would it be too much to ask you not to fill it will your usual apologetic rhetoric and thinly veiled ”let every man be a liar ”’ approach?
Just for a change, eh?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’d imagine ‘everyone’ would have been more important than having to clobber the doubts of someone who should have damned well known better?
I love that “lake pedestrian” nomenclature ā but seriously, how come the holes in his feet didn’t ruin his ‘reserve of buoyancy’?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Word has it that Jesus was Pretty Fly (For a Rabbi).
LikeLiked by 2 people
The holes improved air flow and release of exhaust making Levitation much quicker
LikeLiked by 1 person
Some of us exhaust between the buttocks, making derision easier … I have been thrown out of places after certain foods when younger, but never have I levitated. (Perhaps I should try a big bowl of the local onions, fried, now that I’m here in the Land Of Voluble foodstuffs? Kiwi onions, eat yer hearts out!) (Wimps …)
But levitation? Again, I’ve never been that good. But what was not recorded from Jesus’s Last Supper menu? Onions …
LikeLike
Maybe uncooked beans or something
LikeLiked by 1 person
God only reveals himself to those suffering from severe delusions and psychosis because that’s just the way he rolls.
LikeLiked by 1 person
š Truth!
LikeLike
Mean. If the Muslims are right, Mo must have suffered similar delusion but it is not a good thing to say in polite society š
LikeLiked by 1 person
To hell with polite … keeping schtum when called for is a simple basic survival tactic in too many places.
The ‘godly’ have only rarely (very) been open to discussion. Free exchange of ideas? Not often, when God is in charge.
LikeLike
He’s clever like that. Or is that cunning? Think about it … on one hand we have the infinite Bible and any other Good Book, and on the other hand we have the severely limited resources of science, education, finance, and the need to support the Pope and his like.
So who is God going to get to support Him in His dotage, and how?
Seeing that grovelling sycophancy is food and drink to Him (He who has no need for anything other than unquestioning grovelling sycophancy).
It’s a bit of a toughie …
LikeLike
Just stopped by to say:
HA-HA, you’re baaaannned from Eu-rope. HA-HA!
LikeLike
I wasn’t going to visit YOU in any case!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I came in a bit late … is it something I missed? Has Ark’s visa been cancelled, or his passport confiscated? Or worse?
LikeLiked by 1 person
People from his part of the world are banned from Europe indefinitely!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ark, how ARE things in your neck of the woods, eh? All good on the home front, I hope!
LikeLike
Hello, my dear. Nice to see you. Been a while. We are all 100% fit and healthy down here in Arksville.
Busy as Hades, baking in the heat (pun intended!) 30c today, and vaccinated up to the bloody eyeballs!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good to hear youāve had your shots! Weāve had both of ours for ages now. (Will get another soon . . .grandchildren 5 – 11 just started) Glad itās warm somewhere in the world! Here, weāve had snow several times and itās c-c-c-cold – around zero today; promising to be a ālots of snowā winter (the way I like it!) And how do I know this? Well, the hornets built their nests high up this past summer (as opposed to in the ground) – a sure sign. Cheers to those who hang around at Arkās place!
LikeLiked by 3 people
So, Ark, the answer lies in Acts 22:12-16. Let me ask you a question. Would you be willing to be struck blind, and then, in order to see again, obey the vision and the voice of God to enter into this Christian lifestyle, spreading the message of Life that He was to give you?
God chose Saul for the purpose for which he had for him. Saul was doing what he thought was God’s will. God set him straight.
You don’t think that you are doing God’s will, do you?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Randy, I’m surprised that you haven’t discovered by now that citing/referring to scripture does NOT prove anything to non-believers. If they believed what the bible says, they most likely wouldn’t be atheists.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I know, Nan, but Ark was referring to an excerpt from that same Bible in his question.
Just because it isn’t believed doesn’t mean it isn’t true.
LikeLike
Randy, the more sensible statement is, āJust because itās believed doesnāt make it trueā.
LikeLiked by 2 people
True, but the converse is also possible, right?
LikeLike
Is it? Why?
LikeLike
It isn’t likely true because there isn’t any evidence.
My question is obviously rhetorical. Remember, I am an atheist,
I would have thought even one as indoctrinated as you would have figured this out by now.
LikeLike
What? You’re an atheist? I’m shocked!
LikeLike
I thought you would be.
Us godless bloody heathens are everywhere these days, aren’t we?
You would be forgiven (pun intended) if you began to think that what you have been brought up to believe about your god is simply baloney and maybe … just maybe us atheists know something that you don’t?
LikeLike
Or, you don’t know Someone I do.
LikeLike
Someone, eh?
I don’t think being mates with Ken Ham is anything to brag about, Randy.
LikeLike
I would never give that capital S to a man that is as much a human as I.
LikeLike
Well someone, with or without the capital S would have to be human, even if they were regarded as a literary figure.
LikeLike
Well, I guess the Son of God is considered a human.
But,….you know, no sin could be found in Him.
Sorry, Ark, back to the scriptures.
I think I would like Ken Ham, but I don’t know him.
LikeLike
You mean Yahweh in human form, yes?
LikeLike
Yes
LikeLike
Yahweh: one time Canaanite deity, husband of Asherah, genocidal megalomanical monster, who also sanctioned slavery. and yet you assert without sin?
How does that work, Randy?
LikeLike
Not the same.
Sorry, Ark, one creator, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit.
LikeLike
So which bible does your Yahweh feature in? Do tell.
LikeLike
Well, Modern scholarship currently regards Acts as pretty much fiction which tends to make your question moot, I’d say.
If I may? Let me ask you a question in return which is ostensibly in a similar vein.
Would you be prepared to suffer haemorrhoids in order to be able to fly around the world on a broomstick, thus avoiding airport security and Covid restrictions if it meant you acknowledging that Harry Potter and his magic wand are real?
A straightforward: ”Ooh, yes indeed!”
or,
”No chance! I already have haemorrhoids and they are a literal pain in the arse!”
LikeLiked by 2 people
Sheesh, Randy! I;m surprised at you … of course he’s doing God’s will! Nowā
āfor God’s sake, THINK about it!
Honestly … God is omniscient and omnipotent, no? So what option does poor ol’ Ark (or anybody, for that matter) have? Is there anāare there anyāalternative?
LikeLike
God’s ‘omniscience’ blows ‘Free Will’ right out of the water (for that matter, out of the universe). Anyone with even half of a brain can see that? God’s feted* omniscience and our feted* ‘Free Will’ are a blatant contradiction. Sheeshā!
* Feted: in this instance it means much ballyhooed, as in greatly over-hyped exaggerated totally undeserved fanfare.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Argus, He knew you would say that.
Omniscience and omnipotence are two different things.
If you were omniscient, you would know what I am about to say, but you wouldn’t have anything to do with me saying it.
I think (I’m not omniscient) you guys are trying to convince me to come over to your “dark side” but, I could no more leave this Life that has been given to me, than I could convince you to come to the light.
No one comes unless he is called, and I am not the Caller.
But, this Life is good, fellowship is sweet, and understanding the One that you do not know (or believe exists) brings incredible Joy.
You like to mock me, and I see the fun in that as well.
But, I am grieved that you may never hear His voice, or experience His presence, or receive His Life.
I have to give you credit, though, for at least reading my responses.
I do not fear death, and I love my life.
You speak of things you do not know.
I know the One you cannot see.
There is a way that seems right to you, but the end of that way is death.
LikeLike
ššSpoken only like a Christian can.
LikeLiked by 2 people
That is correct, Nan
LikeLike
I trust you recognized the snark … š
LikeLike
Absolutely did. Not offended. I am not ashamed.
LikeLike
For myself (I can’t speak on anyone else’s behalf) I’m not trying to convince folks to come over to any side. My motivations are simply a ‘search for Truth’ and to present my own points of view in a hope of furthering meaningful discussion. Butā
ābut although I hold dear the concept of Free Speech I reserve the right to reveal (to flag up) what I perceive to be falsehoods. When Reality and Myth collide it is often the better speaker, or the Man With The Gun, that prevails. Naziism was blatantly wrong yet the Man With The Gun prevailed … until a better system with a bigger better gun prevailed. Henceā
āin times past all the Holy(!) Inquisition/s; and even in my own childhood the zealot doltish oaf teachers with big rulers, straps, canes. (Today, God’s holy Islam …)
I swore (and by God, I meant it!) that when I reached maturity I’d track them down and revisit their points of view and methods, on them. I actually started to do so, but the very first I cornered was now a much older man and a bit of a wreckāand not knowing my intent he welcomed me. All thoughts of vengeance just wafted away in the steams of the cup of tea and cheery chat he gave me … and I learnt another lesson.
Now, Mr Pope your Holiness etc etc, about that Holy Inquisition of yoursāthe racks, the red hot irons, strappados and stakes … as an atheist my most very fervent wish is that there actually IS a god; and that he is driven by MY valuesānot by yours as demonstrated by any religioso in a position of Powerāand He does something about it all; especially to your Holy Inquisitors and their ilk.
And while I’m praying to God here, I may as well include the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus in my Wish List. Certainly couldn’t hurt …
LikeLiked by 1 person
In fact, I would argue that there is just as much evidence (perhaps more!) to suggest thereās a Santa Claus and a tooth fairy. .. just ask my grandchildren. š
LikeLiked by 2 people
Those grandchildren and I read from the same scripts, then … and I hope that SC and the TF are very kind to them~!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Argus, I appreciate your explanation.
God is a Spirit, and those that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Many have claimed Christianity, while failing to accept the Lordship of the Son of God.
If a man has not received the second birth ( the spiritual rebirth) he cannot see the kingdom of God or glean the truth in His word.
LikeLike
Randy, you write that “God is a Spirit” — and this seems to be the general consensus among believers. The thing is, “spirits” are pretty difficult to pin down. Have you ever seen one? No, I’m NOT talking about “feeling a spirit in your heart,” I’m asking if you’ve ever had an actual VISUAL encounter with a “spirit.”
My suspicions are that you haven’t. Yet you continue to believe in and follow the dictates of a “SPIRIT god” that for all intents and purposes simply doesn’t exist.
Don’t you think your belief is based on pretty flimsy evidence?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nan, it would be flimsy if I just believed it because it sounds cool.
But, the truth is, I had no concept of the Spirit until after the day I was born again. Turns out, I was dead to the spirit and the things of the Spirit of God until the day that he poured this new life upon me.
Most of my understanding comes from that moment and the understanding I began to get from reading the Bible after that time.
No, I haven’t seen a spirit. But I have experienced Him in more ways than I can describe.
I would have so many questions for you, if you were open.
LikeLike
Randy, I’ve been there, done that. I’ve experienced ALL that you’ve mentioned in your comments. I fully understand your “Christianese.” But in the long run, I discovered it’s simply not real.
You can ask me questions (if Ark doesn’t mind), but I can guarantee you that you’re not going to like the answers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Christians such as Randy are generally poop scared of entering into any dialogue that involves evidence with former Christian like yourself Nan.
They simply haven’t enough Apologetics to cover all the bases.
The eventual outcome will likely be asserting you were never a True Believer, or suggest you had a problem with a church or pastor, that you deconverted because you wanted to sin ( you naughty girl!) or he will simply run away and not deal with it.
*sigh* ‘Twas ever thus.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oops … that ‘second birth’ reads like it may be limited to just one particular franchise of God’s revelations.
Now tell me pleaseāit is possible to see The Truth in His word, without having to subscribe to a particular Christian franchise?
Which brand do you support?
And may I ask, why that one and not any/all of the others?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Other than my computer’s on-board dictionary, and what I understand one to be … what exactly is a ‘spirit’? (And no, I’m not looking to hang you out to dry, I just want your understanding of the term).
LikeLike
Spirit? I think it is something that comes in a whiskey bottle.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Argus
I appreciate the questions. I am not ashamed of my beliefs, even if you were looking to hang me out to dry.
I have never been asked this particular question, so I want to be thoughtful in.my answer.
Bear with me.
( Is this the platform you wish to carry on a conversation through?)
LikeLike
Oh, please don’t run away, Randy. We are all agog.
LikeLike
šA Gog or a Magog, it’s all the same to me.
LikeLike
And rather than deal with your indoctrination we have the weak attempt at humour.
Just a little bit sad…
SMH.
LikeLike
I can’t reply to sarcasm with sarcasm?
I take it you did understand the reference, though.
LikeLike
Of course! Many atheists are a lot more well versed on the bible than Christians.
Are you going to address the issue at hand or simply tip toe around?
LikeLike
I thought I had addressed the issue.
You asked why Paul got a visit and you don’t. ( My paraphrase)
LikeLike
No, not really. You gave a reason why he chose Paul and then asked if I’d be willing to go through what he went through.
That is not the same as addressing the issue in the title of the post.
Consider:
Surely, appearing to everyone to convey a similar message would have removed all ambiguity and cut out the ‘middle man’, so to speak?
Just imagine it.
No need for churches and no need for Christianity and the 30,000 denomination/sects within Christianity. No bibles either, or at least not the fabricated nonsense we have been left with.
Islam would not have been established and Judaism would have likely been absorbed into the Body of Christ.
Hinduism would have disappeared as would all the other global religions.
If it worked for Paul it would have worked for everyone. Jesus/Yahweh is ‘God’ after all, yes?
Furthermore, free will would have been maintained as we would still have the choice to accept or reject.
It would most certainly have negated the need for all the ”workers” who went on to try to evangelize the world.
I’m presuming you are aware enough of history to know what horrors ensued when Christians landed on ‘foreign’ shores, not to mention the multitude of internecine battles and wars, pogroms, crusades etc?
Think of all the millions upon millions of lives that would been spared over this time frame? No slavery either. No genocide of the Native Americans, no Holocaust.
Even from my atheist perspective this seems an infinitely better solution when compared to the nightmare scenarios that ensued over the next two millennia, don’t you agree?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do not agree. If God “made man in his own image” then that means he would be capable of reasoning, making decisions, choosing a path of life. Surely you wouldn’t want to be programmed to obey his “perfect plan” for you.
By having a choice in our decisions, we have to reap the consequences.
Those consequences are all these problems that you enumerate.
But, there is a solution that he has provided.
LikeLike
I accept that you don’t agree, however you have not addressed the question/s I raised.
What has ‘being created in his image’ to do with anything?
Was not Paul also ‘created’ this way?
Again, Jesus appearing to us all would not negate Free Will, which would be maintained.
We would still have the choice to accept or reject, only we could not now say there was no evidence, and faith would not be an issue.
So, will you please re read the question and try to answer it without the nuanced theological hook.
Thanks.
LikeLike
He just didn’t go with your way.
LikeLike
That much is obvious.
And look at the billions of lives lost as a result.
LikeLike
So, how can you change it? By trying to prove to the world that we are a product of mindless evolution and the survival of the fittest?
You have to somehow get people to see beyond themselves, beyond their own desires.
How would you do that?
LikeLike
Again, you are not addressing the primary question of the post.
Why do you continue to behave in this manner?
Show some integrity, please.
LikeLike
And there you have it, Randy. Imagination. I, for one, cannot be satisfied with āan invisible being waved its magic wand and – presto!ā Some of us actually try to understand science.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Science is good. But it is always searching for truth. Sometimes science hasn’t found the truth yet.
” It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, the glory of kings to search a matter out.”
LikeLike
Quoting scripture to an atheist is like giving shampoo to a bald man. Surely you know this.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Sometimes science hasnāt found the truth yet. — And are you saying that you have? Hmmm.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes. Yes I have found Him.
Or, He found me.
LikeLike
That’s entirely the point: we have to get people to see beyond themselves. Which means to the verifiable facts, rather than the total self-interest summarised byā
“I believe in Jesus, so I’m guaranteed a seat in Heaven! Nyah nyah na naaaa-nah!”
That you have a Bible and give it total credit is (for most folks) entirely a matter of geography. No? I was brought up in an indoctrinated country too … but one simple thought can free anyone from the priest:
CONTRADICTIONS ARE IMPOSSIBLE, IF YOU
FIND ONE, CHECK IT’S PREMISES,
ONE OF WHICH (AT LEAST) IS FALSE
To make it easier, is there any contradiction in the observation I make often to the effect thatā
“A loving omniscient
And the Holy Inquisition
Are a contradiction.”
QED
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Randy ā again, not looking to hang anyone out to dry, just seeking anything that may prove what I believe True to be False. So far, no takers … other than sincere mythology quoted as Unique Truth but just another mythology out of many.
Sadly for mythologists I want logical (rational~!) answers, not references to books that some consider ‘holy’ and others (moi, for example) do not. Bible, Koran, Jewish Good Book; all grist to their own mills but not ‘holy’.
I’ve just blitzed through a book written for less educated rational minds by a couple of scientific experts, and even the thoughts engendered by that knock me (a lesser mind)(and not ashamed to admit it) right out of the ring.
But sadly I can no more go along with the Big Bang theory than I can with the God Theory; all of the matter and energies contained in all of the many myriad universes (that we apparently have) once exploded out of a tiny speck of infinite mass in a non-existent nowhere? (Dammit … I hate stuff like that, almost as much as I hate any Infinities.) To a mind like mine the God hypothesis is much more appealing; I’d go with it except I just cannot stomach all the blatant contradictions. I like the idea of an omnipotent with only my best interests at heart …
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m curious. If you do come to the conclusion that all this was created by a mighty being, how will you come to know that being?
I am not being snarky, I really want to know.
LikeLike
And I doubt very much that I would ever come to such a conclusion. To even entertain such a conclusion leads us always back in the direction of the Prime Mover; to my notion of the God who is creator of The God who created us … and of course to the God who created Him, and of course to the God who created that one, and of course etc etc ad infinitem.
LikeLike
Oh the limits of the unspiritual mind.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Actually … the mind (this one, mine) is a lot more ‘spiritual’ than most readers herein would credit, even incredulously. But my beliefs are quite different to most. (Okay, very very different.)
I ask unanswerable questions, of myself mostly, and I do NOT subscribe to disembodied intelligences or infinite beings. But I have seen, heard, and experienced stuff that nothing rational can explain. And I’ve also helped blow genuine charlatans out of business. (Briefly, that is; I move on; and I dare say they quickly reestablish themselves with new unthinking non-thinkers.)
The Zen ‘religion’ likes to get folks thinking.
Thinking, rather than Believing, note; and one style (school) of Zen believes in setting unanswerable questions to the student such that he almost goes loopy trying to find a rational answer to the blatantly unanswerable (to us, the quite idiotic), hence the famous:
“What is the sound of one hand clapping?”
A Christian/Mosaic variation might be to ask the student something like ā “When God said ‘Let there be light’, to whom was He speaking?”
We might think it would be easy to fudge an answer but a Master knows, no matter how ‘clever’ (or otherwise) the fudge offered. The koan is to tangle up the rational mind so that deeper levels can act. We all have our conscious mind and we all have a sub-consciousābut how many layers to the sub conscious? I tried a few times seriously to figure/witness as to how many different levels I could simultaneously think on (don’t ask). Some philosophers ponder on who is the observer, and who the observed? Mosaic religions bypass questions by putting everything into the hands of their God, who can do anything. Clever …
LikeLiked by 1 person
There is a scripture that says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter.
To search a matter out is the glory of kings.”
I question, I listen to your questions, I actually admire your thought processes.
The things you have observed that nothing rational can explain: maybe the explanation is behind the veil, a world of invisible beings that do affect the natural world.
LikeLike
Are you suggesting that the failure/refusal of your god to manifest to everyone is justification for the millions upon millions that have died and /or been slaughtered defending their interpretation of Christianity?
LikeLike
Okay, being human this is the best I can do. A spirit is a bring with thoughts, purpose,and will, and is not limited by physical or human constraints.
Because he is “spiritual” He knows God, either as a servant or as a rebellious enemy.
And God created the spirits as well as the humans.
LikeLike
Anyone who knows God is surely not dumb enough to be an enemy … thanks for the explanation; appreciated.
LikeLike
The only thing different in our viewpoints of life and our satisfaction with it is that you have an invisible friend. I didnāt have one when I was a child; I donāt need one now. š
LikeLiked by 4 people
Don’t fret, Carmen, You have me and ostensibly I’m ‘invisible’.
Also, I never cursed a fig tree, though I did dig one up ‘cos it’s roots were invasive and I confess to swearing at one of the lemon trees yesterday after several thorns a scraped down my forearm.
And while Jesus never did answer prayers I can at least send you a text message.
š
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hah! YOU had it easy! Our Lord and sacred holy Saviour had to wear the hat …
(and I don’t mind betting they stapled that nappie to him so He didn’t lose it wriggling about on the Cross, trying to get comfy)(damned splinters in the butt, not good).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Why would the Omnipotent need to curse a tree?
Does that deed admit of a failing, that from the very Beginning He made it defective (being healthy) and had a need to blast innocent bystander (the healthy tree) in order to convince folks (us) that He really meant/means business, when actually He could’ve created us the way He would (later) want us, but right from the beginning, and so cut out all the angst?
Methinks someone’s God is a wee bit of a sadist.
(In fact me knows it … creating innocent bystanders solely in order to nuke them seems to indicate a seriously disturbed personality.) (Don’t forget all them piggies, too …)
LikeLiked by 1 person
No takers yet, but I’m a patient pup. I can wait. Until, if I have to, Heaven catches fire and/or Hell freezes over. If anyone would like to challenge my statement that God is a colossal (the ultimate~!) sadist, please do so …
LikeLike
If God were doing Personal Visitsāwouldn’t that double the population of this planet? Or is He able to deputise, and send some of those loafing angels to town and around? I’m sure some of them at least would jump at the chance. From memory I think it was such a visit that made Mary have to do some quick thinking and very fast talking when ol’ Jo noticed the swelling under her robes …
LikeLike
Dammit … Christian nuts were once a dime a dozen and open to reasoning (well, discussions, at least) provided they were allowed the Last Word. Now they seem to bleat their piece and scuttle very quickly back under their rocks.
LikeLike
Must be getting crowded under them rocks …
LikeLiked by 1 person