Tell Him Jesus Sent You

One may permit oneself to do anything, but it will take a bit of sincerity behind those magic words.Perhaps Jar is right---we only need say Hi, and hope that the Deity is in a forgiving mood! Edited by Phat, : correcticus spellingicus

Thats an issue. IF God appeared in front of you, what would be the reason to ignore Him(Her? :eekObviously part of this whole issue is the awareness and influence of Gods presence. IF you were to casually look up and say "Oh! Its you....." then God would not be quite as influential as one would presuppose.The issue is whether Gods presence supercedes our own right to pick and choose our acknowledgement.

No, but we are expected to use our free will to make a choice. Wishy washiness and taking a long time to make a decision is indicative of stubbornness...and indicates that we already have made a decision.

I suppose so, if one is honest. Some folks will feel more comfortable saying "I don't know..." forever, however....and I suppose that God (IF God exists) would surely understand the honesty of reservation.The counter accusation touted by the infamous Cult Of Ignorance™ is that humans, being unwilling and incapable of accepting God by nature...will continue not to accept God if left alone.

I'm a Jabberwockian specialist! No particular reason, although I also would ask why anyone should reject God for any reason whatsoever. Absence of Evidence does not equate to evidence of absence.I used to be an evangelical that believed that it was our collective responsibility (being the enlightened ones, of course) to educate the poor unenlightened masses who were blinded by deception. NOW, of course, I believe that God draws people unto Himself...thus the only thing I am expected to do is live my best and do what I know is right. Its not about business. We are rehashing an old conversation here...played out a thousand similar ways by thousands of people.

True. Choosing the right Deity could be viewed as important by some and irrelevant by others, since the proper Deity would be in control by default...regardless of our decisions to accept or reject the concept. Nothing if you are honest with yourself. If you feel an inner unction, however, you would be wise to not dismiss it as an overactive stomach. I can't really speak for anyone other than myself...but when I get an inner unction, I follow it just to be safe. Well....if I can hypothesize the emotions and feelings of God in any way, I would say that God expects us to be honest, open, and willing to embrace Him (Her?) in whatever way that we understand God. I guess that if I were the only guy on the planet that believed in God as I understood Him, I would not be responsible for being His saleman.(That is a change from how I used to think! )

This is where many of us differ and part company beliefwise.

Some believe that to accept God is to surrender ones brain and mind and bow to superior intelligence.

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Others believe that IF God exists, God gave us a brain to use and keep as our inheritance and birthright...and that it does not matter whether or not we accept or even understand God.

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Personally, I believe that God desires that we make an attempt to acknowledge that we ourselves individually and collectively do not know everything nor will we ever and that it is ok to be humble and in awe.

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This is an individual thing, however...and not something to be taught and/or forced on others.

I guess I would say... err...Shalmom, Al?

I was saved. One day it just hit me like an epiphany. I cant explain it...but I also believe that God gave me a brain...so i question much of the evangelical reality that I used to embrace. While I could say that I am one of the peculiar people, I don't see myself as exclusive as I used to.

Yes, as long as we feel in control in that we can define it, measure it, and define it. When the idea of a God who is neither able to be controlled, defined, measured or manipulated comes up, however, many people do not feel comfortable with such an idea. The idea that we owe allegiance or at least respect to such a Being rubs many people the wrong way.

Before Copernicus, everyone thought that the cosmos spun around us. Before Christ, we as humans usually view ourselves as the center of attention. Its hard to accept that the best laid plans of mice and men are dependent upon an active Deity. (I'm not a Deist)

There is nothing wrong with sharing how good Jesus Christ makes you feel, but I think that in our zeal, many of us (especially born-again newbies) are too much talk and not enough action (or listen)

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Do we need the Bible? Personally, I have found that I do not need it in order to be effective at sharing. It is useful at times, and without it I become too intellectual and puffed up....(with it too, sometimes though )

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Bottom line, for me...is personal integrity and consistency. If I find that I truly want to make a relationship with someone rather than sell a product, I have better relationships form that are more long lasting.

So you are saying that Man creates God in his own image?What makes you so convinced that God exists and is like a patient though firm teacher, expecting you to come out of your comfort zones and open up to, if not embrace, an unmeasurable unverifiable faith concept?

Why are these the only two options? You basically have concluded that since God does not rule with an iron phist He is thus inferior to Satan...whom you say you prefer (ludicrous, I might add) or that God is uncaring. You have left out the option that God cares and is quite capable of being God with or without your approval...

God has the ability to be in control of everything, I would assume...yet he clearly is not. I would say that every move I make is done either in communion with Him or in communion with the other spirits. Its up to me which gang I choose to run with...NO? Edited by Phat, : finished the incomplete sentence that I previously had left dangling.