Evangelical Support Group

What if "the enemy" itself is just a figment of your imagination?What if those of us without tinfoil hats are not being lied to?Do you think God is so needy that He needs you to need Him?

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You're more willing than most evangelicals to admit that your beliefs are based on "comfort". But comfortable beliefs, like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, are not very satisfying when you grow up. Believing that Big Daddy will protect you from the bogeyman isn't much different.You also take comfort in the "belief" that God doesn't want you to grow up. But the "need for communion" isn't about staying a child forever. You can have your communion with God without depending on Him to change your diapers.Unfortunately, the idea of an "evangelical support group" seems to be to reinforce your comfy-cozy pajamas-with-feet complacency.

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It's the same thing. Growing up means becoming independent.We come back to the "needy God" question: Why would God want you to be dependent on Him?

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If you're choosing up spiritual sides, how do you know you're on the "right" side? If one leader says, "I always tell the truth and my enemy always lies," how do you know he's telling the truth?During the Russian revolution, my grandmother's cousin was drafted by the Red Army - and promptly deserted the first chance he got. He didn't choose the cause, nor did he choose to fight against it.Have you really chosen a side? Does either side "need" you?

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I have argued before on this forum that "accepting Jesus" means accepting His message rather than accepting His divinity, His self-sacrifice, etc.Evangelicals tend to run away from that idea. They like to pretend that His divinity, self-sacrifice, etc. are His message.I consider that the lazy approach. All you have to do is believe and you'll be "saved". You get a balcony seat to watch the poor unbelievers roasting in hell - those fools who didn't "accept" Jesus but only did what He told them to do.Truly "accepting" Jesus means to embrace what He said and what He did. What or who He was is secondary.

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"Wise" and "simple" are not mutually exclusive.

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On the contrary, growing up is a process that never ends. To tell people that one magic moment is all you need is downright dishonest.What is indeed suspect is the behaviour of those who claim to be "grown up", who claim to be bursting with a need to express their love - yet they ooze nothing but bile.I'm more impressed with the toddler who offers me a bite of her cookie.

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Disclaimer: The above statement is without a doubt, the most LUDICROUS, IDIOTIC AND PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WILLFUL STUPIDITY, THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN OR HEARD.

"Maps and territories" is a good answer. I've seen a map of Middle Earth but I've never been there. You can get perceptions by reading a book, but it isn't the same as visiting the places or meeting the people - even if some people claim to have a "personal relationship" with Frodo.And the map itself is no guarantee that the place even exists.

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Disclaimer: The above statement is without a doubt, the most LUDICROUS, IDIOTIC AND PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WILLFUL STUPIDITY, THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN OR HEARD.

That doesn't answer the question. Nobody denies that humans are needy. The question is: Does God need us to be needy? Does God need us to need Him? You make Him sound like an elderly parent whose children don't call any more.If we can solve our own problems without consulting Him, is that a problem for Him?

That's nice but it has nothing to do with what we were talking about.Let's try again: "Does God need us to need Him? You make Him sound like an elderly parent whose children don't call anymore."

You're conflating romance with sex.

That isn't fair. People have to devote time to their own children too, as well as their own needs. They can't always devote as much of their energy to their parents as their parents might wish.But you still haven't answered the question: "Does God need us to need Him? You make Him sound like an elderly parent whose children don't call anymore."You keep ignoring the first sentence.

Why would He "want" us to need Him?We humans like to feel we are needed - but we have other humans who need us to one extent or another. Isn't it enough that the guy on the corner needs me to give him a dollar for drugs? Should I feel inadequate because the Prime Minister doesn't ask me for advice?So, does God feel inadequate when some of us don't acknowledge any need for Him?

But the manna supply dried up a long time ago. He's relying on us to feed His people. Where does He come in at all? Why does the father get to define success for his offspring? I personally am envisioning the reality that we have now - no discernible God to approve or disapprove of what I do.

The good father doesn't necessarily spoon-feed his children, either with bread or with knowledge. He encourages them to earn their own bread and seek their own knowledge.