Conversations with God

Doesn't it seem that most of those who do try to "prove God" - e.g. YECs (fundies in general) - are lacking in "inner joy"? Don't they come off as angry, arrogant, sour on life?Maybe "conversations with God" should emphasize listening rather than talking. Maybe then they'd hear Him telling them to smarten up.

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There is more wisdom in the silence than in the babble of the throng, grasshopper.

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I agree. The "inner joy" doesn't depend on an exteranl cause. Get it whatever way you can - by meditation, by flying a kite, by teaching - but don't spoil it by trying to put a face on it. Listen to the silence but don't talk to it.

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No, but I've read Potok's My Name is Asher Lev and The Book of Lights.Your point is?

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If you feel a pain in your stomach, do you interpret it as an "unction that is speaking to you"? Do you accept it on faith or do you go to a doctor and get medication?We happen to understand our digestive system better than we understand our psyche. Does that mean we should medicate one and put a spooky interpretation on the other? If you tune out the static, the rest is silence.(Pop quiz: whose last words are those? )

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Thum of uth like pithy thayingth. (You can't believe how long I've been saving that line.)But I like this one:

quote:

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To say that prayer changes things is not as close to the truth as saying, Prayer changes me and then I change things.

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Even Noah had to build his own ark.

I think of "insanity" as the inability to function in society. In a society where everybody wears their pajamas on the street and yells at parking meters, the man in the gray flannel suit is insane.If there are believers who are sane it's only because our society is flexible enough to accomodate them.

The problem is that it's believers who don't respect other believers. Unbelievers tend to treat all beliefs equally. Believers often don't.

If you're humble, how do you know who to obey?

You didn't answer the question. How do you know who to obey? Is God talking to you personally, Mr. Humble? I don't see how humility and obedience go together.

Jesus claimed to be the son of God - not very humble. He went to the cross reluctantly - not very obedient.

Believers often mistake "strong belief" for not bothering to think it through. They demonstrate "strong belief" by:1. Saying something off the top of their head.
2. Calling people "itrrational" when they're proven wrong.
3. Screaming insults.
4. Running away.That may be "strong belief' but who wants it?

Romans 22. That applies to everybody, though, doesn't it? Three fingers pointing back at yourself.It isn't up to YOU to declare who is wise and who is foolish. Especially when your posting history is full of so much foolishness.

Y'see, people think you're making up your own God because you make up your own beliefs about me too - despite the fact that I have told you repeatedly that your beliefs about me are not true.I didn't leave the church because any dissatisfaction. Write that down so you don't forget it. Neither do I - but we're all we got.I rejected creationism, for example, because I went looking for evidence to prove it - and there isn't any. The same applies to gods - in particular, YOUR made-up god.I would be comfortable enough inside the church because so many of the people I know are in there. Facing reality is harsh. It is not a pleasant escape. I would definitely want evidence. Who knows if she even used her real picture on the Internet?

Read what I wrote. I was not dissatisfied. It was like standing on a street corner and realizing, "I have no reason to be here." You don't have to be dissatisfied to move on. Nobody is. Some people are able to delude themselves into thinking they are able. He was never a "living reality" to me or to anybody else. That's a delusion that many people grow out of, like belief in Santa Claus. Same with leprechauns. I chose the process that works best. You know that critical thinking works best - you don't drive down the street blindfolded, praying to God to protect you. You only elevate belief above critical thinking in areas where you can't be proven wrong.