Spirituality
11 May 10
13 Jul 10
Originally posted by r99pawn77Well put!
God does answer prayers.
and I am sure he answered yours. But you have to develop the discipline and the language to understand that world.
if you enter deeply into prayer practice, meditation and everything associated with the spiritual life...with real intent, intensity, devotion and purpose...
then you will know that God answers prayers.
Sw ...[text shortened]... you engage it, it yields results, slowly, over time.... and based on the degree of effort.
Also it should be noted that prayers dont win you money or necessarily prove the existence of a god. But they can be a good indicator to whether you are in the right ballpark or not.
14 Jul 10
Originally posted by r99pawn77very well put, but some don't get it though 🙂
God does answer prayers.
and I am sure he answered yours. But you have to develop the discipline and the language to understand that world.
if you enter deeply into prayer practice, meditation and everything associated with the spiritual life...with real intent, intensity, devotion and purpose...
then you will know that God answers prayers.
Sw ...[text shortened]... you engage it, it yields results, slowly, over time.... and based on the degree of effort.
14 Jul 10
Originally posted by Proper KnobI'm not sure why you think I need or want your money. I'm also not sure why you would give to charity if you have more money. Seems there is bit of greed there.
Maybe you could say a little prayer and ask God to give me guidance in winning the lottery this weekend. I promise to give you 10%, and also 10% of my winnings to a charity of your choice.
Deal?!
Or maybe you could pray and ask God to reveal the cure for cancer to me in a dream tonight? We could end millions of peoples suffering worldwide in an instant. That would be cool.
14 Jul 10
Originally posted by karoly aczelMy apologies for not answering your question earlier. I think having both is very good. If there was a choice to be made between being a humanitarian (helping others) or believing in Christ and not helping others. I'll go with the humanitarian option personally.
So we agree.
No robots. Christ said some cool stuff which could improve humanity.
how is believing in christ better than being a humanitarian? (thats if you think it is) thnx
Someone who believes in Jesus Christ though I feel should feel like helping others.
14 Jul 10
1 edit
Originally posted by r99pawn77So now we know that:
God does answer prayers.
and I am sure he answered yours. But you have to develop the discipline and the language to understand that world.
1. The answer God gives is subject to interpretation.
2. Only those with the discipline and language can see and understand that answer.
So why did you give us all those stories? Surely you realize we do not have the discipline and language to correctly interpret them?
[edit] Sorry, didn't realize it was a different poster. But gtbiking4life seems to agree with you so maybe he can answer.
Surely you also realize that from our point of view (without the benefit of discipline and language), the results of your prayers are indistinguishable from prayers not being answered?
Scientifically there is no difference between prayers not being answered and prayers being answered in a way that only some people can identify by a method not explainable to others in a scientific manner.
14 Jul 10
Originally posted by gtbiking4lifeIt was just the first statistically improbable thing that came to my mind, hence why i then added the cancer afterthought.
I'm not sure why you think I need or want your money. I'm also not sure why you would give to charity if you have more money. Seems there is bit of greed there.
So how about it. You'd think that if God was a caring perosn he wouldn't like to see people suffering, and you seem to think that prayer works. Pray for the cure for cancer. We could end millions of peoples suffering in 'one fall swoop', pray for God to reveal the cure for cancer. If that works, i'll be at church repenting my sins straightaway.
14 Jul 10
Originally posted by Proper KnobHere's a better idea, you seem to want to know. Go out right now and give 10% of all of your paychecks to a charity. Do this constantly with ever paycheck you receive. Get on your knees and pray yourself. Get baptized. Would you be willing right now to give yourself and make your own sacrifices?
It was just the first statistically improbable thing that came to my mind, hence why i then added the cancer afterthought.
So how about it. You'd think that if God was a caring perosn he wouldn't like to see people suffering, and you seem to think that prayer works. Pray for the cure for cancer. We could end millions of peoples suffering in 'one fall ...[text shortened]... eveal the cure for cancer. If that works, i'll be at church repenting my sins straightaway.
If everyone followed the teachings if Jesus Christ and gave of themselves first - donations, helping those less fortunate, etc. then this world would be a much better place and the cure for cancer would be right around the corner. God works through us, but we need to do take action. Being a father, myself, I raise my son the same way. I don't give my son everything, I teach my son he needs to take some action and do something first. If he came up to me and told me "Dad, I'm no longer going to the things you want me to do, but because you love me, your going to give me what I want, Understand?" My son would earn a quick trip to the naughty spot.
14 Jul 10
Originally posted by gtbiking4lifeI understand what you are saying, but you are not really answering the questions.
If everyone followed the teachings if Jesus Christ and gave of themselves first - donations, helping those less fortunate, etc. then this world would be a much better place and the cure for cancer would be right around the corner. God works through us, but we need to do take action. Being a father, myself, I raise my son the same way. I don't give my s ...[text shortened]... ing to give me what I want, Understand?" My son would earn a quick trip to the naughty spot.
If one of your children had cancer and you could cure it, would you do so or not?
14 Jul 10
1 edit
Originally posted by gtbiking4lifeI do give money to charity thanks, and i also give my time to charitable causes. As a matter of fact this past Saturday i played a gig for free in aid of Macmillan (that's a cancer charity), when i could have gigged for money. So in answer to your question, i do make sacrifices.
Here's a better idea, you seem to want to know. Go out right now and give 10% of all of your paychecks to a charity. Do this constantly with ever paycheck you receive. Get on your knees and pray yourself. Get baptized. Would you be willing right now to give yourself and make your own sacrifices?
If everyone followed the teachings if Jesus Christ an ng to give me what I want, Understand?" My son would earn a quick trip to the naughty spot.
I'll take the answer to my question as being a no then.
14 Jul 10
Originally posted by gtbiking4lifeIf you ask around, you'll find a lot of people give a lot of money to charity and do a lot of charitable works without considering such a duty of obeisance to a god who, if you guys have the right of it, could remove the need for such charity at a stroke should he so desire.
Here's a better idea, you seem to want to know. Go out right now and give 10% of all of your paychecks to a charity. Do this constantly with ever paycheck you receive. Get on your knees and pray yourself. Get baptized. Would you be willing right now to give yourself and make your own sacrifices?
If everyone followed the teachings if Jesus Christ an ...[text shortened]... ng to give me what I want, Understand?" My son would earn a quick trip to the naughty spot.
15 Jul 10
Originally posted by Proper Knoblol - your first thought was this
I do give money to charity thanks, and i also give my time to charitable causes. As a matter of fact this past Saturday i played a gig for free in aid of Macmillan (that's a cancer charity), when i could have gigged for money. So in answer to your question, i do make sacrifices.
I'll take the answer to my question as being a no then.
"Maybe you could say a little prayer and ask God to give me guidance in winning the lottery this weekend. I promise to give you 10%, and also 10% of my winnings to a charity of your choice."
Now you want say you give to charity. The statement above indicated you would give to charity after winning the lottery. I was relying to that small portion which mentioned why wait to win the lottery.
You can take the answer any way you want. I know prayer works because I've seen it happen in my life. Even if the cure for cancer did come tomorrow, you would find some other excuse and another...and another.
We know this world can be ugly to live in at times. We all know this..The Bible makes no statement otherwise. I'll say this again...if everyone followed the path of Jesus Christ, this world would be a much better place and maybe the cure for cancer would be right around the corner of not already found. But that's not the case...is it?
15 Jul 10
1 edit
Originally posted by gtbiking4lifelol - your first thought was this
lol - your first thought was this
"Maybe you could say a little prayer and ask God to give me guidance in winning the lottery this weekend. I promise to give you 10%, and also 10% of my winnings to a charity of your choice."
Now you want say you give to charity. The statement above indicated you would give to charity after winning the lottery. I cer would be right around the corner of not already found. But that's not the case...is it?
"Maybe you could say a little prayer and ask God to give me guidance in winning the lottery this weekend. I promise to give you 10%, and also 10% of my winnings to a charity of your choice."
Now you want say you give to charity. The statement above indicated you would give to charity after winning the lottery. I was relying to that small portion which mentioned why wait to win the lottery.
It indicated a charity of your choice would be given 10%, and yourself 10%. It didn't indicate:
1) he doesn't already give money to charity
2) he wouldn't give the other 80% to a charity of *his* choice
If the world really would be a better place if everyone followed Jesus, and supposing your god wants the best possible world why doesn't he give the evidence required to turn the convictions of atheists like me (ie: something tangible) since arguments like yours or any other theist so far don't cut it.
Would it be an inconvenience for your god to do this? Does it instead prefer an ugly world??
15 Jul 10
Originally posted by AgergIt's as if his god is behaving like a human - flaws 'n' all. Maybe this is the result of the flawed humanity of all the superstitious people who contributed to the bible?
Would it be an inconvenience for your god to do this? Does it instead prefer an ugly world??
15 Jul 10
1 edit
This post is way too long to read all of it, but just an input. God oversees a sinful world. He actively tries to reach out to us (In Christianity, no other religion is this way). Anyway... God plans for everything to be well and good, but sin comes into our lives and/or satan ruins some of the good here. That's why he sent jesus, because he didn't expect any of us to be perfect. Hebrews used to sacrifice lambs and goats for their sin, jesus replaces that.
Anyway... prayer is for everyone, it doesn't have to be for purely "religious" people. Also, I recognize that A LOT of Christians are bigots, say incorrect things, and try to convert people excessively (a pleasant, nice approach is better) so I sympathize with all of the atheists out there, I really do.
"The number one cause of atheism in the world today, are Christians"