For religious people: Why is God ignoring me?

Question

Now, I'm what you call a "weak" atheist. I would never say that it is impossible that God exists, I simply don't believe that he exists.

Contrary to what many people think, I do not believe as I do because I have never tried to establish a relationship with God. I've TRIED. If he exists, he's blowing me off. I've said, "God, you know that I'm open to believing in you. Just say the word." I get nothing. Not a thing. Not even a twinge of recognition. If you believe that God exists, tell me why he is ignoring me.

Please just answer the question. I don't want to hear about God/Jesus loving me. Don't tell me to open my heart. I've heard it all before.

I've been waiting roughly ten years for an answer.

No, it doesn't help, Sawyer. You have to understand that I am the kind of person completely incapable of blind faith. I just can't do it. I tried it, but I couldn't do it. I don't need proof, but I DO need evidence. I'm not asking for a lightning bolt, just a feeling would be enough.

However, I am extremely suspicious of "the Scriptures". Most of it rubs me the wrong way morally in an extreme way.

Isn't anyone listening? I AM INCAPABLE OF BLIND FAITH. PERIOD, END OF STORY.

The stuff about seeking God on his terms makes no sense to me, because I have no idea of what his terms really are. As far as I can see, all of the theistic religions have the same chance of being truthful. If God wants me to meet him on his terms, he could at least let me know what they are. It is grossly unfair to force me to play a game without even telling me the rules.

Don't any of you understand? You just aren't listening! I've tried so hard. I've cried many times because I've sought God and found nothing. I'M NOT ASKING FOR A MIRACLE. I'm not asking for him to solve all my problems. Just the slightest feeling that he cares would be enough, but I get NOTHING. I don't know what God is supposed to want from me.

I've studied the Bible. I've studied other religious books as well, from the Quran to the Tao Te Ching. None of it helps.

Answer 1

what kind of signal are you looking for?and yes I will tell you God loves you. He does...you HAVE to believe that...I promise He does. he isn't gonna send a lightning bolt to convince you though...you have to have faith.

Answer 2

Hmm... I see that you are really trying to find God. You can try this steps that I have just made specially for you:

1) Walk around outside, go travel, look into the stars and the sky, see the trees, and see the animals. Establish that these things are in perfect harmony with each other.

2) Next, have a calm time alone, and think: If these things perfectly existed from "random selection" how can randomness result in perfectness? Can I shake a box full of metals, plastics and wires for millions of years and get a perfectly functional X-Box 360? Or do I need to intelligently assemble them?

3) Next, decide if the universe and all its details existed out of randomness or from a mastermind.

4) If you decide its from a mastermind, decide if the mastermind is many, or just one. Is there one mastermind who is worth being praised and complemented for what he has done?

5) Then decide if he is like what we've seen: Does he look like a tree, a bird, water, the star, a dot of light, a human, or is he unimaginably greater than what he has created (what we can perceive)?

6) Then think: if he has created us and the world, has he given us something to show what he wants of us?

7) Next think: humans have been living for thousands of years, did he gave anything to those before us too? And to those before 1 AD?

8) Then ponder: This thing that he has given, it must be a knowledge of some sort, that is available to anyone who searches for it. It must be cleverly written by Him, not by any humans or a group of people.

The message must also was not just founded in some house, or field, or cave, or on the beach, as the message from the Mastermind cannot just be some object.

This message, it must be given to a human, a noble one, perhaps the greatest creation and the most pleasant guy ever. But not a passive good guy, like a beggar, but a strong, admirable, influential, down-to-earth, and ambitious person.

The message must also be the Mastermind's "darling", the he (or rather, He) takes care of, so that humans won't change it, or add anything to it, or delete anything from it, or change it into another form or language.

9) The next step is to find this Message from the Mastermind. Which one is it? There are many holy books in the world, which one is the Message? Now, that is the question: which message is from Him?

10) If you have agreed to these points, I'll tell you which Message/book fits those criteria. Contact me, if you please, @ [e-mail]

Answer 3

Obviously, you are one of those people who will "believe it when they see it," so there is really no way of convincing you, because faith is just that - faith - no proof given (evidence is proof).

Personally, I don't subscribe to any religion and have a mixed set of beliefs. I believe in God and I believe in Karma as two separate things, although I also believe that one could be explained as the other.

You will very unlikely hear God say "hello" to you, but you may receive signs from Him. Still, probably not when you just want a sign, but when you actually need Him and ask Him for help.

For instance, if you were stranded on a deserted island for days and one day someone may come to rescue you. Most non-believers would call it luck or coincidence, but believers feel that it was God who sent those people to get you off the island.

So, the signs may be there, but it's up to you to interpret them as such.

Answer 4

The way you have put the details, it doesn't seem like you have tried in the real sense. All I mean is that, trying is not that you ask God to show you some miracle of some sort. Trying is that you set about gaining knowledge, knowledge will be your guide. Read books, and then ask for guidance. Yes, you do need to ask God for help, but in addition to that you need to put in the requisite effort too, only then you should expect things to become clearer.

God never overburdens anyone more than they can bear.

When you prepare for an exam, you exaclty know how are you going to perform (except if the professor is bent upon failing you). When we try so much to prepare for exams we have to take in this world, we forget everything else, and we dedicate a period of time for the preparation, why not be sincere and dedicate some time for knowing God. He can only be recognized through knowledge. Read and ask for help. By reading I don't mean that you should read Bible, start with different books.

IMPORTANT
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I have a recommendation for you. Dr. Jeffrey Lang, a born christian, who became an atheist and later a muslim has written three books. One of them "Even Angels Ask" is the one for you in which he starts off by telling the reader to drop all their religious baggage behind and assume that they are an atheist.

Hope that helps!

Added:

Extending your game analogy, it would be totally unfair if you knew all the cheat codes for the game (God talks directly to you or shows you a miracle).

Answer 5

Could your attitude of bitterness be a problem in your being open to hear Him? I have been told there are three answers to prayer...yes, no, and wait....maybe He has put you on hold for some reason you can't comprehend right at this moment...but maybe you will understand at some other point in your life.

Don't give up before your miracle...there is a story of one of the patriarchs wrestling all night with an angel....and he would not let the angel leave him until the angel gave him a blessing.

Be stubborn...tell God you are not going to settle for anything less than understanding Him....be persistent....I think that He will honor your tenacity....and you will be given the enlightenment you seek....He says that He is like a good father and that He will not give us a stone if we ask for bread.

Remind Him of what His Word says....and see if He doesn't respond.

Answer 6

NOT because he didn't answer u back means that he doesn't exist ,he does and as u don't want to talk about it , so iamnot going to, however , GOD IS INCOMPARABLE , u can't expect him to talk to u as humans, the only ones that god talked to them in my beliefs are prophet moses ad prophet muhammed(peace be upon both of them ), though god will answer us in the way of signs , that make u understand , or give u the answer through some one ..... , it is u that u didn't see the msg , just making u have abit faith in his existance is concedered a replay , haven't u seen that way?. don't give up of trying to establish a relation with god , coz we all need him. reconsider again.!

i've just seen ur additional details and wanted to add that :
u said u are incbable of faith and yet u want feeling is enough ., that is faith , feeling his existance is having faith in his existance,.

u also u want a physical proof look around u all that universe is created by god , look at ur self see how from dust u are a human being...... the evidence for god existance are plenty too many.so plz reconseder again
and plz see those sites.

good luck.wish my answer make sense to u.

Answer 7

Sometimes when we are waiting for an answer from God we cannot hear because something that we are doing is blocking the connection. Sin separates us from Him. Sometimes He sends our answers in ways that we don't expect like a stranger that we meet at the grocery, a tv program that we just happen to find on cable, or even sometimes places like Yahoo! Answers. I hate to sound cliche, but we just have to be open to different types of answers from God.

*******I appreciate you honesty and openness in finding a relationship with God. I am asking every Christian reading my response to pray that God will bring to you the answers that you need. Good Luck, Brother.

Answer 8

What you say reminds ME of the time right before God and I found each other (actually, God was there all along...I just had to pay better attention).

What helped ME during that time was being with faithful people (people who have faith in the one true God). Ask questions. Talk. Listen. Question. Learn. And enjoy their company.

It's amazing what happens when we surround ourselves with the right people.

I know you've probably heard THIS before, but I'm called to say it: I'm adding you to my prayers. God bless and keep you, especially in this very important time in your spiritual journey.

Answer 9

You want God to just to appear... What kind of sign are you looking for? Maybe you just don't want to see what sign he is showing you...

I guess that I really have no clue why I believe that God is real or even that he gave us a way out... Its weird now that I think about it...

I can't tell you any way to get in tune with God.

Answer 10

I was like you at one time. Then I was broken by the death of someone close to me. Sometimes you don't find God until you are empty, broken, and reach out and take a leap of faith when you have nothing left. He was always there, I just didn't know it.

God is operating on his timeframe, not yours, and when He knows the time is right and that you desire Him you will find Him.

God Bless.

Answer 11

You have version of God that might not be true and when it doesn't happen then you start questioning his existence.

True you tend to hear people just keep repeating Jesus loves you yet they themselves can not explain it using the Bible.

If you examine the Bible you'll find questions to:
If there is a loving God why is the world full of wickedness?
What happens to you when you die?
Who is God and does he have a name other than capital G God?
Jesus claims he's the Son of God then why do people say he's God?
What's the purpose of life?
Why do we suffer and die?
Who is Satan?

You might want to start with some guide and help you study. Here's a good place to start.

http://www.watchtower.org/e/god_and_your_future.htm