For those of you who claim to "know" Jesus directly, how can you be certain?

Question

Do you honestly think you'd "know" him if you'd been born in the jungles of Peru a thousand years ago?

No, you'd have worshiped Ataguchu, along with a few dozen others pagan deities. If you had been born in ancient Sumeria, you'd have worshiped one of the dead city rulers. Ancient Greece? Zeus, all the way.

Religion is totally relative to time, place and culture. For most people, you believe what you've been taught. This is why individuals who aren't "in" your religion look at your claims with an objectivity you can't see. Statements like "the one and only god" are irrational when historically, we know every culture has believed their god (or gods) were the "only ones."

Suppose the bible had been stolen, and rewritten to read that Jesus had a twin sister? Then undoubtably you'd "know" both siblings in your heart, but not because you were there to witness them. Maybe he DID have a twin sister, and that was removed. How do you know what you? The truth is, you don't.

Answer 1

If an experience with God is only relative to time, place and culture - how do you explain Saul's conversion to Paul? He was knocked off a donkey onto a dirt road and was blind until prayed for - and talked directly with Jesus. And at a time and during a culture that said all Christians were evil and to be killed. He was on his way to Jerusalem to arrest as many as he could when this experience happened to him. It had nothing to do with culture, time or place...it had everything to do with a real, living Christ. So it is today. The truth is I do know Him because I have a living relationship with Him. Just because you don't doesn't mean I don't. You could though if you wanted to. And for the one that said only science can be used to prove something is real - science says I am real - and I say my relationship with Christ is real. Is He real because I say so or is He real because He says so? Science has its limits. Faith does not. There are things that are "real" that science does not have the ability to understand. It is a baby trying desperately to catch up.

Answer 2

God is known by many names... regardless of what religion you follow, you are still worshipping the same God. The only difference between one religion and the next is the way in which that particular religion has misinterpreted God. Every religion is unique in their abilities to screw up the message. Heh. Why even bother... we'll all know the real nature of God soon enough, won't we? No point in obsessing over life after death until we're actually DEAD. Am I right? Now why don't we try to enjoy the LIFE that God has blessed us with!!!

I've wasted enough of my time with this stupid Yahoo! Answers junk. Blah. I'm sure we all have better things we could be doing, don't we? The ignorant will always stay ignorant, no matter how much logic and reason you throw at 'em. I'm almost positive I can find something more constructive and entertaining to do. I think I have some drying paint to watch. See ya.

Answer 3

Good point! Sorry answers, though, from many. Ascertaining whether something is “real” or not should be done scientifically and ONLY that way! You don’t decide something MUST be “real” because no one would believe you if you told them, just as they wouldn’t believe it if you said you met Angelina Jolie. If you were BRAD PITT, they’d believe you, so there goes THAT “argument”!

The person who said that whoever can proselytize the best about their religion the most effectively, will be believed more, is RIGHT ON THE MONEY! People are suckers, NOT for the truth, but an easy answer.

Also, it is Not true, as some said that “Most Christians were once atheists”! Where did this person come up with THAT assumption?! It’s ONLY true in the sense that ALL babies are born atheists, but are then inculcated into believing in a certain god or gods (unless they have enlightened parents who let them decide at a later age).

Claiming God is “real” because “he showed himself to me” is just plain silly! I could claim that King Kong is real for the same reason…who would there be to collaborate OR disprove it?!

Anyone who quotes a gospel to “prove” ANYTHING is playing not only with TOTALLY unscientific material, but BAD ARCHEOLOGY as well! The guys who wrote most of those did it for their own purposes, with no knowledge of ANYTHING!

The person who equated “god” to air is truly inspired, yet shows abominable ignorance along with blind faith. Actually, sensors and even anemometers that record its movement, CAN measure air!

To the one who asks, “How do you know if you exist?” I’d lay off the ‘shrooms, or whatever you’re taking, if I were you!

The person who said, “It all boils down to what you can afford to believe in” was (now doubt unwittingly) explaining it best: in short: how desperate ARE you? How willing are you to depart from the science we can prove? If you can do that to feel good, then, yes, you can afford to believe in something that NOBODY can prove!

Even though Mm hmmm is obviously a theist, I DO agree that this debate is really getting old. The problem is that so many of our world leaders are ruining the planet, and human civilization, in the name of their various “gods”! So unfortunately, it IS worth debating, especially with them.

It's even sorrier that this debate is taking place, with SO little rational thought from theists, in the 21st Century!

Answer 4

A difference between Jesus (True God) and the pagan dieties is that you can't wipe Jesus even with deadly force out of the collective memory of any country not even in the last communist or pagan or Islamic nations. By contrast, Zeus, Atagachu, and other pagan dieities disappeared as soon as they were forgotten, and are making a comeback only today because of newly self-proclaimed pagans who chose to remember them again after leafing through history. Chew on that for a while. (CLUE: One lives, the others are dead)

Answer 5

what makes YOU think that Ataguchu, the dead city rulers, Zeus, Alah, Jesus, etc. are not all the exact same spirit? Is it not conceivable to you that God is so powerful and REAL that he is in his own way ensuring that we KNOW him regardless of what we choose to call him? Think of it this way: Your parents call you "son", your partner calls you "baby," your child calls you "mom" or "dad," your sibling calls you "sister" or "brother." AND they're all correct. You look in the mirror and see all of those things, and yet neither. You see you as who you are...how do you know your visions and memories of you are not programed or something---because you believe that what you know is real. That is called faith. Even seeing is not always believing.

...and you are right we do not know 100% if God exists, but NOTHING is guaranteed. It boils down to what you can afford not to believe in. I believe in God. I believe that I have loved, suffered, sinned, and lived for a reason. If there really is no God and no eternal life---what would be the point? The idea alone leaves me empty. How sad and lonely in this vast universe must all the non-believers feel.

Answer 6

do u actually think that if u were in the jungle that u would breath air??? Do u actually think that if u didn't believe that there that u would just die. God is like oxygen even if u don't believe He is still there. The only way that u know that there is air is cause u FEEL it. The only way u know that there is a GOD is because u feel HIM, HIS love, HIS tenderness, His rath, His freedom. Just something to think about. He gives u the choice to believe in Him, just as u have to choice to take that next breath.

Answer 7

THIS IS FOR THE COMMENT U LEFT ME ON MY OTHER ANSWER you need to wake up. You most likely were not a born again believer. You are only happy as an atheist because you can practice your sins freely with no conviction. You need to repent for the kingom of Heaven is near. Prophecies are being fulfilled more and more. Jesus return will be soon, possibly in our lifetime. Repent and Turn your life to the one and only life giver who will give you not only life, but life abundant! When you truly believe in Christ, you can always lean on Him and God will reveal Himself to you. When you are born again, it is simple to obey and is the only way you want to do things. Don't compare one Christian man (Bush) to the whole Christian population. Not all of us agree with Bush's actions!
please I ask you to wake up my friend.God loves you and wants youto turn to Him.Please do so now when it is possible.
God bless

Answer 8

You are under the misapprehension that the bible isn't the word of God. God has preserved his word as he said he would. Jesus said that heaven and earth shall pass away but his word will never pass away. We believe him.

When those who love the truth hear it they give witness to it. God knows the hearts of those who have the truth even though they never heard it preached and he will judge the secrets of men's hearts by Jesus Christ.

Answer 9

definitely that may not a tough purpose to realize. as quickly as you attain an epiphany with Jesus, get a lobotomy. yet not till you to concentration all your techniques, potential and existence tension... directly to Jesus (into his divine realm, into heaven, the afterlife) After the lobotomy you does not sense soreness, or excitement, or the rest, you will only be disconnected from reality, sitting there, actually GIVING YOUR existence to Jesus, till you died. your loved ones could might desire to wipe your drool, feed you and alter your diapers, yet it rather is a small value to pay for giving your existence to Jesus.

Answer 10

All people are accountable to God whether they have “heard about Him” or not. The Bible tells us that God has clearly revealed Himself in nature (Romans 1:20) and in the hearts of people (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The problem is that the human race is sinful; we all reject this knowledge of God and rebel against Him (Romans 1:21-23). Apart from God's grace, God would give us over to the sinful desires of our hearts, allowing us to discover how useless and miserable life is apart from Him. This He does for those who reject Him (Romans 1:24-32).
In reality, it is not that some people have not heard about God. Rather, the problem is that they have rejected what they have heard and what is readily seen in nature. Deuteronomy 4:29 proclaims, “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” This verse teaches an important principle: everyone who truly seeks after God will find Him. If a person truly desires to know God, God will make Himself known.
The problem is, “there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God” (Romans 3:11). People reject the knowledge of God that is present in nature and in their own heart, and instead decide to worship a “god” of their own creation. It is foolish to debate the fairness of God sending someone to hell who never had the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Christ. People are responsible to God for what God has already revealed to them. The Bible says that people reject this knowledge, and therefore God is just in condemning them to hell.
Instead of debating the fate of those who have never heard, we, as Christians, should be doing our best to make sure that they hear. We are called to spread the Gospel throughout the nations (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). The fact that we know people reject the knowledge of God revealed in nature must motivate us to proclaim the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Only through accepting the Gospel of God’s grace through the Lord Jesus Christ can people be saved from their sins and rescued from an eternity apart from God in hell.
If we assume that those who never hear the Gospel are granted mercy from God, we will run into a terrible problem. If people who never hear the Gospel are saved…we should make sure that no one ever hears the Gospel. The worst thing we could do would be share the Gospel with a person and have him or her reject it. If that were to happen, he or she would be condemned. People who do not hear the Gospel must be condemned, or else there is no motive for evangelism. Why run the risk of people possibly rejecting the Gospel and condemning themselves – when they were previously saved because they had never heard the Gospel?