I am being serious here and not trying to upset anyone, but I find so many questions on here or comments that state or question the existence of Jesus. I challenge you to "try Hiim" this way: i.e. "Jesus, I don't really think you exist, but I'm going to try you out. If You are real, please show me in an evident way by answering this prayer". Then ask Jesus for something realistic and probably a minimal request. Promise Him that just for today you will listen. Some examples might be: direction in looking for a job, direction in how to deal with a hard relationship, something in your life that is bothering you. If you tease and test Him you will get the opposite of what you want, probably, maybe not today, but later. So be sincere if you really want to know. Just a thought for those who are searching or want to know. If you don't want to search, we all have our own choice.
2007-02-26 06:18:33 · 39 answers · asked by ? 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Wow, I have actually enjoyed hearing from your side of the issue. I thank you for your responses, as I am an open minded person generally, and now I understand more the non-Jesus believers and how or why they became that way.
I will add a few comments . God is not a "Gimmie God". He has 3 answers to prayer, yes, no and maybe (wait). I think often the problem is we don't get what we want for our life on this earth, we want something very much, but it is not in God's plan for us. Just like a small child, what we want is rarely what is best for us, say like tons of candy etc. I have been thru what I would call "hell on earth and back" so I'm not speaking from a life of luxury here, but for 56 years have held on to God and He has never disappointed me in the long run. But I still honor all of your posts and thank you.
2007-02-26 06:54:56 · update #1
First, I would like to thank you for your concern and I understand that you are not trying to upset anyone. However as others have pointed out, most of us have been there and done that. I am Wiccan and it isn't what Christians have been lead to believe. It isn't evil but about self-empowerment and reverence for Mother Earth.
I am very happy for you that your relationship with your Diety(ies) brings you so much happiness that you want to share your joy but you must realize that my relationship with mine brings me just as much joy and fulfillment. And more importantly, my relationship with my image of the Divine makes more sense to me than yours does to me. I won't go poking holes in your faith as I wouldn't want to harm you in that way but suffice it so say, Christianity isn't for me.
Bright Blessings )O(
2007-02-26 07:52:53 · answer #1 · answered by Stephen 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I hate how we are found to be the ignorant ones. I was a devout Christian till I was sixteen. I went to youth group and church every single Sunday. And also went to huge meetings such as ATF. But then I began studying evolution and science. And I realized that religion is ridiculous. We are not the ones ignorant of others. I too thought I had experiences but it was just because I wanted to be accepted by my peers. How bout you start contemplating there being no god I bet you never have. Read the God Delusion by Richard Dawkins with no bias and pretending there is no god for the moment and then see if you can withstand it.
2007-02-26 06:32:43 · answer #2 · answered by Beaverscanttalk 4 · 5⤊ 0⤋
I suppose you don't know enough psychology to realize this is setting yourself up a self-fulfilling prophecy. The prayer and belief in it will galvanize you to get a job, and when you find one you'll mistakenly assume it was divine influence.
It's like how people on drugs use god as a psychological anchor to pull themselves out of their problems. It ultimately doesn't matter what they believe (They could believe the Invisible Pink Unicorn is helping them or they could simply believe in themselves) and the result will be the same. They then mistakenly assume god was the one who helped them through it without realizing it was themselves.
Psychological phenomenon are very often mistaken to be divine influence or evidence of his existence. In reality it's an ignorant delusion and a fallacy to believe god had anything to do with what you've framed and constructed internally for yourself.
2007-02-26 06:30:28 · answer #3 · answered by Mike K 5 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Sure. I just flipped a coin ten times and prayed really hard for heads. Came up 5 and 5. I think I could have done that well with out praying.
I'll make you a deal. Pray really hard the rest of the day and I'll try again tonight but I'll do 100. I'll bet it is between 48-52 one way or the other.
2007-02-26 06:29:14 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yes, I have tried that with Jesus.
Thank you for your concern. Now, I ask that you try this with Jesus: "Jesus, I understand that you are all powerful and wise beyond my small mind, but I ask you to do one thing that will make the world a better place for all. End world hunger for ONE day. Just one. Not only will my faith be sealed, but that of all your children."
It seems like a very simple and reasonable request for an all-powerful, all-loving God. I think we will all know how that turns out.
2007-02-26 06:27:54 · answer #5 · answered by Phoenix, Wise Guru 7 · 7⤊ 0⤋
One of my colleagues from work had a cousin who was a Christian, and who went to church all of the time, and was a faithful believer. That person died on one of the upper floors of one of the World Trade Towers.
Tell me ... do you think that that Christian might have prayed, asked, begged, pleaded with God to save him (and all others who were suddenly exposed to horror) from that terrible ordeal? What happened to all of those prayers? Jesus said that if a person's faith is the size of a grain of mustard, and if any two shall agree, then it shall be done. So, if God would answer our prayers about looking for a job, then why he wouldn't answer something that is TRULY important, when surely there were more than two people praying in the towers, and many of the people would have been believers with great faith?
2007-02-26 06:26:05 · answer #6 · answered by SB 7 · 6⤊ 1⤋
Yes, most of us had a very hard time losing our faith.
I was 20, in second year of bible college when the first "pebble" fell down the mountain of my faith. It was in Hermenuetics class - where we translated the bible from it's original languages. The specific passage was 1 John 3 and the "small hole" in english became a gaping hole in koine greek! The harder I tried to make it "fit" with my beliefs (and with reality) the more it fell apart. Eventually, I stopped "thinking" all together and just willed myself to have faith.
I locked myself in a closet every night to pray. I thought that I was being "proud" and relying on my mind and human understanding. So I humbled myself before god. Begging for more faith. It still slipped away. I dropped out of bible college.
For years I held on, just by never challenging it, never thinking deeply about it. Went to church, tried...read CS Lewis, Philip Yancey, anyone that was suggested to me. Read the bible...still...it slipped away. Eventually after the university, it just wasn't there at all.
Taking the last step into atheism was the hardest. I thought I was giving up EVERYthing, all hope, etc. I actually found much peace in not having to force myself to believe any longer. And I have much hope too.
2007-02-26 06:22:03 · answer #7 · answered by Laptop Jesus 2.0 5 · 14⤊ 0⤋
Been there, done that. I am an EX-Christian. My relationship with your Lord and Savior didn't work out so I moved on.
Frankly, it doesn't matter to me whether or not Jesus is real. He's not one of my deities that I worship. I am perfectly happy praying to my Gods and Goddesses. I get more fulfillment being Asatru than I ever did as a Christian.
2007-02-26 06:32:57 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
The problem with this approach is that you really have to WANT to listen in order to get the message. Most people aren't open to it. The exercise would most likely be approached in a skeptical manner and they would find just what they wished to find--the things they already think they know.
True seekers might be able to perform this task, but most of the others are quick to ascribe possible signs to anything else rather than admit the possibility of the intervention or God or Jesus. It is all in what you allow yourself to see. If you ask for a sign from a non-identifiable greater force, you're more likely to notice something. When you name it Jesus, then dogma starts to creep in if you're not careful.
Lots of hostility being stirred up...not surprising! You see why this doesn't work?
2007-02-26 06:26:55 · answer #9 · answered by Black Dog 6 · 0⤊ 5⤋
How would I know the direction didn't come from myself? Can't I ask for something more solid, like an email or something? What can I ask for that will convince me it was Jesus, and not my own mind?
2007-02-26 06:23:13 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋