"I have experienced God. God must exist."?

Question

"I have had prayers answered" or "I can feel God's presense"

What do you think of these arguments? Valid? Why or why not?

Answer 1

This is such a good question that I gave it a star.

I am sure that the asker did this intentionally, because it affords the answerer the opportunity to point out a detail rarely mentioned.

All experience is valid. However that statement is only true for the experiencer. Just because I have become convinced in this or that, say, the existence of 'god' does not make that true for a single other person.

There are about 6 billion humans physically manifested on this planet at the moment, and thus 6 billion different perspectives on literally everything.

I can offer you, or anyone, my experience and try to convince you of it's validity, but only you can make this offering true for you.

No single truth, just 6 billion ( for those 'here', and 'now' ) different truths, some may concur, but only by consent of each individual.

The funny thing is that, if this is 'true', then it means the end of the concept of 'objective' truth, and all truth becomes, automatically, subjective.

That's going to be hard for the materialists amongst us to accept !

Answer 2

The "feeling God's presence" experience can be chemically induced by the administration of certain dosage of a simple drug, ketamine, after which the subjects typically report all the classic sequelae of a "near death experience" where they "feel God", "communicate with God", etc. It doesn't matter whether the person is religious or atheist, the experiences are the same.

What this suggests, imo, is that there is some hardwiring in the brain that can be induced to have the "God feeling" experience. Of course that doesn't make it true that God exists simply because the brain is hardwired to produce that experience when certain chemicals bind at certain brain receptor sites. To me what it suggests is that perhaps there are certain brain receptor sites that have been activated in those who believe in God at some point, and they have chosen to accept this experience as proof of God's existence, while others have either not had the experience or have and chose to believe it was a hallucination.

Imo, over thousands of years as the human brain evolved, it evolved a "God mechanism" as a necessary step in human evolution.

Think of it this way-when a human is a young child, the young child needs an authority figure to enforce obedience and instill discipline as to what is right and wrong social behavior. However, as the child matures it no longer has need of the authority figure for discipline, because the human adult assumes personal responsibility for its actions.

That may be the point where we are in the context of human evolution, that the human species is entering the "adult" phase and we are undergoing the pain of "shedding our skin" of reliance on the brain's God mechanism. That may be why we're seeing an increase of religious squabbles and fundamentalism, because even the brain's God mechanism (although it may have largely served its purpose and is now vestigial) will have a survival instinct, not wanting to be deleted as obsolete.

Of course, the brain's God mechanism may still serve a survival purpose as well, activating when a human is near death to "anesthetize" the nonessential portions of the brain from going haywire due to lack of oxygen while the essential
core brain cells fight to maintain only the most basic functions while struggling to keep the human alive. This would explain why so many people relate the "near death experience" after having been revived.

Answer 3

Well, it's impossible to experience something that doesn't exist..... I think some people wrongly think that God has told them something - for example, if it contradicts scripture, God did not say it.

To the person that says God does not exist because he himself has not experienced Him - that's not logical reasoning. There are LOTS of things you haven't experienced that you know are real. The lack of doing or finding something (without exhausting EVERY possibility) is not proof that it doesn't exist.

If you can't find your keys, have they stopped existing? If you haven't been to the Statue of Liberty, is it not real?

Personally, I have experienced God's actions on my life. I do know that He exists. You have the right to deny Him, but He will deny you as well - that's not good.

Six billion different truths? No. Truth is truth. There can be six billion opinions. For example - Did astronauts really land on the moon? Some people will not accept that, some people do. But the truth is one or the other - either they did or they did not and your and my opinions won't change what actually happened. Either God exists, or He does not. Our opinions won't change it.

Answer 4

The 'evidence' in these cases are all subject to interpretation. Most are feelings and sensations -- and the brain can do some absolutely fascinating things that we struggle to understand and so misinterpret.

Prayers appear to be answered for just as many reasons. Some are because people are working on achieving the desired outcome anyway. Other times it's simply coincidence, which happens far more than we realize. It's just that we're better at keeping score when we think we influenced it, even indirectly.

Answer 5

The argument has some validity to me because of the sheer number of people who believe they have had an experience with something of the spiritual realm.

Some can be quickly written off as wack jobs, others have been serious and intelligent people. Many so convinced of their belief they were willing to die for it.

It may not be hard proof, but it gives reason to seek.

Answer 6

i think of we could desire to take heed to your 'adventure' and your 'description' approximately transforming into to be an atheist. I even have worry imagining what you should be asserting or describing that would drawn this reaction from any mature Christian. lots, and that i advise lots, of Christians do no longer line up with the Bible. maximum verify their deeds, their ideas and their reviews against the Bible. you in addition to could say 'dozens of time' which in my e book is a minimum of 36 circumstances or greater. Now that's actual and a blessing that have, deeds and ideas could desire to line up with the word of God. The capture is that to make the assessment a Christian could desire to be attentive to to "rightly divide the word of actuality." in case you tell me something i'll evaluate it to my very own adventure and additionally seem into the Bible and that i ought to seek for a third witness. If the element isn't evident i could even ask for an self sustaining word. In this form of case, somebody could talk of something that occurred to them, or a dream that they had or something that occurred to a chum. It isn't smart to them yet solutions to my question. each now and then the affirmation takes days or a week. One got here to me took six months. Having mentioned all this, regardless of if what you proportion does not line up with the Bible; does not advise your adventure did no longer take place. basically skill it did no longer line up for them. They locate themselves steered to no longer supply weight to what you're saying; so a techniques as what God expects of them of their existence.

Answer 7

well me i'm a agnostic i right now i'm not sure if god exists i mean come on now how do you really know that there is a god? can you prove it? you never know we could of just been created by aliens or by small fishes or something like that you know? but i'm just saying this its all about your belifes and what you believe in me i don't believe in god at the moment maybe someday i will.....

Answer 8

Imagine Neil Armstrong trying to convince natives in the Brazilian rainforest that he has walked on the moon. Their skepticism is of no consequence to his experience. In fact, to consider their doubt as relevant would be irrational.

Answer 9

FINALLY A DECENT QUESTION!!! THANK YOU! i feel that it is more than valid point for argument. if we go by science as well i must ask ..are you taking anothers word for it or were you there during the alleged discoveries ! i may not be terming it right or driving my point home but all we as human beings have is learning from anothers beliefs and what they have experienced even in discoveries! what if columbus came and told the people he sensed a new land and saw it but they chose to "discount " it because they did not see it or feel it! all we know in life is based on someone elses perception!

Answer 10

I think they are valid. From a logical viewpoint others may not.

Because these things have happened to me, I can attest to their truthfulness.