I have been giving an honest, whole-hearted effort to trying to give whatever supernatural power that people say is out there a chance to prove it is real to me. I've been trying to believe for a very long time, and can't force myself. I NEED to be shown. I am sick to death of scriptures and riddles that are supposed to MEAN something and don't. Arrrrgh!!!! I've been here for a while and know that those of you who feel it and believe will say to "have faith and pray". Sorry, that isn't doing anything. And, my atheist friends will say "woah, chill out, stay sane don't go that route, god doesn't exist" and so far I have to agree with them. I have been trying to experiment with contacting "God" or asking for a sign to show me my assuption of atheism was wrong. Is the lack of a responce my answer that I was right before I began this internal journey? God doesn't exist or if he does, he doesn't want me as his follower. Say whatever you want to me about it. No stupid "god" riddles please!
2007-08-23 05:38:32 · 31 answers · asked by RealRachel 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
You've been at it, what, a week. Don't give up so easily.
Job 2:10 You speak as one of the foolish women would speak.
You have already been given many signs, just not big neon ones that will flash in your face and blind you. (Not yet)
Matthew 4:10 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, `You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"
It was said somewhere, "Patience is a virtue," and that didn't even come from the Bible. But it came from the God you have no patience for.
James 5:7 Be patient, therefore, sister, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it until it receives the early and the late rain.
Proverbs13:20 He who walks with wise men becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
2007-08-23 08:41:00 · answer #1 · answered by timesrchanging 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I read your bio page. You state you're atheist. I'm not sure your post is sincere but in case it is... your biggest problem is faith. Faith not in the sense of believing in an unknown, such as "I hope you exist God". That is not what faith is. Faith in God is having a certainty in God. We have faith in everything we do in life. Faith that the chair will hold us up when we sit on it, that we'll take our next breath, and on and on. Jesus was God here on earth. He came in a form we could see and touch. Men and women were amazed by what he did and wrote about it and told others. Even today we know that he was here because a man does not impact the world the way he did, unless he did exist. It's impossible.
So there is one thing left. Your belief in God is wrong. You have no belief. Your belief is in yourself and that will never allow God to reveal himself. Asking for a tap on the shoulder or a sign of some type might happen but I wouldn't count on it. God works in his own way and he sees the sincerity of our heart. If it's not there - you will never get an answer. All the words in the world do not bring sincerity. It can not be conjured up.
2007-08-23 13:31:18 · answer #2 · answered by JohnFromNC 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
So quit trying so hard.
Try this one on for size: If you follow the rational thought of Descartes(being) I think therefore I am...the mere fact that you can THINK of a God of the Universe should hold enough truth to you to confirm that there is one.
Secondly...perhaps God is waiting for a sign from you. You've spent the last umpteen years of your life slammin' Him and denying His existence and you're getting snippity with the whole situation because He's not giving you what you want when you want it?? That's not very fair is it?
Just giving a shout out that says "Ok -prove me wrong" doesn't get you an answer. It seems (and I've been known to be wrong before) that you are not so interested in having a relationship with God as you are interested in knowing whether you are right or not in your past choosing to deny Him.
You don't need proof to know He spared your life more than once. What more "evidence" could you desire when you know if it weren't for His Divine Intervention you wouldn't be here to ask these types of questions?
2007-08-23 12:57:09 · answer #3 · answered by Mrs.M 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
To me, your question shows a great deal of intellectual curiousity which is to be commended. You are obviously not a person of "blind faith."
I was raised as a Roman Catholic and while I have no problems with those who practice this (or any other) religion, I too needed to be "shown". Well, I was never "shown" ANY concrete evidence of the existence of any God so I formed my own conclusions. If I have any faith at all, it's in the way that the Native Americans and other so-called pagans practiced their religion, which is to say, that God is found in nature. And I'm not even so sure about that.
I am somewhere between a Pagan and an atheist. IF God exists, I believe that he/she does so in the form of the Earth providing what is necessary to us. That's a big "if", but it's all I've got to go on.
It's taken me most of my life to form this conclusion Hon, and I'm no kid, believe you me. I wish you well on your quest for answers on spirituality, but your ideas may come and go as you mature, just as mine did.
2007-08-23 12:50:22 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's much better to be a good person for the real reasons and not because you read about it an old unreliable book.
By abandoning religion and seeking the real reasons why certain things are the way they are in life you are more likely to feel fulfilled in life.
There's a reason for everything and it's not God. It's now up to you to really grow to understand the world you live in and the people around you. It's much more challenging to seek out all the answers and have to use evidence on which to base your beliefs, but you'll get much much further in life.
2007-08-23 12:54:15 · answer #5 · answered by Patty 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I know that this might sound funny to you, but you might want to talk to the Mormon Missionaries.
You might be surprised at what you might find when you talk to them, and if not there is no harm done.
Here you find where the mormon church building is close to you: http://www.mormon.org/worshipwithus
From there you could just ask anyone there and they can help you, or you could call.
I also have some scriptures that I thought you might be interested in:
NT
James 1:5-6
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.
Book of Mormon
Moroni 10:4-5
And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
2007-08-23 13:02:19 · answer #6 · answered by Heidi 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Laughing at the responses of Gracewalker, Mrs. C, Spirit Princess and Opinionated. I know it's not nice to ridicule, but those answers are so illustrative of the exact problem you indicate in the body of your question. In essence they're telling you to just have more faith and making little riddles, which is exactly what you are seeking to avoid.
Welcome young lady. You have traveled in some well-worn footsteps. I was there myself not too many years ago...
2007-08-23 12:48:52 · answer #7 · answered by Peter D 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I sympathise with your discomfort. You appear to be cursed with an enquiring and logical mind, and such people don't do well trying to swallow a gigantic magical fantasy in which there is no reason to believe but wish-fulfilment.
I hope you bite the bullet and dispense with the dream, though I admit it won't be easy to give up all the jam-tomorrow comforts it provides. Nevertheless, accepting reality - even when it's a cold one - does allow you to maximise your chances of doing good to yourself and others, without silly rules made up for bronze-age goatherders.
This is your only life, and it takes work to have a fun time of it instead of waiting for manna that will never arrive.
CD
2007-08-23 12:47:20 · answer #8 · answered by Super Atheist 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
agnostic=no evidence to prove god exists, no evidence to prove that he does not exist.
christians believe and atheists believe.
why believe when you can know.if you are uncertain from a christian viewpoint then you can understand that the bible does contains proverbs and wisdom, like obey your parents, who doesnt agree with that kind of wisdom, it contains geneology, you do not have to follow the practices or believe the stories, and if god exists he would be pleased that you go by what you know rather than what you do not know. its being a good steward right? and if he does not exist then you did not waste your time talking to the air. =)
just enjoy your day.
2007-08-23 13:09:07 · answer #9 · answered by ignostic 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Does it really make any sense to try to force yourself to believe something that's patently absurd?
Faith is a lie. Your observation that no gods are out there demanding your worship is accurate. If there are any gods, no-one on this planet knows anything about them, so they're irrelevant.
2007-08-23 12:52:38 · answer #10 · answered by wondermus 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋