Ok, so I'm not a really religious person and I never actually believed in God (don't be mean with me because of this) but I think I'm starting to belive in Him. I saw a movie "Evan Almighty" and on the movie a person said that God doesn't give you what you want right away, he gives you oppurtunities. Like, if you want to make your dream come true, God will not give you a scholarship just like that...(just an example of a dream), instead he will give you an oppurtunity to get a schoolarship. On my first day of classes I prayed to God and I asked him to make at least just 1 one true friend, and he didn't give a friend right away, he gave me the oppurtinity to make a friend. Now I asked God for love (something related to my crush) and he gave me some upportunities to talk with him.
Is that true? Does God gives you opurtunities instead of the things that you want?
2007-09-09 03:24:13 · 30 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Morgan Freeman, not god.
2007-09-09 03:28:06 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 8⤋
Richard Dawkins would comment that you are unconsciously commiting the Type 1 statistical error of finding a "false positive".
Basically this means that you interpret occurences which are due to chance, or would have happened anyway, you interpret them as being due to the thing you have theorised to exist - in this case God.
Commiting this type of error in the religious sphere can lead to an atheist suddenly converting to Islam and praying 5 times a day - and perhaps worse like plotting an assasination - just because a pigeon pooped on his head at the wrong time, or somebody who he liked smiled back.
Imagine, you could be a nun in ten years time just because you got a scholarship, which was open to you anyway. And well, you're a good looking girl, does "God" best explain why your heartthrob spoke to you?
(Read a little about chaos theory at this time - how 2 very different futures might stem from seemingly insignificant or negligible events - like a smile or a chance to chat. Imagine, you could be a nun - but does the evidence warrant that?).
I don't mean to offend religious people, but scientifically speaking there's usually, if not always, a SIMPLER explanation.
Read up on Occam's razor - won't take 5 minutes. Basically it says that in science and in life, the simpler explanation is to be preferred.
If you look as some of the posts here you can see how COMPLEX the concept of God really is, and just imagine all of the 'baggage' that goes along with it. Is that what you were tinking of when you prayed, or is it really necessary for you to believe it for you to get a simple something like a smile? I wouldn't believe it, except by "faith" alone.
And I don't mean that you're or they're thick or stupid, even scientists commit Type 1 errors. Due to their methodical training however, they're always on the lookout. Are you?
Take care whatever you choose to believe.
2007-09-09 10:49:08 · answer #2 · answered by bulletproofmoth 2 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Yes......God gave me the opportunity to go and talk to a co-worker that I found interesting. In fact, I felt the nudge even! This is the man that later became my wonderful husband. I had wanted the man to land in my lap basically, but God gave me the opportunity. I had also told myself that I would never work at this place, but because of unemployment issues, I had decided to take a position there. Again, God opened up the opportunity to meet my husband. Had I not been so desperate for a job I would've looked elsewhere. I kinda feel like He withheld a job from me until just the right moment. Everything works out. You just have to listen to His whispers. Good luck on your path. :)
2007-09-09 10:34:32 · answer #3 · answered by Lilah 5 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Opportunities exist irrespective of the existence of a God. A God doesn't need to be there for people to have opportunities. Let me state an example. If I'm stricken with a disease, I could either pray about it to God or go see a doctor. If I only pray about it the chances of me getting cured are virtually nil, but if I go see a doctor the chances of me getting cured are way better. So you see, the opportunity of going to see a doctor exist independent of the existence of a God.
Do you think most people who believe in a God will be willing to trust their health entirely to said God? If that's the case why do we see so many believers in God at the hospital?
Something to think about...
2007-09-09 10:40:29 · answer #4 · answered by H.u.S 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
A lot of times this is true that God will make it possible for you to answer you prayer you have to participate In what you want if god wants to give you something yes he helps you do it or helps some one else help you he can do mighty miracles but mostly uses people to perform them like Moses he had to do the work.
2007-09-09 10:38:35 · answer #5 · answered by .monk 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
A Time for Spiritual Healing
God promises to heal mankind of all physical, mental, and emotional maladies during the Thousand Year Reign of his Son over the earth. (Revelation 20:1-3; 21:3-5) Sincere Christians eagerly await this promised future, with full faith in God's power to make it a reality. While not expecting such miraculous healing now, they pray to God for his comfort and strength to cope with trials. (Psalm 55:22) When they fall sick, they may also pray for God's guidance in obtaining the best medical treatment within their economic means.
Some religions encourage the sick to pray to be healed now, pointing to the miraculous cures that Jesus and his apostles performed. But such miracles were done for a special purpose. They served to prove that Jesus Christ was the true Messiah and to show that God's favor had been transferred from the Jewish nation to the young Christian congregation. Back then, miraculous gifts were needed to strengthen the faith of the newly established Christian congregation. When the infant congregation got on its feet, as it were, and became mature, the miraculous gifts were "done away with."—1 Corinthians 13:8, 11.
At this crucial time, Jehovah God is directing his worshipers in the more important work of spiritual healing. While they yet have time, people desperately need to respond to this appeal: "Search for Jehovah, you people, while he may be found. Call to him while he proves to be near. Let the wicked man leave his way, and the harmful man his thoughts; and let him return to Jehovah, who will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will forgive in a large way."—Isaiah 55:6, 7.
This spiritual healing of repentant sinners is being accomplished through the preaching of the good news of God's Kingdom. (Matthew 24:14) By empowering his servants to carry out this lifesaving work, Jehovah God is helping millions of people from all nations to repent of their sins and come into a favorable relationship with him before the end of this wicked system. All who sincerely pray for such spiritual healing and all who pray for help to perform this healing work are indeed having their prayers answered.
Please enjoy the rest of this article right here. http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2000/3/1/article_01.htm
2007-09-09 10:49:48 · answer #6 · answered by Kevin 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
This isn't the best place for your question. You will get a lot of bogus answers and rhetoric.
What does your heart say about God? That is what is important. Ask your friends about God , if any of them believe in him , and see what they have to say on the matter.
Don't come here seeking answers unless you come with a lot of salt. It is a mine field in here , a literal war zone were we fight for peoples souls every day. So be prepared to see into every answer a possible right answer and a possible wrong answer. For almost all these answers are both right and wrong. For they are based on people that do not have your heart , your beliefs , and your desire to believe.
2007-09-09 10:43:26 · answer #7 · answered by RedBirdofChaos 2 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Do you think that god specifically arranged things so that you could meet the person who became your friend, or did you just meet someone with whom you could become friends?
Do you think that He specifically arranged things so that you had opportunities to talk to your crush, or were those opportunities already there and you just used them?
It all depends on how you attribute the things that happen to you. Do you think that god arranges the universe so that you have opportunities, or are you simply smart enough to recognize opportunities when they arise?
2007-09-09 10:33:47 · answer #8 · answered by chasm81 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I think bulletproofmoth summed this up pretty well. Maybe reading up on some common mistakes people make in their logic will help you figure out what you want to believe.
2007-09-09 12:15:50 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can imagine anything you care to . If you prayed for rain, and it did rain. You can believe that "god" answered your prayer, or you can believe it's just nature .
If you undergo a very serious operation, and you pray for recovery - - - and come through okay , you can credit either "god" or your doctors.
Religious people will thank god . Sensible people will thank the surgeon .
2007-09-09 10:39:19 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
While God truly does want to give you the desires of your heart, Jesus was talking about salvation here. Right now, you are interest in friends and love. God is interested in your eternal life...He wants to spend eternity with you!
He wants to be your friend! He wants to be your love!
He may or may not give you what you're looking for in this world. But He will most definetly give you what you want in the next...as you trust in Him through Christ His Son.
A star to you for seeking God! His grace and peace to you.
2007-09-09 10:40:03 · answer #11 · answered by CapLee 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋