God works in mysterious ways

Well, you clearly haven't prayed then.

I suggest you look up many of the stories of answered prayers that are easily accesable on the internet these days. At some point, you conclude that everyone is either a raving lunatic or there just might be something to it.

Just remember, we serve others - not just ourselves. Prayer is not about you.

 

The person did not send me a PM. Have you been hitting on them for asking me the questions I'm responding to or are you stalking me just to hound me? I will continue to respond to any posts directed to me. Even your very of topic posts. You have done more to harm the nature of the thread than anyone.

 

Never once did I say that any of you suck. You said that.
I'm not angry. I find the faithful amusing, rather childlike in their beliefs. I never once mentioned science either. You have a way of putting words in peoples mouths. You should stop doing that and read the actual post and not just guess at what someone is typing.

 

I have prayed and I would prefer not to say what about because it was very personal. But I have definitely prayed. It changed nothing.

All I can say is that humans are very susceptible to the power of suggestion. Certainly what they experienced is not wrong, but perhaps the conclusion they came to after having experienced what they did was incorrect and the power of suggestion can definitely change our memories. You want me to take everyone's word for it, but that just isn't going to happen.

I think that is what the main premise of this thread was, despite how much you disliked the way it was expressed in the OP.

 

Yeah, you did, I just summed it up in less words.

You should be careful of what you allow out of your mouth - because people understand all to well what you mean.

And it is wrong BEFORE you say it, not AFTER someone confronts you and you act all innocent.

Perhaps if atheists would come down of their self appointed pedestals, they would realize something as simple as a debate forum requireing written words usually if filled with people who can read.

 

Agh, so God was supposed to do something for you? He didn't, and you are just fine? So, perhaps what you prayed about was not really what you needed?

Trust.

So, you are talking about the power of suggesting by ... er, suggesting that I could have simply made the whole damb thing up? And EVERYONE else did too?

And, despite your dislike of the rebuttal, the simple fact of the matter is that prayer works. It does not revolve around you. You put God and the needs of OTHERS first, but if you sit and pout to God and make demands of HIM? Well, good luck with that.

 

See? And you wonder why people don't believe in the supernatural aspect of it. So God did what you expected to happen for you, but not for me?

The experience no, but the part about attributing the experience to God, yes. Sorry I didn't make that more clear.

My prayers were for others, not for me. Nothing changed though. Your experience is clearly different from my own. But why do you expect me to just take your word for it that prayer works in a supernatural manner?

 

And what did I say?

that God gives US, not me, what we truely need. There was a time when I truely needed God ... for myself and others, and, viola, there he was. I only knew it with hind sight.

God did what was needed - not what I wanted him to do.

You ask him do what YOU want him to do, and, repeatedly, are missing the point.

He may very well have done what was NEEDED, but you were, indeed are, looking for what YOU WANT.

So your faith denies it. Gotcha.

Because otherwise I am lying. Do you think it is right to walk around thinking other people are lying? That all the people who have had their experiences and shared them are ALL lying?

Your faith is as strong as the Pope's.

 

Yes I did type what you said I typed. That is exactly what it was a bunch of mindless twaddle to a people who had no idea about the workings of nature. The texts were used to control the masses in their ignorance. People assumed leadership because of these documents. It gave the weak a certain power as the people never questioned the validity of the statements. Most could not read or write. The people in the area two thousand years ago were ignorant and could be easily controlled by anything. This was the best bet.

 

I think it is good to hold some skepticism for what people say anonymously online. Your own experiences are your own, I don't know whether or not they are true because I was not there to experience them. I have had close friends tell me that they have seen ghosts and experienced other supernatural events. That doesn't mean what they concluded about their experiences were totally true though.

Do you believe everything people tell you online? Or do you also hold some skepticism for unsubstantiated claims?

Er...ok? I don't know much about the Pope, I take it he's not a strong believer?

 

Yep, the Romans required legions of crack, professional troops ... because controlling people was so easy ... especially those damb Jews

Some apparently have the ability to read, and simply choose not to exercise it.

 

Well, glad you have faith that everyone is lying to you on these forums ... but not you of course.

Oh, I do just like I asked you to do. Someone tells me something and then I investigate and find out whether or not these kinds of things are plausible. Most people who are not trollsI have found to be mosty honest. Mistaken from time to time, but honest.

Nope, you have a VERY strong faith in the faultiness of other people. As strong as the Pope's faith that there is a God.

 

When did I say that?

I do my investigating too. The thing with the supernatural though is that it is all based on people's personal experiences. There is no physical proof that can measure this sort of thing and when supernatural ideas conflict...how are we to know which ones are telling the truth?

Of course humans are faulty. I think that's where the phrase, "I'm only human" comes from, meaning I am definitely not perfect and I carry my fair share of mistakes and sins too. Everyone has their faults. Everyone also has the capacity to lie. And on the Internet lies are rampant. Forgive me for not putting all my trust in strangers on the net.

 

Agh, so we are at the misquote portion.

Why would I not be telling the truth? So many not be telling the truth?

No (*)(*)(*)(*).

Guess what your denial is based on - your personal experience.

Our are based on the recorded experiences of many. Eye witness testimony is a form if evidence.

But you are not calling us liars? Gotcha.

Please make sure you apply your standards to your position, and remember, you just intrduced a qualification so that you will never be proven wrong - its all lies when it doesn't agree.

 

How is this even a response to the thread?

 

Control over the religious changed the power base within the people and actually change Rome into Christian nation. So yes it did influence much because it touched on faith. By touching the fears and myth based beliefs of the people the manipulative doctrine alter the entire empire. Like all cult followers you will not see the truth.

 

Faith was still a requirement for Pagan Gods, who were far more fear inducing and petty than God.

Like all cult followers you spin your tale and ignore facts.

Atheism is not backed by facts, not in the slightest, it is backed by emotions and derisve comparisons of unintelligent people who think they are smarter than everyone else.

And all their supposed superior intellect can produce is snide comments about other people's faith and how screwed up that faith is. Typical Narcissism. Whatever you got MUST be better.

Don't let anything like historical facts get in the way of perfectly good fantasy with atheists as the protagonists against the entire evil world!

 

That quote was to address the OP pic....a well-to-do American Christian 'humbling himself,' and a poverty-stricken, starving child being 'humbled' by their circumstances. As the OP states, "God works in mysterious ways!" Both are 'bowing' to their circumstances in life, but God 'knows' both. If this life on earth is all we get, then God is unjust in His 'care' of the poor and downtrodden. But with the afterlife that He has 'promised,' then both will get their just rewards.

James 2:5:
... Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and in their position as believers and to inherit the kingdom which He has promised to those who love Him?

But agreed concerning the subject: "The “problem of pain,” as the well-known Christian scholar, C.S. Lewis, once called it, "is atheism’s most potent weapon against the Christian faith. "

 

To believers, this life is only a very short segment of our eternity. You are right, as fortunate first world countries, we easily over-look the desperate plight of many of our world's population. We are called to work in the world to attempt to aid that:
Matthew 25
[31]
"When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
[32] Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
[33] and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left.
[34] Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
[35] for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
[36] I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'
[37] Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?
[38] And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee?
[39] And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?'
[40] And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.'
[41] Then he will say to those at his left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;
[42] for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
[43] I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'
[44] Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?'
[45] Then he will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.'
[46] And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

And we need to recognize that because we are fortunate, much more is expected of us:

Luke 12:48
...Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more.

This is a critical and reasonable indictment of Christian practice. Although we have bodily necessities in this first world existence, but we are held to a higher standard, and face different difficulties.

 

My remarks are not snide they speak truth. It's so strange that all those pagan gods and the gods that now live only in mythology have passed into oblivion as truths about the cosmos have been revealed. Once the mysteries were discovered the people knew better than to continue these foolish beliefs. They put away childlike thinking. It's odd that the faithful today hang on with both hands to religion that is childish. I think the reason is fear of the unknown and that is death. You're all banking on another life in a better place. Think of it this when your body is decaying in the ground, you were wrong and all the wasted energy you put in to this faith got you to the same place as those who didn't believe the nonsense in the first place.

 

Your god has taken a permanent day off. He wasn't there in the first place.

 

Highlight in red: It is in fact all you have.

 

Right, they are so true that you back them up with that scientific test that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no God? No, can't offer that up can you?

Neither can any oter atheists who defines themselves by running around calling other people stupid and delusional.

Its just immaturity, not science, driving such behavior.

We scold children for doing it, but are supposed to praise adult atheists for behaving like six year olds?

 

As opposed to the entirety of that statement, which is, indeed, all you have.

 

When have I used the word science as a proof of anything? Quote it, show me where I have done that. I don't need science to override common sense at an adult level. A follower mentality needs something like the faithful to justify their complete loss of common sense.