Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

I am religious and believe in free will

71 (27.7%)

I am religious and do not believe in free will

10 (3.9%)

I am not religious and believe in free will

114 (44.5%)

I am not religious and do not believe in free will

61 (23.8%)

Total Members Voted: 251

[Loud Whispers]

Sidenote: Loud Whispers, going back to an earlier point with an article that illustrates my opposition to demonizing Islam beautifully, I think it'd be good if you read this.

Criticizing Israel leads to Hitler
What a very nuanced take by squid 10/10 would read again, only a sith deals in full retard

[Telgin]

Wait, God when he says God talked to him, is he implying that he got new revelations?

Presumably the more normal talking to god stuff. Not sure if your denomination considers it normal, but it's a fairly common thing among, at least, south-eastern US protestant groups, to believe that they fairly regularly converse with god/jesus/etc. I've met a fair handful of people that believe pretty sincerely they've held entirely legitimate, completely real conversations with god, Jesus, and/or various angels. And not feelings, vague directions, or whathaveyou -- straight up "Hello, my name is Bobael, do not worry your eyes will not melt." talks.

It's real damn common for evangelical priests, in particular, from what I've seen -- you can tune in to several of those televised ones and occasionally hear something along the lines of, "I was talking to god last night, and he told me xyz." Rather imagine quite a few of those particular con-men are lyin' out their teeth about it, but there's plenty that have experienced what they believe to be the divine talkin' to 'em.

Yeah, that's pretty much it.  Well, in his case he was actually in the hospital with blood poisoning from a rusty nail in the foot, and he said that God told him that he'd heal him of it if he converted.  Previously, doctors told him there was no hope.

The healing also came with the stipulation that if he didn't convert, not only would God let him die, he'd take his kids with him.

But, yes, what Frumple said.  It's accepted among many Protestant denominations that average Joe Christians can talk directly to God, and He talks back.  That never worked for me, and is part of what started breaking my faith.  This is quite different among Catholics, from what I understand, and I've read of at least one Catholic saying that it made Protestants almost too holy and therefore kind of crazy.

[penguinofhonor]

I went to a Catholic school and I never heard anyone claim they've spoken to God. I assume Catholic God is too disappointed in everyone to talk to them.

[Askot Bokbondeler]

Wait, God when he says God talked to him, is he implying that he got new revelations?

Presumably the more normal talking to god stuff. Not sure if your denomination considers it normal, but it's a fairly common thing among, at least, south-eastern US protestant groups, to believe that they fairly regularly converse with god/jesus/etc. I've met a fair handful of people that believe pretty sincerely they've held entirely legitimate, completely real conversations with god, Jesus, and/or various angels. And not feelings, vague directions, or whathaveyou -- straight up "Hello, my name is Bobael, do not worry your eyes will not melt." talks.

It's real damn common for evangelical priests, in particular, from what I've seen -- you can tune in to several of those televised ones and occasionally hear something along the lines of, "I was talking to god last night, and he told me xyz." Rather imagine quite a few of those particular con-men are lyin' out their teeth about it, but there's plenty that have experienced what they believe to be the divine talkin' to 'em.

Yeah, that's pretty much it.  Well, in his case he was actually in the hospital with blood poisoning from a rusty nail in the foot, and he said that God told him that he'd heal him of it if he converted.  Previously, doctors told him there was no hope.

The healing also came with the stipulation that if he didn't convert, not only would God let him die, he'd take his kids with him.

But, yes, what Frumple said.  It's accepted among many Protestant denominations that average Joe Christians can talk directly to God, and He talks back.  That never worked for me, and is part of what started breaking my faith.  This is quite different among Catholics, from what I understand, and I've read of at least one Catholic saying that it made Protestants almost too holy and therefore kind of crazy.

and now he's like, totally christian and totally not just trying to get to heaven so he can take revenge on god for threatening his children. he would make a terrible action movie hero and suffers from Stockholm syndrome

I went to a Catholic school and I never heard anyone claim they've spoken to God. I assume Catholic God is too disappointed in everyone to talk to them.

cath god cant talk to people cuz it would collapse the quantum trinity into some sort of heresy and break christmas

[TempAcc]

I think its part of catholic doctrine that you can't really talk to God yourself, which is usualy why you ask a saint to intervene when you need guidance. To be honest, I don't think "talking to God" is a very common thing in any christian religion other than protestantism, and maybe mormonism.

[penguinofhonor]

Catholics actually think it's possible for people to talk to God directly (they just know he won't talk back). Saints and Mary and priests are just there to be helpful.

[FallacyofUrist]

Catholics actually think it's possible for people to talk to God directly (they just know he won't talk back). Saints and Mary and priests are just there to be helpful.

I can confirm this.
Well, He won't talk back most of the time. It's possible for Him to answer a prayer directly, He just doesn't do so very often...

[Rose]

Catholics actually think it's possible for people to talk to God directly (they just know he won't talk back). Saints and Mary and priests are just there to be helpful.

I can confirm this.
Well, He won't talk back most of the time. It's possible for Him to answer a prayer directly, He just doesn't do so very often...

He did for me once. Not in words, but in actions/events.
And the meaning was clear: don't bother Him.

[TD1]

Can you expand on what happened, or is it too private? What was it that indicated what you say, if you don't mind me asking?

[wierd]

IIRC, the primary purpose of the Holy Spirit is to provide a powerful, but non-verbal means of feedback to devout followers. Given that the christian god is an ethereal entity with no real corporeality, and was the inventor of physical reality, (and thus spoken language is not really his natural state) this kinda makes sense for him.

See, EG:

Romans 8:2-0

2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. 5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;

[origamiscienceguy]

I know there is a verse that says something like: the spirit intercedes with groans.

I can't for the life of me remember where it is though

[Dwarf4Explosives]

I think I should avoid this thread when I'm sleepy. The way I interpreted that resulted in a train of thought that led to a "Yo momma" joke about Jesus.

[TD1]

Yo momma is so ugly your dad didn't even have sex with her to make you?

Actually, that applies to in vitro fertilisation babies too.

[Dwarf4Explosives]

It went like groan->orgasm->Yo mamma is so religious she gives god [phrase I don't want my autocomplete to know].

[Orange Wizard]

... ew.

I know there is a verse that says something like: the spirit intercedes with groans.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.