JGL53

You imagine there is a god that will eternally punish if you don't believe in him so then you believe in him to be "safe" from his imaginary threat. Cute.

Exactly. There MIGHT be a god. Maybe Allah exists and hates christians most of all. Also, monkeys MIGHT fly out of my butt.

Can you give us something except might and maybe that we would find interesting? And not from the babble - I read it already. It was stupid.

Helpmabob

JPD - Nothing quite so complex. Do you think God only accepts those with a degree in philosophy? No, I simply applied myself to a daily search through the Bible with an open mind, looking for an answer to who God is. You won’t be able to fully understand believers until you yourself know who God is. Meanwhile, we have a better understanding of non-believers as we all started off the same. Can you accept that?

Clarice – I won't deny that christians have their problems. But the position of atheists is incalculably worse. They are building a glorious temple to their unbelief, with no need for a God within, as they know everything themselves. They have it all worked out and have nothing to fear. The problem is that their temple is built on sand. For example, the way Christ is in christians, and we are in Him.

John - As you well know there are things that can’t be proved. I have answered as well as you would be able to argue the contrary. Perhaps you could tell me first what sort of a God you would believe in, and what, as a minimum, proof you would require to believe. Thank you John.

Jack – God will reveal Himself clearly enough in due course. If you want to find out about Him before that, then yes, read the bible.

JLG53 – I understand why one might say this, but I find daily help in the Bible. It contains the good news of hope for man to find a way to the Kingdom of God. I cannot speak highly enough of it.

Jack the Bodiless

Why did you decide to look for God in the Bible?
I have. He wasn't in there.

Should I read the Koran next? How about the Rig Veda?

JPD

Been there, done it, bought the T-shirt. I did accept it and then, after actually studying the texts, rejected it. Can you accept that? Neither the Bible nor the Quran can be the word of God since they contain errors. Unless of course God is imperfect and an imperfect God created everything. Which does actually make some sense when one has a look around and sees that everything is not okay. But then, God must know better eh? Shame he doesn't do a better job of reassuring me. But then that must be because I don't "open my heart" eh? Trouble is, that would necessitate me closing my brain down and for some funny reason it doesn't seem that keen on doing so. Sorry.

Clarice O'C

What I see going on is that xians fear for themselves where many nonbelievers worry about what religion does to the world.

John A. Broussard

(You evidently overlooked this, so I'm repeating it for your benefit)

The question was, "How do you know you aren't being deceived by Satan and that some other religion contains the essential divine truth?"

How can what you said above possibly be an answer to that question?

Please explain.

Thank you.

Clarice O'C

Perhaps, helpmebob, you'd use your own words in your reply? We know the bible verses already. Thank you.

Helpmabob

Hi Jack the B – I was convinced that there had to be a creator of this great and vast universe and therefore of myself, and I wanted so much to know more about Him. If you really are seeking God, then I would say keep looking in the Bible, and believe that it may hold the truth.

JPD - OK. God will also accept that rejection, with a heavy heart. No, but it involves closing your self down. Do you know what your self is?

Hi John – I have already answered the Satan deception question as best I can - that the warning was given to christians in the manner in which they followed Christ, so that they should not be diverted along the way. I was telling you that the devil is a cunning deceiver. You are invoking it as being a warning that the universe is all a play set in some evil god’s theatre. There is no proof I can give against it; it is also completely unworthy of discussion on a decent forum like this. I expect that you will disagree, but I really think a pair of grown-ups would have dropped the subject by now.

Hi Clarice – You can keep using the term ‘xian’, and I will continue with using Bible excerpts where appropriate. The Bible is of the utmost important to me, and I am always finding new rewards in there.

John A. Broussard

OK. Since you are unable to explain why it is you are sure that Satan isn't deceiving you, there really isn't much point in pursuing that topic much further.

Let's move on to the rewards to be found in the bible.

Please explain how you find the passage where god exposes it's hind parts to Moses a rewarding passage.

Thank you.

Jack the Bodiless

Why didn't you answer my question?

Why did you decide to go looking for God in the Bible?