philechat

Pauvre Walrus!

It's done by the spirits of Ma-Zu, Buddha, Muses, and Herr Mozart!

Need I say more?

tommyc

Maybe the word "worship" was a little too strong. I would certainly feel in awe of him, and I would appreciate what he had done in creating the universe. I think my outlook on life would certainly change. If I was alone, I would always feel that God was with me, and that is a very important thing. I think that he would deserve thanks for creating the world, even if I did not attribute all the success in my life to him.

The questions you mention would certainly be worth asking though. But still, he would have created the universe, which I believe to contain more good than bad. On the question of his TOTAL power (omni-this, omni-that), well thats another topic. Maybe he's just a scientist in a lab who created this universe, I suppose it would come down to me saying "thanks".

HelenM

Like this? <a href="http://www.calvarymemorial.com/ponder/PTdisplay.asp?ArticleID=184" target="_blank">Never Alone</a>

Anyway, are you sure?

Maybe a few days after this direct contact you'd start to doubt and wonder if you just 'imagined' it.

Or were you thinking of ongoing direct contact of some sort?

love
Helen

tommyc

I apologise if there was any confusion. My last post was a response to the hypothetical situation of me discovering beyond all reasonable doubt that I had discovered that God existed. The post was my reason for "worshiping" God if this was the case. I have confused even myself as to whether I would continue to believe it.

Tercel

It's nothing I have "learned" from the athiests here, if that is what you are trying to imply. The "skeptics" do not have a monopoly on skepticism you know.
In my experience the average atheists do no more critical thinking than the average christians. One swallows whole all stories about religious miracles, the other swallows whole the "logic" that since many stories are probably false then they are all false.
Being a "skeptic" seems to in no way correlate with an increased ability to think critically - in my experience the "skeptics" buy in wholesale to any ideas that suit their presuppositions as much as do the fundamentalists. How else does one explain the popularity of Jesus-mything and other similar jokes?

Easy Be

Hi Easy Be

I wouldn't say it's in the catholic doctrine to speak out against ouija boards or even admit they are real. I am willing to assume that each catholic priest will go about teaching about the supernatural their own special way. As for the catholic priests I had in high school, they told me countless stories about ouija boards reappearing even after being destroyed and even evil possesions due to the medium not being closed after a game. They covered their tracks claiming that only certain special occurrences have spirits actually done this. I guess finding something supernatural won't lead me directly to God, but it would destroy my current belief. I would be forced into researching my supernatural experience and would probably accept the religion that explained it the best.

DarkBronzePlant

Not to worry. I'd never imply that you learned anything here.
Hmm...
...unless there is evidence to believe otherwise. You forgot that part.
I'm not sure what you mean by Jesus-mything, so I can't explain its popularity.

No, what I meant was simply to point out the irony in the ease with which you claim that "many people who think they have contact with some sort of spirit are simply tricking themselves", yet when "some sort of spirit" equals The Christian God, and it is atheists claiming that those spirit-contacters are tricking themselves, well then that notion will be easily dismissed.

hinduwoman

How do you distinguish anyway between miracles done by God and miracles done ny Devil?

HelenM

Miracles done by God are to encourage and bless the faithful.

Miracles done by the devil are attempts to deceive people, including even the elect (Christians) were it possible - but the Bible implies it's not because God will keep them from being deceived.

One deduces the source, therefore, from the effects - miracles that increase faith in God through Jesus Christ were from God. Miracles which detract from it (or threaten to) were from the Devil.

Or so I've been told...

love
Helen

The Other Michael

Hi Helen,

Can I presume then that this applies to the great flood as well, presuming that only Noah et alia qualified as faithful to receive blessings and encouragement from that miracle?

A bit of hard cheese for the rest of the world, though.

cheers,
Michael