(NFSD) Is it possible to "Test God....?

[amrchaos]

(Not for the serious devout)

Is it possible to "Test God"? If we go by the believers claims, it is a resounding yes. Yet many believers argue that one cannot test god. Let me clear away such unbased reasoning away right here and now.


The idea behind a Test for god is to provoke a response from god due to some stimuli as performed by man or physical object. Then such responses is recorded and analyzed. The idea that such a test cannot be performed can only be based on three criterias

1) the object of the Test-God-does not need or wish to respond.
2)We will not be able to tell if it is god we are observing
3)the results are unable to be analyzed.

Taken this into account, what can we say about the Bible? It does all 3!

 

[Avatar4321]

I think you are going to have to elaborate alittle here. I'm not sure what you mean by "Test God." If you mean act in such a way where God will eventually provide witnesses to existence and His doctrine. Then the scriptures are a clear yes, we can learn for ourselves that there is a God and that His doctrine is true. If you mean something else, well, I don't know and won't know until you elaborate what you mean.

For example, the Lord provides a promise in Malachi to testify to the Children of Israel that the Lord will bless them for paying their tithes and offerings:

8¶ Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:8-11)

Here is a way to test your faith in the law of Tithing and offerings. The Lord said He would prove to you that He will pour out the blessings of Heaven.

Christ promised us that the Spirit would prove to us the Doctrine He taught, whether it was from the Father, or of Himself here:

16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. (John 7:16-17)

If you want to know the truth of the Doctrine that the Gospel teaches, if you want to know it's from God, then test it. Experiment on the Word of God. There are further examples of this concept in the Book of Mormon:

26 Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.

27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words (Alma 32:26-27)

There are many more details of the Experiment on the Word in that chapter. My point in quoting it is that we can learn through our efforts whether there is a God and whether the Word is Good or not.

My last example from the scriptures showing us that we can know for ourselves again comes from the Book of Mormon. In fact, it's the promise the Book provides that if we seek to learn from the Lord, He will reveal to us whether the Book of Mormon is true as well. Of course, If He does this, that likewise confirms both that God is real and that Jesus is the Christ.

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. (Moroni 10:3-5)

We can learn all things through the Holy Spirit. He will teach us all things. That's why Baptism and the laying on of hands is so important. When we recieve the Baptism by the Holy Ghost, we can learn so much more than we currently know. We can learn faster. We can understand things hidden from most of the world. It's an incredible gift.

So to answer your question. We can experiment on the Word. If we are willing to act in faith, even if it's just enough faith to try things. I know personally, I didn't know God was real at first. I just decided to accept a proposition. If God is real and the scripturs are true, then He can make Himself known to me somehow and someway. I didn't know how or what to expect or whether to expect anything. And I didn't know how long it would take to find out. But I was willing to try things. I was willing to seek the knowedge for myself through my own experiences and experimentation. I've learned alot since then. I did learn that God is real. I did learn that Jesus was the Christ. That the Bible and Book of Mormon are true. I learned many things I never expected to as well. And they werent all in ways I expected.

I hope I answered the question.