Zone1 do you believe in a god?

[ding]

The question, "Why do you worship a God", was originally asked by a snake. Then it goes from there.

I don't see that wording in the verses. But to your point, you only have two options; we can worship the creator or we can worship the created but make no mistake we will worship something. Apparently we are hardwired that way.

Now the snake was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the LORD God had made. He asked the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You shall not eat from any of the trees in the garden’?” The woman answered the snake: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, or else you will die.’” But the snake said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! God knows well that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, who know good and evil.”

 

[ding]

I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness who you may know are non-trinitarians and do not believe Jesus is God.

And I'm not a Christian now. So I guess it's fair to say I have never believed in Jesus as God.

I'm sort of a Theist, but even that is just another label. My belief just is. I believe in God because I do.

As a Theist do you believe in divine providence?

 

[whutTHEYsay]

I'm sort of a Theist

You could be a rational theist; as were are first four presidents. and Lincoln because to them The Holy Bible had no relationship to Nature’s God - the mind behind what we - mindful humans - all experience - Existence

Nature’s God cannot rationally demand worship from my mind - the holy Bible as explained by Catholics and Protestants makes no sense’

Jefferson was the most rational rational theist of all our Revolutionary human minds

 

[Grumblenuts]

Or a gnostic.

Anyway, I've gone on and on far too long.

Yes, and didn't really address my question. Thanks anyway, but keep clear of that Ketamine until absolutely required.

 

[ding]

Or a gnostic.

Yes, and didn't really address my question. Thanks anyway, but keep clear of that Ketamine until absolutely required.

Oh... you were being serious with those stupid questions that you think are so important?

 

[Meriweather]

Yes, and didn't really address my question.

What was the point of your question? I was betting you had a nice "gotcha" set up and wanted to spring it on me. Hope it didn't ruin your day.

Oh... you were being serious with those stupid questions that you think are so important?

It's my fault. As I often teach sixth graders, its too easy to assume educated adults already know that migration into the Americas began about thirty thousand years ago....

 

[Grumblenuts]

Oh... you were being serious with those stupid questions that you think are so important?

Oh, you mean like this?:

Do you believe that all behaviors lead to equal outcomes?

Followed up with:

That's the basis of the bible. Some behaviors naturally lead to success and some behaviors naturally lead to failure.

Believing that all behaviors lead to equal outcomes is the basis of "the bible"? Right, so you need to lay off the Ketamine as well.

 

[ding]

Oh, you mean like this?:

Followed up with:

Believing that all behaviors lead to equal outcomes is the basis of "the bible"? Right, so you need to lay off the Ketamine as well.

Not all behaviors lead to equal outcomes is what the bible teaches, dummy. Maybe you are the one taking Ketamine. Lord know with you fatalistic beliefs you could probably use it.

 

[Grumblenuts]

What was the point of your question?

Timing. Since you can't be bothered reading links:

The Children of Israel in Egypt

However dim and uncertain Hebrew history is in the age of the patriarchs, there is no question that the migration out of Egypt around 1250 BC is the single most important event in Hebrew history. More than anything else in history, this event gave the Hebrews an identity, a nation, a founder, and a name, used for the first time in the very first line of Exodus, the biblical account of the migration: "bene yisrael," "the children of Israel."

How did this happen? How did this diverse set of tribal groups all worshipping a god they called "god," suddenly cohere into a more or less unified national group? What happened in Egypt that didn't happen with other foreigners living there?

Well, we really can't answer that question, for we have almost no account whatsoever of the Hebrews in Egypt, even in Hebrew history.​

Native Americans were here long before that, but I digress. The current point being, since according to you anyway, the Hebrews were just freed from bondage and slavery by Egyptians, why would they then agree to simply being "possessions" of some "God"?

 

[Meriweather]

The current point being, since according to you anyway, the Hebrews were just freed from bondage and slavery by Egyptians, why would they then agree to simply being "possessions" of some "God"?

The Hebrew word for "possession" is a declaration of legal possession. In other words, the Israelites--legally--belonged to God alone, not to any other nation. Egypt had no right to enslave them.

 

[Eman623]

As a Theist do you believe in divine providence?

You mean like God running the universe and occasionally bending the rules now and then? Maybe. I've found myself in stressful and dangerous situations and wished someone or something would just make it all go away. Not sure if that does any good. But I'm still here.

 

[Eman623]

You could be a rational theist; as were are first four presidents. and Lincoln because to them The Holy Bible had no relationship to Nature’s God - the mind behind what we - mindful humans - all experience - Existence

Nature’s God cannot rationally demand worship from my mind - the holy Bible as explained by Catholics and Protestants makes no sense’

Jefferson was the most rational rational theist of all our Revolutionary human minds

I'm definitely not a rational theist. In fact the opposite is more true. I'm an emotional theist.

I don't believe in God because I sat down one day and made a list of pros and cons and crunched the numbers on a spreadsheet or something. I believe in God because I looked within myself and asked, "Do I believe in God?" And the answer I came up with was that I did. Or at least sometimes I act as though I do, which is the same thing.

Which is not to say I believe God exists. He almost certainly does not exist in any way I can imagine Him. He may not exist at all. But that's a separate question.

 

[Grumblenuts]

The Hebrew word for "possession" is a declaration of legal possession. In other words, the Israelites--legally--belonged to God alone, not to any other nation. Egypt had no right to enslave them.

What name did she sign on this--legal--contract? Never mind!

Now, is/was this god of yours somehow unable to "possess" the Egyptians as well? And yes, that was yet another rhetorical question.

 

[Meriweather]

What name did she sign on this--legal--contract? Never mind!

Ah, you remembered! Even the unwritten word can describe how the Hebrews saw their relationship with God as differing from their relationship with the Egyptians.

Now, is/was this god of yours somehow unable to "possess" the Egyptians as well? And yes, that was yet another rhetorical question.

Did the Egyptians want to follow Amun-Ra or Yahweh? Oh, excuse me. You're not interested in the Egyptian story.

 

[ding]

You mean like God running the universe and occasionally bending the rules now and then? Maybe. I've found myself in stressful and dangerous situations and wished someone or something would just make it all go away. Not sure if that does any good. But I'm still here.

In Christian theology, divine providence refers to God's ongoing guidance and care for creation, particularly in the lives of believers. It encompasses God's sustaining of the universe, His governance of all events, and His specific direction of individuals and circumstances toward His ultimate purposes.

In Judaism, divine providence, or Hashgochah Pratit, is the belief that God is actively involved in the world, not just as a creator but as a constant supervisor and guide, even in the smallest details of creation. This means that God's will and influence are seen in both the grand sweep of history and the seemingly random occurrences of everyday life.

 

[whutTHEYsay]

I'm definitely not a rational theist. In fact the opposite is more true. I'm an emotional theist.

I don't believe in God because I sat down one day and made a list of pros and cons and crunched the numbers on a spreadsheet or something. I believe in God because : Or at least sometimes I act as though I do, which is the same thing.

Which is not to say I believe God exists. He almost certainly does not exist in any way I can imagine Him. He may not exist at all. But that's a separate question.

You are the epitome of a rational theist when on an emotional level you looked inside yourself; you used your mind to question and pursue the meaning of human existence

Jefferson was a rational theist who wrote this.

 

[Grumblenuts]

Oh, excuse me. You're not interested in the Egyptian story.

Actually, I linked to it. Unfortunately, you're far too full of yourself to "study" links. I also think it's polite to respond directly to questions. I've just learned from experience that you're incapable. That's okay. I'm used to it. You do you. I truly pity your alleged "students" though. God damn!

 

[Meriweather]

you're far too full of yourself to "study" links.

Always amusing how you change what I say. I said I was having a discussion with you, not a discussion with a link. I prefer my own research to be from an original source--and I encourage others to do his/her own research as they feel best. That's not being "full of oneself", that is emptying oneself so that the original source might be heard.

I will try to do better answering questions. With you (as you know) one has to decipher a serious question from a rhetorical question. And, upon reading many of your questions I find myself laughing and saying aloud, "He can't be serious!" So...I'll try to take you more seriously.

 

[Eman623]

In Christian theology, divine providence refers to God's ongoing guidance and care for creation, particularly in the lives of believers. It encompasses God's sustaining of the universe, His governance of all events, and His specific direction of individuals and circumstances toward His ultimate purposes.

In Judaism, divine providence, or Hashgochah Pratit, is the belief that God is actively involved in the world, not just as a creator but as a constant supervisor and guide, even in the smallest details of creation. This means that God's will and influence are seen in both the grand sweep of history and the seemingly random occurrences of everyday life.

I'm neither Chistian, Jewish or anything else. And I don't think God cares what I believe - He certainly isn't going to give me any special treatment if I profess belief in Him. That's just more reasons, more pros and cons, eg "Believe in Me and you'll go to the Good Place."

My belief just is. It stands without anything supporting it, or needing to.

 

[whutTHEYsay]

I'm not a Christian now

If you were a Christian would you agree with the nimrod white Republican Christian nationalist in the Church of the Nimrod Don Trump who believes with the Party that Democrats are Baby Killers; or would you agree with black Christians who vote Democrat and kniw more than most what it is to suffer political violence against them?