Zone1 What are Your Deepest Confusions About God?

[Arlette]

Two of my hobbies are water coloring painting and gardening, which makes me a creator. As the creator, I do not live inside my watercolors, or inside my garden. I do not depend on either color or garden soil to exist. The painting cannot move itself off the wall then back on again; no plant in my garden can walk out of it, go for a stroll, then return. Their existence is inside the creation; My existence is outside the creation.

Another point about creators and their creations. The creator does not compete with anything within his/her creation. For example, I don’t compete with cucumbers or dahlias; nor do I compete with a painted rock or waterfall.

God’s creation is the universe, and like all other creators, the Creator lives/exists outside His creation. He does not compete with it.

So falls the atheist straw man that those who do not believe in Zeus are atheists, too. No, because, you see, Zeus does not meet the definition of God as a being who lives outside this world.



Catholic Bishop Barron notes that people have deep confusions about God, and perhaps we have not taught about God as well as we should.

Biggest confusion:

 

[MarathonMike]

That is a great question and a tough one with no easy answers. One point to address is whether or not the intervention is a force of anyone's will. For example I see that someone I don't know well has given up studying for a test (let's make it math). I go over to encourage him not to give up, and I see what he is doing wrong and why he is always having trouble. I explain what I believe is a simpler way to work the problem. He understands and begins studying and working other problems and finds the lesson easier. When he takes the test, he passes it with a good grade. Wouldn't that be a definition of 'intervention', but was it a bad--or even wrong--thing to do? I pushed myself forward without even being asked.

Are all prayers for help/assistance a call for intervention?

One event I still ponder after many years had nothing to do with prayer. By what seemed sheer coincidence I happened on my younger brother (who was obviously drunk) about to get into a car and drive off. I wrestled him to the ground to take away the keys. Definitely an intervention he did not want and did not ask for, and definitely one I forced. To this day I wonder about the odd set of events that had me just happening to meet up with my brother just then.

Most of my own prayers are requests for assistance in accomplishing something beneficial. Is someone who prays an example of someone trying to control God to get Him to control events to a desired outcome?

As I said, good question. I don't see you (or either of us) as wrong, but I do see a vast unknowing of what constitutes a good intervention. It seems there is such a thing as a good intervention...do you agree?

I appreciate your well thought out reply. I would say on the human to human level, intervention is usually a 'good thing'. On the God to human level it is neither a good thing nor a bad thing. It is all about the fundamental concept of what we perceive God's role to be in our lives.

As for prayer I just remember as a child being taught that when someone needs help or is sick, you should pray for them. It wasn't about praying for ones self.

 

[Meriweather]

This question might not fit your focus, but I always wondered why and when Paul's teachings superseded those of Jesus in the Christian religion.

Do you have something specific in mind? The question that sometimes crosses my own mind I'm not sure crosses the minds of anyone else. For example, does Paul dwell too much on God's grace bringing people into God's kingdom, whereas Jesus brings God Kingdom to the people. I'm not sure people see too much difference with God's grace bringing the Kingdom to the people versus people are brought to the kingdom by the grace of God. Or, do you have something else in mind?

 

[Meriweather]

The philosopher Ibn Cenna explained the existence of God algebraically. It's pretty much what you've stated. That the creator of the set couldn't possibly be one of the elements.

I haven't heard that before. Thank you! It puts it succinctly and quite nicely at that.

 

[Meriweather]

As for prayer I just remember as a child being taught that when someone needs help or is sick, you should pray for them. It wasn't about praying for ones self.

You weren't taught to pray for God's help and guidance in living your own life and looking for solutions in your own life as well? We were taught we were to discern God's will in our own lives and follow it. I don't see how that discernment can happen without prayer? And, of course, whenever we heard a siren, the entire class would stop whatever we were working on to say a prayer for whoever was in trouble.

 

[Meriweather]

So, like you, took the materials and organized (created) a masterpiece of the universe.

Your belief is that God had material to work with. God created nothing, He just "organized" it. In other words spirit and matter were always in existence.

 

[BackAgain]

I wonder why some prayers are so profoundly answered while it feels like God doesn't care or has no interest in others that are so important to me or those involved? That isn't confusion though. It just asks why and so far there has been no answer.

I believe God is or created all that exists because I have been given absolutely no reason to doubt that. But I do not presume to know what God is or is not. I know God exists and I feel God as an entity of love. I long ago gave up presuming to pretend I know anything certain more than that.

God answers all prayers. It’s just that oft times the answer is “no.”

I also like Garth Brooks’ “answered prayers,” too.

 

[Meriweather]

Biggest confusion:
View attachment 1056053

Except...that's not Christianity. If you choose one of the ten, I'll try to address it from the Christian perspective.

 

[Arlette]

Except...that's not Christianity. If you choose one of the ten, I'll try to address it from the Christian perspective.

Oh really? What do you think it is?

 

[ding]

Zeus is just as probable as your God

If you believe that is an accurate statement then that shows just how much your biases affect your ability to be objective. Because by any objective measure that statement is untrue. It's like arguing the FSM is just as likely as the God of Abraham. It's blatantly false.

 

[ding]

Oh really? What do you think it is?

Spam

 

[ding]

Two of my hobbies are water coloring painting and gardening, which makes me a creator. As the creator, I do not live inside my watercolors, or inside my garden. I do not depend on either color or garden soil to exist. The painting cannot move itself off the wall then back on again; no plant in my garden can walk out of it, go for a stroll, then return. Their existence is inside the creation; My existence is outside the creation.

Another point about creators and their creations. The creator does not compete with anything within his/her creation. For example, I don’t compete with cucumbers or dahlias; nor do I compete with a painted rock or waterfall.

God’s creation is the universe, and like all other creators, the Creator lives/exists outside His creation. He does not compete with it.

So falls the atheist straw man that those who do not believe in Zeus are atheists, too. No, because, you see, Zeus does not meet the definition of God as a being who lives outside this world.



Catholic Bishop Barron notes that people have deep confusions about God, and perhaps we have not taught about God as well as we should.

Honestly? Nothing. I'm at peace.

 

[Meriweather]

Oh really? What do you think it is?

God's purpose, especially through faith? That would be the glory of love and goodness shining throughout creation. God's love reaches beyond imagining; so does His goodness.

 

[Moonglow]

Two of my hobbies are water coloring painting and gardening, which makes me a creator. As the creator, I do not live inside my watercolors, or inside my garden. I do not depend on either color or garden soil to exist. The painting cannot move itself off the wall then back on again; no plant in my garden can walk out of it, go for a stroll, then return. Their existence is inside the creation; My existence is outside the creation.

Another point about creators and their creations. The creator does not compete with anything within his/her creation. For example, I don’t compete with cucumbers or dahlias; nor do I compete with a painted rock or waterfall.

God’s creation is the universe, and like all other creators, the Creator lives/exists outside His creation. He does not compete with it.

So falls the atheist straw man that those who do not believe in Zeus are atheists, too. No, because, you see, Zeus does not meet the definition of God as a being who lives outside this world.



Catholic Bishop Barron notes that people have deep confusions about God, and perhaps we have not taught about God as well as we should.

Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou?

Isaiah 45:9​

 

[Arlette]

God's purpose, especially through faith? That would be the glory of love and goodness shining throughout creation. God's love reaches beyond imagining; so does His goodness.

^^ sanctimonious drivel

 

[ding]

Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou?

Isaiah 45:9​

Wise words indeed. We would all be wise to remember them at the appointed time.

 

[ding]

^^ sanctimonious drivel

 

[Meriweather]

^^ sanctimonious drivel

Actually, Arlette, it is testimony based on a personal experience of God. That love, that goodness is not just for me, it's for everyone. If you believe nothing else about God, believe that. You are loved, we are loved. And, I wish I could love like that.

 

[Carl in Michigan]

Two of my hobbies are water coloring painting and gardening, which makes me a creator. As the creator, I do not live inside my watercolors, or inside my garden. I do not depend on either color or garden soil to exist. The painting cannot move itself off the wall then back on again; no plant in my garden can walk out of it, go for a stroll, then return. Their existence is inside the creation; My existence is outside the creation.

Another point about creators and their creations. The creator does not compete with anything within his/her creation. For example, I don’t compete with cucumbers or dahlias; nor do I compete with a painted rock or waterfall.

God’s creation is the universe, and like all other creators, the Creator lives/exists outside His creation. He does not compete with it.

So falls the atheist straw man that those who do not believe in Zeus are atheists, too. No, because, you see, Zeus does not meet the definition of God as a being who lives outside this world.



Catholic Bishop Barron notes that people have deep confusions about God, and perhaps we have not taught about God as well as we should.

That's a great way to explain it. I usually compare our universe to characters in a video game. They exist in their own universe, while the video game creator is not restricted by the laws that govern the world inside the game

 

[Meriweather]

That's a great way to explain it. I usually compare our universe to characters in a video game. They exist in their own universe, while the video game creator is not restricted by the laws that govern the world inside the game

I like that as well.