Why does God hide himself?

[thanatos144]

Oh come now , lets be honest. No need to exaggerate ; I don't hate Christians , I just don't like them. And in my belief , we believe that God always forgives.

Those of us who follow Christ closely believe in repentance for the forgiveness of sins. In other words, turn from the sin, to God, and He is there to forgive and to receive.

Jesus died on the cross for our sins, so that bill is already paid.

That isn't how that works. Christ dying for our sins doesn't mean you get a free pass only that you will be forgiven when you repent

 

[Mickiel]

Like always the true intent of a thread about questioning God isnt about God but about how much the OP hates Christians....That normally means they live a hedonistic life or have done some things they feel God would never forgive and blame Christians for no other reason then their own fear.

Oh come now , lets be honest. No need to exaggerate ; I don't hate Christians , I just don't like them. And in my belief , we believe that God always forgives.

I used the correct vernacular when I spoke about your hate. God does forgive most things. If you are repentant. You blame Christians for your having to repent. They didnt make your life the way you live it. You did that.

Christians have absolutely nothing to do with anyone's repentance , and I do not hate them ; you just need to claim that I hate them, in order to satisfy your own judgments.

I could careless about a Christian , they mean nothing to me. And nothing they say means anything to me.

 

[Mudda]

Oh come now , lets be honest. No need to exaggerate ; I don't hate Christians , I just don't like them. And in my belief , we believe that God always forgives.

Those of us who follow Christ closely believe in repentance for the forgiveness of sins. In other words, turn from the sin, to God, and He is there to forgive and to receive.

Jesus died on the cross for our sins, so that bill is already paid.

That isn't how that works. Christ dying for our sins doesn't mean you get a free pass only that you will be forgiven when you repent

Same difference. You sin, repent, sin, repent... It's like using an unlimited credit card. Thanks Jesus!

 

[Meriweather]

Same difference. You sin, repent, sin, repent... It's like using an unlimited credit card. Thanks Jesus!

Not the same difference because "repent" means turning away from that sin and not committing it again. Repenting is not the same as apologizing.

 

[Mudda]

Same difference. You sin, repent, sin, repent... It's like using an unlimited credit card. Thanks Jesus!

Not the same difference because "repent" means turning away from that sin and not committing it again. Repenting is not the same as apologizing.

Then I'll repent a second before I die. Anyways, Jesus already paid my bill.

 

[Meriweather]

Then I'll repent a second before I die. Anyways, Jesus already paid my bill.

That's how you want to live your life?

 

[yiostheoy]

Oh come now , lets be honest. No need to exaggerate ; I don't hate Christians , I just don't like them. And in my belief , we believe that God always forgives.

Those of us who follow Christ closely believe in repentance for the forgiveness of sins. In other words, turn from the sin, to God, and He is there to forgive and to receive.

Jesus died on the cross for our sins, so that bill is already paid.

That isn't how that works. Christ dying for our sins doesn't mean you get a free pass only that you will be forgiven when you repent

Christ is only one of hundreds of modern deities and if you add up all of history then of tens of thousands.

Artemisia is my favorite -- the goddess of hunting.

Apollo is my next favorite -- the god of archery.

Did I mention I do archery and bowhunting ?!

 

[yiostheoy]

Oh come now , lets be honest. No need to exaggerate ; I don't hate Christians , I just don't like them. And in my belief , we believe that God always forgives.

Those of us who follow Christ closely believe in repentance for the forgiveness of sins. In other words, turn from the sin, to God, and He is there to forgive and to receive.

This Catholic guilt trip has been brainwashed into you since childhood.

Why not give a different Philosophy consideration -- here goes.

You are a unique and precious child of the Universe.

You have strengths that nobody else has.

There are things you can do that nobody else can do as well.

Whatever faults you may think you have you can correct and strengthen.

You can be the best that you want to be.

You should do the best that you can.

You should be the kind of person that would make people say "I wish there were more people like him/her!"

You don't need a priest to sprinkle you with holy water and pronounce some imaginary sins forgiven.

Amen.

 

[Mudda]

Then I'll repent a second before I die. Anyways, Jesus already paid my bill.

That's how you want to live your life?

And the next one too.
Quantum Theory Proves Consciousness Moves To Another Universe After Death

 

[Meriweather]

This Catholic guilt trip has been brainwashed into you since childhood.

Why not give a different Philosophy consideration -- here goes.

You are a unique and precious child of the Universe.

You have strengths that nobody else has.

There are things you can do that nobody else can do as well.

Whatever faults you may think you have you can correct and strengthen.

You can be the best that you want to be.

You should do the best that you can.

You should be the kind of person that would make people say "I wish there were more people like him/her!"

You don't need a priest to sprinkle you with holy water and pronounce some imaginary sins forgiven.

Amen.

Never had a Catholic "Guilt Trip", so I can't speak to that.

Look, if your philosophy dropped you into the lap of God--or the lap of the Universe--then absolutely you should proclaim it as you have. However, with me, it was not your philosophy, but the Catholic faith that dropped me into the lap of God--is the basis of my experience of God--so I find no need or desire to quit my faith. As I have had more than my share of people saying they wish they were more like me, I suspect my active participation in the Sacraments may have played a part. Could be all the time I spent in nature, including studying the night sky, also played a part.

 

[Mickiel]

Why Does God hide himself? So his believers won't mess everything up.

 

[Meriweather]

Why Does God hide himself?

The question reminds me of an old saying: Whoever it was that discovered water, it wasn't a fish.

 

[Mickiel]

Why Does God hide himself?

The question reminds me of an old saying: Whoever it was that discovered water, it wasn't a fish.

I like that.

 

[yiostheoy]

Why Does God hide himself?

The question reminds me of an old saying: Whoever it was that discovered water, it wasn't a fish.

Water comes from comets in space.

At some point during the past 4.5 billion years the Earth must have collided with a huge comet, which covered it in water like a shallow lake.

Then plate tectonics from the cooling of the surface caused continental shifts which formed the mountains and their counterparts the oceans.

That's where we got water.

 

[yiostheoy]

This Catholic guilt trip has been brainwashed into you since childhood.

Why not give a different Philosophy consideration -- here goes.

You are a unique and precious child of the Universe.

You have strengths that nobody else has.

There are things you can do that nobody else can do as well.

Whatever faults you may think you have you can correct and strengthen.

You can be the best that you want to be.

You should do the best that you can.

You should be the kind of person that would make people say "I wish there were more people like him/her!"

You don't need a priest to sprinkle you with holy water and pronounce some imaginary sins forgiven.

Amen.

Never had a Catholic "Guilt Trip", so I can't speak to that.

Look, if your philosophy dropped you into the lap of God--or the lap of the Universe--then absolutely you should proclaim it as you have. However, with me, it was not your philosophy, but the Catholic faith that dropped me into the lap of God--is the basis of my experience of God--so I find no need or desire to quit my faith. As I have had more than my share of people saying they wish they were more like me, I suspect my active participation in the Sacraments may have played a part. Could be all the time I spent in nature, including studying the night sky, also played a part.

You only need to take one final step to free your mind and become a recovered Catholic like me -- start reading philosophy.

My suggestion is you buy a copy of the bestseller "History Of Western Philosophy" by Bertrand Russell and start reading it cover to cover several times.

It is one of the most powerful books ever written, as powerful as the Bible and a good antidote for it.

 

[ding]

This Catholic guilt trip has been brainwashed into you since childhood.

Why not give a different Philosophy consideration -- here goes.

You are a unique and precious child of the Universe.

You have strengths that nobody else has.

There are things you can do that nobody else can do as well.

Whatever faults you may think you have you can correct and strengthen.

You can be the best that you want to be.

You should do the best that you can.

You should be the kind of person that would make people say "I wish there were more people like him/her!"

You don't need a priest to sprinkle you with holy water and pronounce some imaginary sins forgiven.

Amen.

Never had a Catholic "Guilt Trip", so I can't speak to that.

Look, if your philosophy dropped you into the lap of God--or the lap of the Universe--then absolutely you should proclaim it as you have. However, with me, it was not your philosophy, but the Catholic faith that dropped me into the lap of God--is the basis of my experience of God--so I find no need or desire to quit my faith. As I have had more than my share of people saying they wish they were more like me, I suspect my active participation in the Sacraments may have played a part. Could be all the time I spent in nature, including studying the night sky, also played a part.

You only need to take one final step to free your mind and become a recovered Catholic like me -- start reading philosophy.

My suggestion is you buy a copy of the bestseller "History Of Western Philosophy" by Bertrand Russell and start reading it cover to cover several times.

It is one of the most powerful books ever written, as powerful as the Bible and a good antidote for it.

Don't you mean apostate?

My suggested reading material would be "The Socialist Phenomenon" By Igor Shafarevich, "The 4th Turning" by Howe and Strauss, "The Phenomenon of Man" by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and "The Illustrated World's Religions" by Huston Smith. Oh yeah... and the CCC.

 

[Meriweather]

You only need to take one final step to free your mind and become a recovered Catholic like me -- start reading philosophy.

My suggestion is you buy a copy of the bestseller "History Of Western Philosophy" by Bertrand Russell and start reading it cover to cover several times.

It is one of the most powerful books ever written, as powerful as the Bible and a good antidote for it.

Thank you, but long ago I read Bertrand Russell and did not become a fan. Telling me to recover from Catholicism is kind of like advising someone who is healthy to recover from health. I am sorry you did not fare as well, but am happy you have now found a way that works for you.

 

[Mickiel]

My suggested reading , " Pagan Christianity" by Frank Viola. A stunning read , it takes the hypocritic clothes off of Christianity.

Also the thread " Christianity is more dangerous than Atheism", here in this section archives.

 

[ding]

My suggested reading , " Pagan Christianity" by Frank Viola. A stunning read , it takes the hypocritic clothes off of Christianity.

Also the thread " Christianity is more dangerous than Atheism", here in this section archives.

Sorry but reason and experience tell a different story. Christianity promotes the virtues of thankfulness, forgiveness, humility, chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience and kindness. Christianity is responsible for the creation of wonderful charities and organizations which serve the betterment of man. Christians and Christian institutions are usually the first source of literacy, education, and healthcare in the poorer regions.Christians and Christian institutions have been the source of abundant human services from hospitals, orphanages, nursing homes, and schools, to advocacy on behalf of those with no voice, to supporting cultural outreaches, and seeking always to find ways in which to protect and promote human life and its authentic flourishing. Christianity gave us the concept of subsidiarity and has done what no government can ever do, namely teach morality and civility Christianity teaches accountability and responsibility. Christianity teaches that we have a choice in how we behave and that actions have consequences. Christianity inspires a sense of wonder in nature and the universe and helps us feel connected to one another and to nature through regular community gatherings. Christianity helps us feel less alone in the world by binding the community together. Christianity serves to ennoble the human spirit and inspires love, peace and happiness. Christianity brings order to our lives by promoting the virtues of thankfulness, forgiveness and humility. Christianity brings comfort to the terminally ill and can act as a source of hope for the oppressed. Christianity teaches that we can transform ourselves. That it is possible to change for the better. Christian values were the foundation which Western Civilization was built upon. No other institution played a greater role in shaping Western Civilization than the Catholic Church. Modern science was born in the Catholic Church. Catholic priests developed the idea of free-market. The Catholic Church invented the university. Western law grew out of Church canon law. The Church humanized the West by insisting on the sacredness of all human life. The Church constantly sought to alleviate the evils of slavery and repeatedly denounced the mass enslavement of conquered populations and the infamous slave trade, thereby undermining slavery at its sources. Religion gave us great thinkers, leaders and humanitarians. Christianity gave us America. Christianity gave us incredible artwork, music and architecture. Christianity has spread democracy throughout the world. Christians fought other Christians in WWII to end their aggression and rebuilt Europe and Japan after WWII. Christians put a man on the moon and ended the cold war.

Dopamine serves two purposes; 1. it makes us feel happy; 2. it turns on all of the learning centers of the brain. Research shows that being happy has a competitiveness advantage to being neutral, negative or stressed. Furthermore, research shows that we can train our brains to be happy by being thankful, prayerful and performing random acts of kindness over a 30 day period. All things that Christianity teaches its adherents to practice on a regular basis. So while it may be true that all Christians don't practice these values, the ones that do will enjoy a happiness advantage. Now contrast that the health effects of atheism and the difference becomes even more glaring. Funny how you don't rail against atheism like you do Christianity, isn't it?


http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/pdfs/GratitudePDFs/6Emmons-BlessingsBurdens.pdf (thankfulness)

Dweck, C. (2007). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York, NY: Ballantine Books. (meditation/prayer)

http://sonjalyubomirsky.com/wp-content/themes/sonjalyubomirsky/papers/LSS2005.pdf (conscious/random acts of kindness)

Religion and Suicide: Religious Affiliation, Atheism, Suicide

http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/appi.ajp.161.12.2303

Science Shows New Atheists to be Mean and Closed-Minded

Race/ethnicity, religious involvement, and domestic violence. - PubMed - NCBI

http://www.psy.miami.edu/faculty/mmccullough/Papers/Relig_self_control_bulletin.pdf

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120402094322.htm

Religious affiliation and suicide attempt. - PubMed - NCBI

Religion Replenishes Self-Control

 

[Mickiel]

The most powerful seduction taking place on earth , is the seduction of the Christian mind. In Rev. 12:9 satan has deceived the whole earth. One of the ways satan has deceived an entire globe , is by using Christianity to help him. There are 7 billion people on earth ; there are 2.2 billion Christians on earth ; Christianity is the largest church on earth. Its academic , satan used the Christian church to deceive the whole world, its been a perfect seduction. Nobody has been aware of it but a small amount of humans. A stunning way to deceive believers , the devil got inside of the church and used believers to deceive believers.

Notice Jesus in Rev. 2:4, he has something " Against" his own church; In Rev. 2:14-15, Jesus addresses another of his churches, telling them he has things against them , and they were " Doing things that he Hates!". In Rev. 2:20 Jesus still has things against the church of God. In Rev. 3:17-20 Jesus describes HIS church as wretched, miserable, poor , " BLIND, ", and naked. Jesus described the final stage of HIS church on earth as being blind; or deceived; meaning they don't know they are deceived. Their in sad condition. Notice verse 20, Jesus stands at the door and knocks! This means Jesus is on the outside of his own church.

None of them can give an accurate description of themselves.