Knowing God

@fmf said
Anybody from any religion on any continent or from any culture at any point in history can make any claim of this kind they want about whatever their religion happens to be.

That's right.

You'd be surprised by the amount of people, though, that have admitted that what they are doing amounts to a sort of witchcraft.

I'll never forget Sadguru talking about how the gods reward those who complete the rituals, and how it does not have as much to do with personal ethical piety as you would think... And it was in that moment that it became more clear to me that the gods he is referencing are not gods, but are the demonic repaying glorification with services -- that is, if such things are really happening for Hindus following his tradition.

For, we recognize that the demonic does exist.

@philokalia said
You'd be surprised by the amount of people, though, that have admitted that what they are doing amounts to a sort of witchcraft.

Let them come here and make their case then. No need for you to speak on their behalf or, indeed, speak about them from your own subjective-belief-in-supernatural-causality point of view. At least not for my benefit. If you know people who "have admitted that what they are doing amounts to a sort of witchcraft", contact them and encourage them to contribute to this forum. It would be interesting.

@philokalia said
I'll never forget Sadguru talking about how the gods reward those who complete the rituals, and how it does not have as much to do with personal ethical piety as you would think... And it was in that moment that it became more clear to me that the gods he is referencing are not gods, but are the demonic repaying glorification with services -- that is, if such things are really happening for Hindus following his tradition.

See if you can get someone who you believe has "demonic beliefs" to come here and post about what they believe. It might be more interesting and enlightening than hearing what you "never forget Sadguru talking about". Everybody already knows you are not a Hindu.

@fmf said
chaney3 has been given this kind of advice countless times. I think he just likes to get the attention of Christians by starting countless threads on how he isn't a Christian, or he is almost a Christian, or he would maybe be a Christian if it were not for X or for Y or for Z blah blah blah. He reminds me of the Nyborgs [and how they "just like talking to salesmen"] in Glengarry Glen Ross.

Interesting observation.

@philokalia said
That's right.

You'd be surprised by the amount of people, though, that have admitted that what they are doing amounts to a sort of witchcraft.

I'll never forget Sadguru talking about how the gods reward those who complete the rituals, and how it does not have as much to do with personal ethical piety as you would think... And it was in that moment that it became mo ...[text shortened]... happening for Hindus following his tradition.[/i]

For, we recognize that the demonic does exist.

So, in this context, would you agree that BTS are the juicyfruit heralds of some kind of global gay K-pop apocalypse?

😉

@FMF "Seeing as we have no way of knowing "if God is real"

Oh my!!!!!
So when you look out your window and see your car sitting out in the driveway, I would hope you'd agree someone made it.
The house you live in was made by someone. Right? Your computer was made by someone, right?
But yet when you look out at the universe and all the way down to a simple tree in your yard, you refuse to see, because of your lack of faith that someone made all of that. Yet you probably have some kind of belief that it all just happened without a designer?
This is your problem in not believing in Jehovah. You have no answers, just ideas.

@divegeester said
Interesting observation.

BS.
I put no weight into his posts.

@galveston75 said
@FMF "Seeing as we have no way of knowing "if God is real"

Oh my!!!!!
So when you look out your window and see your car sitting out in the driveway, I would hope you'd agree someone made it.
The house you live in was made by someone. Right? Your computer was made by someone, right?
But yet when you look out at the universe and all the way down to a simpl ...[text shortened]... all of that. Yet you probably have some kind of belief that it all just happened without a designer?

There may well be a creator being, but yes, we have no way of knowing if God figures like yours or Hindu ones [for example] are real.

@galveston75 said
This is your problem in not believing in Jehovah. You have no answers, just ideas.

I don't see how I have a "problem". We both have ideas. And that's all we are sharing here. The fact that you have settled for some of them and have labelled them "answers" doesn't have any real significance beyond your own thoughts and actions. It certainly doesn't cause me any "problem".

@galveston75 said
when you look out at the universe and all the way down to a simple tree in your yard, you refuse to see, because of your lack of faith that someone made all of that.

I don't see the universe as evidence of the veracity of ancient Hebrew mythology or the veracity of your religion.

@caesar-salad said
So, in this context, would you agree that BTS are the juicyfruit heralds of some kind of global gay K-pop apocalypse?

😉

I do not agree with the aesthetics of K-Pop but I am very proud that they are influential and earning money. The music is also relatively more wholesome than what the West is putting out, so it's a double win. ^^

But yes, lol, it's pretty... questionable.

@fmf said
I don't see the universe as evidence of the veracity of ancient Hebrew mythology or the veracity of your religion.

The Catholic position on this is always illuminating:

(1) God can be deduced from the natural world.

(2) The God of the Bible cannot be deduced from the natural world, making revelation a necessity.

They are two different issues and have to be discussed separately. I think you know that.

@chaney3 said
BS.
I put no weight into his posts.

No, actually I think FMF’s observation about you was spot on.

@philokalia said
The Catholic position on this is always illuminating:

(1) God can be deduced from the natural world.

(2) The God of the Bible cannot be deduced from the natural world, making revelation a necessity.

They are two different issues and have to be discussed separately. I think you know that.

Obviously, I don't subscribe to Catholic "deductions" any more. Nor do I subscribe to Christian beliefs about there having been a "revelation" of a creator being [along with details of instructions, rewards, threats etc.] as depicted in Christian literature.

@galveston75 said
@FMF "Seeing as we have no way of knowing "if God is real"

Oh my!!!!!
So when you look out your window and see your car sitting out in the driveway, I would hope you'd agree someone made it.
The house you live in was made by someone. Right? Your computer was made by someone, right?
But yet when you look out at the universe and all the way down to a simpl ...[text shortened]... ut a designer?
This is your problem in not believing in Jehovah. You have no answers, just ideas.

The difference is, we know that humans can make all those things, because we've seen them do it. Some of us have even done it ourselves.

Also, for each of the examples named, the purpose for them is straightforward. The purpose of the Universe is not at all straightforward, assuming there even IS a purpose at all.

For those who say the purpose of the Universe was to make us, I can only think they have not grasped just how large the Universe is, and how small our little solar system is.