two hard questions for theists.

S

scifes

In withdrawal.
Valued Senior Member
1-how do you know it's your god that's true?
2-if you were born and raised in a different country with a majority of a different religion, would you still be believing in your same god?

i especially want to hear answers from SAM, 786, kira, challenger, sandy, LG, nasor, doreen, jan, adstar, and all other theists on board.
 
I am born in a country with a majority "different" religion. I am also born in a family which has hindus, parsis, christians in the family.

I have gone through many stages of thought processes before deciding that Islam is the religion that makes sense to me. It is a result of learning about the religion itself and I am probably the only one in my family who has done so. The rest are not really religious
 
scifes said:
1-how do you know it's your god that's true?
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How do you know the sky is blue or the sun shines or water is wet? He has lifted me up so high it is amazing. He has shown me the future. I have seen things come true. I could never deny the existence of God He is just as real as the sun that shines in the sky.

2-if you were born and raised in a different country with a majority of a different religion, would you still be believing in your same god?
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I might have believed in a religion taught to me. I was born in Australia and i was taught the catholic religion but as soon as i read Gods Word i believed Him and Left that religion. It is not about where you are born and what your born into. It is what your reaction and reply to the Word of God is when it comes to you, This is what is important.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days
 
scifes said:
1-how do you know it's your god that's true?
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Because it simultaneously is capable of encompassing practically all other claims of god's existence while explaining so much of our nature, the nature of this phenomenal world, etc

2-if you were born and raised in a different country with a majority of a different religion, would you still be believing in your same god?
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given that I was born and raised in a country that doesn't even come close to having the majority, I guess so
 
S.A.M. said:
I am born in a country with a majority "different" religion. I am also born in a family which has hindus, parsis, christians in the family.

I have gone through many stages of thought processes before deciding that Islam is the religion that makes sense to me. It is a result of learning about the religion itself and I am probably the only one in my family who has done so. The rest are not really religious
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Interesting.

So, hypothetically, had you settled on Christianity, Hinduism or atheism, would they have reacted oddly or indifferently?

~String
 
scifes said:
1-how do you know it's your god that's true?
2-if you were born and raised in a different country with a majority of a different religion, would you still be believing in your same god?
i especially want to hear answers from SAM, 786, kira, challenger, sandy, LG, nasor, doreen, jan, adstar, and all other theists on board.
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This is hard to explain. It is innate with me. It is something I have known since I can remember being conscious/alive. He is such a part of me that I live my live to serve Him. I talk to Him all day even if just in my head. No matter where I was born or lived I would still be His. Life would be useless/ nothing without Him. Absolutely nothing.
 
Good questions.

1: My faith was in jeopardy for many years. Like many, I took the title, but the not the responsibility. When my world came crashing down I sought pastoral counsel. The man was dead right as he retold my story for me without me saying a word. He told me what to expect, and he wasn't too far off on that either. As my heart evolved I would eventually hear the voice of the Lord speak directly to me. I was quite conscious, and coherent. Laugh if you like, it's true. Atheist may be amazed, but mine is not an uncommon story. Reading testimony and witnessing accounts for a few years really solidified it me. Ok, I'm not nuts, these things must happen and I'm part of it now.

2: Geography plays no substantial role here. Christianity is practiced in virtually every country, which sometimes means risking your own life to do it. Aside from that I've done some casual study of other religions, and none compares. We're talking about praying to rats, the sun/moon, or a man? Nah. LOL When missionaries introduce the bible into radical Muslim countries, it's amazing how the people so quickly grasp it and begin to understand, this is WAY bigger than allah.China is starting to yield to Christianity. Even if you didn't believe, you're gonna be hard pressed to find any ancient material that disputes the acts of Christ. His authority yes, acts no. When a man walks on water, calms the seas, raises the dead and heals the sick.. might be worth keeping an open ear and mind to his message.

Now, am I suppose to ignore all of this?
 
scifes said:
1-how do you know it's your god that's true?
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We can go in detail but I'll simply put it this way as a 'process of elimination'.... Polytheism does not make sense to me, actually I believe polytheism is contrary to what I see in nature. My opinion is that all religions were monotheistic but some turned into polytheistic religions- I don't have proof for this, it is simply the 'sheds' of 'monotheism' in practically all religions that leads me to this conclusion. Humans have a tendency of moving towards 'material' things- science is an example- as is the images created by Christians of an otherwise 'imageless God' according to their belief.

That leaves only a monotheist God.

I don't accept the Trinity of God in Christianity- for various reasons
1. Its not taught by the founder
2. It was not understood by the prior Jews upon which it was built
3. God is the center of all faiths- to not make it absolutely clear that God is triune seems to me a failure of Christianity or the founder of Christianity
4. Not to mention that early Christians the Essenes and Narazeans did not believe in any Trinity, believed in One Unity God, did not believe Jesus was God, adhered to the Mosaic law.
5. And it seems to me a Romanization of Christianity- thanks to 'Paul'- hints of this are in the Book of Acts-

So I'm left with a monotheist God... I would like to point out that I don't need a religion to believe in God- but your question is which God.... if there is only one God (which makes sense to me, polytheism does not)- then there is no question about 'which' as there is only 'one'.

Without going into the details of 'God'- you can look at any monotheist God and then compare it to the definition of Surah Ikhlaas (which you should be aware of)- let me know the differences you find, and I believe you'll see that when you arrive to the conclusion of a 'monotheist God' the question of 'which' disappears.... And as I don't need Islam to believe in God- at least not now.


if you were born and raised in a different country with a majority of a different religion, would you still be believing in your same god?
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Religion doesn't matter. First of all, Islam is growing in West, so there are people who are coming to the same God that I believe in.

But I want to point back to what I said earlier. I don't need a religion to believe in God. The only speculative aspect of this is, would I be interested in the subject of theology if I were to be born in a place you are reffering to- if yes then I most certainly would be a monotheist.

Are you not a 'theist'? What is your answer?

Peace be unto you ;)
 
superstring01 said:
Interesting.

So, hypothetically, had you settled on Christianity, Hinduism or atheism, would they have reacted oddly or indifferently?

~String
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I don't think they would have cared at all. I have a sibling who has been rotating between Islam, atheism and Judaism. I'm not even sure where he is at present.
 
S.A.M. said:
I am born in a country with a majority "different" religion. I am also born in a family which has hindus, parsis, christians in the family.

I have gone through many stages of thought processes before deciding that Islam is the religion that makes sense to me. It is a result of learning about the religion itself and I am probably the only one in my family who has done so. The rest are not really religious
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But you didn't answer his questions..
 
scifes said:
1-how do you know it's your god that's true?
2-if you were born and raised in a different country with a majority of a different religion, would you still be believing in your same god?
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I think this question shows a common confusion: the idea that there are different gods, like different brands of sneakers, and one must choose the one that is correct. Of course this confusion is held by theist also, in addition to non-theists.
2-if you were born and raised in a different country with a majority of a different religion, would you still be believing in your same god?
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Let's put it this way: Most people in my home country who are religious are in one of the organized monotheisms. I'm not. I think anyone guessing as to what they would be like if they were born and raised in another country are, just that, guessing, or they have some rather impressive mental powers in the family of psychic powers. I do consider the latter possible, but they need to know they are making this kind of claim.

How about you scifes? I can't remember if you are a theist or not. If you are a theist what are your answers?

If you are a non-theist what about a slightly changed version of number 2 to fit a non-theist?
 
Adstar said:
How do you know the sky is blue or the sun shines or water is wet? He has lifted me up so high it is amazing. He has shown me the future. I have seen things come true. I could never deny the existence of God He is just as real as the sun that shines in the sky.
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Sky is blue because our atmosphere can skatter the blue wavelength the easiest.

hes not as real as the sun shines.. i can see the sun if i got rocketed tward the sun i would burn up because of the sun.. god.. im looking around and dont see him wait WAIT A SEC nope not there..

your imagination has lifted you up... he hasnt shown you the future the future is ever changing and its impossible to predict every single event in the future.. things come true because you make the come true.. or not come true



Adstar said:
I might have believed in a religion taught to me. I was born in Australia and i was taught the catholic religion but as soon as i read Gods Word i believed Him and Left that religion. It is not about where you are born and what your born into. It is what your reaction and reply to the Word of God is when it comes to you, This is what is important.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days
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or one could argue the words that sound most appealing to you are the best the words best to persuade you. the thing theists wont admit to or so it seems that the bible in its entirity is completely reliant on interpretation
 
sandy said:
This is hard to explain. It is innate with me. It is something I have known since I can remember being conscious/alive. He is such a part of me that I live my live to serve Him. I talk to Him all day even if just in my head. No matter where I was born or lived I would still be His. Life would be useless/ nothing without Him. Absolutely nothing.
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im sorry you feel that way.. you say you would be useless/nothing without him i really do feel sorry for you. living your life to serve a fiction character, and with out this fiction character your nothing? if you look at it in lamans terms you should be in a psychiatric ward for terms of possible suicide.
 
I think a great question would be - "why do you feel the need to believe in God/" ..if you believe in him then you should not even express the belief in any form ..why quote the sun and the moon when someone asks you a question about God you should be astonished ..it is like someone asking do you believe there is a Sun .. but people do go at length to describe this melodramatic feeling called "faith". If he exist then why go thru the motions of glorifying him or thanking him... acting as if he is your personal friend ( you wish!!) ..or you have done the research and settled for the best of the best Gods....it is like trying various underwear and settling for Boxers ...yes my boxer is better than your briefs...well I wear no underwear (being an atheist).. which is less weight to carry around ..because for underwear wearing people it is always 'I don't want people to wear my kind' and 'even if it is my kind it should be of my color' ... sometime people believe they have special relationship with their underwear which should be private but can be discussed with like minded same underwear wearing group ..

Look at all above answers ... pathetic ..

SAM choosing her underwear from the ensemble of underwear at her disposal ...

786 using some weird logic of nature suggesting monotheistic religion ( Bull Shit - the same religion he is refering to allows 4 wives but one unseen god) ..and by the way 786 nature tilts more towards multiple variety .. look at all the various planets, stars, black holes ...there is not just one kind of any thing ..so you theory to choose your underwear is wrong..

Sandy takes the cake ..she loves her god because she knew we all were born with underwears ..and her underwear is comfortable .. seriously thats what the answer looks like..

I am assuming Pinwheel was being sarcastic ..or else that would be ranked above all

Blue ridge ..you underwear has been put on you by some missionary ..who was selling underwear in one hand and comfort in the other ..you bought both.


Let the games begin
 
Guru said:
786 using some weird logic of nature suggesting monotheistic religion
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I don't ever recall sharing the 'logic' behind it- for you call 'bullshit' on something you don't even know- I don't find any reason to explain anything to someone like you.

( Bull Shit - the same religion he is refering to allows 4 wives but one unseen god)
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Interesting... Scientifically speaking man shouldn't have any limitation on wives- we are all here to reproduce and increase our fitness, no? Evolutionary the 'male' who can get the 'most mating' was really 'da man'.

and by the way 786 nature tilts more towards multiple variety .. look at all the various planets, stars, black holes ...there is not just one kind of any thing ..so you theory to choose your underwear is wrong.
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I don't ever remember stating 'variety' was part of my logic. Oh I forgot I never shared my logic to begin with? Perhaps you need to find the underwear before you wear it.

Let the games begin
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I'm not here to play games- I guess calling 'bs' on stuff you don't know is also part of the game? Sorry but I'm not interested

Peace be unto you ;)
 
Don't you all find it a little odd that you all know that you're right, even though you used more or less the same process to arrive at drastically different decisions?
 
786 said:
Can you please list these 'drastically different decisions'?

Peace be unto you ;)
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Let me say from the outset that I'm not an atheist, so this isn't and shouldn't be interpreted as an attack on religion.

But, I'm sure that Sandy's interpretation of ``God's will'' is pretty different from yours. Or, another example, you dismiss the Trinity out of hand, basically calling it polytheism. (The exact Christian understanding is a bit more nuanced than that, but of course you're entitled to your opinions.)

I guess the discussion was framed rather poorly by scifes, but whatever. Do you disagree that your understanding of God is different from, say, Sandy's?
 
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