Charity

I'm assuming that you are not finding what you want to know about revelation-and-impartation manifestations right from the bible or personally from asking God. Do you wonder why this could be? Nevertheless, if you or anyone else is able to find an author who has reliable evidence for the working of miracles, healing, faith, discerning of spirits, etc. which truly works for you as well, please be sure to share it on your thread. Thanks.

How did she convince you that you had been hypnotized other than saying you were?

If anyone has already read the post and would like the name of the video mentioned, you can PM me.

I have deleted my opening post because after listening to the whole video, it is insanity on steroids. Please PM me if you have any further comments. Thanks oldiesman.

I'm halfway through the video and so far, the title "Liberation Day!" has nothing to do with politics even though the video was made on April 2.

I have deleted this post because after listening to the whole video, it is insanity on steroids.

While listening to atheists' podcasts, I've heard it said that there are bad reasons for becoming an atheist, but I have yet to hear them identify these reasons and explain why they are bad. So, iyo, what are some of these bad reasons?

Timely post penworks considering that similar arguments are being shared openly today. Changing history allows the lessons it taught to be lost and the evil of its past to be repeated which they presently are.

I owe you an apology oldiesman. When I used the word "gaslighting" in my post to you above, I was meaning that you were questioning Marie's perception of her reality. I checked this morning and its full definition is the manipulation of someone into questioning their own perception of reality. I do not find you to have been at all manipulative in your posts. I also realize that you never said Marie was lost as I said you did in my reply to you. You actually said twice that she had lost her faith. I apologize for my mistake. I asked you for your thoughts on what you would say to Marie and you honestly gave me your answer. I do appreciate your willingness to discuss topics with me. I think Marie did have valid reasons for her doubt and her questions because of what she shared in the video, and I so identified with her confusion about God. She was showing an interest in knowing more about atheism maybe because her son had become an atheist a few years before. Your perspective was to help her find her faith again and to me that was like inviting her back into the same system of beliefs in that there are no guarantees with God's promises and no answers as to why God allowed her daughter to get schizophrenia. Your answer was to continue praying (and fasting) and wait for a response from God. (I know that was your short answer and you probably would have suggested other things as well.) The thing was that she had already been praying and waiting and it led to her having doubts and confusion. My perspective was that she needed to explore her doubts and continue asking questions. She had already realized that the story of Noah's flood could not logically be true. I learned a lot from listening to atheists because their knowledge is outside of what you will hear within Christian circles and biblical doctrine. I started doing research for myself and decided against the Christian beliefs I held about God, Jesus and the bible. At first I said I was losing my faith but in truth, I was letting go of it because of what I had learned. I would have encouraged Marie to continue looking for answers and rely on rational evidence for her beliefs instead of going back to settling with "God's ways are higher than your ways so don't question why."

I posted the latest "prophecy" called" A Final Call Before Finality Falls on the Judged" by William Brooks in the "Spirit of Prophecy" thread. While reading it, the "love me or else" theme ran through it. I know most Christians would not see it as "love me or else" but as "For God so loved the world that he gave..." I just don't think the latter justifies the prior.

You admit scriptures promise a chance at healing with the Lord but is not guaranteed (not unlike buying a lottery ticket), and that God allows terrible things to occur without answering the biggest question of why? Unfortunately, you mistake Marie’s valid reasons to question, if not outright reject, those two ideas as her being “lost” and that the only correct response to being confused and hurt by a system of beliefs is to return to it – to continue to pray (and fast) and wait for a response from God. To me, this is not healing – it’s gaslighting dressed as spiritual concern. It treats doubt as being the problem. It shames people for thinking critically instead of just "having faith." Marie wants to live her life honestly, not in an illusion. She is not lost. She is on the right path.

What you say about God not knowing in advance what Abraham or Job would do when being tested can also apply to Adam and Eve. If God didn't know that Eve was going to be tempted/deceived by the serpent and decide to eat from the forbidden tree (and that Adam would follow suit), then that takes the heat off of him for putting man in a situation where he knew they would fail and let it happen anyway. However, god could still have simply forgiven Adam and Eve and instructed them how to do better the next time . It's the punishment/consequences he meted out for all mankind because of the actions of these two that is the most abhorrent part of this story. He gets the heat put back on for that . It's just more rational to see it as an ancient myth written by men in order to explain why there was evil, death and so many other hardships in life.

Regarding your first point about God's justice system as spoken of in a book called the bible. Was it really a supposedly loving father-figure God that came up with the punishment of hell or was hell a) the invented concept of an underworld or place of punishment as described in Greek mythology by the man Homer around the 8th or 7th century BCE b) the idea of the prophet Zoroaster (a man) who founded Zoroastrian, the religion that Influenced the children of Israel while under the Persian rule of Cyrus (a man) in the 6th century BCE c) the continued best way to compel people to obey man-made religions? As for your second point, as an atheist, I would say that I do hate the concept of "love me or else" just as I do when it comes to the abusive language used in any relationship here on earth. "You are only good because of me. You are unworthy, you get your worth from me. You don't deserve any goodness in your life, so any goodness you get is a gift from me - it is because of me. If you are harmed or I hurt you, it's your fault - you made me do it. You forced my hand. You made me hurt you and whatever you do, never ever leave me or else." (Quote by Seth Andrews)

Yes, but what is faith? Where does faith come in when it comes to her question - "My daughter’s 36 now and she’s schizophrenic and if God is going to bless me with a miracle baby then why did he give her schizophrenia – what kind of god would do that?"

Thank you for your reply oldiesman. What would you tell her faith is?