What Would It Take To Convince You Otherwise

[nailit]

As a young, ex fundamental, evangelical Christian, what led me out of faith was an (albeit reluctant) admission that I was simply wrong. After years of wrestling with doubts, questions, voracious reading, Bible study, prayer, etc I simply had to admit that my faith was misplaced and I had NO evidence for my beliefs. I had to accept that I was wrong on so many levels.

SO...what would it take to convince you (if you are religious) that *YOU* may be wrong?

(Conversley....just to be fare...what would convince an atheist that THEY may be wrong)?

[SparklyKid]

you doubt whether God exists, simply ask Him. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. What possibly can you lose by doing this


Tried that, guess what, nowt happened.

[Peter Pedant]

can anyone explain to me why previously sane ABers (!) are trying to improve on God?

like you know - if he said hello I would believe in him

Hello - thingey ! do you believe in me now?

or God would be much better if he took away Free Will and made us all believe...... - er that is point of view but not necessariy better

[Peter Pedant]

oh and I said - god you dare den?
and got no answer so I concluded he wasnt ( there )

this would work outside No 10, innit ?
I shouted - Boris you fat bonker are you breast feeing the baby ?
and there was no answer (!) so I concluded no Boris, no baby and no Carrie ....simples

[Chinajan]

// Boris you fat bonker are you breast feeing the baby ? //

That is the only time I have genuinely laughed out loud at something on this site. Cheers.

[Theland]

You don't believe Birdie has a problem?
Great. Good for Birdie. Good for you.
I certainly don't.

[naomi24]

Theland, do you never ask ‘Why?’ Why, for example, does an almighty, all-powerful God need adulation?

[nailit]

//Theland, do you never ask ‘Why?’ Why, for example, does an almighty, all-powerful God need adulation?//

Hundreds of thousands of adulating worshippers every day of every week telling him how 'good' he is, while he tortures our 'lost' loved ones in a perpetual torture chamber called hell.
Not my idea of a loving God. My idea of a demon!
My dad (not a Christian) died a horrible death 20 years ago and my mum is currently dying a horrible, prolonged death from cancer (also not a believer) so tell me, how am I supposed to be happy and worship a God who saves me while simultaneously torturing my parents both pre-death but also after death?

And this God DEMANDS worship?
*** it!

[nailit]

It demands my contempt.

[naomi24]

Calm, nailit.

[sevenOP]

" You are asked to believe that the entire universe, galaxies, globular clusters and solar systems were created by an entity that exists outside of time and space for the sole purpose of worshipping Him."

So an "all-powerful creator" could have created the universe BUT man invented religion for his own purposes ?

[Theland]

'' Hey God. If you're the Creator, then you must have created something. Yes?
So please leave something lying around that you have created.''

And God says, ''Well there's that created universe that you might have noticed. Will that do?''

And the atheist drums his fingers impatiently, waiting, waiting, waiting.

[naomi24]

Theland, no, the atheist doesn’t drum his fingers impatiently waiting. He says ‘That’s not God speaking…. it’s Theland …. so Theland, show me the evidence that God created it’.

[Theland]

Nailit, take a chill pill.
No you don't have to worship anybody. Your choice.

Do I ever ask, ''Why?''
Yes of course. Do you think I'm a complete moron?

One of the charities I support is Claire House, a hospice for children and babies.
Medicine cannot do any more for these young ones, apart from palliative care, and supporting their families.
A loving God? Then why?
The answer is the terrible consequences of living in a fallen world, fallen through sin, and separation from God, and the curse of death.
We are responsible for this fallen world, but death is not the end, only the end of this earthly existence.
We can do nothing to save ourselves from this dire situation.
If we could, we would be automatons, robots without free will, which got us into this mess in the first place.
A loving God?
Yes indeed.
He has saved us from the consequences of our sin.
Through the person of Jesus Christ, God has satisfied His perfect justice, and His perfect love for us is manifested.
We can know Him now, and never be the same again, and live more satisfying lives.
Do I ever ask, ''Why?''

[Theland]

Show you the evidence?
Search for it yourself.
You know the gospel message, so job done.
What you do with it is your business, not mine.

[vulcan42]

" If we could, we would be automatons, robots without free will, which got us into this mess in the first place."
As you constantly tell us Theland, Your God gave us free will so the mess in the first place is God created.

[Theland]

If you say so.

[naomi24]

Theland, so one of the consequences of living in a fallen world, fallen through sin, and separation from God is that children and babies suffer and die - and that’s an example of His perfect justice, and His perfect love? And you not only accept that but justify it? I’m not sure whose moral code is worst - yours or God’s.

Frankly, no, you never ask ‘why?’ … and the reason you don’t is because you think you already have the answers.

[naomi24]

Free will that comes with pre-determined consequences isn’t free will.

[goodlife]

Yes Bible was for us to helps us to look at life realistically. With a view to your lasting welfare, it urges us to put our confidence in what will endure.

Today millions of peopie their trust in material possessions. and money, the Bible shows that these are not the big thing in life.
It states the undeniable truth that “even when a person has an abundance his life does not result from the things he possesses.(Luke 12:15)

There are millions people who build all their hopes for the future around what human leaders promise.

Wisely it cautions: “Do not put your trust in nobles, nor in the son of earthling man, to whom no salvation belongs. His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts do perish.” (Psalm 146:3, 4) As for long-term security, they cannot give it to you any more than they can provide it for themselves.

But there is One who can give it. He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Are you a person who worships God ‘with truth’? Have you examined your beliefs in the light of God’s Word, to see whether they fully agree with what is set out there by the “God of truth”?

Because is says-Nevertheless, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshippers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for indeed, the Father is looking for ones like these to worship him. God is a Spirit, and those worshipping him must worship with spirit and truth. truth.John 4:23, 24)

[goodlife]

Nailit//my dad (not a Christian) died a horrible death 20 years ago and my mum is currently dying a horrible, prolonged death from cancer//

I lost both my parents to cancer, my mother when I was only a child - so you're not alone. Millions die each year from one disease or another. But this is where the Bible gives hope.
If you really knew your Bible, you will know that there are many scriptures which show that God is not to blame for what happens.
Simply put, it's like a parent having a genetic disease, then any child they have also inherits the disease. It is the same with sin. Adam sinned and as he is the father of all mankind, he passed on to all mankind - Romans 5 verse 1
Death is the result of one man, Adam. But through Faith in Jesus Christ we have the hope of living forever on a peaceful earth and welcoming back those we lost in death. Acts 24 verse 15.