venio, video, vinco. (I come, I see, I conquer)

[Hijiri Byakuren]

What is a god? You must define your terms.

I've noticed you haven't answered my question yet, Ecbarrowes. I can't say I'm surprised. Theists always cower away from the simple questions.

[the_antithesis]

If you need help, you should get it.

[PopeyesPappy]

Will we be god if we succeed in creating self-aware AI?

[Blackleaf]

In communicating with God, it is very useful to find a quiet time and space to look over the thoughts and feelings inside you. Inside your head, or soul, one can observe thoughts, feelings, and determine their origin (self, friends, family, etc.). When you encounter one that you don't know any human origin of, it could be from God, or the devil. Stuff from God generally brings peace, clarity, resolution, agrees with other things you know to be right. Things from the devil generally bring discord, darkness, contention, confusion, et al. Further examination can be profitable in order to address any doubts. Efforts bring about results. "Seek me diligently with all your heart and you will find me." This maxim requires that you give everything you can to open communication with God, and you will connect. When we ask God a question, we need to put all options on the table. That is, we need to be ready to accept the answer he gives, whatever it may be, trusting his wisdom. You told him that you're going to leave "ministering" unless he tells you otherwise. Perhaps he wanted you to leave a version of ministering where all the shots are called by your family, instead of by Him.

I'm aware that prayer is supposed to be done in quiet places. At the time, I was alone in my car, in a church parking lot on a Wednesday evening. The problem wasn't that I couldn't decipher what was God vs Satan, but that I got literally nothing.

I didn't tell God that I was leaving ministry if he didn't answer. I told him was done with him. I was getting tired of the one-way relationship, where I give everything and he can't even be bothered to answer my calls.

1. Yes, within conceivability.
2. Yes, accountability exists and God takes everything into account.
3. Definitely. He wants all his children to accept his offer.

I'm not sure you understand. If you are agreeing that God's only (or primary) measure for who gets to escape Hell and go to Heaven is belief in the right religion, then accountability is the last thing in God's priorities. By being a Christian, you essentially get to escape all accountability. Meanwhile, by believing in the wrong religion or none at all, it doesn't matter how good or bad you were in life, you burn all the same. Either way, your actions count for nothing.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

There was supposedly a "war in Heaven" and God cast Satan out. However, "the winner writes the history", so who ever was the winner declared itself "God" and named the loser "Satan".

We don't know who won this supposed "war in Heaven". Convenient, that.

[Unbeliever]

If there can be war in Heaven, it must not be the wonderful place it's been claimed to be. 🤔

[Hydra009]

If there can be war in Heaven, it must not be the wonderful place it's been claimed to be. 🤔

Obligatory:

[Unbeliever]

I swear I didn't plagiarize that line! 👀

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Fine, fine, fine. Now put your hands behind your back.

[Ecbarrowes]

That's not really an answer to what i asked, now is it though?

You and i may agree we shouldn't believe things just because they feel intuital to us, or because we 'want' them to be true or because soemthing inside us tells us they are true, whether we believe that something to be divinely inspired, or not.

I think most on this forum would agree that is not a good way to come to understand the nature of reality. And that a sense of 'absolute certainty' of a thing, without any room for doubt or scepticism, can be a dangerous thing. (For intellectual honesty, if for nothing else.)

However, most on this forum wouldn't claim that we can receive such 'absolute certainty' through divine bestowment.
You do.
So. Again. The question: how do you differentiate in which is which.

I'm not asking for you to tell me we should all keep an open mind on what we may feel certain of.
I'm asking how you specifically can, with intellectual honesty, override that fine quality of doubt to uphold the absolute certainty you claim you can have. And how you discern in which cases it is valid, due to the divine nature of the endowed knowledge.

The voice of God comes in different incarnations, but all are truth. A flash of insight, putting your project over the top, a conglomeration of tests from every angle of your idea, or a bit of divine knowledge of something after having diligently inquired of him. Introspection allows one to distinguish the source of the thoughts in your head -- family, friends, enemies, God, the devil, et al.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

So you hear voices. Not surprised.

[Mr.Obvious]

The voice of God comes in different incarnations, but all are truth. A flash of insight, putting your project over the top, a conglomeration of tests from every angle of your idea, or a bit of divine knowledge of something after having diligently inquired of him. Introspection allows one to distinguish the source of the thoughts in your head -- family, friends, enemies, God, the devil, et al.

I see.

In your post number 27 you say:
" I'm not right because I "say so.""

Gotta say, ecbarrowes, from where i am standing, it sure does seem like all you are doing is saying you are right because "you say so".
I fail to see how anything in that last post differs from that.
You, by all accounts a fallible person like any and all others  yours truly included, sure do seem to decide what thoughts in your head must be true by virtue of being god's word, based on nothing but your own thoughts.

It would seem better to have a more objective framework to start from, no?
And if you say no, maybe you'll reconcider if i tell you that i had some long introspection about that idea, and I'm pretty darn sure the lord whispered it to me to say to you.

Pardon the tongue in cheek, buddy.
But either you are willfully making an exception for your own intellect, or you are unaware thet that is what you are doing. And in case of the latter, i sincerely hope you wake up and realize how absolutely flawed that line of reasoning is

[Ecbarrowes]

I see.

In your post number 27 you say:
" I'm not right because I "say so.""

Gotta say, ecbarrowes, from where i am standing, it sure does seem like all you are doing is saying you are right because "you say so".
I fail to see how anything in that last post differs from that.
You, by all accounts a fallible person like any and all others  yours truly included, sure do seem to decide what thoughts in your head must be true by virtue of being god's word, based on nothing but your own thoughts.

It would seem better to have a more objective framework to start from, no?
And if you say no, maybe you'll reconcider if i tell you that i had some long introspection about that idea, and I'm pretty darn sure the lord whispered it to me to say to you.

Pardon the tongue in cheek, buddy.
But either you are willfully making an exception for your own intellect, or you are unaware thet that is what you are doing. And in case of the latter, i sincerely hope you wake up and realize how absolutely flawed that line of reasoning is

As I said previously, every person has the capacity to communicate with God. That means that if you tell me that God said such and such to you, you could be correct or in error, but your assertion is not my obligation to believe it because I can take it to God myself. If you speak erroneously, you are the main recipient and victim of your error. The constraints of the processes of communicating with God can only be self-imposed and enforced because you are the the one closest to the action. If you are duplicitous with yourself, it is self-delusion. Naturally, if others believe your falsehood they will be wounding themselves by not vetting your idea properly. Contrary wise, if you speak truth and others believe it, then it's a win-win.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

"You talk to God", you're religious.
"God talks to you", you're crazy.

[Hydra009]

Contrary wise, if you speak truth and others believe it, then it's a win-win.

That's a big if.