Why do you think God sang specifically for you and not everyone?
You said there were words that they sang. What language would you say it most resembled? Was it harmony or melody? Was there bass or tenor involved?
That’s fair enough, though I’d put it more like ‘people interpret the experience though their personal, cultural lens’. If they live in a culture and have a mindset receptive to theism, it isn’t surprising that they would attribute it to that.
The important thing, though, is not whether it offers proof for the existence of the supernatural (clearly it doesn’t, or at least no proof convincing to anyone other than the person directly having the experience, as the experience is wholly subjective, and some like myself don’t even believe it is in the least supernatural), but this: does the experience help the person who has had it in any way?
To use an analogy, the important thing about such emotions as ‘love’ is not whether it is caused by biochemical reactions in the individual’s brain, or by a little winged cherub firing arrows … those are no doubt interesting questions, but not nearly as interesting as actually experiencing love.
A more pertinent question than whether the experience is caused by supernatural forces is this: is it good for anything? Does it make you a better and happier person than you would otherwise be?
I know because it happened to me.
First, this is off-topic, and a very big one. For the sake of argument, if the God of the Bible exists he is way beyond humanity’s ability to understand him. (And you can find that in the Book of Job.) Therefore, it is not the purview of mankind to judge God or his decisions. My opinion is that I don’t have enough information to accurately answer that question.
Yes, I have. What heaven actually is cannot be determined from the Bible (or any other religious works), in my opinion. That is because the scriptures were written trying to explain very complex ideas to a fairly primitive civilization.
You mean, am I aware that I am a product of my environment? Certainly.
No-whether it is caused by supernatural forces or not is absolutely more pertinent. If you think the direction comes from within yourself then you are allowed to examine it to see if it is right and proper that it be followed, but the “HOLY VOICE” that directs you, for good or ill, is of a higher authority that is usually not open to questioning if you are of the type that hears such voices. If I decide to do something nice for someone else it is because I decided to do it, but if I have the urge to do harm then I have the ability to wait and think it through and hopefully change my own mind. Who changes the mind of the Devine?
Wow, predestination. You are talking about another 2 millennia of arguments, there. I’m of the opinion it’s a question of God’s point-of-view vs. Man’s point-of-view: since God is outside of time, he knows what we will do, but since Man is inside time, he’s making the decisions.
I don’t witness my “revelation”, because I can’t see how it would convince anyone but myself.
In my experience, at least, it is both. There is definitely a spiritual aspect to love. For me, there is an extra sense, something beyond a physical sensation, an emotion, or a thought, that is there and I cannot express it in any other sense. It’s like trying to explain color to someone who was born blind, I can only really explain color relative to other colors, or emotions relative to other feelings.
I’m not really sure what benefit there is to this discussion to attacking a particular person’s religious stances. I think the point here is that these brushes with the divine aren’t limited to one set of beliefs and, in fact, as this thread has shown, even atheists can have similar experiences.
I’ve asked myself this frequently. I don’t have an answer.
That’s a copout.
It’s my topic and I think it relevant to assess what particular beliefs your song is seen as proof thereof. Now you are citing Job as though it’s true, but before you were distancing yourself from other parts of the Bible. Part of this whole hypocrisy thing is how you decide when to cite the Bible as proof and when to distance yourself? Not sure what information you are lacking. The Bible is clear, and your song is evidence, that some people get revelations and some don’t. Some get eternal paradise and some get murder at best and an eternal furnace of fire at worse. Not sure what else you would need to know to decide if that is fair or not.
What particular study have you applied regarding heaven, to know if it is real or metaphor. Seem you are pretty certain that much of the hell talk is metaphor.
When your environmental influences contradict with the words of Jesus, which do you go with? Seems to me it’s not Jesus.
Okay, again, it’s been 25 years. I don’t recall the words or the language. There was melody and a lot of harmony, with all four SATB parts, a capella. I have considered that it may have sounded like that only because that’s the way my brain would accept it.
You are thinking of this as voices giving specific commandments or directions. If that was the case, I’d agree.
But from what I’ve experienced, and everyone I’ve talked with, it absolutely isn’t like that. What you are thinking of is more like schizophrenia. The people I know who have had such experiences are otherwise sane. Or so I suppose. 
Considering all that rides on it, isn’t it unfair that God sings only to a few? Or can’t you answer that either?
But none of this is up for consideration?
If the only available data is my experience, then that’s all there is.
I was citing Job as evidence of the idea of God’s otherness being known by the authors of the Bible. This is an apt reference. As far as the fairness of the issue, my point of view is limited to some 60 years experience as an aging human being in one specific country. For me to think that, even with study, I can determine the fairness of an omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient God, who is not limited by time or mortality, is pathetic hubris.
[QUOTE]
Yes, I have. What heaven actually is cannot be determined from the Bible (or any other religious works), in my opinion. That is because the scriptures were written trying to explain very complex ideas to a fairly primitive civilization.
What particular study have you applied regarding heaven, to know if it is real or metaphor. Seem you are pretty certain that much of the hell talk is metaphor.
[/QUOTE/
Tell you what, get a concordance and check out the references to the afterlife in the OT and the NT. You will find a wide and disparate body of opinion.
I’m not sure how to frame an answer to that. You imply that having studied a number of century’s worth of interpretation, history and theology makes me less likely to understand the Bible, not more. For a reference point, how much Bible study have you done?
I can think of only one reason why a person might have a ‘religious’ experience. God singled you out for that special message so that you can do something for Her in return. Maybe you are destined to sacrifice your own life in order to save the life of a child destined to become a great minister or rabbi or other leader? Maybe She has a thing for some other business She wants you to pursue.
That said, a ‘Religious Experience’ without a corresponding request to perform a particular task seems particularly illogical. I’m afraid I lean to the side of the brain, that we don’t yet fully understand, creating what you think you need for when you think you most need it. Nothing more, nothing less. A miracle of sorts, even so.
see Post #74
“Other types of auditory hallucination include exploding head syndrome and musical ear syndrome. In the latter, people will hear music playing in their mind, usually songs they are familiar with. Reports have also mentioned that it is also possible to get musical hallucinations from listening to music for long periods of time.[5] This can be caused by: lesions on the brain stem (often resulting from a stroke); also, tumors, encephalitis, or abscesses.[6] Other reasons include hearing loss and epileptic activity.[7]”
So, the day I heard it I was coming home from work. I had not been listening to music that day, and did not have the radio on. I’ve had my brain checked out since then for a complete physical that was job related, and no problems there.
My hearing loss didn’t start happening until about 10 years ago, so there’s no reason to suspect that. And, again, I’ve never heard it before or since, and it did not sound like anything else I’ve ever heard.
I think you should be open to the idea that you just had an auditory hallucination.
There you go spouting things as if you know they are true. What makes you think god’s are omnipotent, omnipresent or omniscient? And what does that have to do with whether it is fair or not that some people get paradise and some get death?
What verses in particular make led you to believe eternal paradise is real?
I read the Bible. I know what Jesus says on a number of topics. My guess is that on a number of things you don’t mind contradicting Jesus. You would probably have an excuse that his words might not really be his, or they were meant for that culture only, but you have played those cards a few times before and would rather not have to play them again.
Or some god sang a song for you, and only you.
Does it at least “seem” unfair to you?