In your everyday life, what do you think God has direct control over. Do you think it happens and he alters it or you you think he causes it to happen the way he want’s from the beginning?
If you think he only intervenes when asked, what is the determining factor as to why he might intervene in one case and not another? If you say it’s because he’s God, that’s not an answer. If you don’t know, don’t answer. I don’t need 500 “I don’t know” replies.
I am not looking to create a trap for anyone here, just trying to find out what people really believe when they actually think about what’s really happening.
You just lack the ability to come up with a decent rebuttal so you attacks me and not what I have to say. This is what is known as an ad hominem attack. Time and time again, I see people doing this and it really annoys me. I come here and post a thread expecting to have an intelligent debate with people and all I get is one-liners and no-brainer slurs.
If you want a debate, you have to make an assertion. If you want to witness, you have to realize that people might not respond. And if you want to conduct a poll, you need to do that in In My Humble Opinion. And bumping is generally bad form here (as is opening multiple threads in quick succession).
Oh, and one more thing. Discussion about who is on your ignore list is expressly forbidden. I’m not trying to play moderator, just trying to give you a heads up.
I recommend you read the FAQs in the About This Message Board forum.
I, however, am going to play Moderator. As has already been pointed out, Sinful, your “ignore list” mention is forbidden.
Also, while we’re at it, let me share a few other things with you. If you expect an intelligent debate, you have to start an intelligent debate. I’ve seen several of the threads you’ve started and, frankly, I was tempted to close almost all of 'em. (I believe I did close one.) This is the area for debates, not just posting a message about whatever happens to come to mind.
To try to answer your question – it’s not about what He could do, it’s about what He does do.
And in my experience, He works through coincidence and through people committed to Him (and others in whose hearts He is working, though they may deny any knowledge of Him or His actions) to achieve His purposes.
I got an e-mail from reprise, the subject and content of which I’m not going to divulge, this morning. But that was as much God’s hand at work in bringing something I needed to know about to my attention (along with a comment from Scottischer on the same subject last night) as if He had sent an archangel to appear in my living room and say, “Know, O Polycarp, that…”
Does that help in understanding where I’m coming from?
IMHO… I think God can guide you… not push you, but guide you. If you choose to ignor it, then that is your choice. Maybe it is a gut feeling… who knows…
I went out for New Years, and got sick… I wasn’t drinking… I was going to, but when I got to the bar that night I didn’t feel well, I walked into the bathroom and threw up… I never throw up btw.
my girlfriend and I then drove back to the hotel we were staying at maybe 2 miles away from the bar, and I was pulled over for doing 30 in a 25… really they were just checking if I was drinking…
had I not been sick at the bar, I would have been drinking and I probably would have had a few drinks and still been able to drive, but would have been at the level where I would have been arrested.
I do believe in god, my beliefs are not debatable… if you think it was a coincidence that is fine… but I have had many points in my life that I have been guided in the right direction and I thank god for that.
I went out on New Years as well. I also was sick – though with a bad cold that had just hit me that morning, and thus I had to take prescription medication that did not allow me to drink. Had I not been on the medication, I likely would have had a couple of drinks that night. I was not pulled over but did pass a number of cops on the way home.
Believe me, I didn’t call upon anyone in order to get a cold. I’ve been ill enough lately.
But if you were serious, that really confuses me. Are you saying that if you call upon God, God is automatically at work? If you call upon the Invisible Pink Unicorn, the IPU is automatically at work? If you call upon Satan, Satan is automatically at work?
Coming from a Christian. When looking at all that happens in the world, I wonder how people can believe that God is active at all. For example, I’m Catholic, and while I believe that the number of priests who actually molested children is a small one, where was God to defend them? If God really was active and exerting influence in this world, wouldn’t he have helped them?
Or people who survive a great disaster thanking God for saving them. What, does that mean that he didn’t care enough about those who died to save them? Or maybe they deserved to die?
I think the notion that God exerts his influence in this world, looking out for the good, and punishing the bad is wrong. I believe he does both in the afterlife, but just not here on earth.
But that’s just my opinion, and I know that a lot of Christians, including Catholics don’t agree.
