Isn’t it likely that the reality that you perceive – is imaginary? – only you have the unfortunate situation of an entire culture of support enabling you. Your entire life, future and eternity depends wholly on your belief in your imaginary friend.
I hope that you do realize that delusion is a legitimate and treatable psychological disorder…
People who are under a delusion do not know that they are, and they believe with all their heart that their delusion is real.
My experience and knowledge is based entirely on research, logic, skepticism of my own emotions and feelings. I have read all the Lewises, MacDowells and Strobels.
Yours is based on feelings first. You were told something, you believed it without researching it with proper scrutiny – you’re just lucky the Mormons or the Jehovah’s Witnesses didn’t get to you first – because, with the criteria you use to judge truth – that is, experience, emotions, feelings, intuition, "faith,"
you would have embraced the first religion to touch your heart.
These methods are the lowest criteria for truth on the planet. They are subject to grave error, as over a dozen major religions prove.
You relied on feelings FIRST, and logic second. And Christians are masters at this. They lull you in either as a small child, or they promote gifted speakers who will manipulate your emotions one way or the other (Hell, Heaven, playing on your natural angst, loneliness, drug/alcohol addiction, your susceptibility to rhetoric and romance)
THEN they have an arsenal of apologetics with only one thing motivating it – to find any answer that will pacify believers. That’s all that is needed to sustain a willing and expectant population – I know this, as many Apologetics Websites continue to knowingly publish erroneous information – even after I and others have written them explicitly about those errors! Creationist organizations are particularly deceptive.
Those answers pacified me for a while, but since I was a researcher, I had access to many things even some great apologists did not have access to. So I dug as deeply as I could. And at the bottom, when all the rhetoric and deception is stripped away, there simply is no Jesus. There is no Word of God. Sad – Unthinkable – Blasphemous to someone like you, but to one who holds truth to the highest standard, I knew. And as sorrowful and lost as I initially felt after letting go of God, eventually, as the questions to life demand answers – Buddhists will find them, Christians will find them, Muslims will find them and yes – Atheists will find them.
The only difference is, Atheists know that emotions, feelings, faith and experience are not honest appraisers of truth.
What is this beast that slouches towards Jerusalem? Can one imagine not being shackled to it?
So far, you people are really scary.. But enlightening….
I can begin to understand a lot of problems I see in America. And I weep for the future!
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July 10th, 2010 at 8:41 am
Yes, he never calls
July 10th, 2010 at 8:41 am
I think Jesus is cheating on me.
July 10th, 2010 at 8:41 am
Your question was so long I fell off my chair reading it, and still didn’t read it.
But yes, they have an entire culture of support enabling them, and as kids they had already gotten hooked on it.
Now in adulthood they cannot seem to kick it.
Oh well.
Your question, or any question, cannot help them.
.
July 10th, 2010 at 8:41 am
I’d rather be a schizo in heaven than an infidel in hell
July 10th, 2010 at 8:41 am
My relationship with Jesus us perfectly fine. Thank you for asking.
July 10th, 2010 at 8:41 am
no,never and never will.
July 10th, 2010 at 8:41 am
I have only had a relationship with him for about 3 years now and dont question it. I use to think the same as you, now I know better.
Here is something to research, prove that love exsist. Just cause you cant see it doesnt mean its not real.
July 10th, 2010 at 8:41 am
i hold truth to the highest standard, and i believe in God! LOGICALLY, God exists. if God didn’t create the universe, then who did? did the big bang? matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed. so how did the big bang "magically" create them? all the evidence points to God!
July 10th, 2010 at 8:41 am
Questioned? I caught him cheating! And to think that I was so devoted to him…
July 10th, 2010 at 8:41 am
of course I have questioned my relationship, but after a while I realized there is no way that God could not be real.
I have read many books on this and listened to many opinions besides my own.
Why do I know God is real? Because he has actually spoken to him, I have conversations with me and he talks back. To me I do see the logic, because to me this is logical. Christians feel the same way about people who don’t believe in God. Christians wonder why in the world nobody can see the logic that Jesus Christ is real and he is with us at every moment.
Not everything can be explained with logic and science. Scientists can’t even prove that God does not exist. There is so many things in the world that are unexplainable. Just because you think your opinion is logical, doesn’t mean that it is correct.
You can’t prove that God does not exist, yet you believe that he does not. Therefore I could call you just as illogical as anyone.
Christians know there is a God, until you can prove otherwise you are just as "logical" as anybody else.
July 10th, 2010 at 8:41 am
Our FAITH is REAL
you will know this in the Second Coming if you are alive at that moment or in the JUDGMENT. But it will be too late for you.
July 10th, 2010 at 8:41 am
My only question was, "Why would He love someone like me?" Especially after I was unfaithful for a while!
But He does! And I accept that!
July 10th, 2010 at 8:41 am
that was long.
Jesus is not imaginary. Just because you cant see him doesnt mean hes not there. And just because you dont believe in him doesnt mean hes not there. Its like the wind; you can feel it even though you cant see it. People believe in God because he gives them hope and a reason to live. What are you living for? My relationship with Jesus is fine. It could use improvement but im working on it. He hasnt let me down yet.
Why do people care about proving something so much? when you die and you find yourself before God being judged will that be enough proof for you? I think your looking for the answers in all the wrong places. Try a Church or a Bible.
July 10th, 2010 at 8:41 am
I dread the day when Christians will be locked up in America for being insane. I don’t know if it will ever come, but I think it would be dreadful.
No, Tim, I haven’t lost my mind yet. It is YOU who are playing make-believe. I know Jesus Christ, and He is active and real in my life. This isn’t an imaginary friend. This is someone whose wisdom and purity have changed thousands of people’s lives.
At a point in my life, I did the research. I decided He was real and I invited Him into my life. Then He was here, and I could see for myself that He is real. And now you are going to tell me that the research that I’ve done is wrong? There is no turning back for me. I’ve already met Him. I can no longer pretend that He isn’t real.
July 10th, 2010 at 8:41 am
It all depends if you ever met and talked to a real christian. For instance when you say "christians" base things on feelings. A real doesn’t do that. The devil can speak in tounges,give emotions, shout, and even the pharisee had more evidence of the spirit then Jesus. Me myself, I’m a christian, and sometimes I dont feel a thing. It doesn’t discourage me, its just that im diff. Some people are prayer warriors, some people like to shout, some people preach, some people speak in tounges. Lord has everyone doin somethin (your hand cant be your eye and your foot cant be your ear etc).
If you dont study to see if whats bein preach isn’t false. Its just the blind leading the blind. Sure things will sound good, but you have to line it up with the word. Of course some of them are goin to make you feel good most of them preach you up to heaven anyways. Most people dont even see church as church any more. For most of ‘em its money, games, and before you know it turned into a lodge and no one can go up 2 heaven unless they sign up with this church.
When I was little our baptist church didn’t wanna let me go. But I found the truth, and they’re no great speakers. We’ve had people that stuttered,mumbled,southern accents of all kinds. They come from different parts of the globe and they all have the same message. That can only be God. Their all human like us. As long as you go their expecting and ready you’d get just what you ask for. They haven’t mess with my emotions one bit friend. Are brothers preach people up to heaven, they preach what the word says. Whatever the Lord puts on their heart they’re gonna preach it. If its gonna scorch or not they’re gonna say it. PRAISE THE LORD….
And dude I didnt understand one thing u said in that one paragrah except denomination deceptive and thats true. The Christians in the bible never organized. The first organized church was Catholic (nothin against the people calm down) and after that all these other ones came. People started makin they’re own bibles, their own teachings, and b4 u know it they’re worser off then when they started.
But hey, it all comes down this. Theirs some that are called and their are some that aren’t.God doesn’t love everyone (to alot of peoples surprise) if many so called christians dont believe that read your bible. Has to be a true church somewhere, with so many false ones around. But people just give up or start reasoning (reasoning is what eve did in the Garden, its also what alot of scientist do).
Their is a God. I had a friend who use to cut herself and the scars were still there. This year at camp in Louisiana they were gone and she got up and gave her testimony. Our pastor had cancer. B4 you know it their wasn’t a sign of cancer in him. But I dont need to know that to know he lives. Just look around you and look what the bible says. ITS THE RAPTURE FRIENDS AND I CAN’T WAIT!
But in the end everyone will be a believer. No matter where they end up, they’ll believe. I pray you see it bro.
Lord bless e’ryone hope to see yall there.
July 10th, 2010 at 8:41 am
Each Christian must continue to renew his faith and relationships with God and Christ.
.. ..(2 Corinthians 4:16) Certainly the man we are inside is being renewed from day to day.
Incidentally, the rantings of this "question" have a faulty premise.
Jehovah’s Witnesses consider the Bible to be the only infallible inspired means of determining God’s will and purposes. Jehovah’s Witnesses consider the Holy Scriptures as the final word in all matters of worship, and actually encourage their adherents to elevate the bible over their emotions and the human traditions which pass as worship for too many humans.
.. ..(Matthew 15:3,9) [Jesus] said to them: “Why is it you also overstep the commandment of God because of your tradition? …It is in vain that they keep worshiping [God], because they teach commands of men as doctrines.
.. ..(Mark 7:8) Letting go the commandment of God, you hold fast the tradition of men.
.. ..(Colossians 2:8) Look out: perhaps there may be someone who will carry you off as his prey through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ