Political Crossfire Forums

[connermt]

It's my opinion that people need something to believe in (rather it be God, several gods, a magical tree, whatever) for various reasons.
I have seen many different cultures around the world & their different beliefs. Then I have reviewed research of the human mind & it got me thinking:
Would humans, by (maybe even subciounsciously) using the inner workings of our minds that we still don't understand, be able to creat God?
Someone that has the answers to things we don't have the answers to. Someone to go to when things are bad. Someone to give us hope when we can't see any hope.
I mean, if God were so great & powerful & caring as outlined w/n the Bible, wouldn't He have taken the time to touch the lives of every culture around the world @ the relative time of Jesus & not just the people in the middle east? Meaning Jesus would have went to, or he would have sent someone else to, other parts of the world on the same or similar quest as Jesus (some people do believe that he DID send Jesus to other places. Is this a way for people to try to justify the feeling of 'being left alone in the dark' by God?).
Looking at God & the Bible from a strictly secular POV, it appears that God was created by certain people living in a certain time frame in a certain place, then trying to spread their beliefs to other areas through, at least, political power. Also, the belief of God has changed (in certain degrees)over the years as cultures & society changes. I have heard "God is the same today as He was yesterday as He will be tomorrow", but that doesn't seem to be the case in regards to PEOPLE'S belief in God & what is right & what's wrong.

So, how do Christians 'combat' this train of thought? I would like to hear your opinions of this early morning ramble I am on
:)

[Gilbert1908]

connermt wrote: It's my opinion that people need something to believe in (rather it be God, several gods, a magical tree, whatever) for various reasons.
I have seen many different cultures around the world & their different beliefs. Then I have reviewed research of the human mind & it got me thinking:
Would humans, by (maybe even subciounsciously) using the inner workings of our minds that we still don't understand, be able to creat God?
Someone that has the answers to things we don't have the answers to. Someone to go to when things are bad. Someone to give us hope when we can't see any hope.
I mean, if God were so great & powerful & caring as outlined w/n the Bible, wouldn't He have taken the time to touch the lives of every culture around the world @ the relative time of Jesus & not just the people in the middle east? Meaning Jesus would have went to, or he would have sent someone else to, other parts of the world on the same or similar quest as Jesus (some people do believe that he DID send Jesus to other places. Is this a way for people to try to justify the feeling of 'being left alone in the dark' by God?).
Looking at God & the Bible from a strictly secular POV, it appears that God was created by certain people living in a certain time frame in a certain place, then trying to spread their beliefs to other areas through, at least, political power. Also, the belief of God has changed (in certain degrees)over the years as cultures & society changes. I have heard "God is the same today as He was yesterday as He will be tomorrow", but that doesn't seem to be the case in regards to PEOPLE'S belief in God & what is right & what's wrong.

So, how do Christians 'combat' this train of thought? I would like to hear your opinions of this early morning ramble I am on
:)

Christians should not combat that train of thought they embrace most of it but simply have a slightly different point of view.

You can certainly say that in virtually every culture on every continent for the entire recorded history of humanity, humankind seems to "create" God. This God "creation" almost seems hardwired into the human psyche.

Or you could say that this very same phenomena could be proof that God exists since no one can prove who "hardwired" the human psyche. But it seems more than coincidence that in a time of NO communicatio between each other and not knowing that each other exists, humanity all across the earth could create such similar belief systems, simultaneously.

God can not change, but human interpretation being what it is certainly can attempt to change God, and one must assume that if there is a God perhaps some group or individual MAY have it right. if one believes there is no God then nearly everyone is wrong.

Your question of God's ability to be a bit more demonstrative requires a more dogmatic response since it moves into the question of what your religion is, will define your belief in His level of Participation.

Since you are asking this in the Christian fourm, Christians generally believe that free will is the key to faith. That God has provided salvation and each of us must come to God. So it would be inconsistent of a loving God by His Will to simply MAKE us believe. This concept is perhaps the most difficult for doubters or nonbelievers to accept since they often question how God can PERMIT "bad" things to occur. While the Christian accepts the paradox that while God is personal to me, He has created a universe and world which is seperate from Himself.

This linkage of God to the world while keeping myself seperate from God is the schism which seperates non Christians from the ability of understanding most of what follows in Christianity. The belief that I do not answer to God, but God needs to do some explaining, therefore I am not to blame for the state of humankind, GOD is to blame.

Christ, did not come to save the WORLD He came to provide salvation for each soul in the world.

Modern thought tends to see "loving" the world as selfless, while the Christian view sees loving the world as selfish and loving others as oneself as selfless. It is in knowing what "as you love yourself" means that really makes the difference.

This gap grows wider and in my opinion is a crtical reason why non Christians misunderstand many Christian beliefs.

Great questions and no simple answers.

[connermt]

Gilbert1908 wrote: connermt wrote: It's my opinion that people need something to believe in (rather it be God, several gods, a magical tree, whatever) for various reasons.
I have seen many different cultures around the world & their different beliefs. Then I have reviewed research of the human mind & it got me thinking:
Would humans, by (maybe even subciounsciously) using the inner workings of our minds that we still don't understand, be able to creat God?
Someone that has the answers to things we don't have the answers to. Someone to go to when things are bad. Someone to give us hope when we can't see any hope.
I mean, if God were so great & powerful & caring as outlined w/n the Bible, wouldn't He have taken the time to touch the lives of every culture around the world @ the relative time of Jesus & not just the people in the middle east? Meaning Jesus would have went to, or he would have sent someone else to, other parts of the world on the same or similar quest as Jesus (some people do believe that he DID send Jesus to other places. Is this a way for people to try to justify the feeling of 'being left alone in the dark' by God?).
Looking at God & the Bible from a strictly secular POV, it appears that God was created by certain people living in a certain time frame in a certain place, then trying to spread their beliefs to other areas through, at least, political power. Also, the belief of God has changed (in certain degrees)over the years as cultures & society changes. I have heard "God is the same today as He was yesterday as He will be tomorrow", but that doesn't seem to be the case in regards to PEOPLE'S belief in God & what is right & what's wrong.

So, how do Christians 'combat' this train of thought? I would like to hear your opinions of this early morning ramble I am on
:)

Christians should not combat that train of thought they embrace most of it but simply have a slightly different point of view.

You can certainly say that in virtually every culture on every continent for the entire recorded history of humanity, humankind seems to "create" God. This God "creation" almost seems hardwired into the human psyche.

Or you could say that this very same phenomena could be proof that God exists since no one can prove who "hardwired" the human psyche. But it seems more than coincidence that in a time of NO communicatio between each other and not knowing that each other exists, humanity all across the earth could create such similar belief systems, simultaneously.

God can not change, but human interpretation being what it is certainly can attempt to change God, and one must assume that if there is a God perhaps some group or individual MAY have it right. if one believes there is no God then nearly everyone is wrong.

Your question of God's ability to be a bit more demonstrative requires a more dogmatic response since it moves into the question of what your religion is, will define your belief in His level of Participation.

Since you are asking this in the Christian fourm, Christians generally believe that free will is the key to faith. That God has provided salvation and each of us must come to God. So it would be inconsistent of a loving God by His Will to simply MAKE us believe. This concept is perhaps the most difficult for doubters or nonbelievers to accept since they often question how God can PERMIT "bad" things to occur. While the Christian accepts the paradox that while God is personal to me, He has created a universe and world which is seperate from Himself.

This linkage of God to the world while keeping myself seperate from God is the schism which seperates non Christians from the ability of understanding most of what follows in Christianity. The belief that I do not answer to God, but God needs to do some explaining, therefore I am not to blame for the state of humankind, GOD is to blame.

Christ, did not come to save the WORLD He came to provide salvation for each soul in the world.

Modern thought tends to see "loving" the world as selfless, while the Christian view sees loving the world as selfish and loving others as oneself as selfless. It is in knowing what "as you love yourself" means that really makes the difference.

This gap grows wider and in my opinion is a crtical reason why non Christians misunderstand many Christian beliefs.

Great questions and no simple answers.

Quote: Or you could say that this very same phenomena could be proof that God exists since no one can prove who "hardwired" the human psyche. But it seems more than coincidence that in a time of NO communicatio between each other and not knowing that each other exists, humanity all across the earth could create such similar belief systems, simultaneously. Interesting idea - that I never considered....

Quote: God can not change, but human interpretation being what it is certainly can attempt to change God, and one must assume that if there is a God perhaps some group or individual MAY have it right. if one believes there is no God then nearly everyone is wrong. I understand what you are saying, but this seems to be 'playing the odds' & I hope there is more to is than that!

Quote: Your question of God's ability to be a bit more demonstrative requires a more dogmatic response since it moves into the question of what your religion is, will define your belief in His level of Participation. Ah, very true - good point. But it would seem to me that it would be more even-keel across the board. Meaning that if God loved people "X" so much & sent Jesus (for everyone) but specifically to people "X", then logically (human logic really can't be used with God, as he is beyond normal understanding, but just for argument's sake) one would expect Him to do the exact same thing with other cultures....

Good replies though - anyone else?

[connermt]

Anyone else?