There is a higher power or at least there must be or this is all an exercise in futility. However the fairy tale image of God is a fabricated explanation. The Bible was written by fallible men with their own respective agendas, it isn't indisputable. When quoting a Bible verse to put across a point it proves nothing and isn't necessarily true. Not one single organized religion is correct, they're all just opinions. Prayers have no more weight than wishes and are heard by nobody. Sometimes your prayers just coincide with fate, they didn't come true. Just be good to others and comport yourself with dignity and comport yourself in a dignified manner because I'm sure whomever or whatever conceived of this world would prefer that.
I'm agnostic, and I disagree. I believe that God is exactly what we want him to be; it is up to each individual to decide on their level of beliefs. I'm anti-organized religion and am still searching for my own personal truth, but I have been known to call out "God, help me" on occasion. I believe someone hears me.
From what I can determine, every religion is a positive thing in toto, but the extremes of anything can be trouble. Anyone who studies the world, universe, and nature and doesn't believe there is some cognitive creative force seems dense to me or intellectually dishonest.
Without God in my life, I'm sure I wouldn't be here today. Wife and I are Believers. Have been and always will be!
I'm not belittling your faith in fact I'm quite impressed by it. My point is that God is more, much more than the strict vindictive taskmaster as portrayed by most religions.
Calling out in that manner isn't antithetical to your agnostic point of view, it's just more convenient than raising your eyes heavenward and qualifying your request with disclaimers.
Dennis has made a dozen claims of supposed fact with no basis. One's free to believe and express their views here of course, but I find it disheartening that people will reject God and the Bible based upon personal feelings, bad experiences, or ignorance rather than upon real evidence. I've learned not to present such evidence to those skeptics that have a committed world view against the God of the Bible and his word. It's pointless since we all see the same evidence but choose to interpret it based upon the condition of our hearts - that is, being receptive or resistant to God's Holy Spirit. May I only suggest that for those who seek God in prayer, he will open up their hearts to the truth. And that truth today, found still in the Bible, can be supported by a study of Christian apologetics. There, we can find a whole lot more reason to trust in the Divinely inspired Bible than any other religion or mortal man's philosophy.
Kind of like quoting a scientist or a government official, then? Quoting a Bible verse to someone who doesn't believe in the Bible is indeed often pointless unless it speaks to something that resonates with that person, but that doesn't speak to the validity or invalidity of the Bible.
It isn't invalid because I believe something contrary, it's invalid because it's only another man's opinion and not a handout from a divine being.
Yes, I see. If you disagree with it, then it's only an opinion and not to be taken seriously. Gotcha.
So just for the sake of argument...how does the God of the Bible differ from your vision of that higher power?
I agree. I have always wondered how so many people accept the Bible (with God's word in red...who was there to write that down??) as a factual account. The answer is "faith," in which I am lacking.
in the Bible it says that His word will not come back void...so a verse if believed or not...will not come back void... God bless you