Summations Only

You talk and then you listen. In fact, it is wise to do more listening than talking. Notice Moses in Does it not seem as if the Lord is talking with Moses? I suppose to skeptical questioners such as you, there would be no evidence...but the fact that you get answers would be a clue...unless you attributed the answers to your own internal sub conscious.
It is always wise to question inner voices...even still small ones...so another clue would be if the answer sounded right. By this I dont mean that the answer is simply what you want...I mean if the answer hints at wisdom...when you intuitively know it sounds right even if you may not agree with it. Don't be afraid to question any and all authority. You have read the Bible. It often speaks of people talking with God and not just to Him.You belief at this point is your decision and your responsibility.

Why do you lump these 3 characters together? I know that both Santa and the Tooth Fairy are characters invented by humanity. When I was a child i may have written a letter to Santa. Even on TV the local weatherman would report that Santas sleigh was enroute. As for the tooth fairy, I simply put my tooth under the pillow and found 50 cents in the morning, though even then I suspected my parents were involved. As for the God mentioned in Numbers 8 I do not see a similar character in the same way.To acknowledge that the early Bible was simply human invented stories does not sit well with me. At the very least, these people believed that they were talking with God...just as many of us do today when we pray. The writers believed what they wrote, in my opinion. You cannot say the same for the other two characters...except perhaps that a small child believes that they really hear Santa on the roof. The comparison is not the same. The legends were foreknown to be myth by adults. . And after testing with logic, reason, and reality I do not arrive at the same conclusions you have reached. I do not see the character of God how you teach Him. ---You are quite certain your beliefs are wrong, chiefly because in my opinion you have a higher regard for logic, reason, and reality than you do to your belief. I refuse to assign a probability to my beliefs since such a calculation is impossible...unless you believe the critics and skeptics who denounce scripture. Many are learned. Most are unaffected by traditional bias or mythos. Honestly, I don't trust the wisdom(nor the motive) of these people. They have no solid case. They are in fact unbelievers.Edited by Phat, : No reason given.Edited by Phat, : No reason given.Edited by Phat, : edited

I did some quick research and found the following:

all that we have are reports. Some take scripture as authoritative and others do not. What is written is all we have.On a personal note, I have not clearly heard an inner voice except once. Even then I have no way of verifying it.we do have an inner conscience however...

It would be interesting to find out how many different writers George Lucas used. Or if he wrote the whole story. And whether he knew (he did) that it was intended to be a story before he even wrote it. The analogy falls flat.

Nobody's salvation is in their own hands...apart from belief and surrender. Good works wont get you there.Edited by Phat, : No reason given.

Noah and God both.

The belief is necessary to listen to the instructions. People cant just run off doing random works and expect this to be proof of their faith. They would only be having faith in their own preconceived righteousness. To obey requires belief. Edited by Phat, : added

If Paul had believed this, he would have had no need to preach Christ. We do not need evidence to choose to believe. It may not be wise to choose not to choose Jesus while awaiting further evidence. In the meantime, go on doing what you know to be right...by all means....but it would be a mistake to wait until the apple falls from the tree and knocks you out rather than choosing to believe in gravity without evidence.

Noah, however...as well as Abraham...were obedient to God. They did not desire to be free from authority. On the contrary, they listened to authority and did what God said. They did so willingly.

whose authority are you under?

Yes...perhaps a celestial leprechaun would by definition be of no help...even if you got a pot of gold and all the lucky charms you could eat.You are convinced that you need nothing apart from what you have been given.Perhaps if I am your "Clarence" I have not earned my wings just yet.If GOD is useful as a font of wisdom, why not just seek wise humans?If GOD is useful due to magic, a whole new debate will ensue over whether magic actually exists and what it is by definition.If GOD is useful only as a voice of conscience which we all interpret differently, why are we even having a debate?Personally, I believe that GOD wants some form of relationship with everyone. The Trinity is, to me, simply GOD and Jesus who shared the same Spirit. You and Stile see no evidence nor even need of such a communion..thus perhaps you can find it among humanity alone.If I am Clarence, however, the verdict is still out on whether or not we will have a relationship ongoing. I certainly plan on hanging in there...as long as Percy provides the platform.

OK. If so, is it possible that all atheists have already been given the opportunity to know God? The next question is why would one prefer to ignore Him? (Stay hypothetical in your answer. ) Just because you lack evidence...is that any reason to ignore Him? What is it you would hypothetically want from Him that is any different from what I want from Him?

deletedEdited by Phat, : No reason given.

Maybe this explains it Tangle. My irrationality has been notably more prevalent lately.