I will ask him why Dan called himself an Antichrist, but look at Christian porn.
Thats kind of a private matter I think.
I don’t know…I have so many things I would like to ask God. Let me think on it and then I’ll come back and give you my question.
Creationists? Really?
I’ve got to go with Merlinfairy on this one. Why? is the only question that even comes close to grasping just how much explaining God would have to do.
“Do you mind if I ask more than just one question?”
Who made him?… OR… How in hell did he come down to earth as a baby and still run the world if it is said that the world cant exist without him?.. .. One of those two …
If I could ask god one question I wouldn’t really have to ask anything because the one thing I really want to know is if he is real.
I’d ask him if my Dad is in Heaven.
<8
Haha..i’d ask him if he is making my child constantly scream because i had sex before i was married. I think that’s what the problem is.
Where did you get your sense of humor?
“Explain a woman.” (that’s from my husband, and also not in question form. Go figure.)
Actually, I wouldn’t ask him anything. I’d just say THANK YOU.
We keep waiting and watching for Christ’s return…when will Jesus return??
Why he’s made all these different religions that cause so many problems.
and from the amazing CS Lewis:
“Now I know why you offer no answer: You are yourself the answer. Before your face all questions fade away. What other answer would suffice?”
Dude, what is up with this who Addison’s Disease thing?
Another question (if I may be so bold as to ask two) would be, “Was it worth it?”
Why?
Just one question, need a lifetime to find the best one maybe
What were you thinking?!
I’d ask: Do you do yoga?
When I am tempted to question God, I remember Job 38-42 and think better of my temerity.
HMM…….I think a good question would be …does he have more than one earth…one thats less expensive to survive in?
why do bad things happen to good people?
“Why?”
Why the years of ”the Jeffersons” syndication?! WHY lord?! *weeps*
Oh wow, that’s a huge question, massive. Umm, probably, I’d ask how he came up with love. There’s so much more though, I can’t even begin to explain.
“What makes you happy?”
@sarahellie - I like your comments. Especially the one quoting CS Lewis.
Read my blog and you’ll find out.
Why can’t we all just get along?
I’m afraid that I’d only ask a worthless question satisfying my own curiousity rather than something helpful to humanity.
@x3_Wonderwall - “Do you mind if I ask more than just one question?”
His answer: “Yes”
omg, i have no clue, i have so many questions that need to be answered, that i probably can’t come up with one good question which answer would satisfy me.
I’d ask him if he could forgive my father and mother and all the people I loath.
‘cuz I can’t find myself to do it.
Assuming he existed.
That suggests that God would have the answer. When something tragic happens people with faith knowingly and acceptingly say “It was God’s will”. We cannot understand why God does things, but if it happened and we don’t like it, then it was God’s will.
What is God then? It’s funny to think of human attributes on the unknowable, but literal belief in an antiquated text that had been passed on for 1000s of years via oral tradition before being written down then translated numerous times before it every reached any of our eyes…
The will of God is that anything out of our control is his will, but he looks like us, he wants like us, except he is completely out of our control.
Do you know what God is? Chaos. God is Chaos. Roll the dice and what happens is the will of God.
So if you turn your will over to God, then what are you really doing?
You’re letting go of control. You are turning your will over to that which cannot be controlled.
Sounds kind of like letting go, lightening up?
A lot of people would do well to try that.
Easy does it. Of course, I fucking hate that slogan, my father taught it to me when I was 10 or so. They were all over his apartment, on stickers, in drawers, everywhere.
Why question to God is that I have none. Let Go.
You can’t know Gods will, so accept it, everything. Even creationists.
Why do pro-life people foam at the mouth? They do not accept what they cannot control.
Why do Muslim extremists blow themselves up? The do not accept what they cannot control.
Why do I drink myself to death? I do not accept what I cannot control.
I CAN control this drink though, so let’s here it for CONTROL.
Right creationists? You will win someday if you keep fighting, just like I will win if I keep drinking.
Who made him? What happens after death? Why did he put a depressed, lonely, bumbling, confused person like me on his earth? Could I have the same voice as Angela Gheorghiu, pretty please? Why did he create the world? Was my destiny predetermined or am I driving the bus?
Oh, did you say just one?
“Um….Am I going to make the cut?”
What parts of the Bible are true and what parts have been skewed over the years.
Where’s Osama?
RYC: How did you do?
who do some of your followers think war is the answer to everything?
OH WAIT
why do all the people who believe in you, fight over how to believe you? when truly, they believe you as their one god. (Jews, Christians, Muslims)
I have no idea what I would ask Him. I would ask Him maybe something along the lines of “Is predestination real? If not, how do You have a plan for people’s lives and still let them make their own choices?”
I would want to know the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. And if the answer was 42, let’s just say I’d be extremely pissed.
I’d ask if I could have another T-shirt
*grins*
always,
Tyger.
Does this shirt make me look fat?
I’m obviously not God and will never claim to be, but the following answers are answers that are indeed answerable by human beings via the Bible and need not be asked to God again, because you’d more than likely get the same answers.
@Black_Harlequin - He hasn’t made any religions, man has. Even the notion that
Christianity is a religion is man-made; it’s a relationship with Jesus,
not a religion.
@countryangel926 -
Define “Good.” Our best deeds are but filthy rags to the Lord. No one
deserves anything from Him, we were given His precious gift of salvation by grace and by no means, in any way shape or form, deserve it.
As for my question, I’d just kind of like to know how he really feels about some of the issues that are portrayed very vaguely in the Bible or maybe even controversial things that aren’t mentioned at all. For instance, abortion, gays, that kind of thing. As for now, all we can do as Christians is see everyone through the eyes of God, and to do that, all you need is love!
God Bless,
Chris
What can I do for you?
May I please have ten more questions?
Why me?
I’ll ask why he lets mean people just go on an on without even a scratch. A lot of them who call themselves Christians and go to church every time they have a meeting. People keep saying, “they’ll get theirs” but it seems like they never do. I want justice/revenge …now. I’m down in the dumps…can you tell?
“What would you have me do with my life?”
I dont think I could ask him anything. I think if I were in his presence, my questions that I have at this moment wouldn’t matter.
Why would you drop us on a planet with no idea what we’re doing and expect us to find you without a scrap of evidence of your existance?
Or, well…how did my mom really die?
What the fuck is wrong with you? Quickly followed by: Do I have to stay in Heaven? Because eternity with a you is torture.
This question is kind of interesting. When all of us read it, we assume that we will be face-to-face with him when we do it. Therefore we are assuming God exists. But if we are in agreement that God exists, then why aren’t we asking these questions already? I mean, do we not have the ability to pray? Can we not ask God a question any time we want, and receive His answer if we are willing to listen? Anything that is important to our salvation can be answered any time we want. There are certain things that I’ve thought to myself “Once I die, I’m totally going to figure out what really happened” for whatever event. But I’m not sure if I’ll still care after I die. I’m not sure if I even still care now, since I can’t remember any of those curiosities. And that’s all it is. Curiosity.
“Did OJ do it?” “Did this person lie to me?” “Am I really as ugly as everybody says I am?”
Anything that is truly important, I’ve already asked him, and know the anwer to, including most of the questions that people above me would ask. And anything important that I haven’t asked yet, I can ask once I think of it. Some good ones that I might ask him someday, if I ever feel it is important enough to ask him, might involve Christopher Columbus and the American Revolutionary War, but I really don’t care enough right now.
I really don’t mean to sound pompous or preachy, I mostly just think that it’s ironic that we’re all waiting around until we die to ask God these questions, when they could be asked any time.
Moving away from the bolt of lightning arcing towards the sacrilegious. How dare you question God! Loki is not pleased.
if there is a god i’d ask him…………… ”God, why did you create me..?…do you have something better in store??..becuz if not i would like to end my life.”
I’d ask… Can you do me a favor and strike my ex boyfriend with lightning?
Can I have a guided tour of the universe?
Either that or … “Boxers or Briefs?”
One question:
Is all this amusing to you?
Do you want fries with that? lol
Daniel (doubledb)
Being that my family (parents, gparents, brother, dogs) are the most important thing to me, will I be with them in Heaven?
Why do guys have it so much easier!!!!!
i dont think i would really ask anything… i would just say something simple and meaningful. a thank you.
“I really don’t mean to sound pompous or preachy, I mostly just think
that it’s ironic that we’re all waiting around until we die to ask God
these questions, when they could be asked any time.”
“Anything that is truly important, I’ve already asked him, and know the
anwer to, including most of the questions that people above me would
ask.”
I guess you just need to ask all these questions for us and tell us the answers then. Or, since you’ve already apparently asked Him and discovered most the mysteries of the universe yourself, maybe let everyone else in on those secrets?
boxers or briefs?
aww crap. someone already asked my question.
i dont think i would have anything to say to Him or Her. i guess i would ask if i could be reincarnated as a poodle next time around.
“Any of you who lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not.”
If you are unwilling to ask God yourself, you will not like the answers I relate to you. None of them are secrets. Some of them may be mysteries, but only to those who refuse to try to understand.
I’m very sorry that I sound so preachy. It is normally not in my nature to have these types of discussions with complete strangers, or even with people I know really well. But since the entire post is centered around religion, I didn’t think it’d be too disrespectful to share my beliefs.
Personally I feel that you don’t actually care about the answers that you’re asking for, and instead want me to give you some fuel to belittle me with. But if I’m wrong, and you’re truly interested in the answers, let me know. But even if I give them to you, you’ll still need to pray and ask God if what I said was true, with real intent, having faith that He will answer you. You could do that right away, and cut out the middle man (me). Or maybe you (or someone else reading) already have, and has provided me as a reference point. I’m not sure if I’ve ever been an answer to a prayer before. Might be kinda fun.
Once again, me saying that I’m an answer to a prayer sounds incredibly pretentious, especially to those who don’t believe in God, or answers to prayers. And I’m not saying that I AM an answer to a prayer. I just know that other people have been an answer to my prayers before, and they did not know it at the time. It therefore could be possible that that is happening to me currently.
If anyone (probably everyone) has taken this to be incredibly Holier-Than-Thou, I’m truly sorry. I hate when people do that, and it is certainly not my intention.
I would ask why are we born in to this world and whats the purpose?????
“How are you?”
Every time I ask Him something it ends up having to start with, “Will you forgive me?”….unfortunately.
…And I wonder why those who do not believe in God have to write such long paragraphs to try to convince….us?
So was the bible fiction or non-fiction?
Why create innocent children and then on their tails nasty pedifiles who defile that innocence?
I would ask Him “What is my purpose in life?”
I have to ask 3.
1 – How is it that you have always existed? 2 – Why did you allow the degree of evil to become so horrendous? (I know that evil exists because of our own freewill to be evil.) 3 – Why do people have to suffer eternally? (Those that aren’t saved.)
Why don’t you intervene?
Gosh, Dan. I don’t even know where to start… So many questions. I’m afraid I won’t get to know the answers until I’m in heaven though.
I ask God questions all the time…he doesn’t always answer in the ways I want him to.
Well, if God was going to answer one of of my questions, and I actually to meet him, I’d have to find another question.
” Do you exsist? ”
Whoops, typo. “Do you exist?”
Is it over?
Assuming he would answer the question as quickly as he has all those wasted prayers from so long ago…. when this once little girl believed that he was real….. i would have to ask “What did i do so wrong?”
May I please come home now? Please?
WHAT WOULD MY LIFE WILL BE?
I’d ask him how come there’s no good movies out lately
“None of them are secrets. Some of them may be mysteries, but only to those who refuse to try to understand.”
God obviously doesn’t answer all questions clearly, because that would make both philosophy and theology a pointless area of study for Christians.
Why did great Christian theologians/philosophers like St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Kant not profess to have all the answers and differ in thought and opinion on some of the greater mysteries of life? Were they just not trying hard enough? Why do so many denominations exist when all that needs to be done is ask God what is the absolute right way? There are plenty of mysteries and unknowns in life and to deny this is either ignorance or naivety.
I would ask him where the hell he’s been for the past 2000 years of humanity. Betcha he passed out.
I will ask actually who am I. Sometimes, I feel confuse about myself, my future….I really want to know who am I.
of course there are plenty of mysteries and unknowns. However, how many of them are really important enough for my salvation?
As far as the great thinkers of history, why is it so insane to think that man could have learned more about the mysteries of God since they lived hundreds of years ago? Those men took great steps towards the world’s recovery from The Great Apostacy, but they were only able to do so much.
Once again, if you truly wanted me to help you answer those questions for yourself, I would. But you don’t care. You do not truly want to know. You probably have not bothered trying to actually ask, with real intent, just as most others on the earth have not. I have a testimony of personal revelation, because I have received answers to my prayers. I suspect that you do NOT have a testimony of personal revelation because God won’t answer your questions if you never ask Him.
Dear God,
When will it all be over?
You never CALL, you never WRITE, a little success and all of a sudden you’re too BUSY….?
Why do I have stumpy leggs. Everything else is fine except my freakin legs!!!
well my arms too but thats another complaint.
If you could ask God one question, what would you ask Him?
“of course there are plenty of mysteries and unknowns. However, how many of them are really important enough for my salvation?”
You just went from saying that if people want to know these mysterious and unknowns (like many of the previous people commenting have asked), all one simply has to do is ask God. My point was these are mysterious and unknowns for a reason, we (the human race) does not have all the answers. Asking God does not derive concrete answers to which one can answer these questions.
“As far as the great thinkers of history, why is it so insane to think
that man could have learned more about the mysteries of God since they
lived hundreds of years ago?”
My point was not that it would be insanity to assume more knowledge could be obtained (or different arguments presented, old arguments reformatted) about theological and philosophical issues, but it is ignorance to assume man can obtain all the answers to life. It has not been done yet, by the some of the world’s greatest thinkers, so I was curious on how (and why) you could think you have been given most of the answers by God, when greater man in the past have apparently been ignored.
“But you don’t care. You do not truly want to know.”
Be very careful when you attempt to articulate the wants and desires of others.
“You probably have not bothered trying to actually ask, with real intent, just as most others on the earth have not.”
Once again, assumptions along these lines are bound to spark up an emotional response in most people and the level of presumption involved here can be easily viewed as very arrogant.
“Once again, if you truly wanted me to help you answer those questions for yourself, I would.”
I never desired your help in obtaining answers. No offense, but your qualifications are probably lacking compared to other sources I would prefer to contemplate on.
“I have a testimony of personal revelation, because I have received
answers to my prayers. I suspect that you do NOT have a testimony of
personal revelation because God won’t answer your questions if you
never ask Him.”
The fact I believe that I don’t believe personal revelation is too likely makes this point not too effective on me.
(I need to glance over what I write before I hit submit) Edit: “The fact I believe that I don’t believe personal revelation is too likely makes this point not too effective on me.”= The fact that I view personal revelation as unlikely, essentially makes this statement moot.
did you ever hear me?
Not so sure I’d ask a question. I’m so very thankful and very blessed because of Him. He already knows the desires of things I wonder about. If He wants me know, He will tell me.
And who am I to ask God “Why?” about anything? He definitely doesn’t owe me any explanations! So will all due respect for Him, not sure I could spit out a word even if I wanted to, at least to anything trivial.
All though, I think the most appropriate question would be, “Will you please forgive me?”.
“Where’s the cheat sheet?”
When can I come home?
@whataboutbahb - “The fact that I view personal revelation as unlikely, essentially makes this statement moot.”
I may have been assuming before, but I was right. You choose to try to glean answers from men who didn’t have them, only questions. I choose to receive answers from the One who has all of them.
“Asking God does not derive concrete answers to which one can answer these questions.”
Are there answers out there that I don’t know? Of course. However, the answers I have are sufficient for my needs. I’m not exactly sure what you meant by the last part of this phrase, but I disagree with the first part whole-heartedly. Asking God does derive concrete answers. It happens everyday. To millions of people.
Those great thinkers of the past have not been ignored. They have formulated great theories, and have been blessed with great intelligence. But perhaps the questions they were asking were not important. You are most assuredly more knowledgable about these people, and which questions they wanted answered, but do you know if any of them asked God for the answer? I do not suppose myself to be greater than any of these men. But it does not take greater intelligence to understand the mysteries of God (not the mysteries of the world), just faith.
It is funny to me that you don’t know the answers to all the questions being asked, and decide that the best way to obtain them would be to study about people who profess to not have the answers. However, I, who you have no idea who I am, you have deemed underqualified. Even though I claim I do.
These are important questions. They’re questions that the other commentors feel they need to ask God, about the very nature of God and His church. What better person to ask is there, than God?
I think I would ask him “why do you make the worst things happen to the best of people, yet the people that deserve the worst always seem to get the best in life?”
Because that pisses me off.
I’d have to ask him…if he would help me find myself again….
“Where in the hell is Bigfoot hiding?”
That would be the start of my master plan to find and kill Bigfoot, sell his hairy ass on E Bay, and reap an untold fortune.
Will I see you in Heaven?
Who’s your parents?
’nuff said…
I would just ask him why.
Are you happy or sorrow?
What is the purpose of it all ?
“It is funny to me that you don’t know the answers to all the
questions being asked, and decide that the best way to obtain them
would be to study about people who profess to not have the answers.
However, I, who you have no idea who I am, you have deemed
underqualified. Even though I claim I do.”
Under qualified was a nice way to put that I think you have no fucking clue what you are talking about. One of the few things I believe in life is that there are some answers in life which are merely unknowable. For me, people who confess to know all the answers are either liars, or just really fucking dumb.
“I may have been assuming before, but I was right. You choose to try to
glean answers from men who didn’t have them, only questions. I choose
to receive answers from the One who has all of them.”
Do you want me to start a list of the assumptions that you made in the previous comment that were completely wrong (as well being completely insulting to me as a person based on my character and life experience)?
” I choose to receive answers from the One who has all of them.”
No, you choose to pray to an invisible entity. And then attribute things that happen (along with thoughts and feelings you experience during your “spiritual time) in the real world to this being. The fact you have deluded yourself into thinking this being has given you answers to the great mysterious in life means nothing to me beyond the fact I hold you to be a little delusional.
“Asking God does derive concrete answers. It happens everyday. To millions of people.”
When’s the last time a person actually HEARD (not experienced, not “felt”) the voice of God? It just doesn’t happen. And if it’s happening to you I would be under the impression that you need to start anti-psychosis meds.
“But it does not take greater intelligence to understand the mysteries of God (not the mysteries of the world), just faith.”
Incorrect.
Our views are really incompatible. We can keep this dialogue up, but more then likely it is just going to completely degrade into us just insulting each other. And I doubt that either side is going to be able to shift the other on any of his views in this area. So I suggest we end it.
why you make me come to this world!!??
i would ask him Will the world flood and end??????????
if i really believed and knew if he was real and if i could i would ask him why he gave people life…? (why do we actually live)
Were you kidding?
Why do You love me – my fallen self?
“What on earth were you thinking?”
Is my brother okay?
I think I’d have to go with a very simple one word question. Why?
I had a dream about this! I was with my physics teacher and we both got to ask God questions. (My physics teacher is very philosophical, political, humanist, you name it.) I don’t remember what happened in the dream, but when I told my teacher about it and asked him what he’d ask, he got very angry. XD;
“What the Hell, man?!”
Are you really bowling up there when theres thunder? : p
If I was in His presence…I would bow down before Him and praise Him, thank Him, sing to Him, dance for Him…
If I could I would ask Him so very many questions. Some would be… “Was it literally 7 days or not for creation?” “Why
did you kill off the dinosaurs?” “How is your hand in evolution?” “Did
we really descend from a one celled creature?” “Why didn’t you send
Jesus earlier?” “How can we love gays, but not their sin?” “How painful was it for you to see Jesus die on the cross?” “When is Jesus coming back?” “What one human sin hurt you the worst?” “Why don’t we see the Spirit at work more often?”
I can’t think of the top question that I would ask Him – maybe how could He love us so much? I would rather just thank Him for loving me and continuing to love me.
I wouldn’t ask Him a thing because He answers everything in Scripture in some way or other. I would just say “Thank you for saving me despite all my weaknesses and giving me faith in you.” Thank you for YOUR grace!
…don’t all of our paths lead to you?
i would ask exactly what my purpose is.
“Why did I deserve to live?”
What do you plan on doing with my life? ie:marriage, career, children, everything.
Lol… I find it funny that certain people will ask a question that forces a certain trait upon God. Questions such as ones that imply God controls everything instead of sharing his power with us, and ones that imply that evil originated with God, or ones that imply that if we suffer it is always God punishing us for something we did wrong. In order to find true answers, one needs to ask the right (true) questions.
I would ask Him about creation; why he created us and what his thoughts were in doing so.
“and ones that imply that evil originated with God”
How is that deniable? From a pure Christian theological perspective that outlook still holds true (everything originated from God, thus evil has to originate from God).
I’m still a little disappointed that no one got (or at least pointed out) my initial Douglas Adams reference.
”God, are u operating somewhere in the northwestern USA as Santa Claus at Christmas functions?”
Will we ever be able to communicate with your other parts of creation besides Earth or will we destroy ourselves first?
I guess that would depend on when the question would take place…right now it would be “Have I come close to accomplishing my purpose here on earth?” or better yet- “What is my personal purpose here on earth?”
No, from a Christian perspective, just as darkness is simply the lack of light, so evil is simply the lack of God in the universe (in terms of present action and guidance).
What was your Douglas Adams reference? I don’t read all the comments.
@as_i_grow - “Do I have to stay in Heaven? Because eternity with a you is torture.”
And God’s answer would be… “Heaven? Who ever said this was Heaven?”
“so evil is simply the lack of God in the universe (in terms of present action and guidance).”
I think most Christian theologians would disagree with that analysis and prefer to define evil as the perversion of good. Take Lucifer as the ultimate example.
I was once going to ask God why He allowed so much pain and suffering in the world when he could have done something about it…. then I realized he could have asked the same of me.
Why did he give us emotions then stick us in the places where if you do show emotions you are considered”flawed” in some way.
Why?
Yo, God? What is your plan for my life: in detail, with diagrams?
wow, some really good arguments at the end there. Basically “you’re dumb” and “you’re wrong”. Very civilized thought process.
I also enjoy how if I don’t hear God’s voice, I’m wrong. But if I do hear God’s voice, I’m wrong. Another stunning argument.
I was really trying to be nice to you before, and share beliefs. But your last post was completely insulting, and nothing else. I agree that we should end this conversation, because it should have never started. You have no place even posting on this topic, because you disagree with the main premise. If you define God as an invisible entity, then you won’t be able to ask him a question, will you? So let those who actually believe you can ask God questions talk here, and you can go post on non-God related posts.
If you felt that I insulted you in previous posts, I’m truly sorry. And yes, I would like you to point out which of my assumptions about you were incorrect and insulting. I don’t remember making any other than those about your relationship with God, which appear to have all been correct, as it appears to be non-existant. Unless you’re fond of making relationships with invisible entities.
I’m sorry to have started this conversation with someone who is not interested in having a conversation. You still have not grasped what I’ve been saying. I have not professed to know every answer in the world. I am not a liar, nor am I dumb, and it was extremely rude of you to call me either of those things, especially with such vulgarity. You are correct in your belief that there are some things in life that are unknowable. But the God of Christianity knows all. And the God of Christianity can be prayed to at any time, and answers prayers. Anything that He feels it is important for you to know, he can tell you. I was under (the perhaps incorrect) assumption that this entire post was dealing with asking a question to God, who was very similar to the God of Christianity. Therefore, I think that everything I have said has been completely logical under these assumptions.
If you feel that we can continue this conversation without degrading to further insults, feel free, and I will likewise do my best to avoid insults myself.
You haven’t been posting on Dan’s site till recently (to my knowledge) and that might explain your confusion on why someone who doesn’t necessarily hold the same views on God and religion would post on a topic that, yes, seems to be directed to a particular crowd. This blog seems meant for people with different views to come together and comment on such things. Just read through the comments on the first few pages or so of this particular post. There are plenty of non-Christians posting comments.
And yes, I will admit. My first comment directed at you was much too sarcastic and I could have conveyed my point without being so aggressive.
My second comment was more neutral, but I guess the “attack” nature of my first comment already had you convinced I was merely trying to poke fun at you, which honestly was not my intention.
As for assumptions that you made:
“Once again, if you truly wanted me to help you answer those questions for yourself, I would. But you don’t care.”
But the crux of the matter is I do care. Deeply. And I really felt no need to ask you any of my questions I have, for it is more then likely that you would not be able to provide me with answers that would be new to me after I have lived most of my entire life attending a Christian school, going to church every Sunday for the majority of my life, having 2 missionaries for parents, and spending too much of my free time (or maybe not enough) reading theology and philosophy. You gave off the impression that you wanted to provide me the basic “this is how you get saved and why knowledge” and I have no interest in hearing something that was not new to me. If it was a theological discussion, that’s fine by me, that’s interesting. If it’s “this is how you get saved,” this is knowledge I already am aware of.
“You do not truly want to know.”
Once again, this is very incorrect. I very much want to know everything I do not know. I have a thirst for knowledge. Saying something like this to someone who’s life is partially devoted to gaining as much knowledge as possible is very insulting.
“You probably have not bothered trying to actually ask, with real intent, just as most others on the earth have not.”
I remember back in, I think it was, 10th grade asking God with all my heart for some sort of sign so I could be sure that He actually did exist. Maybe this can be seen as trying to test God and that’s why I received no answer. Or maybe it’s because I was attempting to take faith out of the equation, something that is very important to the Christian faith. All I can say is this question was being asked by a Christian (someone who asked God to come inside their heart and for Christ to be their savior), and not by a unbeliever looking for a reason to believe in Christianity. And this question was being asked because of a Christian culture that emphasized speaking to God to such a point that I assumed something was wrong with me since I never actually had had a conversation with God (and when I say conversation I don’t mean those emotional prayers where you feel goosebumps and feel touched, I mean actually talk, communicate back and forth). I wanted a validation of I was an actual Christian and I had an actual relationship with Him. I remember wanting so badly for any sort of validation of this, any sign that He was actually there, I didn’t care what it took. I prayed to God to make me blind, so at least I knew He was there and He was acknowledging me. And if I go blind, say 5,10 years from now, maybe that is God communicating with me finally.
So really, how do you suppose someone who has spent nights in agony searching for answers and just feeling cold when he finds none, in his mind; how is he suppose to feel when you assume, and state as such, that he hasn’t even honestly asked for answers in the first place? My first initial response was the desire to simply type a short, succinct “fuck you” to your post because of these two sentences of yours.
“I suspect that you do NOT have a testimony of personal revelation because God won’t answer your questions if you never ask Him.”
I do not have a testimony of personal revelation, you are correct. It was not due to lack of asking though. It was due to a lack of response.
So those were the list of assumptions that offended me. And that is why I warned you about the dangers of making such assumptions in my following reply. The fact that your reply to that was to not even acknowledge that you might have made assumptions that could have been off base, but was to use things I said as a means to support why those assumptions about me had to be true….well not too many people are going to respond kindly too that. And I didn’t.
To go back to my original point I meant to convey- Even assuming Christianity and God to be 100% true, the fact remains God does not communicate clearly with humans, at least he hasn’t for the last 2,000 years. Prayer is a very important tool to talk with Him, but the scope of the communication is somewhat limited to talking to Him and not back and forth. Sure if a issue weighs on your heart you can spend time reading the Bible and then praying about it and this can lead to you decision; the fact is though there is no simple answer to many things such as something like “is baptism required (or you can lessen the severeness and just ask if it is important) for your salvation?” If 1,000 devote Christians ask that with true intent and honestly seeking the true answer, all 1,000 people will not give the same answer. This is because God simply does not speak in actual words that are easily understood to His believers. If He did that would simplify things a great bit and there would be only one Christian denomination, not hundreds.
you know, I’m actually kinda sorry that things started this way, because you seem like a cool enough guy. I’m sorry to have insulted you on something that you have cared deeply about. I could go into my thoughts on your experiences, but it would all be speculation, and you wouldn’t be interested anyways.
You should know though, that I never had any intention of telling you or anybody else how to “be saved”, especially since I don’t remember that being one of the questions anybody wanted answered. But a lot of the simple questions about the nature of God, or why he structures things a certain way, I feel I know the answers to. Did I attain them all from scratch myself? no. But I have listened to many teachings, and have prayed about each of them, and asked which are true, and have received answers. True, the heavens did not open, and God’s voice did not boom down upon me and cause me to go blind, but the message was relayed to me in such a way that I could not deny the truth of it.
The relationship that you were looking for is not the “relationship of an actual christian”, that type of relationship is reserved for Prophets. I don’t recall each of Moses’ disciples having that relationship with God. God talked to Moses, and Moses talked to them.
I don’t have any problem with non-christians posting here. But most of the other ones kept it to simple, funny, nonsensical questions. They did not tear other people down for their beliefs.
Where did my cat run off to..?
i’d probably ask if i’m going to heaven, actually.
Well, I’ve probably read up on many more theologians than you have since Biblical Studies is my minor. (Am I wrong?) So taking into account the dozens and dozens of theologians I’ve read, I can honestly say that more of them consider evil the lack of God than simply moral corruption or perversion of good. Those things form naturally without God. They are more a result OF the lack of God.
yes
I’d ask him why Dan is updating so much today. Oh yeah, he’s after those credits.
Perhaps I spoke too hastily. I was under the impression, from what I’ve read, that the majority thought otherwise. To me that definition of evil seems more like a cop out and brings up further issues of God’s omnipotence. I mean, a definition of evil as the perversion of good, allows God to be the creator of all, and can still allow evil, and the suffering, to still work for the Good, according to God’s plan. I mean its been awhile and I never read it in its entirety, but isn’t that how C.S. Lewis describes evil and suffering in The Problem of Pain (if you have read it)?
Also, defining evil as the absence of God makes the existence of Lucifer a problem. Isn’t Satan the essence of the perversion of good? I mean I guess it could be argued that pride separated Lucifer from God completely allowed such evil to manifest itself, but to me that seems like a stretch. Maybe you know of a better rationale, relying on the definition of evil as the absence of God, to explain Lucifer’s fall.
“WTF?!”
I’d ask him what he does on his free time.
Ha.
God, did you made me by mistake? Because I feel like you hate me. That bring up my second question; do you hate me?
Comments (158)
I will ask him why Dan called himself an Antichrist, but look at Christian porn.
Thats kind of a private matter I think.
I don’t know…I have so many things I would like to ask God. Let me think on it and then I’ll come back and give you my question.
Creationists? Really?
I’ve got to go with Merlinfairy on this one. Why? is the only question that even comes close to grasping just how much explaining God would have to do.
“Do you mind if I ask more than just one question?”
Who made him?… OR…
How in hell did he come down to earth as a baby and still run the world if it is said that the world cant exist without him?.. ..
One of those two …
If I could ask god one question I wouldn’t really have to ask anything because the one thing I really want to know is if he is real.
I’d ask him if my Dad is in Heaven.
<8
Haha..i’d ask him if he is making my child constantly scream because i had sex before i was married. I think that’s what the problem is.
Where did you get your sense of humor?
“Explain a woman.” (that’s from my husband, and also not in question form. Go figure.)
Actually, I wouldn’t ask him anything. I’d just say THANK YOU.
We keep waiting and watching for Christ’s return…when will Jesus return??
Why he’s made all these different religions that cause so many problems.
and from the amazing CS Lewis:
“Now I know why you offer no answer: You are yourself the answer. Before your face all questions fade away. What other answer would suffice?”
Dude, what is up with this who Addison’s Disease thing?
Another question (if I may be so bold as to ask two) would be, “Was it worth it?”
Why?
Just one question, need a lifetime to find the best one maybe
What were you thinking?!
I’d ask: Do you do yoga?
When I am tempted to question God, I remember Job 38-42 and think better of my temerity.
HMM…….I think a good question would be …does he have more than one earth…one thats less expensive to survive in?
why do bad things happen to good people?
“Why?”
Why the years of ”the Jeffersons” syndication?! WHY lord?! *weeps*
Oh wow, that’s a huge question, massive. Umm, probably, I’d ask how he came up with love. There’s so much more though, I can’t even begin to explain.
“What makes you happy?”
@sarahellie - I like your comments.
Especially the one quoting CS Lewis.
Read my blog and you’ll find out.
Why can’t we all just get along?
I’m afraid that I’d only ask a worthless question satisfying my own curiousity rather than something helpful to humanity.
@x3_Wonderwall - “Do you mind if I ask more than just one question?”
His answer: “Yes”
omg, i have no clue, i have so many questions that need to be answered, that i probably can’t come up with one good question which answer would satisfy me.
I’d ask him if he could forgive my father and mother and all the people I loath.
‘cuz I can’t find myself to do it.
Assuming he existed.
That suggests that God would have the answer. When something tragic happens people with faith knowingly and acceptingly say “It was God’s will”. We cannot understand why God does things, but if it happened and we don’t like it, then it was God’s will.
What is God then? It’s funny to think of human attributes on the unknowable, but literal belief in an antiquated text that had been passed on for 1000s of years via oral tradition before being written down then translated numerous times before it every reached any of our eyes…
The will of God is that anything out of our control is his will, but he looks like us, he wants like us, except he is completely out of our control.
Do you know what God is? Chaos. God is Chaos. Roll the dice and what happens is the will of God.
So if you turn your will over to God, then what are you really doing?
You’re letting go of control. You are turning your will over to that which cannot be controlled.
Sounds kind of like letting go, lightening up?
A lot of people would do well to try that.
Easy does it. Of course, I fucking hate that slogan, my father taught it to me when I was 10 or so. They were all over his apartment, on stickers, in drawers, everywhere.
Why question to God is that I have none. Let Go.
You can’t know Gods will, so accept it, everything. Even creationists.
Why do pro-life people foam at the mouth? They do not accept what they cannot control.
Why do Muslim extremists blow themselves up? The do not accept what they cannot control.
Why do I drink myself to death? I do not accept what I cannot control.
I CAN control this drink though, so let’s here it for CONTROL.
Right creationists? You will win someday if you keep fighting, just like I will win if I keep drinking.
Who made him? What happens after death? Why did he put a depressed, lonely, bumbling, confused person like me on his earth? Could I have the same voice as Angela Gheorghiu, pretty please? Why did he create the world? Was my destiny predetermined or am I driving the bus?
Oh, did you say just one?
“Um….Am I going to make the cut?”
What parts of the Bible are true and what parts have been skewed over the years.
Where’s Osama?
RYC: How did you do?
who do some of your followers think war is the answer to everything?
OH WAIT
why do all the people who believe in you, fight over how to believe you? when truly, they believe you as their one god. (Jews, Christians, Muslims)
@saintvi - hahah good question.
I have no idea what I would ask Him. I would ask Him maybe something along the lines of “Is predestination real? If not, how do You have a plan for people’s lives and still let them make their own choices?”
I would want to know the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. And if the answer was 42, let’s just say I’d be extremely pissed.
I’d ask if I could have another T-shirt
*grins*
always,
Tyger.
Does this shirt make me look fat?
I’m obviously not God and will never claim to be, but the following answers are answers that are indeed answerable by human beings via the Bible and need not be asked to God again, because you’d more than likely get the same answers.
@Black_Harlequin - He hasn’t made any religions, man has. Even the notion that
Christianity is a religion is man-made; it’s a relationship with Jesus,
not a religion.
@countryangel926 -
Define “Good.” Our best deeds are but filthy rags to the Lord. No one
deserves anything from Him, we were given His precious gift of salvation by grace and by no means, in any way shape or form, deserve it.
As for my question, I’d just kind of like to know how he really feels about some of the issues that are portrayed very vaguely in the Bible or maybe even controversial things that aren’t mentioned at all. For instance, abortion, gays, that kind of thing. As for now, all we can do as Christians is see everyone through the eyes of God, and to do that, all you need is love!
God Bless,
Chris
What can I do for you?
May I please have ten more questions?
Why me?
I’ll ask why he lets mean people just go on an on without even a scratch. A lot of them who call themselves Christians and go to church every time they have a meeting. People keep saying, “they’ll get theirs” but it seems like they never do. I want justice/revenge …now. I’m down in the dumps…can you tell?
“What would you have me do with my life?”
I dont think I could ask him anything. I think if I were in his presence, my questions that I have at this moment wouldn’t matter.
Why would you drop us on a planet with no idea what we’re doing and expect us to find you without a scrap of evidence of your existance?
Or, well…how did my mom really die?
What the fuck is wrong with you? Quickly followed by: Do I have to stay in Heaven? Because eternity with a you is torture.
This question is kind of interesting. When all of us read it, we assume that we will be face-to-face with him when we do it. Therefore we are assuming God exists. But if we are in agreement that God exists, then why aren’t we asking these questions already? I mean, do we not have the ability to pray? Can we not ask God a question any time we want, and receive His answer if we are willing to listen? Anything that is important to our salvation can be answered any time we want. There are certain things that I’ve thought to myself “Once I die, I’m totally going to figure out what really happened” for whatever event. But I’m not sure if I’ll still care after I die. I’m not sure if I even still care now, since I can’t remember any of those curiosities. And that’s all it is. Curiosity.
“Did OJ do it?”
“Did this person lie to me?”
“Am I really as ugly as everybody says I am?”
Anything that is truly important, I’ve already asked him, and know the anwer to, including most of the questions that people above me would ask. And anything important that I haven’t asked yet, I can ask once I think of it. Some good ones that I might ask him someday, if I ever feel it is important enough to ask him, might involve Christopher Columbus and the American Revolutionary War, but I really don’t care enough right now.
I really don’t mean to sound pompous or preachy, I mostly just think that it’s ironic that we’re all waiting around until we die to ask God these questions, when they could be asked any time.
Moving away from the bolt of lightning arcing towards the sacrilegious. How dare you question God! Loki is not pleased.
if there is a god i’d ask him……………
”God, why did you create me..?…do you have something better in store??..becuz if not i would like to end my life.”
I’d ask…
Can you do me a favor and strike my ex boyfriend with lightning?
Can I have a guided tour of the universe?
Either that or … “Boxers or Briefs?”
One question:
Is all this amusing to you?
Do you want fries with that? lol
Daniel (doubledb)
Being that my family (parents, gparents, brother, dogs) are the most important thing to me, will I be with them in Heaven?
Why do guys have it so much easier!!!!!
i dont think i would really ask anything…
i would just say something simple and meaningful.
a thank you.
“do you exist?”
http://weblog.xanga.com/purple_orchid14/631143929/the-god-the-devil–me—part-i.html
Is this it?
@TheNumberScott -
“I really don’t mean to sound pompous or preachy, I mostly just think
that it’s ironic that we’re all waiting around until we die to ask God
these questions, when they could be asked any time.”
“Anything that is truly important, I’ve already asked him, and know the
anwer to, including most of the questions that people above me would
ask.”
I guess you just need to ask all these questions for us and tell us the answers then. Or, since you’ve already apparently asked Him and discovered most the mysteries of the universe yourself, maybe let everyone else in on those secrets?
boxers or briefs?
aww crap. someone already asked my question.
i dont think i would have anything to say to Him or Her. i guess i would ask if i could be reincarnated as a poodle next time around.
@whataboutbahb -
“Any of you who lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not.”
If you are unwilling to ask God yourself, you will not like the answers I relate to you. None of them are secrets. Some of them may be mysteries, but only to those who refuse to try to understand.
I’m very sorry that I sound so preachy. It is normally not in my nature to have these types of discussions with complete strangers, or even with people I know really well. But since the entire post is centered around religion, I didn’t think it’d be too disrespectful to share my beliefs.
Personally I feel that you don’t actually care about the answers that you’re asking for, and instead want me to give you some fuel to belittle me with. But if I’m wrong, and you’re truly interested in the answers, let me know. But even if I give them to you, you’ll still need to pray and ask God if what I said was true, with real intent, having faith that He will answer you. You could do that right away, and cut out the middle man (me). Or maybe you (or someone else reading) already have, and has provided me as a reference point. I’m not sure if I’ve ever been an answer to a prayer before. Might be kinda fun.
Once again, me saying that I’m an answer to a prayer sounds incredibly pretentious, especially to those who don’t believe in God, or answers to prayers. And I’m not saying that I AM an answer to a prayer. I just know that other people have been an answer to my prayers before, and they did not know it at the time. It therefore could be possible that that is happening to me currently.
If anyone (probably everyone) has taken this to be incredibly Holier-Than-Thou, I’m truly sorry. I hate when people do that, and it is certainly not my intention.
I would ask why are we born in to this world and whats the purpose?????
“How are you?”
Every time I ask Him something it ends up having to start with, “Will you forgive me?”….unfortunately.
…And I wonder why those who do not believe in God have to write such long paragraphs to try to convince….us?
So was the bible fiction or non-fiction?
Why create innocent children and then on their tails nasty pedifiles who defile that innocence?
I would ask Him “What is my purpose in life?”
I have to ask 3.
1 – How is it that you have always existed?
2 – Why did you allow the degree of evil to become so horrendous? (I know that evil exists because of our own freewill to be evil.)
3 – Why do people have to suffer eternally? (Those that aren’t saved.)
Why don’t you intervene?
Gosh, Dan. I don’t even know where to start… So many questions. I’m afraid I won’t get to know the answers until I’m in heaven though.
I ask God questions all the time…he doesn’t always answer in the ways I want him to.
Well, if God was going to answer one of of my questions, and I actually to meet him, I’d have to find another question.
” Do you exsist? ”
Whoops, typo. “Do you exist?”
Is it over?
Assuming he would answer the question as quickly as he has all those wasted prayers from so long ago…. when this once little girl believed that he was real….. i would have to ask “What did i do so wrong?”
May I please come home now? Please?
WHAT WOULD MY LIFE WILL BE?
I’d ask him how come there’s no good movies out lately
@TheNumberScott -
“None of them are secrets. Some of them may be mysteries, but only to those who refuse to try to understand.”
God obviously doesn’t answer all questions clearly, because that would make both philosophy and theology a pointless area of study for Christians.
Why did great Christian theologians/philosophers like St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Kant not profess to have all the answers and differ in thought and opinion on some of the greater mysteries of life? Were they just not trying hard enough? Why do so many denominations exist when all that needs to be done is ask God what is the absolute right way? There are plenty of mysteries and unknowns in life and to deny this is either ignorance or naivety.
I would ask him where the hell he’s been for the past 2000 years of humanity. Betcha he passed out.
I will ask actually who am I. Sometimes, I feel confuse about myself, my future….I really want to know who am I.
@whataboutbahb -
of course there are plenty of mysteries and unknowns. However, how many of them are really important enough for my salvation?
As far as the great thinkers of history, why is it so insane to think that man could have learned more about the mysteries of God since they lived hundreds of years ago? Those men took great steps towards the world’s recovery from The Great Apostacy, but they were only able to do so much.
Once again, if you truly wanted me to help you answer those questions for yourself, I would. But you don’t care. You do not truly want to know. You probably have not bothered trying to actually ask, with real intent, just as most others on the earth have not. I have a testimony of personal revelation, because I have received answers to my prayers. I suspect that you do NOT have a testimony of personal revelation because God won’t answer your questions if you never ask Him.
Dear God,
When will it all be over?
You never CALL, you never WRITE, a little success and all of a sudden you’re too BUSY….?
Why do I have stumpy leggs. Everything else is fine except my freakin legs!!!
well my arms too but thats another complaint.
If you could ask God one question, what would you ask Him?
What’s your name?
@TheNumberScott -
“of course there are plenty of mysteries and unknowns. However, how many of them are really important enough for my salvation?”
You just went from saying that if people want to know these mysterious and unknowns (like many of the previous people commenting have asked), all one simply has to do is ask God. My point was these are mysterious and unknowns for a reason, we (the human race) does not have all the answers. Asking God does not derive concrete answers to which one can answer these questions.
“As far as the great thinkers of history, why is it so insane to think
that man could have learned more about the mysteries of God since they
lived hundreds of years ago?”
My point was not that it would be insanity to assume more knowledge could be obtained (or different arguments presented, old arguments reformatted) about theological and philosophical issues, but it is ignorance to assume man can obtain all the answers to life. It has not been done yet, by the some of the world’s greatest thinkers, so I was curious on how (and why) you could think you have been given most of the answers by God, when greater man in the past have apparently been ignored.
“But you don’t care. You do not truly want to know.”
Be very careful when you attempt to articulate the wants and desires of others.
“You probably have not bothered trying to actually ask, with real intent, just as most others on the earth have not.”
Once again, assumptions along these lines are bound to spark up an emotional response in most people and the level of presumption involved here can be easily viewed as very arrogant.
“Once again, if you truly wanted me to help you answer those questions for yourself, I would.”
I never desired your help in obtaining answers. No offense, but your qualifications are probably lacking compared to other sources I would prefer to contemplate on.
“I have a testimony of personal revelation, because I have received
answers to my prayers. I suspect that you do NOT have a testimony of
personal revelation because God won’t answer your questions if you
never ask Him.”
The fact I believe that I don’t believe personal revelation is too likely makes this point not too effective on me.
(I need to glance over what I write before I hit submit)
Edit:
“The fact I believe that I don’t believe personal revelation is too likely makes this point not too effective on me.”= The fact that I view personal revelation as unlikely, essentially makes this statement moot.
did you ever hear me?
Not so sure I’d ask a question. I’m so very thankful and very blessed because of Him. He already knows the desires of things I wonder about. If He wants me know, He will tell me.
And who am I to ask God “Why?” about anything? He definitely doesn’t owe me any explanations! So will all due respect for Him, not sure I could spit out a word even if I wanted to, at least to anything trivial.
All though, I think the most appropriate question would be, “Will you please forgive me?”.
“Where’s the cheat sheet?”
When can I come home?
@whataboutbahb - “The fact that I view personal revelation as unlikely, essentially makes this statement moot.”
I may have been assuming before, but I was right. You choose to try to glean answers from men who didn’t have them, only questions. I choose to receive answers from the One who has all of them.
“Asking God does not derive concrete answers to which one can answer these questions.”
Are there answers out there that I don’t know? Of course. However, the answers I have are sufficient for my needs. I’m not exactly sure what you meant by the last part of this phrase, but I disagree with the first part whole-heartedly. Asking God does derive concrete answers. It happens everyday. To millions of people.
Those great thinkers of the past have not been ignored. They have formulated great theories, and have been blessed with great intelligence. But perhaps the questions they were asking were not important. You are most assuredly more knowledgable about these people, and which questions they wanted answered, but do you know if any of them asked God for the answer? I do not suppose myself to be greater than any of these men. But it does not take greater intelligence to understand the mysteries of God (not the mysteries of the world), just faith.
It is funny to me that you don’t know the answers to all the questions being asked, and decide that the best way to obtain them would be to study about people who profess to not have the answers. However, I, who you have no idea who I am, you have deemed underqualified. Even though I claim I do.
These are important questions. They’re questions that the other commentors feel they need to ask God, about the very nature of God and His church. What better person to ask is there, than God?
I think I would ask him “why do you make the worst things happen to the best of people, yet the people that deserve the worst always seem to get the best in life?”
Because that pisses me off.
I’d have to ask him…if he would help me find myself again….
“Where in the hell is Bigfoot hiding?”
That would be the start of my master plan to find and kill Bigfoot, sell his hairy ass on E Bay, and reap an untold fortune.
Will I see you in Heaven?
Who’s your parents?
’nuff said…
I would just ask him why.
Are you happy or sorrow?
What is the purpose of it all ?
“It is funny to me that you don’t know the answers to all the
questions being asked, and decide that the best way to obtain them
would be to study about people who profess to not have the answers.
However, I, who you have no idea who I am, you have deemed
underqualified. Even though I claim I do.”
Under qualified was a nice way to put that I think you have no fucking clue what you are talking about. One of the few things I believe in life is that there are some answers in life which are merely unknowable. For me, people who confess to know all the answers are either liars, or just really fucking dumb.
“I may have been assuming before, but I was right. You choose to try to
glean answers from men who didn’t have them, only questions. I choose
to receive answers from the One who has all of them.”
Do you want me to start a list of the assumptions that you made in the previous comment that were completely wrong (as well being completely insulting to me as a person based on my character and life experience)?
” I choose to receive answers from the One who has all of them.”
No, you choose to pray to an invisible entity. And then attribute things that happen (along with thoughts and feelings you experience during your “spiritual time) in the real world to this being. The fact you have deluded yourself into thinking this being has given you answers to the great mysterious in life means nothing to me beyond the fact I hold you to be a little delusional.
“Asking God does derive concrete answers. It happens everyday. To millions of people.”
When’s the last time a person actually HEARD (not experienced, not “felt”) the voice of God? It just doesn’t happen. And if it’s happening to you I would be under the impression that you need to start anti-psychosis meds.
“But it does not take greater intelligence to understand the mysteries of God (not the mysteries of the world), just faith.”
Incorrect.
Our views are really incompatible. We can keep this dialogue up, but more then likely it is just going to completely degrade into us just insulting each other. And I doubt that either side is going to be able to shift the other on any of his views in this area. So I suggest we end it.
why you make me come to this world!!??
i would ask him Will the world flood and end??????????
if i really believed and knew if he was real and if i could i would ask him why he gave people life…? (why do we actually live)
Were you kidding?
Why do You love me – my fallen self?
“What on earth were you thinking?”
Is my brother okay?
I think I’d have to go with a very simple one word question. Why?
I had a dream about this! I was with my physics teacher and we both got to ask God questions. (My physics teacher is very philosophical, political, humanist, you name it.) I don’t remember what happened in the dream, but when I told my teacher about it and asked him what he’d ask, he got very angry. XD;
“What the Hell, man?!”
Are you really bowling up there when theres thunder? : p
@sarahellie - *applauds*
If I was in His presence…I would bow down before Him and praise Him, thank Him, sing to Him, dance for Him…
If I could I would ask Him so very many questions. Some would be… “Was it literally 7 days or not for creation?” “Why
did you kill off the dinosaurs?” “How is your hand in evolution?” “Did
we really descend from a one celled creature?” “Why didn’t you send
Jesus earlier?” “How can we love gays, but not their sin?” “How painful was it for you to see Jesus die on the cross?” “When is Jesus coming back?” “What one human sin hurt you the worst?” “Why don’t we see the Spirit at work more often?”
I can’t think of the top question that I would ask Him – maybe how could He love us so much? I would rather just thank Him for loving me and continuing to love me.
I wouldn’t ask Him a thing because He answers everything in Scripture in some way or other. I would just say “Thank you for saving me despite all my weaknesses and giving me faith in you.” Thank you for YOUR grace!
…don’t all of our paths lead to you?
i would ask exactly what my purpose is.
“Why did I deserve to live?”
What do you plan on doing with my life? ie:marriage, career, children, everything.
Lol… I find it funny that certain people will ask a question that forces a certain trait upon God. Questions such as ones that imply God controls everything instead of sharing his power with us, and ones that imply that evil originated with God, or ones that imply that if we suffer it is always God punishing us for something we did wrong. In order to find true answers, one needs to ask the right (true) questions.
I would ask Him about creation; why he created us and what his thoughts were in doing so.
@CormackMcKinney -
“and ones that imply that evil originated with God”
How is that deniable? From a pure Christian theological perspective that outlook still holds true (everything originated from God, thus evil has to originate from God).
@whataboutbahb
I’m still a little disappointed that no one got (or at least pointed out) my initial Douglas Adams reference.
”God, are u operating somewhere in the northwestern USA as Santa Claus at Christmas functions?”
Will we ever be able to communicate with your other parts of creation besides Earth or will we destroy ourselves first?
I guess that would depend on when the question would take place…right now it would be “Have I come close to accomplishing my purpose here on earth?” or better yet- “What is my personal purpose here on earth?”
@whataboutbahb -
No, from a Christian perspective, just as darkness is simply the lack of light, so evil is simply the lack of God in the universe (in terms of present action and guidance).
What was your Douglas Adams reference? I don’t read all the comments.
@as_i_grow - “Do I have to stay in Heaven? Because eternity with a you is torture.”
And God’s answer would be… “Heaven? Who ever said this was Heaven?”
(Sorry, couldn’t resist.)
@CormackMcKinney -
“so evil is simply the lack of God in the universe (in terms of present action and guidance).”
I think most Christian theologians would disagree with that analysis and prefer to define evil as the perversion of good. Take Lucifer as the ultimate example.
I was once going to ask God why He allowed so much pain and suffering in the world when he could have done something about it…. then I realized he could have asked the same of me.
Why did he give us emotions then stick us in the places where if you do show emotions you are considered”flawed” in some way.
Why?
Yo, God? What is your plan for my life: in detail, with diagrams?
@whataboutbahb -
wow, some really good arguments at the end there. Basically “you’re dumb” and “you’re wrong”. Very civilized thought process.
I also enjoy how if I don’t hear God’s voice, I’m wrong. But if I do hear God’s voice, I’m wrong. Another stunning argument.
I was really trying to be nice to you before, and share beliefs. But your last post was completely insulting, and nothing else. I agree that we should end this conversation, because it should have never started. You have no place even posting on this topic, because you disagree with the main premise. If you define God as an invisible entity, then you won’t be able to ask him a question, will you? So let those who actually believe you can ask God questions talk here, and you can go post on non-God related posts.
If you felt that I insulted you in previous posts, I’m truly sorry. And yes, I would like you to point out which of my assumptions about you were incorrect and insulting. I don’t remember making any other than those about your relationship with God, which appear to have all been correct, as it appears to be non-existant. Unless you’re fond of making relationships with invisible entities.
I’m sorry to have started this conversation with someone who is not interested in having a conversation. You still have not grasped what I’ve been saying. I have not professed to know every answer in the world. I am not a liar, nor am I dumb, and it was extremely rude of you to call me either of those things, especially with such vulgarity. You are correct in your belief that there are some things in life that are unknowable. But the God of Christianity knows all. And the God of Christianity can be prayed to at any time, and answers prayers. Anything that He feels it is important for you to know, he can tell you. I was under (the perhaps incorrect) assumption that this entire post was dealing with asking a question to God, who was very similar to the God of Christianity. Therefore, I think that everything I have said has been completely logical under these assumptions.
If you feel that we can continue this conversation without degrading to further insults, feel free, and I will likewise do my best to avoid insults myself.
@TheNumberScott -
You haven’t been posting on Dan’s site till recently (to my knowledge) and that might explain your confusion on why someone who doesn’t necessarily hold the same views on God and religion would post on a topic that, yes, seems to be directed to a particular crowd. This blog seems meant for people with different views to come together and comment on such things. Just read through the comments on the first few pages or so of this particular post. There are plenty of non-Christians posting comments.
And yes, I will admit. My first comment directed at you was much too sarcastic and I could have conveyed my point without being so aggressive.
My second comment was more neutral, but I guess the “attack” nature of my first comment already had you convinced I was merely trying to poke fun at you, which honestly was not my intention.
As for assumptions that you made:
“Once again, if you truly wanted me to help you answer those questions for yourself, I would. But you don’t care.”
But the crux of the matter is I do care. Deeply. And I really felt no need to ask you any of my questions I have, for it is more then likely that you would not be able to provide me with answers that would be new to me after I have lived most of my entire life attending a Christian school, going to church every Sunday for the majority of my life, having 2 missionaries for parents, and spending too much of my free time (or maybe not enough) reading theology and philosophy. You gave off the impression that you wanted to provide me the basic “this is how you get saved and why knowledge” and I have no interest in hearing something that was not new to me. If it was a theological discussion, that’s fine by me, that’s interesting. If it’s “this is how you get saved,” this is knowledge I already am aware of.
“You do not truly want to know.”
Once again, this is very incorrect. I very much want to know everything I do not know. I have a thirst for knowledge. Saying something like this to someone who’s life is partially devoted to gaining as much knowledge as possible is very insulting.
“You probably have not bothered trying to actually ask, with real intent, just as most others on the earth have not.”
I remember back in, I think it was, 10th grade asking God with all my heart for some sort of sign so I could be sure that He actually did exist. Maybe this can be seen as trying to test God and that’s why I received no answer. Or maybe it’s because I was attempting to take faith out of the equation, something that is very important to the Christian faith. All I can say is this question was being asked by a Christian (someone who asked God to come inside their heart and for Christ to be their savior), and not by a unbeliever looking for a reason to believe in Christianity. And this question was being asked because of a Christian culture that emphasized speaking to God to such a point that I assumed something was wrong with me since I never actually had had a conversation with God (and when I say conversation I don’t mean those emotional prayers where you feel goosebumps and feel touched, I mean actually talk, communicate back and forth). I wanted a validation of I was an actual Christian and I had an actual relationship with Him. I remember wanting so badly for any sort of validation of this, any sign that He was actually there, I didn’t care what it took. I prayed to God to make me blind, so at least I knew He was there and He was acknowledging me. And if I go blind, say 5,10 years from now, maybe that is God communicating with me finally.
So really, how do you suppose someone who has spent nights in agony searching for answers and just feeling cold when he finds none, in his mind; how is he suppose to feel when you assume, and state as such, that he hasn’t even honestly asked for answers in the first place? My first initial response was the desire to simply type a short, succinct “fuck you” to your post because of these two sentences of yours.
“I suspect that you do NOT have a testimony of personal revelation because God won’t answer your questions if you never ask Him.”
I do not have a testimony of personal revelation, you are correct. It was not due to lack of asking though. It was due to a lack of response.
So those were the list of assumptions that offended me. And that is why I warned you about the dangers of making such assumptions in my following reply. The fact that your reply to that was to not even acknowledge that you might have made assumptions that could have been off base, but was to use things I said as a means to support why those assumptions about me had to be true….well not too many people are going to respond kindly too that. And I didn’t.
To go back to my original point I meant to convey- Even assuming Christianity and God to be 100% true, the fact remains God does not communicate clearly with humans, at least he hasn’t for the last 2,000 years. Prayer is a very important tool to talk with Him, but the scope of the communication is somewhat limited to talking to Him and not back and forth. Sure if a issue weighs on your heart you can spend time reading the Bible and then praying about it and this can lead to you decision; the fact is though there is no simple answer to many things such as something like “is baptism required (or you can lessen the severeness and just ask if it is important) for your salvation?” If 1,000 devote Christians ask that with true intent and honestly seeking the true answer, all 1,000 people will not give the same answer. This is because God simply does not speak in actual words that are easily understood to His believers. If He did that would simplify things a great bit and there would be only one Christian denomination, not hundreds.
@whataboutbahb -
you know, I’m actually kinda sorry that things started this way, because you seem like a cool enough guy. I’m sorry to have insulted you on something that you have cared deeply about. I could go into my thoughts on your experiences, but it would all be speculation, and you wouldn’t be interested anyways.
You should know though, that I never had any intention of telling you or anybody else how to “be saved”, especially since I don’t remember that being one of the questions anybody wanted answered. But a lot of the simple questions about the nature of God, or why he structures things a certain way, I feel I know the answers to. Did I attain them all from scratch myself? no. But I have listened to many teachings, and have prayed about each of them, and asked which are true, and have received answers. True, the heavens did not open, and God’s voice did not boom down upon me and cause me to go blind, but the message was relayed to me in such a way that I could not deny the truth of it.
The relationship that you were looking for is not the “relationship of an actual christian”, that type of relationship is reserved for Prophets. I don’t recall each of Moses’ disciples having that relationship with God. God talked to Moses, and Moses talked to them.
I don’t have any problem with non-christians posting here. But most of the other ones kept it to simple, funny, nonsensical questions. They did not tear other people down for their beliefs.
Where did my cat run off to..?
i’d probably ask if i’m going to heaven, actually.
@whataboutbahb -
Well, I’ve probably read up on many more theologians than you have since Biblical Studies is my minor. (Am I wrong?) So taking into account the dozens and dozens of theologians I’ve read, I can honestly say that more of them consider evil the lack of God than simply moral corruption or perversion of good. Those things form naturally without God. They are more a result OF the lack of God.
yes
I’d ask him why Dan is updating so much today. Oh yeah, he’s after those credits.
@CormackMcKinney -
Perhaps I spoke too hastily. I was under the impression, from what I’ve read, that the majority thought otherwise. To me that definition of evil seems more like a cop out and brings up further issues of God’s omnipotence. I mean, a definition of evil as the perversion of good, allows God to be the creator of all, and can still allow evil, and the suffering, to still work for the Good, according to God’s plan. I mean its been awhile and I never read it in its entirety, but isn’t that how C.S. Lewis describes evil and suffering in The Problem of Pain (if you have read it)?
Also, defining evil as the absence of God makes the existence of Lucifer a problem. Isn’t Satan the essence of the perversion of good? I mean I guess it could be argued that pride separated Lucifer from God completely allowed such evil to manifest itself, but to me that seems like a stretch. Maybe you know of a better rationale, relying on the definition of evil as the absence of God, to explain Lucifer’s fall.
“WTF?!”
I’d ask him what he does on his free time.
Ha.
God, did you made me by mistake? Because I feel like you hate me. That bring up my second question; do you hate me?