Ask a theology student...

[Margim]

This seems to contradict what you stated to me earlier.
Can I think that you feel faith due to an extra-presence spiritual feedback? That you feel that you are not alone, even when you're away from people?

How would you describe this 'prompting'?
Does this prompting increase if you partake in certain rituals, or events?

For me, a feeling in the gut... similar, although not identicle to adrenaline, a clenching of the nerves when something feels wrong/right. things sometimes falling into place, against all logic.

No, its not speifically connected to rituals or events. More often than not, just in everyday life.

 

[Millman]

For me, a feeling in the gut... similar, although not identicle to adrenaline, a clenching of the nerves when something feels wrong/right. things sometimes falling into place, against all logic.

No, its not speifically connected to rituals or events. More often than not, just in everyday life.

Is it the feel of when you're really taking a wierd number 2?

 

[nihilistic]

I am open to dialogue between my experience and that of others (that was the very point of this thread), but it is not considered constructive when those others only engage in conversation for the purpose of railroading their own agendas through. You want to be heard more than to actually 'talk,' which gets quite boring.

Not really. In the beginning yes I thought there wasn't much in your field to study. Then, you demonstrated that even within that field, there is not much you know. You don't seem to know about any variations to the ideas you presented, and the counter-arguments for each of them presented. You know almost nothing that is outside your narrow theology, and apparently can be bested by someone who has only taken philosophy 101.

I assume you are an undergraduate. An undergraduate education is supposed to teach you about the field you plan on studying in general. However, you demonstrated no such understanding of the field. I do not see how the particular education you seem to have received can't be obtained by going to sunday church.

But please try and refrain from demeaning, patronizing attacks on what you've made no real attempt to understand and have done nothing but force your own parametres of discussion on to.

At least my comments are based on observation, not just an holier-than-thou attitude like this:

Probably would approach it the same way... since God is an infinite being, we cannot really try and define God in any way other than that which God uses to define Godself...

God cares about relationship, of which faith is a part.

God aims to be known, to be heard, and to hear... both good and powerful

We are invited to God, not conscripted.

It quite amusing how you first stated how "god" cannot be defined in any way by us, then goes on to define it for us.

 

[nihilistic]

Not really. I'd love to, but I cannot. I'm speaking of experience, encounters, chance, all relatively subjective forms of observation. I give them creidt. You will not.

So you don't have any evidence but said there is evidence on the basis that you can to dream one up (but hasn't)? Why do you presume I discredit "experience, encounters, chance, all relatively subjective forms of observation"? I accept them, along with their most likely explanations. I don't know what you are talking about.

Its only an analogy, which you will undoubtedly reject, but How would you explain the concept of sight to someone born without it? How do you explain there is a dimension of colour, of different shades, of distance and perspective?

Oh no, not that argument again. The main question is, is that extra dimension logical and orderly? If so, use mathematics. You have no idea how many different kinds of abstract dimensions that mathematics has catalogued and dissected. If not logical and orderly, use LSD.

Yet its not a precise parallel anyway, because I also have periods of doubt, as to whether what I see or experience is tangible. That's where the personal idea of faith comes in, accepting despite the lack of clarity.

I see. I can't really argue against the "If I'm right I'm right, if I'm wrong I'm right", mentality.

 

[ParkCungHee]

Possibility, not chance. Chance impies probability, and the probabilities of these events converge to 0.

You are a statistician now?

No. Although death is not universally reviled in terms of mystic traditions around teh world, the believe that something in us will live on is in fact integral to virtually every mysticism/theology. It follows that since these entities live on while our bodies rot there must exist within each of our bodies something seperate (or seperable) from the body itself that would live on after the death of the body. That hypothesis, known as Dualism, is a basic tenet of virtually every religion that have survived today though it may have been called other names.

You forgot Judaism.

 

[Margim]

@Nihilistic Well, that's all fine. If there is nothing here of interest to you, you don't need to keep posting.

 

[Margim]

It quite amusing how you first stated how "god" cannot be defined in any way by us, then goes on to define it for us.

I will answer to this... I do believe God cannot be defined. However, I understand that God reveals something of Godself in Jesus, which is what makes me 'Christian'. It is from the Christ-figure I draw my conclusions, yet I'm open to the fact that what I know is from words written from humans, which again holds me back from being too certain. What I state about God is the best I can work out, for now. By no means definitive, and open to growth as I learn more.

Sorry I cannot come up with the specific answers you are looking for... you seem to desire perfection... perhaps you should look up one of his threads.

 

[El_Machinae]

For me, a feeling in the gut... similar, although not identicle to adrenaline, a clenching of the nerves when something feels wrong/right. things sometimes falling into place, against all logic.

No, its not speifically connected to rituals or events. More often than not, just in everyday life.

An intuition that illogical things are true? A sense of such?