Ceteloguing the Tricks Theists Play

[Drich]

The difference is that marriage is not a concept we need to test, as we already have plenty of evidence that it exists; we know that it's possible to fall in love and get married from the outset.

Why? Because other people have found 'the one true love of their life' and you can witness how they are effected and how it changes them? So again how is that any different than observing someone who has truly found God?

In the end you know the concept of marriage is sound because you see people successfully living under that covenant. However until you step up, say your vows and get tested by the trials this life can offer. you can not know if marriage, or even your spouce will be right for you. Even if 'others' can live with the same spouce their whole life.

You should know as well as anyone that marriage is not always a 50%/50% exchange where your needs are met on an equal and even exchange ratio of meeting the needs of your spouces need. Sometimes one spouce has to carry the other for an extended period, sometimes that one spouce has to put out 80 to 90% till for as long as they both live. Some can do this others can not, and despite what we think we will never know till we are tested. The point being, when I am drawing paralells between God and marriage am not speaking to the validity of the institution of marriage or the institutions that surround God. Because as you pointed out it clear to see it exists as others live under said vows in both cases.

The question is, will YOU find a spouce to live the rest of your life with?/With you Find God and spend eternity with Him? If the answer to your first question is Yes... Ask yourself did you do ALL You had to do to meet up with your wife to be and marry her because You had 'evidence' that it will all work out just the way you want it to work out before you got married/Before you changed your whole life around?
-Or were all of your efforts, your 'great journey' and everything you left behind, a massive undertaking of faith that had you A/S/K'ing for 'the one' person you 'feel' you can spend the rest of your life with no matter what that means?

Conversely, you're posing this A/S/K nonsense as a test to discover that god exists, a being that we have no idea whether it's possible or not. Given that the test is to find god, you cannot simply add "find god" as the final step of the test, because that is ridiculous. It'd be like if I gave you a test to find Brahma, and the last step was "find Brahma," would you take that at all seriously? Would you even consider taking that test?

Just like the final step in the question of whether or not you can find a soul mate to marry, Can't be to 'get married' to the person you love. How crazy is that? Everyone knows if we are to find a 'soul mate' we must have tangible evidence along with several spread sheets worth of data that conclusively points to a 90 to 95% liklyhood that the marriage will last your whole life. Then and only then does one get married.

---

I had no desire to marry until after meeting my husband so I wasn't looking for a spouse. Love and marriage have never been my main focus in life so I think you analogy falls flat with me. 

The only comparison between my relationship with my husband and Jesus is  ....nothing. Unless Jesus is a great lover and gets cranky when his knees start to hurt, I just don't see the similarity. 

You did Marry your HUSBAND right? If so why? Was it because you want to share the rest of your life with him? or do you have some sort of lease agreement marriage where it has to be renewed every 5 years?

Even if you were not marriage crazy, when the 'love bug' bit you seem to have fallen in like the rest of us with the sames hopes the vast majority/everyone wants when we marry for love. If that is the case then explain to me how it is that this marriage analogy does not apply?

Did you two not date? Did you not date anyone before him? Did He not date anyone before you? was it arranged, or did you get to know each other fall in love and decide to get married? Did you ever have a fight (Ever) before or after the marriage? Are you still together after the fight?

Don't look now snow flake, but you in your marriage You have followed the very same A/S/K requirement Jesus told us to employ in seeking God.

---

It's real simple Lax.. there are three steps out line by Christ to receive the Holy Spirit. Ask, seek Knock. Now if one seek and does not knock, or knocks and ask, but does not seek then they have not followed the steps. like wise if on asks and seek but does not knock (As is the case with everyone on this web site who has ever claimed to follow the directions of Luke 11 but did not find God by their own admission) Then they did not follow the outline Christ tells us to follow in Luke 11. So then if you all can admit to not knocking, then why is it you would expect to find God?

---

Are you saying, that if someone misses one of the steps, i.e., lets say they ask and knock, but do not seek, that they won't find god?

Let's say this person is as sincere as they could possibly be. They've read the Bible, yet through misunderstanding or being misinformed by another Christian, they miss that step, will god see their plight, see their sincerity, see that they almost got it right, but not allow them to find him, and therefore sending them to hell?

Are there any examples you can think of where someone did not follow these steps, yet found god anyway?

Jesus answers this question himself in the Parable of the seeds.

Basically when farmers planted a field they tilled the ground and just threw the seed into the air (broadcasting) and let the seed fall where it may. in the parable Jesus speaks of the different types of ground the seed could fall on. The first was rocky with light soil top/shallow soil, when the seed fell on this ground plant sprouted quickly but because it was rocky just below the surface the seed could not set roots down and the plant died.

 Next type was hard pan/rocks no soil. Those seed were left in the open air they were steped on and the birds took them away.

 Next was the soil who was not tilled and hosted other plants. Those seeds got choked out because of the plants that already lived there.

Then their was good soil that when seeds fell on it they took root and produced fruit. (Those who A/S/K)

In short those who do not follow the whole A/S/K direction, but truly give it their own honest earnest go, are like the first type of rocky soil who seed sprouts up quickly but dies because it can not take root.