If you were ever a theist...

[Catholic_Lady]

Actually no. I wouldn't expect that. If you really had found any significant evidence of god that was rational and logical, you would have told us already just like any other theist. It would be on the six o'clock news.
What I'd hoped you would share is why you suddenly felt emotionally bonded to a god idea when you have seen us debunk so much "Garden of Eden, Noah's Ark, God the loving caring god, and other relevant christian topics on this forum. It would seem to me that going back to theism now would be an extreme example of god of the gaps when you only believe the gaps.

If  you really did experience contact or found rational evidence of a real god, why would you let us go to hell because you won't share it with us? Do you really want all of us to be tortured for all eternity? Wouldn't that be akin to a christian not following jesus' command to spread their witness? Sure, we would grill you about it but if it withstood scrutiny as truth, it could save so many souls here. This is an atheist forum where we are full of members that are yet unconvinced of the god claims and we share daily our reasons for being unconvinced, taking more out of the possible fold for jesus. I can't imagine a better target group that needs to hear of convincing evidence of god's reality.

If you are sure the spiritural event was solid evidence givent to you by god, but private, why wouldn't he give me, or Min, or Rob the same or similar evidence events? Why are you better than me? Why does god love you better than Rob? Do you know?

I don't doubt your sincerity for a moment and your good heart shows in many of your caring sympathetic comments you have made on this board. I don't want to hammer you at all over your change, it's your right to believe in anything and for any reason. I am notoriously curious, but please don't share anything you don't want to. I just want you to assure us that you are being true to yourself and are not just afraid to face life without your security blanket. I say this because I do like you and want to offer help of rational analysis along with the other great minds found on this forum. If, as I asked, you are emotionally bonded to the theistic perception and  don't want your thought structure second guessed, then you probably wouldn't want to post anything about your re-conversion events.

 We curious cats will still be stuck to wonder why the emotional bond to theism and why the refusal to share your witness as commanded by jesus?

This reminds me of a conversation I had with a Christian at work one day, we were in the kitchen and the topic of belief came up, and he said something that I thought was poignant. He said that back when Jesus walked the earth, and performed miracles right in front of people's faces, many still didn't believe that He was of a supernatural realm. They still scoffed, and many didn't follow Him. Some did follow Him, but many didn't. And He was right there, in their midst. Now, this time last year and for a few years, I didn't really believe that Jesus existed as what the NT states as such. For me, I felt Jesus may have existed, but as a human...historically. Perhaps. And then I even let all that go, and didn't give much thought to it all. 

So, for me to share in detail all that happened to get me to change my mind and gravitate back to Christianity...would you sincerely believe me that I truly had such an encounter? Probably not. And you know what the Bible is about, I wouldn't be telling you anything new. And you don't believe in a deity of any kind just the same. So, my 'witness' is meaningless, and if you are being honest...most likely you would like for me to 'come to my senses,' and realize that what happened wasn't of a supernatural realm. Which is fine, this is an atheist website, and I respect it. I came here when I wasn't a believer, and this was the first website that I discovered, and have stayed e-friends with a few people, and so I return from time to time.

Jesus told His followers...to go to villages and preach the Gospel, that is true...but He said to shake the dust from their feet if those villages didn't accept the Gospel. Not to spend time struggling to get people to believe, but to plant a seed and go on. You know what Christianity teaches, so it is up to you to follow it or not. Do I believe you will go to a place called hell if you don't? No, I don't. My beliefs aren't wrapped up in looking at what others are doing or not doing, but rather, what my faith means to me, and how it has moved me. How I can use my life in a positive way for others. For me, I give that credit to God, for you...if you move people in a positive way, you don't give the credit to God. That's honestly the only difference between us...

Well, there's other differences, but...lol You know what I mean. I hope this makes sense.

Very well said. 

And for the record, I too have had a supernatural thing happen right in front of me and someone else. 

And unless two perfectly sane women with zero history of mental illnesses were both having the exact same delusion at the exact same time, what we witnessed that day was clear evidence (for me) that God is real. The way things went down makes the latter much more likely/rational than the former. 

Deidre, I can totally understand you not wanting to share the details of your own experience. I myself can count on one hand the number of people (outside of family) I have told this to. It's hard to explain, but it's a sacred thing and thus feels wrong to not keep it guarded and protected.