(May 2, 2016 at 1:04 pm)TheRocketSurgeon Wrote: Ahh, the old "you're not reading it with spiritual discernment" argument. A classic.
Except that most of us still were Christians when we undertook a serious study of the Bible. Also, "spiritual discernment" is simply another way of saying "I read it and my interpretation is correct because I think I'm guided by an invisible fairy", and ignores the fact that every Christian on this planet gets a different (to some degree) interpretation from the same sets of passages... especially given the tendency to "cherry-pick" favorite parts while ignoring the ones that are more problematic. Or worse, they make excuses for genocide and other inhumane actions by their deity, while pretending that we're the ones who can't see The Truth.
As has already been pointed out to you, GC, the question is not "why do you think god talks to you" but "why do the Hindus also think their gods talk to them, and offer them guidance?" You're turning a blind eye to the commonality between your religious ideas and those of others whom you consider to be worshiping nothing, as we do. "Not my religion," you say, "It's all those other humans who are hallucinating their interactions with imaginary gods and making poor excuses why their scriptures are the True Revelation from God!"
You were never Christians so you couldn't have had spiritual discernment, the Holy Spirit will only reveal the truth of scriptures to the saved. The only time the Holy Spirit will make a revelation to non-believers is witnessing for Jesus through the scriptures. You can't see the truth nor did you ever, if you had you would not have left the faith. I haven't ignored problematic parts of scripture because I've never seen one. As for cherry picking the atheist are kings at that because they know no other way to discredit the Bible except to be dishonest in their feeble attempts. God has the right to do with His creation as He wishes it belongs to Him, He owns it lock stock and barrel.
I've never heard a Hindu say their god said anything to them, I've heard people here say that and I do not remember any being Hindu. I believe they are mistaken in their beliefs and have no doubt they believe in their religion, if they didn't they wouldn't go through all the physical requirements their religions demand of them, they have to earn their way into their god's good, in Christianity it's a gift, we can't earn it, gifts come from love. But then you know this I'm sure your wife has told you this.
GC
God loves those who believe and those who do not and the same goes for me, you have no choice in this matter. That puts the matter of total free will to rest.