If Yahweh exists, is he a fraud?

[Opoponax]

What if WHATEVER. Hardly seems a reasonable basis on which to believe in something that won't simply show up and say "Look at me, I'm really here!" 

You guys started the 'what if..' don't be mad if you have thought it through.

And if we're such simpletons, how can we possible be expected to divine The Truth out of a very old book that espouses some lovely things, but also so many awful things as well?

Alone.. Your not. Hence so many different expressions of the same religion.

If however we seek God on His terms The same Holy Spirit that inspired said book will show you it's meaning.

And all with no evidence to back it up.

That's an untrue cliche' Evidence is everywhere. You simply dismiss what is initially offered.

And I know you claim to not see any contradictions, so I won't bother arguing with you on that, the same as I don't find any sense in arguing with one who believes gravity on this planet is optional. 

Not much into aeronautics I see. Better you stay away from such 'scary things.'

As far as being a student goes, I've done my homework. That's what you and so many like you seem to assume: that if we just read it and listened then we'd see the light.

Strike 1

Well, guess what; I've read most of the Bible

strike 2.

I was brought up in a Christian household and I'm a former believer.

Strike 3

When I began to doubt the existence of the god I was brought up to believe, I really went to work looking for Him.

What if you had it wrong? What if the god you were brought up to believe in did not reflect the God of the bible?
Would the God of the bible then be obligated to support your version of him just because you grew believing 'X'?

And I never found Him. I spent countless hours reading both on my own and in formal study, learning the academic arguments for and against God, and thinking and discussing the subject, and at the end, the only reasonable conclusion I came to was that there are no gods. 

Now in all of your reading I am sure you came across the parable of the wise and foolish builder right?

What if... Looking, reading and studying the god you grew up believing in was like building your house/Faith on sand??? What would happen to your faith when the winds and rain of life come? Will your foundation, Will Your GOD support the faith you built on it?

According to Christ no...

God will only support your faith/belief (house) if you build it on Christ... Not the god you grew up with even if they share the same name and alot of similarities.

God will only support/Answer prayer/Full fill the promises He has made to believers if said believers are indeed worshiping the God of the bible.

And the thing is, I'm still open to it.

Then seek Him on His terms and not on your own.
God is not going to meet you 1/2 way. He has given you a mustardseed's worth of faith and expects you to plant it in Him. Meaning the God found in the bible and not some religious version of that God.

If some piece of evidence were to come along that was quite convincing, I'd believe.

What if God made himself know to you? and made Himself available to you? Not a genie to trade deeds for wishes or a lab rat to experiment on but say allowed you a peek into the Kingdom on His terms? Is that evidence or are you looking for something your friends would believe first then when you saw it wa safe and no one would make fun of you, then you would believe?

But there isn't. If there is a god, I really hope that it expects us to use our minds and come to our own conclusions based on hard, thoughtful work.

Here's the thing sport.. Be carefule what you wish for. If using your mind and thinking got you to this comfortable place... Then you are not involved in 'hard thoughtful work.'

A thing with that much power surely can't want creatures that amount to obedient farm animals. What a small god that would be. And what a cruel god it would be to punish its uncomprehending creation for all of eternity for using the only thing that makes us unique.

I'm sorry, but your god and its book just don't stand up.

Again you wrongfully assume that the universe revolves around you and what you think God should be... Again set aside you failed version of God. Do you honestly think out of 33k incarnations of  God Christianity boasts of, you got the right one out of the gate? As you so proud as to think your efforts as meger as they maybe encompasses an exhaustive search?

All you have done is eliminate 1 version of God that in fact you know he will not support. For you and that version of God it would be illogical to assume anything other than what you have found... What is equally illogical? Your version is the only possible version of God.

So what are you supposed to do search all 33K?

No.

All anyone need do is Ask, Seek, and knock as outlined in luke 11. And God will open the door to you. But again on His terms only, otherwise know He will patently sit just on the otherside of any terms or conditions you place on

Oh yeah. This is why I don't engage in these "debates." Thanks for reminding me.