Seeking

[Drich]

A believer started a thread insisting that all an atheist, or anyone else for that matter, has to do to “find god” is to look. It seems kind of a silly claim at first, but it is based on another of the innumerable claims of their holy book that turn out empty. This one, for anyone who cares, can be found in the section they call Matthew. It may well be the believer in question honestly thinks he has a point. It may also be that he thinks Noah actually built an Ark.

It's always promising when an op starts out with a straw man "he says, All one has to do is look." Then sites the wrong book/source material, and ends with a red herring' (as Noah had nothing to do with anything being discussed.)

In reality there is a whole collection of people who sincerely tried to “find god”, only to come up empty; a facet of “knocking” that our ranting Christian friend apparently never considered; that of those who have left faith behind. It is a common misconception that people who used to be members, but then find themselves outside the community of faith, chose to stop believing. It doesn't always work like that.

In fact it is often just the opposite, with every effort made to cling to the faith that is starting to slip away.

wow, just wow. Did you even read the op you are referencing? 1/2 of it explained that loss of faith was apart of an answer to a prayer for a closer connection with God. In that God will not support a corrupt view of Him, and according to Christ will send the rain to wash away your 'house/faith'.
If one keeps knocking. Meaning asking and seeking the believer will eventually build an accurate picture of God, one that God can and will support.

Why would God support a corrupt version of Himself to a potential believer?

Renewed dedications to study and church services, endless promises made to one's self to “do better” And yes, sometimes, near desperate prayers that the god would show itself or, at least, send some word of encouragement. Prayers that go deep into the night and come from the bottom of the heart.

If one is this involved then surly this person has come across
Mat 7:24-29 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?se...rsion=NASB

In doing so a humble man would search himself to try and discern which type of man he is, rather than assume he is the former rather than the latter. This person would also know that God demands us to approach Him in all humility. If he can not approach God in humility/face the idea that he may be the foolish man in the parable, then how can he expect God to positively support his petitions and prayers?

When one's entire life has been built on a religious identity, finding that identity starting to falter (often for reasons not understood until years later) is going to ignite a firestorm of internal drama. It often ignites an equal storm among friends and family. After all friends and family have only and ever known this person as a believer, one of the faithful. It is equally likely that, for the truly dedicated, everyone close to them is a believer as well. Such faith does not fail without some serious crashing sounds going on in a life.

This level of faith should also be a red flag in a biblically based Christian's life. Fore, Christ does not require a mountain of faith, He is recorded in telling us that we only need a mustard seed's worth of faith. To expend anymore than this, is to be outside the picture of belief Christ Himself constructed.

Rather when we expend this mustard seed God will give us proof in the way of the Holy Spirit. Through the proof of the Holy Spirit we can establish and maintain a belief, not one based in blind faith, but a belief built in proof.

Eventually the now-ex-believer realizes that faith has faded completely away. The prayers were never going to be answered, and that all the seeking was in vain. There was simply nothing to find. (Oddly enough, it may be years again before such a person will use the word "atheist" to describe him or herself.)

indeed. If you spent a life time worship anyother God than the God of the bible, then why would God support this other version of Himself?

It is completely untrue that everyone who seeks a god will find one.

Never once have I made that claim. I have said repeatedly that many will seek, but none will find unless he knocks.

Indeed, anyone who looks honestly is likely to come up empty handed, not a bad thing at all. Truth is a much more faithful mistress than is faith, and a lot more fun. As for the believer who insists that all who seek will find, nothing wil

l convince him otherwise. It is, after all, in the book. But he really doesn't have a clue.
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Maybe he has not only a clue, but the key to the actual proof needed to establish and maintain a relationship with the God of the bible.

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Yeah, there are passages that say if you look, you will find. Ask, and it will be answered. Obviously this is easily tested and proven wrong, so people will say you weren't looking hard enough. Despite there being people who were incredibly devout, and still became atheists. Moving the goalposts is the only thing they can do when some part of the bible makes a testable claim, and the test fails.

Moving the goal post back into it's original context, you mean.