Why knocking is so important.

[ignoramus]

OP, you must understand that those that don't believe god exists, have no fear of not believing. Basically, if we live a happy life without him, and we don't believe in hell, you're not giving us any motivation at all to waste a lifetime trying to find him.

[Whateverist]

But most of us do knock it - your religion that is. And don't worry, we have tried it.

[Anomalocaris]

Knocking is so important because if drich stops knocking his thick skull against a wall, his one or two brain cells might regain consciousness and inform him what a crock of shit it was that he had been so easily led to believe.

[Tonus]

I'm sure the ASK method works really well on those people that want to believe in something like a god or gods.

Indeed, Drich's description sounds to me like "keep at it until you convince yourself that you've found god."

[vorlon13]

I bet it even works on folks with an interest in worshipping Zeus.

[Drich]

If God existed I would bow down to him and say thou are the lord.

However I would feel like an idiot bowing down to a figment of your imagination.

Show me God or go away.

If I could produce God on demand then he ceases to be God.

-Rather, God has given us a path to follow in order that we may present ourselves before Him.

If you want 'proof' you must seek it where and how God told you to look.

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As KUSA says not our job to prove anyone's delusions for them. I'm not 'looking' for any sort of 'god' (whatever that is). Never have, never will.

I'm sure the ASK method works really well on those people that want to believe in something like a god or gods.

Indeed, it is about choice. If your not looking for God you will indeed find what your looking for. Your observation works both ways. If you don't want to believe in God or gods not A/S/King will work well to support what you want to believe.

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George Harrison used to speak to Krishna, why should I believe your delusions over his?

Put Krishna to the test, then put what I have said to the test, and then decide for yourself.

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Apparently, it doesn't work all that well on those folks that want to believe anyway - as many of our forum goers can attest to. Didn't work on Drich either, IIRC. I seem to remember you being "called to god" over the magic of wide band radio waves? One of those lucky few.

What is the different between being called over the radio and being called out in an interactive forum? (Other than I can respond and brother James never did respond to me.)

[Thumpalumpacus]

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I can't seem to find the post where we all were recently speaking of knocking so I am starting this new thread rather than hijack someone else's.

I know many of us have had this discussion before. Where you say bla bla bla bla, no proof of God Bla bla bla..

Then I say if you want proof, what better proof of God, is their than God Himself?

Then you say: bla bla bla how can God be proof, of God? (insert insult) bla bla! Ha, Ha , Ha

Then I say A/S/K (ask seek knock) as out lined in luke 11. And you will be given a measure of the Holy Spirit.

You say: bla bla bla, "I did when i; bla bla bla, and got nothing in response. So now I am an atheist."

Then me: if you're not currently seeking you have not A/S/K'ed as outlined in luke 11. Because again the persistent neighbor did not stop knocking till he got what he was looking for..
So if you stopped before you got what you were looking for, you did not follow the outline Christ Gave.

Then the conversation generally turns to all the different reasons knocking does not apply to you..

Before we go down another bla bla bla road, let's try going down the other fork in this conversation.

Let's say you did have a humble and contrite heart when you asked God to help you find Him or when you genuinely asked for proof of Him. But let's also say you had a really messed up idea of who God is and what He wants from you.

Now if God gave you confirmation that He does indeed exist, it would cement your version of God (flaws mistakes and all) in your mind.

I assume most of you are familiar with the parable of the wise and foolish builders/the man who built his house on the sand and the man who built his house upon the rock.
If not it starts at verse 24: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?se...rsion=NASB

Both men had the same objective here and that was to build his own house. In the story our house is our legacy or our effort to build a relationship with God. (Empty Religion or religious effort for short)
Meaning a wise man (man who truly knows God) and a foolish man (a man who does not know God) can live a life and do the exact same things as the wise man does.(which result in a house/religion) for both. However according to Christ one house will stand and one house will fall when tested.

When you ask for God to send 'proof.' Or to strengthen your relationship with Him he sends the rains to test/proof your house. Meaning if the picture of God you have/your religious views are based on the biblical portrayal of God you will see God as your foundation. (You will be able to see the proof He sends in the Holy Spirit.) However if you have built your understanding of God on the empty religions of your fathers then it is more likely that your house will have been washed away.

This is why it is so important to continue knocking. Because in your prayer you asked to see God, and rather than God allow you to continue to build a 'house' on a corrupt foundation, He will simply stop supporting your house/religious beliefs, allowing your house to collapse under its own fatal flaws.

This is where many of you are at. You sought God and rather than re enforce your ideas of what God is, He has taken those imperfect images from you, by giving you the proof you need to disqualify those pictures of Him as being 'God.'

You all have done the hard part, and that is cast off the empty traditional beliefs, God has help you in wiping your slate clean. The question then becomes, what do you want to build on your slate now? Do any of you still have the desire to seek God? (Most of you are more than 1/2 way there.) or do you assume just because you disqualified the idea of God you had as a child means no other version of God can possibly exist.

How much pride does it take to assume that the picture/understanding of God you had as a child, can even be close to the creator of everything?

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[Minimalist]

Then I say if you want proof, what better proof of God, is their than God Himself?

That works with turds. If you step in a turd you know it is real. 'God?' Not so much.

Turds are real.

[Drich]

Ready for a simple translation of what he just said?:
You have to believe in god in order to believe in god.

ah, no. All anyone need do is seek with an open mind.

Its such a fantastic defence mechanism isn't it?
Person A: I was a Christian and looked for god for 20 years. I didn't find him, now i'm an atheist.
Person B: Well you obviously didn't look in the right way.

ah, no. Person b should say: "You didn't look long enough."
It took you 20 years to have your 'house' washed away. Now if you just keep knocking God will help you build a new one.

Hey drich, can you fly?

demends on whether or not I can find a good deal on Hotwire.

I jumped out of an aeroplane once and I flew. What's that? You fell straight down when you jumped? Well you musn't have jumped properly.

Indeed, if I jumped and followed the rules of the laws or principles of flight, I would have flown as you did, but as you have observed, if I just do things my own way I will fall. Why should your approach to God not be held to the same standard?[/quote]

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Dear Dritch. Tried very hard to do that once. I wanted to make mother happy. Apparently god didn't. Next.

Again, bla bla bla, like the neighbor kept knocking till he got what he was looking for, bla bla bla..

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Another thing, if I knock on someone's door and they don't answer, I assume they are not there or don't want to see me.

Did you read the story?

Christ explains what and why the door is not opened. You do not need to assume anything.

5 Then He said to them, “[d]Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children [e]and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his [f]persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

9 “So I say to you, [g]ask, and it will be given to you; [h]seek, and you will find; [i]knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11 Now [j]suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a [k]fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your [l]heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

[ignoramus]

Drich, what are we then?
If we try and he never comes!
That's us! Whatever word you come up with.

When you say open mind, do you mean open to believing in something that's not logical? Science has an open mind, has it not?