Personal relationships with deities

[Losty]

The only personal relationship I have is with my right hand, I can prove the existence of my right hand, I don't need to pray to it, and it has never let me down.

Hehehe

[Losty]

[Drich]

[Drich]

I thought we did a whole thread on this, and I was able to show you that what you called prayer infact wasn't. So the question then becomes have you even ever really prayed to God? Again asking God for stuff is not prayer it is supplication or petition. The bible is clear on what prayer is, it is you asking God to change your mind and your heart, rather than you trying to change his.

Who died and made you the ultimate decider of what counts as prayer? (Was it Jesus? Lol)

Jesus decided Im just pointing it out that the word today means something completely different than it did when Jesus spoke about it.

[houseofcantor]

3) Both parties directly communicate with the other party in a meaningful, observable way.

Does whacking off to my Gwynnies count as a meaningful interpersonal observation?
Personal relationship with god is built up through repetitious ritual. It's as real as anything else to the believer.

[Drich]

Drich: You agree? Thanks So do you have a personal relationship with a deity I could verify in this way? Or would you not class it as that?

"you" are subject to and filter everything through your own prejudice so probably not. However this does not preclude others from looking at all that has been done in my life and come to the same conclusion I have.
I would even go out on a limb and say if this were not possible at all, then this religion would have lasted as long as it has.

I don't understand your question. If I could verify you're having a relationship with Jesus say, why would that give me a responsibility? I'd be happy to tell everyone that I had confirmed Jesus was in fact real and you were talking to him. Anyone else could witness this for themselves, presumably. What other responsibility do you suggest?

Why do you assume that I insist on a responsibility? I simply agreed in the OP that an indivisual must confirm he is indeed in a relationship with God otherwise he is just talking with himself, and the "wind and rain" will eventually force that person to admit that.

I would be very surprised, that I'd been able to observe Jesus/God as real and watch them communicate with you. You'd be the first person to produce any such evidence. I'd wonder why no one else had been able to. I'd probably ask them some questions of my own.

Again if I were, then the religion would have failed long ago. And it's the Holy Spirit we have been given over to as a the personage of God in which we communicate.

That said, I don't get to choose the time God responds. But when He does it's clear concise and unmistakeable. Whether it be healings (AIDS Cancer Burst Apendix) Of which I can produce tangiable evidence for the lastest of the three, guidance in my investments and or business, or the knowledge and wisdom God has given me that I share here and with others concerning His word. This is truly the amazing part. I am not one who has committed the bible to memory, in all honesty I know maybe 3 verses by heart. But when one of you askes a question or make a stoopud comment about the bible I just write out what is on my heart, and out comes book chapter and verse, but with out the actual book chapter and verse reference numbers. I just write it all out then go back and fill in the scriptural notations after I google them. I'll quote stuff that I may have only read once. Some of the stuff will bring a tear to my eye because I will have no memory of reading some of the more obscure OT passages but will be spot on in content. My wife can contest to this because I use to have her help me look stuff up in the beginning (before the search engines were as good.) How can I contribute this to God: Here another example of me writing rom the heart: I believe Paul tells us that we do not need a teacher when we have the Holy Spirit, because He writes all of God's laws and precepts on our hearts! When I wrote that/this I have no idea who said it where it was said or the context so now I will go back and google it: I was wrong it was not Paul but John writing to His followers in 1 John 2:27But Christ has blessed you with the Holy Spirit. Now the Spirit stays in you, and you don’t need any teachers. The Spirit is truthful and teaches you everything. So stay one in your heart with Christ, just as the Spirit has taught you to do.

Depending on the translation you can get even closer to what I wrote if you understand the word 'anointing' to mean the Anointing of the Holy Spirit.

But, again for one with a hard heart this means nothing, but for one looking for the truth... 22/23 years of experienceiing one the impossible day in day out, and to be given such a gift/access to the wisdom of God is proof enough, especially when one lives the first 1/2 of his life being told I would be luck to dig ditches for a living.

[Drich]

I'd like to request a relationship with Priapus . . .

Junk on the trunk!

[Minimalist]

Drippy thinks he has a special invisible friend.

Drippy's a moron.

[drfuzzy]

I thought we did a whole thread on this, and I was able to show you that what you called prayer infact wasn't. So the question then becomes have you even ever really prayed to God? Again asking God for stuff is not prayer it is supplication or petition. The bible is clear on what prayer is, it is you asking God to change your mind and your heart, rather than you trying to change his.

Who died and made you the ultimate decider of what counts as prayer? (Was it Jesus? Lol)

Oh ho, that's funny.  I only see Drippy Doodle's posts when someone quotes him, which is an understandably rare occurrence.  I have him on my "Ignore" list of course.  And he thinks that he has been SCHOOLING me on God and prayer?   I tried and tried to tell him that I don't believe God exists, which naturally means that I don't pray.   Well, I'm absolutely delighted to learn that his student never showed up for class, and that he was talking to people who weren't there . . . again.     Thanks Losty!!!      

[robvalue]

Drich: you asked me directly what responsibility I would have after I witnessed it, so I was asking what you meant by that.

So it sounds like no impartial observer could actually verify the three criteria in your case then. Or indeed a single one of them. If the observer is required to be one that is Christian and just takes what you say at face value, that doesn't count. I'm perfectly capable of observing what is right in front of me, and I've never experienced anyone claiming to have a personal relationship without being able to verify this myself if need be. It's only when it becomes a mysterious ghostly second party that this all falls down, every single time. Just telling me stuff is happening and I'm too [whatever] to see it is a dodge. I could make similar claims to you that I'm sure you'd reject as nonsensical.

The success of the religion says nothing at all about its truth, but that would be totally irrelevant if I could actually verify your relationship. People believing all that stuff is true is enough to make it successful, regardless of whether it is true. By this logic, all other religions are also true. Yet they contradict each other.

Remember, I don't care if your religion is true or not. It makes no difference to me. So my heart isn't hard, or whatever. If someone is putting a block on my senses, it would have to be your God. I try my best to be totally open minded. I'm prepared to change my opinion about anything, if I'm presented with credible evidence. I'm an apatheist, I don't care if there is a god or not, or what it is. I also just happen to be atheist, given the current available evidence.