'Seeking' God

[Doubting Thomas]

People who seek bigfoot find bigfoot. Even if they have to make plaster casts of huge fake footprints.

But seriously, it's no different from conspiracy theorists who go looking for conspiracies, and surprise, surprise, they find them everywhere.

[salty]

So, if you have been presented with information about God, you have rejected it, and you are unwilling to defend him it is pointless for you to seek God, because your mind has already decided that God is not present and not worth your time.

With this being the case, why do Christians tell us that we will find God if we seek him?

They are assuming that you want him, but it's clear that some do not.

Why, indeed, do you say the same thing below? Why is it in your signature? You plainly know that we have been presented with this 'evidence' (such as it is), and not found it convincing. If you acknowledge that seeking him is pointless, why do atheists continually get told to seek him, and believe he exists first? It is something that cannot be done.

Because it can be done. As I told you, if you're willing to change your response, if you take the stance "God is worth defending" then the results of your search will be different.

Believers tell atheists to seek God because we're hoping that you will find him, but really, when I began defending this argument I suddenly saw how insulting it must be for someone to say, "seek God" like you never once tried it. Which is why I rephrased my own advice by saying "with the intention to follow" but if you never have the intention to follow, the intention to defend, then the whole thing should be ignored, the search is pointless.

3. I don't know how long it will take, it depends on your dedication. Every search is different, but without the intention to respond, the search may come up void, in the case of Josh McDowell and Lee Strobel it turned them into Christians, who knows what it will do for you.

I knew this would be the response. This proves my first point completely, by making it an unfalsifiable proposition. 'Go and seek God' you say. 'I tried' I say. 'Obviously not hard enough' you say.

But you do not fulfill the obligation that is needed to start your belief, you need to seek with the intention to follow God should you find truth to the claims of Christianity. Apparently those who seek him and do not find him are not ready to submit to his claims, they are not prepared to defend them because they reject them as false.

It creates this situation where you get to count all the hits, point to them and say 'Look, see! God's grace shines upon another!', but simultaneously allows you to ignore every single miss, by telling the poor seeker that they haven't searched earnestly enough. One of Christianity's greatest ever tricks. Gullible people who already wanted to find something comprise 100% of the hits.

I understand what you mean by a pious bishop saying to someone that is confused, "Go my child, seek him and he shall show himself to you." and then turning around a short time later and accusing this person of not seeking hard enough. That is a trick, but we are talking about a general question of how someone can seek God and I am answering: "If you have the intention to turn your heart over to God, to defend him because he is worth your time, then when you seek him under those conditions you will surely find him." We are not dealing with gullible people on this forum. People here are well versed in their reasoning for rejecting or accepting God and either accuse or defend. If someone here, on this forum, would like to seek God they will have to be willing to turn against the tide and defend God, that is the first step to the Lord revealing himself.

I wanted to mention that you (El Dinero) already believe strongly that homosexuality is an acceptable act, which you defended intensely in another thread, therefore you have demonstrated that you can control your beliefs, merely by your response. Seek God, with the intention to follow and you will find him.

Could you clarify what you mean here? I'm not sure I follow you. But with regards your final sentence, I will say that I have no intention of seeking or following God, for moral reasons as well as the lack of any evidence. It is simply impossible for me to doublethink in this way. Can you explain how it is possible?

Since you have already made it clear that you have no intention of seeking or following God, then I retract my statement "seek god with the intention to follow and you will find him." It was a weak attempt to encourage you, but you are already firm in your beliefs.

I don't think you need any clarification about the homosexuality thread.

I have already explained the process for belief and how to change belief. I don't know what else I can say to help you. I believe you're fully capable of understanding me.

[The Grand Nudger]

The very concept of a god is worth defending, especially from people with beliefs such as yours. Now what?

[salty]

People who seek bigfoot find bigfoot. Even if they have to make plaster casts of huge fake footprints.

But seriously, it's no different from conspiracy theorists who go looking for conspiracies, and surprise, surprise, they find them everywhere.

I agree.

It's fine that people don't believe in God. I don't believe in aliens, but many people do and they show me the proof and they tell me of their experiences, but I have already been presented the information and I reject it, you won't find me seeking aliens because I'm convinced they are not real.

[The Grand Nudger]

But why do you reject it?

[thesummerqueen]

So...we're not disagreeing that seeking god is much the same? I don't believe in God because I haven't been convinced by any evidence. Nor am I convinced by UFO visitations/alien life as many alien-believers define it.

[Ace Otana]

you need to seek with the intention to follow Odin should you find truth to the claims of Norse.

Fixed.

Why seek 'your' god?

You don't find 'truth' through feelings and delusional thoughts. Or seeking things or beings that others claim to exist.

[salty]

The very concept of a god is worth defending, especially from people with beliefs such as yours. Now what?

Do you plan to seek God out, with this mindset? Will you apply that mindset to your exegetical studies of the claims of Christianity? You may say this, but from my experience with you, you said that even if God showed up you wouldn't bow your knee, so even if you claim to feel that the very concept of god is worth defending, it's not something that you will participate in.

[Ace Otana]

I don't believe in aliens,

I do. It's based on statistics. 500 million life capable planets in a single galaxy and there are way over 200 billion galaxies. Based on the sheer number of life sustainable planets, the chances of other life is so high, it's beyond comprehension.

But that's just me.

[The Grand Nudger]

I'll say the same to you that I've said before today, since your claim is identical.

You continue to assert that by seeking I will find god, without considering that I may have done exactly that and found nothing. Or that many of the posters here were once either devout believers or earnest seekers, who similarly found nothing. I've told you I wouldn't bow my knee, and I've told you why. That sort of conviction (and the reasons for it) doesn't come from not considering the proposition..does it? Why is my mindset an improper one, because it doesn't agree with what you believe, forgive me for not giving a shit.