Original Sin?

Quote: FrGamble

How do you get a personal, life giving, inspirational, and grace filled relationship through prayer to God

You claim you get all this from
god. How does it manifest
itself? In the hospital prayer
studies it should have manifested
itself in over the top healings
for patient's. It didn't.

You make wild claims of what
it does for you, though. How
does gods love manifest itself
in your life, that isn't in an
atheists life.

Why do you say should have manifested in huge healings? Why does it seem so important to you to use God to get green lights?

By the way, you do know God's love for you is manifested in your life in many ways, even as an atheist. You seem to think the love of God is some secret possession of Chistians, not true. Maybe you should ask yourself about how God, who is love, manifests His presence in your life?

Quote: FrGamble

you do know God's love for you is manifested in your life in many ways,

Quote: FrGamble

you do know God's love for you is manifested in your life in many ways,

I do? You didn't even answer the question
I asked. How does god's love manifest
itself in your life that makes your life
so different from an atheists life. You
must not know or you wouldn't be
avoiding the question.

Besides the stuff you voluntarily choose
to do, I can't see where your god makes
your life any better than mine. If this
was 1959 and I was selling you a new
Cadillac, I could give you a dozen real
reasons of why your life would be better
with this car. You can't even give me one
reason my life would be better with god?

I hope your life is not much different than mine in many respects. You serve others and try to help out the poor and those in material need, that is a very good thing that God helps you with, but you can and do as an atheist. I hope you are able to forgive those who in the past have hurt you or your loved ones, that frees you from bitterness and only hurts yourself. God helps with that too. To have an attitude of gratitude and appreciate life, both the beautiful joys and to not be overwhelmed by the ugly sorrows. God helps there too. To forgive yourself and not be filled with shame or guilt for past mistakes, to learn from them and get better. God helps, but again these things are something that anyone can and should do. To have hope and never give in to despair, this is at the heart of the Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but again I hope you do not have despair in your life. To do the right thing even when it involves heroic sacrifice and is hard to do, we can all do this, but God strengthens me in a special way to do this. To know the consequences of our actions and to think always about their repercussions, you have said you already do this, but God reminds us very powerfully that we will be held to account even after we die. So in all of these things God can and does help me. Maybe you do it all without any belief in God and that is great. I'm guessing though that you are not doing well in sone of these areas ( in fact I know you are not based on some of your posts). God will help you be the best version of yourself.

But wait there is more, much more! Besides all of this I return to that personal relationship with Jesus. It is the source of all my hope and love. It gives me so much peace and is not just me talking to myself. All I can say is God desperately desires to be in a relationship with you too. If you don't believe me, give it a try. Then there are the Sacraments of the Church and the Church community I mentioned earlier.

You see God blesses us all and loves us all. He made you and gave you life. If you are doing well in some of the areas above I believe God is blessing you even though you don't believe in Him. He believes in you.

As you used the car analogy I will say you can putter away in your old jalopy or you can recieve the best way to move through life for absolutely free. It is your choice. Know that God is already with you and helping you even though you don't even know it.

Quote: FrGamble

Besides all of this I return to that personal relationship with Jesus.

So that's it? All that typing to point
out our lives are mostly similar,
your's with a god and mine not,
and all you have left is a one sided
imaginary relationship with Jesus
that you hope and pray is real?

You've admitted Jesus has never
spoken to you personally, so your
whole life is one of faith. That
everything you believe is real,
because you certainly can't prove
any of it. We're supposed to drop
to our knees and worship your
god just on your word that it's
real. Yeah, that's not gonna
happen for most atheists.

Quote:

God desperately desires to be in a relationship with you

Do you even realize how pathetic that
sounds? The childish, egocentric god
of the Bible is 'desperate' for a
relationship with us? That's frightening,
run the other way as fast as you can.
If this god existed, which he doesn't.

Like I said I hope our lives are very similar, I leave that up to your discernment and conscience.

I very much know my relationship with Jesus is real. I wouldn't say God has never spoken to me. He does so in my heart all the time. I haven't had a miracolous vision or auditory message like many of the saints have had if that is what you mean. When you say all I have is faith I need to remind you that this faith is constantly reinforced with experiences and insights.

God is desperate for your love. I'm sorry you think this strange or weak. He just loves you so much, He has died for you, He wants to be part of your life. He obviously thinks you are worth it. I don't understand why you find this frightening.

Quote: FrGamble

I very much know my relationship with Jesus is real.

George Burns wife Gracie died decades
before he did. Once a week he would
go to the cemetery and talk to her out
loud. He swore she was listening and
communicating with him. That's
how real your relationship with Jesus
is, you believe it's there so that makes
it true.

Quote:

this faith is constantly reinforced with experiences and insights.

Only if you drastically change the
parameters of what experiences
and insights really mean. With
your loose definitions, every alien
abduction is absolutely true.

Quote:

God is desperate for your love... I don't understand why you find this frightening.

Because it makes god sound pathetic
and pathological, that's why. He
supposedly creates all these
fickle and vain and ego centered
selfish humans, then becomes
desperate for their admiration
and love? That doesn't sound
just a trifle co-dependently
pathological to you? If it doesn't,
you aren't thinking about it
properly. It's sick.

Repeated experiences everyday are not the situation of those who claim to be abducted by aliens or have seen Bigfoot. Literally every single day the love of God is experiences anew and in New ways. This is not just my experience, but that of millions of other people. You really don't know what you or I, for that matter, are talking about. I know you want to write it off as crazy or silly but I'm afraid you cannot.

In regards to your comment about God, do you have children? Do you desire to be in a relationship with them and desire to help them in any way you can? If so, does that make you pathetic or just a good father?

Quote: FrGamble

Literally every single day the love of God is experiences anew and in New ways.

I've watched this first hand
for decades. The Xtions in
my family simply take
everything positive that
happens and blame god
for it. It can be something
as small as loosening a pesky
jar lid, or as big as avoiding
a car accident, they immediately
involve god in it.

If you actively do this for long
enough, you will be convinced
god is around you and guiding
your life at every turn. Don't
get too excited, it's a self created
illusion.

You've created this illusion and
now you're living in it. This is
crystal clear to anyone on the
outside looking in. But that's
fine, the laws no longer let
you punish people anymore who
don't want to share your illusory
lifestyle. You've been rendered
relatively harmless.

My sister in law thanks Jesus
profoundly when she has a
regular bowel movement, I
kid you not. It's amazing the
delusions humans can talk
themselves into. It keeps
shrinks busier and busier.

I reckon your sister in law also thanks God for the challenges and struggles in life. When this happens you know you are dealing with a believing Christian.

Since you have obviously made up your mind let's leave it there. God is working harder and better than I ever could to reach your mind and heart. I have trust in Him and faith that you can't be as obtuse and closed minded as you come across. Good night and God bless!