Forget Tune In Tokyo:
Tune in God
Tune in God
For those who claim to be hearing the voice of God or Jesus or whatever deity it is they are claiming is whispering sweet nothings in their spiritual ears, maybe it is not so much that they are hearing the voice of the divine as it is they are hearing something they WANT to hear. They want to feel special and want to be pleasing to God and will jump at any chance to be spoken to by the Almighty God...even if it means they are hearing something that exists nowhere save for their own mind. And you know what else?
If God is omni-present why doesn't He just speak to everyone all at once? And DON'T give me that, "Well, people don't always listen to when God talks," because that will not work. You say your God is all powerful and that includes making people listen.
And don't try to pull the 'free will' card and say that God speaks and then gives people the choice of whether or not to listen. This plainly is NOT true as is evidenced by the Lord God PURPOSELY hardening the heart of Pharaoh so that the Children of Israel would not be allowed to leave. We all know what happened there...so you can't lie about it. How do you know your God (a supposedly JUST God) is not purposely hardening the hearts of people now? Hummm? How do you know whether or not your God is leading b-zillions of people to a fiery end that is the equivalent of the chariots of the Pharaoh's army being swallowed by the Red Sea...on purpose?
I wanted to add this video to this post because I really wanted to say something about what this man has to say, not necessarily because he says that God or Jesus speak to him (a claim he never makes in the video and I am not claiming he did, so back off) but because he says that there are people that get a bit un-comfy when he mentions the name of Jesus. I think his analysis of why people seem un-comfy when Jesus is mentioned is incorrect.
This man makes the statements that, one, people are not bothered by talking about God because God is impersonal, and two, people ARE bothered about talking about Jesus because talking about Jesus is just a bit too personal. While this may be the case for SOME people it is certainly not the case for all people. I will use myself as an example.
I find it is far easier to speak with people who refer to the Almighty God of the Holy Bible as "God" and who then gradually move into talking about Jesus. I have many friends who are Christian and I often participate in religious discourse with some of them; civilized conversation that is. We do not yell or shout or try to speak over one another. There is never a part of the conversation where I am told I am going to hell, or where I tell them they have taken spiritual delusion to heights heretofore unexplored.
Conversely, I also have some friends with whom I refrain from speaking about Jesus and that friggin' cross. The moment Jesus is mentioned, accompanied by obvious intent to drag me into the demented world of What-I-Believe-Is-Better-Than-What-You-Believe, I walk away.
However, my personal reasoning for this is nowhere near what the man in this video thinks. When someone immediately begins their religious conversation (or attack in some cases) using the name "Jesus" that is a sure sign to me that absolutely NOTHING I have to say will be considered or even remotely regarded as worthy of consideration.
In my personal experience many of the people who immediately start slinging the name of Jesus around are the ones who give a good goddamn about any other belief or opinion other than their own. Thus, conversation with them is often a futile exercise in discourse, a terribly wasted effort.
Usually within the first six words of my response ("I do not believe in Jesus.") to their initial question (usually something along the lines of, "May I share with you the 'good news' of Jesus?") the ill-fated conversation that hasn't even really been birthed from the spiritual womb yet is aborted by the well-meaning, over-zealous Christian (who sometimes just happens to be a friend or acquaintance) interrupting my answer with, "But, aren't you concerned that you are going to hell?"
I used to try to continue such conversations and try to find a way to convey that it is okay for them to believe they way they do. It is also okay for me to disagree with Christianity and the idea that there is an all-powerful deity absolutely in charge of and controlling of everything. My opposing view and patterns of thinking on the subjects of Christianity and God and Jesus do not make me evil or liable to their God, Holy Bible, rules and edicts, or prescribed fiery consequences for NOT believing the same way.
At least with many of the people who start off the conversation using the name "God" (usually in the form of a series of questions similar to, "You don't believe in God? Why? May I tell you about Him?") there tends to be a willingness to at least lean toward agreement that there just may be another way to think or believe. Of course, this 'leaning' toward agreement that there may be other ways to believe is given under great spiritual duress, often nearly entirely revoked with the believer's final, parting comment of, "But what if you're wrong?"
I can deal with being told I may be wrong or AM wrong. What I detest is trying to dicker with someone, who, immediately after me telling them I don't believe in Jesus, embarks on some half-ass crusade to "open my eyes" and turn my heart to Jesus by informing me how sinful I am.
Some of the alleged sins that have been pointed out to me over the years include my make-up, my choice of clothing, my profession (job wise, not faith wise), my profession (faith wise, not job wise), my education, my divorce, and the music I listen to. Many, and thankfully not ALL, of those representatives and spiritual 'yes men' of the God of infallible and enduring love who become aware of the fact I am lesbian (either by my own admission or that of someone else) go entirely bananas and immediately foam at the spiritual mouth. A few have even literally started praying over me or for me.
That is why many people walk away when Jesus is mentioned. Many people tire quickly of listening to such bullshit. Seriously. That is what has happened to me. I got tired of listening to the hen pecking and the attempted bullying and being talked over.
Most of all, I was tired of many of these followers of the God of Endless Love responding to me with hatred, ill-placed superiority, aggression, jeers, and the most delusional sense of pride.
So YOU might think God or Jesus talk to you through dreams or visions or mental processes or your spirit or soul. Big damn deal. Deanna Laney, Dora Tejada, LaShaun Harris, Dana Hooper, and Dena Schlosser all thought they were doing what God told them when they killed their kids.
Houston, we have a mental problem.
No, God DOES NOT speak through people BUT fear does.
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