LOL you know nothing about me yet you feel comfortable making these claims. Because I don't jump into your cesspool, that means I am immobilized by fear. In fact, exactly the opposite is true: clinging to religion is all about fear where releasing it and looking into authentic, non-magic avenues of transformation is the wise path. Magic is bullshyt. Ghosts are bullshyt. Stand-in magicians and supernatural powers to accomplish change is bullshyt. Scapegoat saviors is bullshyt. There are real fundamentals of human consciousness in which it is possible to accomplish the most radical of human change -- the self-concept -- but all of those superstitions fail to meet the reality test and are obvious relics of ignorant superstition.

You have no idea what radical human change is and what is required for that. You can’t even take a stand against your thoughts. This is about despair, not about religion. There is religion that leads you away from despair and religion that takes you into despair. Your thoughts betray you because you cower away from betraying yourself.

I have a lot of experience with what radical human change is, it's just that apparently you don't understand that it isn't based on magic or supernatural crap. Servicing despair is not about offering supernatural superstition, hello. After all this sophistry you post I still don't even know what your religion is. Once again, you know nothing about me yet judge. Judging is destructive; judging out of ignorance and enmity is evil. That says plenty about whatever the hell your religion is.

Grunching here but, how did we get from believing in God to believing in The Bible ?

The Bible is pretty obviously one culture's interpretation of the whole God question but seeing how every other culture also has an interpretation what's the point of going granular and repeating what the idiot next to you just told you ?

Wouldn't God be understood outside of any structured belief system handed down form human to human ?

But then... how are we going to rank the various gods? Is Jesus better than Allah? What about Thor? Don't forget Vishnu!
How do we decide who to worship?
If only we could put them all in some kind of WrestleMania event....
I bet my god can beat up your god! ;-)

Yes, we are not pets on a leash. Claim your agency. With that said, the stories in the Bible aren’t just for the people who want to be spoon fed. They also have value to the individuals who stand on their own.

Do they? I find the stories to be repugnant. The god of the OT is petty, misogynistic, genocidal, narcissistic and just a downright dick. If you could prove to me that he actually existed, I still wouldn't worship that prick.

Maybe he is presented that way because it’s real. Maybe the correct response toward him is judgment and condemnation rather than denial. Maybe denial is preferable for him. Maybe denial is a blind form of worshipping him.

Yeah, that makes sense. *eyeroll*

That's the only kind of worship he would get from me.

You read my response and a thought automatically appeared along with a feeling of truth associated with the thought. Where did that thought and feeling emerge from? What is on the other side of that chaotic darkness? Have you properly explored it? I’m going to say that you haven’t. Do you know how I know that?

Yeah, books and movies and youtube videos about the human condition all have value.

But this thread (of course) went right into Christians repeating what they've been spoon fed. Which is why I asked the question.

It's predictable but if God is really interested in humans knowing him, shouldn't we have some innate ability to do so ?

Why do we need some idiot on the internet to godsplain things to us ?

You make absolutely no sense. You sound like a lunatic to me. I'm blocking you as I find your posts a waste of time and completely non-sensical.

I tell the truth. Whoever cannot understand me is in that position because they continue to double down on the path of Cain that they committed to a long time ago. Congratulations to the one that accepts this and repents - paradise awaits.

YOU don't have or know the mind of god. To act like you do is utterly pretentious and deluded, just as it is for all the rest of the billions who bluffed like they do (for thousands of different gods, no less). STFU unless trolling then by all means, continue on your merry path. (Not to just an individual. YOU = all human beings including you, not except for you.)

I had another supernatural experience. A couple weeks ago while going to sleep I heard my friends voice say “I’m proud of you,” then his name. I texted him last night and he said he’s been praying for me. I heard a prayer.

What a compelling story of objective evidence of the supernatural! ;-)
Alert the media!
Publish in a medical journal!

Now this sounds like a testable hypothesis.

If you really believe you can 'hear' your friend supernaturally/via prayer, then you should be able to devise a very simple exercise in which your friend thinks of...oh I don't know, let's say 5 randomly dealt playing cards in order, and relays their identity to you. The cards would be verified by an independent party at each location.

So, would you consider doing this exercise?

How is it that god is "outside of time and space" and yet is everywhere/omni-present?

‘God Is’ + ‘God Becoming’ = paradox

Well, I'm all for paradox as it often reveals profound truth, but you don't just get to call it a paradox as opposed to a contradiction unless you provide the reasons. If you establish that it's a paradox, then you've done something. Or else I could say 2+2=4 and 2+2=5 ... both are true it's just a paradox. No reason needed: just faith.

Noted.

As you might suspect, I disagree with the bolded.

Having said that, what is your putative objective, universal, knowable, and infallible standard by which one can rationally conclude that God is a d**k and a pr**k?

Once you provide such a standard, I will respond. Thanks.

You haven’t figured out that I’m not a Rationalist yet? As if I care at all about meeting a standard within that framework.

Yeah. You've got your own religion. Not only that, but it's the one true one, no doubt. Good job. Where can I send a donation to support the sophistry and self-delusion?

I'm not aware of any such standard. But my subjective standards, the god you worship is a d**k, a pr**k and a f**king a**hole. How's that?

And do I fear eternity in hell for being so bold as to state this? Not even a little bit. No more than you fear hell for denying Allah or Vishnu.

Have a blessed day.