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About how Christians hear God

Does God speak to you other than through scripture or in a metaphorical sense?

  • Yes

    Votes: 7 70.0%
  • No

    Votes: 3 30.0%

  • Total voters
    10

Piculet

Active Member
I listen to testimonies sometimes from Christians. As a rule, the speaker mentions one or more of the following
  • God or Jesus عليه السلام speaking to them
  • Them hearing a voice say something to them
  • God telling them something.
Usually people become alarmed when they hear a voice and others become alarmed when someone relates that God told them such and such.

We are familiar with prophets, but we largely agree they are no longer here and most certainly that not all Christians whom God supposedly "speaks to" can be prophets.

Christians don't seem to have a problem with this.

What do they mean when they say they "heard a voice", "God told me" or "God speaks to me"?

One possibility could be, they don't mean a literal voice — which is reasonable, except that if someone says, for example, "God told me to continue my father's job after his death," would he be saying publicly that, basically, he got a feeling at one time or another that God would want him to continue his father's job after his death and that he transformed that feeling in his mind to God literally speaking to him? How does he know so specifically what God wants if it isn't written clearly in the scripture?
 

epronovost

Well-Known Member
We are familiar with prophets, but we largely agree they are no longer here and most certainly that not all Christians whom God supposedly "speaks to" can be prophets.

What's your problem about the idea that all Christian who supposedly heard God speak to them be all correct? How do you make the difference between a false prophet and the real deal?
 

JustGeorge

Not As Much Fun As I Look
Staff member
Premium Member
I can't speak from a Christians perspective, but our family does have a friend who often mentions "God told me to do this" or "God is showing me I must...". When he says these things, yes, he goes on either a feeling, or puts merit into a coincidence. For example, he chose to employ the first person who called him, as, in his mind, it was God telling him to hire that one...

Wise or not, scripturally supported or not, I'm just relaying his actions on this topic.
 

epronovost

Well-Known Member
Your premise is not based on Abrahamic theology.

I don't think Abrahamic theology gives any sort of limit to the number and style of prophets there can be or any special characteristics to identify a prophet. Feel free to prove me wrong by quoting the appropriate literrature, but if it were the case, you wouldn't ask the question at all. You would know who was prophet and who wasn't who can hear God and who is simply delusionnal or lying.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
How does he know so specifically what God wants if it isn't written clearly in the scripture?
I do not believe that anyone can know specifically what God wants them to do even if it is written clearly in scriptures because the scriptures only offer general guidance, so we have to apply them to our specific situation.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
Usually people become alarmed when they hear a voice and others become alarmed when someone relates that God told them such and such.

We are familiar with prophets, but we largely agree they are no longer here and most certainly that not all Christians whom God supposedly "speaks to" can be prophets.

Christians don't seem to have a problem with this.
Do Muslims believe they have a 'personal relationship' with God like Christians do?
 

Piculet

Active Member
Do Muslims believe they have a 'personal relationship' with God like Christians do?
Yes and no, imo. They do not believe they have a personal relationship with God similar to that which the Christians (in general) seem to have.
 

Piculet

Active Member
I don't think Abrahamic theology gives any sort of limit to the number and style of prophets there can be or any special characteristics to identify a prophet. Feel free to prove me wrong by quoting the appropriate literrature, but if it were the case, you wouldn't ask the question at all. You would know who was prophet and who wasn't who can hear God and who is simply delusionnal or lying.
What Are Prophets in the Bible? Do Prophets Still Exist Today?

Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers - Islam Question & Answer
 

epronovost

Well-Known Member

This first article claims that it's possible for people to have the gift of prophecy today and doesn't reveal an special way to identify them from the also mentionned "wolf in sheep clothing" that are also supposed to exist


This second article supports you opinion that there is no prophet since Muhammad, yet offers no reason other than the asserted belief that there are no others and that there could be no others since there can't be any other.

Christian and Muslims are both part of the Abrahamic family. They do not agree. There is a divergence in theology on that specific issue between Christians and Muslims. Your House isn't in order on that point. I suppose you believe on faith that the Christians are wrong on this issue while the Mulims are correct?
 

EsonauticSage

Between extremes
There is a divergence in theology on that specific issue between Christians and Muslims. Your House isn't in order on that point. I suppose you believe on faith that the Christians are wrong on this issue while the Mulims are correct?

Muslims are closer to Jews on those theological issues, so it's an Occams Razor. Judaism says such and such about God, Christianity contradicts it and invents a completely alien theology, Islam reaffirms the same as Judaism over such matters.
The answer is kinda obvious.

If what Christians claimed about Jesus was true, then he would be categorically a false messiah, a false prophet, and a blasphemer, according to the Torah (Deuteronomy 13, etc), there's no way around that. Remember Christians base their truth claims upon the Old Testament, which refutes every single one their divergent beliefs.
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
I listen to testimonies sometimes from Christians. As a rule, the speaker mentions one or more of the following
  • God or Jesus عليه السلام speaking to them
  • Them hearing a voice say something to them
  • God telling them something.
Usually people become alarmed when they hear a voice and others become alarmed when someone relates that God told them such and such.

We are familiar with prophets, but we largely agree they are no longer here and most certainly that not all Christians whom God supposedly "speaks to" can be prophets.

Christians don't seem to have a problem with this.

What do they mean when they say they "heard a voice", "God told me" or "God speaks to me"?

One possibility could be, they don't mean a literal voice — which is reasonable, except that if someone says, for example, "God told me to continue my father's job after his death," would he be saying publicly that, basically, he got a feeling at one time or another that God would want him to continue his father's job after his death and that he transformed that feeling in his mind to God literally speaking to him? How does he know so specifically what God wants if it isn't written clearly in the scripture?

From how I hear it from my friend and now father, "god speaking" are through experiences, events, feelings, and things like "this is too close to be a coincidence" even though this assumption doesn't prove if it is or not. I had a former friend who said she heard Jesus whisper in her ear.

I think it's indoctrinated (not a bad word) term "god spoke..." by aligning mysterious personal events as messages. Kind of like when Christians use poetry like language to talk about god "doing" things.

I always wondered the speech thing as well as how they say god "does" things but at the same time he is unknown.

It could be their inner voice since many say one needs faith to believe and faith can't assimilate real voices. It could be a mind thing they're not noticing because of personal indoctrination.

Making intelligent guesses
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
I can not speak for the Christian people but I can give my own understanding of the topic.

In the time of Jesus there were many people who could hear the voice of JHWE or Gof you like. Why is it so?
In my understanding those who could hear God had cultivated their mind to be pure and silent, they had a very good morality and they practiced their spiritual teaching every day. They did not just believe in God they did honestly do what the teaching had asked of them, without letting their ego getting in their way.
The thing about hearing the voice of God is an ability they had developed through daily cultivation of mind and body.

People of today do very seldom do this, yes they believe and they read in the Bible, but they do not practice the teaching as they did up to 2000 years ago.
And often today people let their ego dive them away from the abilities they could have developed.
So in my understanding, people who live today, and say they heard Gods voice, that is more of a way of speech then that they actually did hear God.

Again, this is only my own understanding of the topic in discussion, but I know I have not understood it on a higher level of wisdom yet.
 

Gargovic Malkav

Well-Known Member
I can not speak for the Christian people but I can give my own understanding of the topic.

In the time of Jesus there were many people who could hear the voice of JHWE or Gof you like. Why is it so?
In my understanding those who could hear God had cultivated their mind to be pure and silent, they had a very good morality and they practiced their spiritual teaching every day. They did not just believe in God they did honestly do what the teaching had asked of them, without letting their ego getting in their way.
The thing about hearing the voice of God is an ability they had developed through daily cultivation of mind and body.

People of today do very seldom do this, yes they believe and they read in the Bible, but they do not practice the teaching as they did up to 2000 years ago.
And often today people let their ego dive them away from the abilities they could have developed.
So in my understanding, people who live today, and say they heard Gods voice, that is more of a way of speech then that they actually did hear God.

Again, this is only my own understanding of the topic in discussion, but I know I have not understood it on a higher level of wisdom yet.

What you said reminds me of what is written in the book 1 Samuel 3:1. "Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread." This was in the time of the judges. A time where Israel was a tribal confederacy with no strong sense of a central government. In those days "everyone did as they saw fit". It was a time where there was more freedom of choice, but also a time where idolatry and lawlessness were rampant because everyone did as they saw fit.
 

Saint Frankenstein

Wanderer From Afar
Premium Member
I listen to testimonies sometimes from Christians. As a rule, the speaker mentions one or more of the following
  • God or Jesus عليه السلام speaking to them
  • Them hearing a voice say something to them
  • God telling them something.
Usually people become alarmed when they hear a voice and others become alarmed when someone relates that God told them such and such.

We are familiar with prophets, but we largely agree they are no longer here and most certainly that not all Christians whom God supposedly "speaks to" can be prophets.

Christians don't seem to have a problem with this.

What do they mean when they say they "heard a voice", "God told me" or "God speaks to me"?

One possibility could be, they don't mean a literal voice — which is reasonable, except that if someone says, for example, "God told me to continue my father's job after his death," would he be saying publicly that, basically, he got a feeling at one time or another that God would want him to continue his father's job after his death and that he transformed that feeling in his mind to God literally speaking to him? How does he know so specifically what God wants if it isn't written clearly in the scripture?
Don't you have an inner dialogue with yourself? Well, sometimes that "other voice" might be coming from a higher level than yourself, such as a guardian angel or simple divine inspiration. It's akin to intuition. It's generally something you "feel" rather than something you actually hear.
 

stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
Christians don't seem to have a problem with this.

What do they mean when they say they "heard a voice", "God told me" or "God speaks to me"?
Many Christians mean this like "I read a verse in the Bible, through which my question was answered"

In my personal experience, God first tries to tell me in subtle ways, sending 1 person to tell me. Then when I am too stubborn to listen, he send 1 more, or sometimes even 3 more. Then when stvdv still does not listen God might appear in a dream or even shout it out in such a loud voice (in my head) that I cannot ignore it any longer. Usually only in real emergencies.

Example: Once I ate 5 pizza's, small ones but nevertheless too much (some are alcoholic, I was more like pizzaholic or something like that). My conscience told me it was not smart, but I could not control myself. When sitting outside, suddenly a huge scorpion dropped on my head. It was at least 20 cm long, with huge paws. Really scary. I took it as a serious message from God (Scorpion stands for death I think), and from that time, I reduced to 1 small pizza maximum.:D
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
Many Christians mean this like "I read a verse in the Bible, through which my question was answered"

In my personal experience, God first tries to tell me in subtle ways, sending 1 person to tell me. Then when I am too stubborn to listen, he send 1 more, or sometimes even 3 more. Then when stvdv still does not listen God might appear in a dream or even shout it out in such a loud voice (in my head) that I cannot ignore it any longer. Usually only in real emergencies.

Example: Once I ate 5 pizza's, small ones but nevertheless too much (some are alcoholic, I was more like pizzaholic or something like that). My conscience told me it was not smart, but I could not control myself. When sitting outside, suddenly a huge scorpion dropped on my head. It was at least 20 cm long, with huge paws. Really scary. I took it as a serious message from God (Scorpion stands for death I think), and from that time, I reduced to 1 small pizza maximum.:D
This way of understanding God and how they contact humans is familiar to me :)
 
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