I have to steal this from you.
Who told you that? I can assure you that it wasn't God. He is "the Creator" who formed the entire universe from his own tremendous energy. Who said he couldn't do that?
This is your belief-blinders clouding you again. Nothing wrong with that. Can you see without it though?
No one told me that. A lot of what I believe to me is just common sense like gravity or, I don't know, feeling cold when I open the window. I don't really question it. I can still walk straight and I'm able to close my window and cut the heat on when need be. God excluded.
How in the world do you think the creator would tell me something? Literally?
e.g. How did Moses know the order of creation? And that the earth was "formless and waste" before God prepared it for habitation? (
Genesis 1) How did he know that vegetation preceded the formation of living creatures? Or that the seas once covered the entire earth before dry land appeared? How did he know that life began in the oceans and with the winged creatures? How did he know that man was created last?
Oh I wish I knew more about religions. There are thousands of creation stories and the native american ones I read are right on the nose just as you say the bible is. The reason why we assume that these people are telling the truth is because they are on the same earth as us, human beings, and can think just as we do too. There is no separation between them and yourself. So how they see things and how you see things are the same; they can't validate anything outside both of you and Moses' worldview.
Also, your god-blinders are on. I don't know how god would know man would come last. Honestly, it doesn't matter if he came in the middle. I don't agree we are unique and special people "last people to survive" or "first person to stand on the moon" and other ways Americans compare ourselves to others by hierarchy. It's all the Church. I honestly don't feel protestants have the "real" Christianity. Healthy beliefs, yes but if talking about Christianity-belief and relationship with Christ-the Bible and everything protestants depend on is compilation by the church.
Let me ask, since the Church dictated what's inspired and what isn't, and knew what books to put in the Bible, and so forth, and you don't agree with participating in things pagan given christians have a pagan history, isn't that contradicting yourself, using the bible they put together and deemed inspired for your beliefs in god? I know, run on sentence.
Isn't it a contradiction that a "pagan" Church who put the bible together, found what's inspired, and so forth is used by the very people who reject and belittle the Church every time they hear or read that name?
Only the Creator could have given him that information.
If you like. I think it was he was inspired by the creator to write what he write based on his time period, culture, environment, and people he hung out with. All religions are like that. Christianity isn't an exception.
All life is from God. Nothing lives without his spirit making life possible. He has enabled all living things to transmit life, but he is the source. Who can doubt that?
God-blinders.
No, really. It is a fact that what you are saying is a
belief not a fact. How do you (without the Bible) come up with the abrahamic god by looking up at the sky and being thankful for being alive? Why not the Pagan god, or the Hindu god, or the Lukumi god? The latter two are both creators as well.
But more productively, even though I do believe we are being guided by spirits and family in spirit, I do not see a connection between the "breathe of life" and a person or being. That seems creepy to me. I'm thankful the best way I can but thankfulness in and of itself is a blessing. Without the bible, what brought you to this specific being and
what is he outside of your (and Paul, John, and Moses) experiences?
"For his invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship, so that they are inexcusable. 21 For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God nor did they thank him, but they became empty-headed in their reasonings and their senseless hearts became darkened."
On that note, "his invisible qualities are clearly seen".... where? How do I attribute say a growing plant to the abrahamic god? His qualities have to be visible just as my I love you doesn't make sense if I don't give a hug (or so have you) to
show it too. Not make reflections by writing letters and creating pictures but actual one on one, physical and personal connection.
Without that, how do you define a god?
If you can't define him, how can you validate who he is if you don't know what he is? (Literally what he is not that he is an entity. I believe in spirits that doesn't mean anything unless I make it personal).
The scripture quoted above (Hebrews 1:20-21) reveals that creation itself is testimony enough for the Creator's existence....if this is insufficient for anyone, then that is their problem, I'm afraid. What do you think Faith is? (
Hebrews 11:1) If we could present the Creator for all to see, there would be no need of faith.
My confusion is, how in the world did you get the abrahamic god by looking at what you say is creation? That's like looking at the river, watching the ripples, and something pops in my head that Vishnu created the waters and not, I don't know, Allah. Makes me pause and scratch my head all the time. Seriously.
If you need more than God is offering, then perhaps you are not what he is looking for. People seem to forget that God doesn't have to be acceptable to us.....it is we who have to be acceptable to him.
I want to have a good talk to you about god without the bible and bible quoting. If we just used plain ol' English language, I wonder if we can learn more about god through our direct observations, discussion of experiences, and
how we interpret and make conclusions that those experiences lead us to god. If we can do that, that would be awesome. It would put some meat to the verses you quote often.