Posted on 06/08/2019 4:38:49 PM PDT by pcottraux
Which was in response to some warranted reproofs, but not what you overall have written, in which there is much to be commended.
As I said to an early poster, I don't think you can prove God per se (and I think God constructed reality with Himself hidden that way on purpose, remaining mostly invisible to our five senses but leaving just enough evidence to collect to support His existence.
And as another poster said, defining ‘proof is another whole other can of worms all by itself. After all, do not many liberals assert that "the science is settled" on imminent catastrophic effects of Global warming?
But the opposite is secular definition of faith as belief without evidence, while in Scripture it is belief based upon a sufficient degree of evidential warrant. Including,
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance ["pistis:" "faith" 239 times in tyhe KJV] unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Act 17:31)
Which enables man to take a step of faith which results in confirmatory evidence. Like a veiled beautiful women, God provides a basic revelation of His reality and character in creation and an innate sense, but it is only those who earnestly seek Him that have their hearts properly prepared for appreciative reception of greater revelation (versus "rapists" who demand that God do what they say as a condition for their faith). And akin to the virtuous women, only those faithful who enter into covenant with Him will see Him in unveiled glory.
There are some exceptions, of course. There are prophets who have audibly heard Him or people who've had the tremendous privilege at least His back or His throne. But those are the exceptions rather than the norm.
Indeed, by in regards to unbelievers, God can so overtly manifest Himself that no atheist could rationally deny Him as real (though I expect that most anti-theists would still comfort themselves by essentially attributing attributes of deity to naturalistic causes).
Yet even this did not prevent the Hebrews from overall acting like atheists in time of testing (and to varying degrees, how often do we?).
For sincere seeking by the whole heart prepares the heart for salvific effectual receiving, while those who only want physical salvation will fall away when tested by the danger to it. And which test i surmise is coming.
And whether we believe that is up to us. As Abraham said to the rich man who wanted Lazarus to return from hell to warn his brothers, "They have Moses and the prophets. Let them read them."
Meaning essentially that until one obeys the light he has been given, (Romans 2:14) or at least wants to, then he will not come to the "true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." (John 1:9) Miracles confirm the word, (Mk. 6:20) but they themselves are are not the Word, but are subject to it .
Christianity asserts that every individual human being is going to live for ever, and this must be either true or false. Now there are a good many things which would not be worth bothering about if I were going to live only seventy years, but which I had better bother about very seriously if I am going to live for ever.
Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.
Maybe they mean there is no ONE god; but there may be MANY of them.
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