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<blockquote data-quote="saralynn" data-source="post: 58426473" data-attributes="member: 290188"><p>I finished Surprised by Joy and Lewis said one thing that I thought was quite profound and perhaps applicable to you. He said that we can't feel hope and think about hope at the same time. When you hope that God exists, the direction of your gaze is outward toward God. When you think about your hope for God, your attention focuses inward upon yourself and God disappears.</p><p> </p><p>Seems to me you've been spending an enormous amount of time thinking about yourself. I don't mean this as a criticism because, after all, this is a Forum and you are attempting to communicate your thoughts to others. However, you've obviously pondered long and hard about your situation and maybe you should simply recognize that there are no definitive answers to the questions you are asking. </p><p> </p><p>To be blunt, no one really knows whether or not God exists. Many Christians will claim they do, but their proof relies on subjective confirmations, the testimony of others, and a certain amount of logical reasoning. Whether you do or do not accept the Christian position as your own in no way confirms the reality of that assertion. God exists or doesn't exist independent of your thoughts about the matter. </p><p> </p><p>I've said this before, but it bears repeating. You have three choices: God exists, God doesn't exist, I don't know if God exists. </p><p> </p><p>You and I apparently can't make this decision based on our experience of God's presence in our own or other people's lives because, even if we suddenly had a revelation of some sort. the evidence for its reality would still remain ambiguous. There is absolutely no proof one way or the other. </p><p> </p><p>My own religious beliefs are unconventional, but they work for me. By that I mean they inspire me to strive for holiness and make me feel more serene than I would be if I drifted through life not making a commitment.</p><p> </p><p>I built my faith upon ideals within me that resonate. I find it utterly incomprehensible to love "God", but I certainly know that I can and do love the qualities of God, such as LOVE and COMPASSION and JUSTICE and KINDNESS. I choose to believe that those aspects of God, whether or not He/She/It really exists, are worth basing my life upon. </p><p> </p><p>However, I always know that it is a decision and I have the right revoke. In utter freedom, I choose on a daily basis to trust and hope that the God I adore is real. For me, this is as it should be. Nothing else is possible.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="saralynn, post: 58426473, member: 290188"] I finished Surprised by Joy and Lewis said one thing that I thought was quite profound and perhaps applicable to you. He said that we can't feel hope and think about hope at the same time. When you hope that God exists, the direction of your gaze is outward toward God. When you think about your hope for God, your attention focuses inward upon yourself and God disappears. Seems to me you've been spending an enormous amount of time thinking about yourself. I don't mean this as a criticism because, after all, this is a Forum and you are attempting to communicate your thoughts to others. However, you've obviously pondered long and hard about your situation and maybe you should simply recognize that there are no definitive answers to the questions you are asking. To be blunt, no one really knows whether or not God exists. Many Christians will claim they do, but their proof relies on subjective confirmations, the testimony of others, and a certain amount of logical reasoning. Whether you do or do not accept the Christian position as your own in no way confirms the reality of that assertion. God exists or doesn't exist independent of your thoughts about the matter. I've said this before, but it bears repeating. You have three choices: God exists, God doesn't exist, I don't know if God exists. You and I apparently can't make this decision based on our experience of God's presence in our own or other people's lives because, even if we suddenly had a revelation of some sort. the evidence for its reality would still remain ambiguous. There is absolutely no proof one way or the other. My own religious beliefs are unconventional, but they work for me. By that I mean they inspire me to strive for holiness and make me feel more serene than I would be if I drifted through life not making a commitment. I built my faith upon ideals within me that resonate. I find it utterly incomprehensible to love "God", but I certainly know that I can and do love the qualities of God, such as LOVE and COMPASSION and JUSTICE and KINDNESS. I choose to believe that those aspects of God, whether or not He/She/It really exists, are worth basing my life upon. However, I always know that it is a decision and I have the right revoke. In utter freedom, I choose on a daily basis to trust and hope that the God I adore is real. For me, this is as it should be. Nothing else is possible. [/QUOTE]
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