Do you believe in God?

[HenrySwanson]

Wow. You really do have a need to know why there are problems.

Wouldn't you want to know if the thing you worship is responsible for them?

I'm sure this has been posted before, but....after watching it, it's hard not to think "non serviam"

I am unsure how to answer about the whole "deal with it" or continue to suffer. Do MS patients just "deal with it"? That is a person by person answer, again.

My sister has MS. How she copes with it varies on a day-to-day basis. Echoing @p78's post, why is her test so much more....testing than much of the population?

 

[UKMikey]

I'm sure this has been posted before, but....after watching it, it's hard not to think "non serviam"

You'd be surprised. Going back to the first time it was posted here I found a couple of examples of (presumably) believers decrying Fry's reply on what I find to be somewhat logically shaky grounds.

I found the discussion enlightening but perhaps not in the way those commentators intended.

 

[Gingerale]

I want to know why the disparity in such a test? Why are some children tested with cancer and others are tested with taking out the trash, why is one person tested with overwhelming poverty and someone else is tested with being born into a wealthy family?

Either God has his favorites already lined up or there is no God, if there is a God, he sure is an ...

The test for Catholic boys are even more weird. Like what was God thinking there? Or was it a test for priests to see if they wouldn't rape kids?

And for alcohol, monks have been brewing beer for ages. It was like their thing.

 

[UKMikey]

The test for Catholic boys are even more weird. Like what was God thinking there? Or was it a test for priests to see if they wouldn't rape kids?

Which test are you talking about?

 

[TRLWNC7396]

I'm not so sure about that. I lived in a Mormon Theocracy, things were rarely, if ever questioned. When they were questioned, it got buried fairly quickly.

Here's the thing though, almost every Mormon I know drinks even though they will straight-face tell you they don't. The old saying back in Utah was "Why do you invite two Mormons to fish with you? Because if you only invited one, he'd drink all your beer." I do agree that most Mormons don't smoke, but I think that's just standard across the board regardless of religion. They're heavy drug users though and while they might not be snorting rails of coke, they pop antidepressants and pain pills like they're candy. The entire Salt Lake Valley has a huge problem with prescription abuse among Mormons.

As for caffeine, caffeine isn't banned and the LDS Church specifically said in 2012 that caffeinated sodas were fine. BYU even sells caffeinated soda on campus. What Mormons can't do is consume hot drinks. So no coffee, but they can chug energy drinks until their heart explodes. Mormons drink more pop than any other group I know of too. My boss drinks at least 2L of Diet Coke a day, if not more. The guy I shared a cube with drank Monsters all day, every day and probably had 7-8 of them. However, if I asked either if they wanted coffee, they'd refuse. Hell, Utah even has these weird drive-thru soda shops where they put sugary syrup in sugary pop, then add whipped cream to the whole thing. How diabetes rates among Mormons aren't insanely high is beyond me.

Except the early Church apostles said that blacks were "fence sitters" in the pre-existence where they were halfway between righteous and evil. They outright claimed that whites were more righteous than blacks. But both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young subscribed to the idea of the Curse of Cain where Cain was black and because he was cursed by God due to killing his son, all blacks must therefore be cursed as well. If that wasn't bad enough, they also used the Curse of Ham to justify slavery. The only reason the Church allowed black was due to the apostle Bruce McConkie saying the curses had been lifted somehow in 1978. The Church itself didn't recognize how ridiculous this all was until 2013.

Racism is still ripe with Mormons too since many have been taught and still are taught about being "white and delightsome". They believe Jesus was white with blue eyes (which isn't likely due to him living in the Middle East) and that the devil has black skin. They see God as white and believe that God made his children in his own "white" image and they also believe that when you're resurrected, you'll be white. Granted not every Mormon thinks like this, but enough do that it's still incredibly prevalent. I saw it frequently, even among people I didn't think were racist in any way.

I have seen some of what you are talking about. This is why so many religions are looked at horribly. There are people who say that they believe, and that they follow the beliefs, but they completely do the opposite.

It's easy to say that this is the extent of it, but there are so many people who are tired of the lies and hypocrisy. It's not hard (try most of the people on this forum to begin with) to find people who are not interested in ANY religion simply because of them.

The interesting part here is that I have 6 generations in my family in my church on one side of my family line, and 7 on the other. However, I was born and raised in WNC (and I Love Western NC ). My parents ended up here due to a job.

In my life, I have visited family in Utah and watched people in the (actually very deep) south.

There are many who lie.

But....

At the same time, I have seen several people who don't.

When they don't, it's really quite amazing to see their lives and how they live. And they don't fake it. Seriously. On top of that, they can people who have religion in their lives or don't.

And I mean that for people in Utah, NC, and all over the US. There are people who actually do live their lives well. And I have seen that with people who don't believe in God, and people who do.

Now, as for alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine. These are all things that become habits and needs. In worst cases addictions. There are many other things that can also be the same way.

The entire point of not getting into any of these is that it removes choice. I like the (fairly recent) cigarette commercial. There is a little monster that drags the person out from what they are doing to get a "hit". On that note, how many people can't wake up without coffee or some other caffeine? How many would try?

That is a removal of choice. That is why it is not good to get into any of those things.

Now, as for blacks, etc. There are many theories about why that happened. Some make sense, none really do. The end point is that it was chosen to go down that path, and now it isn't.

The "Curse of Cain" only carries as far as those who wish to consider it. Every society rises and falls, and those that rise have a new set of workings. At least as far as I am concerned. How that falls person by person is between them and God. And I don't really care to consider who is better or worse because of their parents. It's like the old story of the town drunk who has two sons. One became a drunk, the other a millionaire. When asked why, both of the answered, "Because of my father".

I don't feel that there is any more to prejudice than refusing to allow personal choice and freedom.

It's not easy to understand why and how previous people chose what they did. I will not justify or condemn people that I don't know or understand completely.

Wouldn't you want to know if the thing you worship is responsible for them?

I'm sure this has been posted before, but....after watching it, it's hard not to think "non serviam"



My sister has MS. How she copes with it varies on a day-to-day basis. Echoing @p78's post, why is her test so much more....testing than much of the population?

I feel for you. It is hard to live with problems. Yes, I understand that there is a question for why God allows problems. I can't answer the exact reason each person has a problem (or multiple). Or even why some have worse problems than others.

Is it a problem that God allows, or even causes, problems? Why did God try Job? Why did God ask Abraham to kill his son? Why does abuse happen at any point in time?

God set this world in motion, and all of possibilities and probabilities. So, I have gotten to the point where I accept that it is all part of the process. No, it's not fun. But it is simply a fact of life that we always have the chance of running into or having problems. And, yes, God allows this to happen. On top of that, He put everything into place so that it COULD happen.

I do know and accept that this is normal. We all have the chance to accept or reject the creator of all things.

It is easy to scream that there is no reason for problems. And no one WANTS problems. But there is no way to get away from them. Even having a basic conversation can create miscommunication, and lead to problems. But we all have to learn and deal with them.

@Famine - I don't speak for you. But it appears that you have trust and hope that infinity is a real thing. I don't have any reason to say you are right or wrong. I accept that you are more right than wrong.

But here is the part that clicks with me: Trust and hope are the foundation, and even can be said to be the definition, of faith. So how is faith in infinity different from faith in God?

That is why I said what I said.

 

[Famine]

But it appears that you have trust and hope that infinity is a real thing.

No.

Accepting things to be true (and also please note that something doesn't need to be "a real thing" to also be true) requires neither trust nor hope.

 

[TRLWNC7396]

No.

Accepting things to be true (and also please note that something doesn't need to be "a real thing" to also be true) requires neither trust nor hope.

Semantics. Either way. You are defending this as powerfully as any argument I have ever seen here. So why do you defend it?

 

[Famine]

Semantics.

No, not really.

I get that it's super difficult for someone who constructs their existence around belief in something to accept that other people don't require belief to function, but... I don't, and a lot of us don't.

You are defending this as powerfully as any argument I have ever seen here.

Definitely not. Not even close - in fact I'm not even making an argument, or defending anything. I'm merely pointing out that your highly condescending "try grasping infinity" post comes from a position of not grasping it even slightly, as you're just tossing it about like it means "really big" in what appears to be a God of the Gaps fallacy

Here's one for you: as well as multiple - and stackable - infinities, some things that are measurable and finite are also (effectively) infinite.

 

[HenrySwanson]

I have seen some of what you are talking about. This is why so many religions are looked at horribly. There are people who say that they believe, and that they follow the beliefs, but they completely do the opposite.

It's easy to say that this is the extent of it, but there are so many people who are tired of the lies and hypocrisy. It's not hard (try most of the people on this forum to begin with) to find people who are not interested in ANY religion simply because of them.

The interesting part here is that I have 6 generations in my family in my church on one side of my family line, and 7 on the other. However, I was born and raised in WNC (and I Love Western NC ). My parents ended up here due to a job.

In my life, I have visited family in Utah and watched people in the (actually very deep) south.

There are many who lie.

But....

At the same time, I have seen several people who don't.

When they don't, it's really quite amazing to see their lives and how they live. And they don't fake it. Seriously. On top of that, they can people who have religion in their lives or don't.

And I mean that for people in Utah, NC, and all over the US. There are people who actually do live their lives well. And I have seen that with people who don't believe in God, and people who do.

Now, as for alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine. These are all things that become habits and needs. In worst cases addictions. There are many other things that can also be the same way.

The entire point of not getting into any of these is that it removes choice. I like the (fairly recent) cigarette commercial. There is a little monster that drags the person out from what they are doing to get a "hit". On that note, how many people can't wake up without coffee or some other caffeine? How many would try?

That is a removal of choice. That is why it is not good to get into any of those things.

Now, as for blacks, etc. There are many theories about why that happened. Some make sense, none really do. The end point is that it was chosen to go down that path, and now it isn't.

The "Curse of Cain" only carries as far as those who wish to consider it. Every society rises and falls, and those that rise have a new set of workings. At least as far as I am concerned. How that falls person by person is between them and God. And I don't really care to consider who is better or worse because of their parents. It's like the old story of the town drunk who has two sons. One became a drunk, the other a millionaire. When asked why, both of the answered, "Because of my father".

I don't feel that there is any more to prejudice than refusing to allow personal choice and freedom.

It's not easy to understand why and how previous people chose what they did. I will not justify or condemn people that I don't know or understand completely.

I feel for you. It is hard to live with problems. Yes, I understand that there is a question for why God allows problems. I can't answer the exact reason each person has a problem (or multiple). Or even why some have worse problems than others.

Is it a problem that God allows, or even causes, problems? Why did God try Job? Why did God ask Abraham to kill his son? Why does abuse happen at any point in time?

God set this world in motion, and all of possibilities and probabilities. So, I have gotten to the point where I accept that it is all part of the process. No, it's not fun. But it is simply a fact of life that we always have the chance of running into or having problems. And, yes, God allows this to happen. On top of that, He put everything into place so that it COULD happen.

I do know and accept that this is normal. We all have the chance to accept or reject the creator of all things.

It is easy to scream that there is no reason for problems. And no one WANTS problems. But there is no way to get away from them. Even having a basic conversation can create miscommunication, and lead to problems. But we all have to learn and deal with them.

@Famine - I don't speak for you. But it appears that you have trust and hope that infinity is a real thing. I don't have any reason to say you are right or wrong. I accept that you are more right than wrong.

But here is the part that clicks with me: Trust and hope are the foundation, and even can be said to be the definition, of faith. So how is faith in infinity different from faith in God?

That is why I said what I said.

Why do you think this God deserves your love and praise?

 

[TRLWNC7396]

Why do you think this God deserves your love and praise?

Because for as many times as I have had problems, I have had answers.

It doesn't make it any easier, but I really do try to focus on good things.

@Famine - I really do understand that there is an infinite number of possible infinities. Like this video:

There is ALWAYS more to everything than first meets out expectation.

 

[Danoff]

Because for as many times as I have had problems, I have had answers.

And what about people that don't? And where do those answers come from?

 

[TRLWNC7396]

And what about people that don't? And where do those answers come from?

Everyone has problems. No matter what. Because life is a test, and tests are NEVER easy. They always cause us to work beyond what we have been able to do before.

As far as where answers come from, that depends. It is always by God, but it could be a prompting or it could be another person. God doesn't HAVE to do everything. He has us to help!

 

[p78]

But why is life a test.

Like it was said before. If god is alknowing, he knows people will fail some/All those test.

So why test them in the first place, seems a bit harsh, setting up people to fail.

 

[Liquid]

Everyone has problems. No matter what. Because life is a test, and tests are NEVER easy.

[...]

God doesn't HAVE to do everything.

You make it sound like humanity's relationship with god is an abusive relationship. He knows all and needs nothing yet tortures and humiliates us anyway.

 

[Danoff]

Everyone has problems. No matter what. Because life is a test, and tests are NEVER easy. They always cause us to work beyond what we have been able to do before.

I'm not asking about whether everyone has problems. I'm asking about those for whom the answers do not come.

As far as where answers come from, that depends. It is always by God, but it could be a prompting or it could be another person. God doesn't HAVE to do everything. He has us to help!

How do you know your answers come from god?

 

[Northstar]

Everyone has problems. No matter what. Because life is a test, and tests are NEVER easy. They always cause us to work beyond what we have been able to do before.

So how do situations where someone instantly dies at the hands of others work? Because it's kind of hard to pass a test when you're dead. Or does that just conveniently fall under "it was their time"?

 

[TRLWNC7396]

All good questions.

How about this, though:

When you go to school, you have a teacher. That teacher will teach you what you are able to learn, then will give us a test. That test will push us to reveal what we know and what we are able to accomplish.

Then, we learn more.

Do we look at that teacher as abusive?

Not usually. (unfortunately some actually are....)

We expect to have our knowledge and experience tested.

This isn't abuse. This is a test.

In life, and with God, our tests are different. One of the best songs I have ever heard is the one that simply says, "Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers".

That is a test, as well.

It's not about giving or taking, though. Think about the implications. If we are going to be gods, and have the power to create and destroy on a universal scale, would it be a good idea to give that power to someone who would just wipe out a planet because they (proverbially) stubbed their toe?

This is why we have these tests. To see if we can be trusted, and to see if we will be kind.

Yes, God does still get upset and allow things to go badly. But he takes a LONG time to get to that point. And, generally, He doesn't just wipe people out. He allows others to do so. That is why wars happen, not ELE (extinction level events) every time.

There is more to this than right now.

 

[HenrySwanson]

All good questions.

How about this, though:

When you go to school, you have a teacher. That teacher will teach you what you are able to learn, then will give us a test. That test will push us to reveal what we know and what we are able to accomplish.

Then, we learn more.

Do we look at that teacher as abusive?

Not usually. (unfortunately some actually are....)

We expect to have our knowledge and experience tested.

This isn't abuse. This is a test.

In life, and with God, our tests are different. One of the best songs I have ever heard is the one that simply says, "Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers".

That is a test, as well.

It's not about giving or taking, though. Think about the implications. If we are going to be gods, and have the power to create and destroy on a universal scale, would it be a good idea to give that power to someone who would just wipe out a planet because they (proverbially) stubbed their toe?

This is why we have these tests. To see if we can be trusted, and to see if we will be kind.

Yes, God does still get upset and allow things to go badly. But he takes a LONG time to get to that point. And, generally, He doesn't just wipe people out. He allows others to do so. That is why wars happen, not ELE (extinction level events) every time.

There is more to this than right now.

Apples and oranges to compare those tests.

A maths exam is just a slightly different test to losing your child, or suffering from a debilitating illness, or dying because of a famine....

 

[p78]

Also the teacher doesn't know in advance who is gonna fail (well he may have an idea tho)
And he doens't test them to test them, he does the test to see how much of the stuff he taught has stuck in their brains.

Also if you fail a math test, nothing bad happens, but a bad grade.

 

[Liquid]

Apples and oranges to compare those tests.

Agreed.

There are babies born with AIDS, bone cancer, and other horrific diseases. If these are tests, they are abusive and humiliating.

 

[Danoff]

All good questions.

How about this, though:

When you go to school, you have a teacher. That teacher will teach you what you are able to learn, then will give us a test. That test will push us to reveal what we know and what we are able to accomplish.

Then, we learn more.

Do we look at that teacher as abusive?

Not usually. (unfortunately some actually are....)

We expect to have our knowledge and experience tested.

This isn't abuse. This is a test.

In life, and with God, our tests are different. One of the best songs I have ever heard is the one that simply says, "Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers".

That is a test, as well.

It's not about giving or taking, though. Think about the implications. If we are going to be gods, and have the power to create and destroy on a universal scale, would it be a good idea to give that power to someone who would just wipe out a planet because they (proverbially) stubbed their toe?

This is why we have these tests. To see if we can be trusted, and to see if we will be kind.

What of the people who are given bigger tests than others? For example, you see it as a test when your weekend plans get ruined by a bit of rain. What about the 4 year old that dies, in pain, of leukemia? Are we trying to see if that 4-year old is ready to be a god? Are we checking to see if they can be trusted? Is the leukemia given by a just god that is teaching a 4-year-old... a 4-year-old... a child that can't understand, that won't understand, that simply does not have the capacity to learn how to be any kind of a measured god themselves, by giving them a terminal illness so that they can die in pain? No, quite plainly the answer is no.

For this 4-year-old, you see their life as a test for some other creature, like their parents. You see it as a test for some adult so that they can learn from the trial of having to watch their child die. The problem with this is that it makes the entire life of that child a test for someone else. The life of that child is NOT being groomed for godhood, it is NOT being tested, it is being tortured - in your mind for the sake of someone else's maturity*.

How do you know that you're not one of the fodder? Someone whose entire life is designed to help someone else learn to be mature. And what kind of god would do this? Create beings to torture for the sake of the mental development of other beings, when those other beings could simply have been created with that mental development in the first place?

Your god is evil**. Plain and simple. And difficulties in life are only tests in retrospect, and only for the people that choose that retrospective. The fact that you've chosen that retrospective only tells me one thing - it's that you've lead a privileged life and are ungrateful for it. Why would I call you ungrateful? Because you seem to ignore the possibility that others face hardship which cannot fairly be called a test, and you're lucky that you haven't seemed to face this but refuse to recognize this luck.

Yes, God does still get upset and allow things to go badly.

No. That's not an omnipotent, omniscient being you're talking about. This is one of the very many ways it's so obvious that it's all just a bunch of make-believe. Because religious people will describe a "god" like a 6 year old***. Here again you undermine your "test" concept. In this case, you go on to describe a god that allows human beings to inflict pain and suffering on each other indiscriminately as part of a temper tantrum. Not a test, but just because they got angry. I call it indiscriminate because the people who suffer appear to have no actual relevance to the thing that "god" is angry about in the first place. It's not a test, it's capriciousness.



*And do not for one instant think that this only applies to children, adults can and are faced with quite insurmountable misfortune.
** Your god actually does not exist. But the people who dreamed that god up were not imaginative enough to avoid dreaming up a god that ultimately relied upon an immoral foundation.
*** Perhaps this is just leaning in to the notion that our world is run by a 4-year-old that died of leukemia? That doesn't help your case any.

 

[MatskiMonk]

God is a figment of mankind's imagination, appeals to emotion are a waste of everyone's time, the indoctrinated lack the breadth of rational thought for it to matter.

Religion is hate, religion is conflict, religion is manipulation, religion is propaganda, at very best religion is false hope, but mostly, religion is a man made weapon.

edit: after about 15 years on the forum I'm casting my vote on this poll, I'm done keeping an open mind.

 

[HenrySwanson]

** Your god actually does not exist.

Can we be certain of that?
Is it not possible at all?

I keep thinking about what higher minds have said about this reality being a computer simulation, and frequently they say we can't be sure that we aren't already in one. Comparing this to a belief in a god, I'd reach the same conclusion. The probability that Christians/Muslims/Mormons have picked the right one is going to be lower than the (already low) probability that there is a super being out there, but I'm not certain it's zero.

---------

@TRLWNC7396, considering Danoff's post, isn't it logical to reason that if there was a powerful entity in control of this world, it's more likely to be a demon type figure than a "benevolent" god?

 

[Danoff]

Can we be certain of that?
Is it not possible at all?

It's non-falsifiable by design. So it's not impossible, but it's not something that can be considered real either. The point about non-falsifiability is that it doesn't interact with reality in a way that leaves some kind of evidence of its existence. If it doesn't interact with reality in a way to demonstrate that it exists, then it, for all purposes, does not exist. The mormon god (or any god) has the same metaphysical status as a giant rube goldberg machine existing outside of our dimension that dispenses a marble that explodes, the moment it is dispensed, into our current universe (complete with all of its dimensions of reality). I just made the up, and there are an infinite number of such scenarios that can be invented. Each of them is non-falsifiable, and each does not interact with our reality in such as way as to make it differentiable from others, and so none of them is "real" in the sense that it should be considered part of reality.

This understanding of reality is not pure academics. It plays a role in quantum mechanics, where until a property of an object is observed (interacts with reality in some way as to leave some kind of evidence of a particular property), its existence manifests more broadly as a potential, and only in so far as that potential does actually leave some kind of evidence of its existence.

 

[HenrySwanson]

It's non-falsifiable by design. So it's not impossible, but it's not something that can be considered real either. The point about non-falsifiability is that it doesn't interact with reality in a way that leaves some kind of evidence of its existence. If it doesn't interact with reality in a way to demonstrate that it exists, then it, for all purposes, does not exist. The mormon god (or any god) has the same metaphysical status as a giant rube goldberg machine existing outside of our dimension that dispenses a marble that explodes, the moment it is dispensed, into our current universe (complete with all of its dimensions of reality). I just made the up, and there are an infinite number of such scenarios that can be invented. Each of them is non-falsifiable, and each does not interact with our reality in such as way as to make it differentiable from others, and so none of them is "real" in the sense that it should be considered part of reality.

This understanding of reality is not pure academics. It plays a role in quantum mechanics, where until a property of an object is observed (interacts with reality in some way as to leave some kind of evidence of a particular property), its existence manifests more broadly as a potential, and only in so far as that potential does actually leave some kind of evidence of its existence.

Are thoughts that this universe is some sort of a simulation as equally invalid?

Or is it because proponents don't give a specific example of how "we" are being simulated that it has more credibility

 

[Danoff]

Are thoughts that this universe is some sort of a simulation as equally invalid?

Or is it because proponents don't give a specific example of how "we" are being simulated that it has more credibility

Possibly. It needs to be falsifiable, and some version of that question are non-falsifiable, same with multiple universe concepts.

 

[TB]

isn't it logical to reason that if there was a powerful entity in control of this world, it's more likely to be a demon type figure than a "benevolent" god?

Or even worse, a really good human that got a promotion.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Or even worse, a really good human that got a promotion.

I'll defer to the peter principle.

 

[UKMikey]

I'll defer to the peter principle.

Shouldn't that be the St. Peter Principle?

 

[TRLWNC7396]

p78 said:

The teacher doesn't know in advance who is gonna fail (well he may have an idea tho)
And he doesn't test them to test them, he does the test to see how much of the stuff he taught has stuck in their brains.

Also if you fail a math test, nothing bad happens, but a bad grade.

This is worth considering. Does God know without any question what will happen to us? Is there any part of life that is fully understood, or are we just here to finish the plot that has been laid out completely, with us merely a pawn in the system?

It's easy to believe that. I have to admit that it is hard to see it any other way. Especially if you believe that God is real.

However, I like to think of it as a series of choices. We have a tree of possibilities. When we follow one path, others simply close. Now, we may be able to access those paths of life through other ways, but there is no turning around and going back in time to retry. So, once a choice has been made, we are stuck with the results of that choice. Simple physics.

But there is an interesting part to this. We never fail. Think about that. We may make bad decisions, but God will ALWAYS allow us to try again. If we are willing. This means that no matter what our decisions are, we can change. It has even been proven fairly recently that the brain is never, ever set beyond change. So it is possible. Probable may take work, but it is always possible.

Danoff said:
Your god actually does not exist.

HenrySwanson said:
If there was a powerful entity in control of this world, it's more likely to be a demon type figure than a "benevolent" god?

This just makes me sad. Not because of the lack of belief, but of the hatred and expectation of evil.

If everything in the world is hatred and evil, then why and how is there good?

Yes, we all have problems. And I will admit that some of them are truly horrendous to deal with. I've had my own.

I've had things happen in my life that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

I had a great aunt die on my birthday. She was the only grandparent figure I ever remember having close by in my life.

I have had others treat me horribly. I can't go into details, but it was really bad.

I have more reasons to hate or mistrust God than many people.

Yet I have felt His touch and heard His voice.

I have seen and experienced some AMAZING events that have confirmed to me that God is real, and has a MAJOR part in my life.

I should be dead at least several times over. Yet I'm not. I have NO reason to be alive.

Yet, here I am. Why?

I honestly don't know.

Can I prove that God exists?

I would have to walk you through my life, and we can't go back in time.

Can anyone prove that God doesn't exist?

Well, the truth is that we can't prove a negative.

However, I do know that God is real. As I have said, I have had experiences where I have felt His touch, and I have heard His voice.

Very simply, I can't give you what you either don't have or are unwilling to accept.

But...

We SHALL see.

When we die, we WILL continue to live. And at some future point in time, we WILL stand before God and be accounted for our actions and life.

We SHALL see.

I say that understanding the FULL legal implications of that statement.

But we shall.

The next biggest problem is religion.

Religion is NOT true.

But the gospel is.

And God does actually exist.

I can't, and won't try to, prove anything. That is not my burden.

My burden is to testify of the truth.

I know that God lives. He is the father of us in the spirit. He sent His son, Jesus the Christ, to atone for us. The Holy Ghost, as the third member of the Godhead, confirms this to me.

I'm sorry that I can't give you this information by osmosis. But if I could, you wouldn't have the choice of accepting it or not. And I will not remove that option from you.

This is my knowledge. And my burden. There is more to truth than what we are capable of seeing or understanding. I am learning, and will continue to do so.

Thank you for listening/reading.