38% of Americans say God told me to

reply to post by pike13


You don't have to be a computer whiz when posting messages. All you have to do is remember how you did it in school and go from there.

To make a paragraph, just hit enter twice, that gives you a whole new line to start with again.

reply to post by WarminIndy


Sorry to all that can't read what I posted. Didn't know about telling how god has touched my life would be about paragraphs.

reply to post by pike13


It is common courtesy to keep your audience in mind when sending a message, unless you're just posting to see your words on a screen. Because if that's the case, then let us know now so we needn't concern ourselves in the future.

reply to post by AfterInfinity


I understand what u r saying, I never was very good with putting words on paper or computer in this case. Thanks for the advice I don't usually type on here. This phone is hard to type on for me, I guess I'm just an old fart that should keep things to myself. Just be kind to people and help them if u can is my message the world would be a be place.

AfterInfinity
reply to post by pike13

 

Did God tell you to make that huge wall of text? Because it's hard to read.

You guys will eloquently dispute (for instance) religion...and all you can say is 'its hard to read'...

If it's a wall of text, don't read it...
Better still, if you were trying to be genuinly helpful, you'd PM the poster...

Å99

reply to post by akushla99

If it's a wall of text, don't read it...
Better still, if you were trying to be genuinly helpful, you'd PM the poster...

Why should I? You didn't. Check the mirror before you criticize, please.

Look if you hear voices in your head, then you have problems.

Now if you feel that something you are about to do is bad and will cause harm to someone or your environment, and something inside you "tells" you its wrong....that is the voice of God.

He has no real voice, but he put in the choice to make the right choice or not.

Thats just my take on it though.

reply to post by pike13


Oh, I understand completely. My Android can be a real bugger when it comes to posting. I just want to help make your exchanges easier to understand for everyone all around. Enough problems abound even without technical difficulties.

ignorant_ape
reply to post by livinglifeseekingtruth2

 

I am not confusing anything - its not about needing an alledged god to make the " right " choice

do people need " god " to tell them to stop at a red traffic light ?

as I said - once you buy into the ` god told me to .... " rote - you will do ANYTHING

I do not think most people understand what is meant when a person of any faith believes "God Told Me"

Many people are religious because they feel it was from God... Some Christians get baptized because they feel they were led by God to do so... in those cases yes, they would say, God told me...But this is not in any hallucinogenic fashion in most cases, however they would still say God told me...

While I agreed to marry my husband... I also believe God told me it was right....

God isn't running around telling people to start hacking up people with chain saws... but most feel led by God to do or not do certain things, such as the first poster who cannot steal because of God.

Also, the bible talks about discernment. ie: acquiring the ability to know what would be from God and what would not be from God. God is not going to tell you to do something wrong.

livinglifeseekingtruth2

Kangaruex4Ewe

Grimpachi
The article at YouGov says more on the poll I personally found it interesting even though it was taken from just shy of a 1,000 people. I am hopeful it doesn’t accurately portray the population because if that many people honestly think God has talked to them before I would really be worried.

Maybe I am wrong and it does actually reflect the populace. So it makes me wonder how many here on ATS have received instructions from god. I wish we could create polls on here and see.

I will openly admit that I do. Though I do not "hear" God, as in a voice from the sky. I hear Him as my conscience. If I get too much change back from a store and I could use every penny of it... my conscience tells me that I should give it back. It isn't mine and I would be stealing. That is just one of many examples and I AM IN NO WAY stating that non believers do not have a conscience, I am saying that to me... That is how God speaks. He is like a weather vane when I am going in the wrong direction. He sets me back on course.

I know how people view this kind of thing and it is why I usually hesitate to discuss anything religious on ATS. But you seemed genuine (?) so I figured I would try to explain it from my POV.

Kangaruex4Ewe... I am Agnostic and do the same things you do without hesitation . I have never needed a church or GOD to tell me I was doing something wrong... But I guess I was born with a Moral Compass... not a conscience. A conscience is something that causes you to pause and think about the choice you are about to make in a situation of right or wrong. A reference to the symbol of the "scale "in a way. A point where you have to weigh your options because you would rather do the "bad" thing and keep the money because you need it more that the store. As an Agnostic.. I do the right thing without question or hesitation.

If you need a "God" to help you make that choice... I fully support it and encourage it. I would rather those born without a Moral Compass, to have the ability of turning to a believe that would cause them to pause ....weigh their options and make the right choice instead of the bad ones.

As an agnostic... I support your need to believe. Do not confuse me with an Atheist who would destroy your belief system in an instant. There so many out there like you! that need church and beliefs so they can make the right choice when confronted with the option of right or wrong.

ROFLOL No atheist is going to destroy let alone shake anyone's beliefs. That's absurd. Atheists don't even listen to God, they listen to Satan, why would anyone take advice from them?

AfterInfinity
reply to post by akushla99

 

If it's a wall of text, don't read it...
Better still, if you were trying to be genuinly helpful, you'd PM the poster...

Why should I? You didn't. Check the mirror before you criticize, please.

I was expecting a more intelligent reply from you. Ok for you, but no-one else?! Public forum?
So, you have explained yourself a little better subsequently...well done.

God told me to say this

Å99

reply to post by OpinionatedB


Is it at all possible that people are just anthropomorphizing something as simple as their conscience? Religion has only been prevalent in the last 10,000 years, around the same time we starting farming and domesticating animals. Since higher cognitive functions were relatively new, it would make a certain amount of sense that gods and divine messages and cosmic influence and all ideas revolving around such would just be us exploring this newfound sense of thinking and flexing our spiritual muscles, so to speak.

And now we're just beginning to grow out of our teething phase. We've explored higher higher cognitive functions, and are now learning to employ them with greater practicality and efficacy. It's slow going, but so is evolution. Does this make sense?

reply to post by StopThaZionistWorldOrder

ROFLOL No atheist is going to destroy let alone shake anyone's beliefs. That's absurd. Atheists don't even listen to God, they listen to Satan, why would anyone take advice from them?

So did god tell you that personally, audibly?

reply to post by akushla99


Tell God if he has a problem, he can come and tell me personally. There's a first for everything, they say.

OpinionatedB

ignorant_ape
reply to post by livinglifeseekingtruth2

 

I am not confusing anything - its not about needing an alledged god to make the " right " choice

do people need " god " to tell them to stop at a red traffic light ?

as I said - once you buy into the ` god told me to .... " rote - you will do ANYTHING

I do not think most people understand what is meant when a person of any faith believes "God Told Me"

Many people are religious because they feel it was from God... Some Christians get baptized because they feel they were led by God to do so... in those cases yes, they would say, God told me...But this is not in any hallucinogenic fashion in most cases, however they would still say God told me...

While I agreed to marry my husband... I also believe God told me it was right....

God isn't running around telling people to start hacking up people with chain saws... but most feel led by God to do or not do certain things, such as the first poster who cannot steal because of God.

Also, the bible talks about discernment. ie: acquiring the ability to know what would be from God and what would not be from God. God is not going to tell you to do something wrong.

edit on 30-10-2013 by OpinionatedB because: (no reason given)

God isn't running around telling people to start hacking up people with chain saws...

I love that thought...

And it is true, discernment is fundamental. For instance, how do we know something is bad for us, we discern the dangers. We don't run willy-nilly into burning houses for the fun of it. OK, maybe some do, but generally the rest of us don't.

As Elijah said "God's voice was not in the storm, God's voice was not in the earthquake, God was in the still, small voice" God doesn't always speak audibly and if some thinks it is God, they need some standard to judge by whether or not it is God or just a random voice.

But God is going to speak to us in a way that He knows we will listen. Some need a loud voice, some need a little voice, but if it is God, He will lead you in the right direction, even though your wisdom might not perceive yet what is the right way.

AfterInfinity
reply to post by akushla99

 

Tell God if he has a problem, he can come and tell me personally. There's a first for everything, they say.

I'd say it happened.
2nd line

Å99

reply to post by Tylerdurden1

Everyone knows there has been times when they have been prompted to do something or continue thinking in a way that was planted in their head by something outside of them. It's obvious that our minds are a battle ground between outside forces, our self, and the Holy Spirit.

His (God's) children hear his (God's) voice. There is always a way to discern if it's of him or not. Just Read 1 John 4. Any spirit not of him will not recognize the fact that Jesus Christ came to earth in the flesh.

That is why you have to test any revelation with 1 John 4 to make sure it is God not a false spirit.

I struggle to wrap my mind around this concept. I grew up in a secular environment and truly never considered attributing any of my thoughts, desires, intuitions, etc. to an outside source or entity ("God," "Satan," "spirits," "ELF waves," whatever). I've always felt that my mind and my morals are my own and what goes on inside of me, even when it's strange, dissonant, or serendipitous, is private, personal, and originates from within. If you believe that something/someone - in this case, "God," - is imposing itself on you, how do you determine which parts of yourself and your life experience are "you" and which are your deity? If you have the urge to do something you know you shouldn't, how do you decide whether it's the "devil" tempting you, or just an impulse from within?

reply to post by Grimpachi


How many threads will it take before you realize you're peeing in the wind? No matter what angle you approach from, no matter what quality or quantity you post, no matter how meticulous your examinations or sound your logic, you will not make these people see anything other than exactly what they choose to see.

Those who are seeing, will continue to see on their own. Those who choose not to, will fight you every step of the way and leave you far more exhausted than triumphant. It's painful to watch you repeatedly bashing again the brick wall, battering yourself black and blue with not a single crack in the wall to show for it.

You can't win them all.

StopThaZionistWorldOrder
reply to post by Tylerdurden1

 

Everyone knows there has been times when they have been prompted to do something or continue thinking in a way that was planted in their head by something outside of them. It's obvious that our minds are a battle ground between outside forces, our self, and the Holy Spirit.

I don't know that, though. How would I know something had been "planted in" my head by an external force/entity?

StopThaZionistWorldOrder
His (God's) children hear his (God's) voice. There is always a way to discern if it's of him or not. Just Read 1 John 4. Any spirit not of him will not recognize the fact that Jesus Christ came to earth in the flesh.

That is why you have to test any revelation with 1 John 4 to make sure it is God not a false spirit.

I don't get it. I don't hear voices but I do have thoughts, feelings, impulses, etc. How am I supposed to "test" these with 1 John 4? Or am I not being spoken to because I'm not one of God's children? I'm honestly trying to understand this but the idea of what goes on within my mind not originating from within doesn't come naturally to me.