Subject: Re: Praise God for prayers answered?
Date: Thu, 25 Nov 1999 07:06:28 GMT
From:  (St.Athanasius)
Newsgroups: aus.religion.christian

Hi Theo,

I said:
>The proclamation of the existence of God is strengthened by the
>> billions of people that believe in Him. You know that this is not the
>> case with imaginary tooth fairies.

You with candid wit replied:
>Can we discuss Zeus, Thor, Thea, the Wagyll. Lots of people believe in them,
>or used to. Are they wrong?

Yes they were wrong. 1st-they are mythalogical figures, Jesus Christ
was a real person who walked on the earth.

As all pagan identities they were human personifications of 'gods' and
were seen to have a reflective life in the heavens. Fighting among
themselves, having sex, eating, getting drunk etc. This baseness of
pagan ideology served certain purposes of rulers to claim identity
with these 'gods', eg the Caesars. Theo consider this aspect of the
matter. Whatever 'god' you can name out of the thousands of man-made
ones each one of them does not contain the fullness of the attributes
of the God of Christianity. Now let me prove this. None are eternal
spirit, but live, copulate, get old and have children etc. All are
bound to a single place, God is omnipresent-all places at the same
time. Pagan gods suffered from human sin, God is above sin.
Pagan gods were not all knowing, in fact there was a 'god' for every
aspect of life, love, lust, fortune, weather, thunder, war etc. So
each pagan 'god' was only in control of his area of knowledge. Do you
see the total absurdity of comparing human inventions and mythology to
the Biblical and Christian understanding of God? 

Now even if you state that you now reject the concept of God, I would
suggest that you must agree that you are unable to think of any higher
being or any attribute that could exist that God does not have. Thus
the Christian concept of God should be discussed on the plain of
honesty seperate and apart from these weak inventions of man made
pagan gods.

>If enough people believe in a particular God, does that make the God real? I
>suspect it does

Of course no one will take that as a 'proof' of God's existance,
however, you must admit that the reality of so many 'monotheists' in
the world (over 3 billion I think) seems to add weight that the
concept of one God who is eternal Spirit has found its place amongst
the human race. 
>
>> Now this is an argument that we disect. Was haille Salassie God? Did
>> he die and not bring himself back to life. Yes. failed test number
>> one. Did he perform miracles including having power over nature and
>> healing-No. failed test no 2. Shall I go on?
>
>Err, sorry, I can't accept these tests.

Heres another one, are there people still alive who knew Haille
Selasie and they say he never claimed to be God or worked miracles-
Yes. 

In fact I have it from direct witnesses that the Emperorer Haille used
to walk in front of everyone (as the King should) EXCEPT Orthodox
Priests. (he was an Oriental Orthodox did you know).  He had such a
high opinion of the Christian Priesthood that he would not walk in
front of them at functions etc. So there you have it, Even he himself
bowed to the authority of God in the Priesthood and did not claim it
for himself.....

Theo the Rastafarians smoke too much WEED. They are very confused
people because they live in a drug induced denial of reality......

There you have it...Haille Selassie was definitely NOT God. :-))
 
>These tests are supposed things your
>God did. You are saying that any God who does not copy your God fails the
>test of Godliness.

I am saying that any claim to 'godliness' that does not contend with
and outdo that which God has shown and down is shown to be false. 

>Let's try my test. Does your God leave coins under people's pillows? No? Oh
>dear, failed test #1. Sounds silly, doesn't it.

Actually, two problems, God can and has left money in places for
certain people during certain times (The coin in the Fish' mouth in
Jesus case for example) and secondly, you and I know that the tooth
fairy DOES NOT leave the money under the pillow at all. You and I do
as parents...Don't we...tell the truth now........

So yes your test does sound silly. Why are we wasting our time like
this. 
>
>> I know you prayed, you were a Catholic once right?
>>
>> Theo's prayers...."God do you really exist at all or what?  :-))
>
>Hehehehe. Still waiting for the answer to that one.

He has answered it in the faces of your grandchildren, in the sky at
night when you look up and every time you lift your spirit up above
the cares of this world. :-))

>
>>  I am not God and do not know your past.
>
>Phew..

Thankfully, you do not know mine either. :-)

Peace and grace.