God has not himself known to anyone. When I was a Christian, I used to think that I "know" God, but this knowledge was based on reading the Bible.
Interesting......
What was the basis you used to say-- I know God?
You say you read scripture.
Did you have specific scriptures that supported this knowledge?
You know God doesn't make himself known because Christians, or God followers, those who claim to have a personal relationship with God, don't really know anything about this God that have not read in a Bible.
This just reminds me of a statement made by a movie character regarding Santa claus in the mid nineties.
Telling us how you failed means that everyone else fails too doesn't help you.
In addition, when I was a Christian, I was a member of the board of elders in my Baptist church.
And? My church's board of elders are all businessmen, or professionals in their respective fields of profession.
So, that doesn't really tell me anything, except that they trusted your business acumen.
I remember there were very sharp disagreements on issues, even though each of us prayed for God's guidance.
In the community of Jesus followers I've been engaged with throughout the years, having sharp disagreements about matters is immaterial.
Paul and Barnabas had a sharp disagreement, to the point where they split up and went their respective ways. Apparently Paul didn't think that Mark was mature enough to handle another mission trip, since he abandoned the previous one.
My pastor has often said- you can indeed disagree all you want. But if you do, separate, pray, and then come back together and agree on defined truth.
And I remember being perplexed by this, because some people felt that God is leading them to think that church needs to do X, whereas others felt God was leading to NOT do X. And some of these are church dividing subjects that cause people to split or leave the church. Doesn't God have a clear plan for a church?
Sounds like classic human beings being human.
Did it ever occur to you that each person's ideas may have been God telling them individually to go the direction they perceived as important?
As a young believer I was involved in a church where the asst pastor was convinced that he was supposed to be the pastor. But instead of going out on his own, he usurped the pastor's position and drove the original pastor out.
Being a young believer I was stunned.
Not having any experience with it, I tried to work through it but finally realized that it was a dynamic that I simply didn't know how to handle. So I left and found a fellowship that was more stable.
Several years ago I was looking for the original pastor because I wanted to say Hi. I learned that the former asst pastor was still the pastor and there had been no complaints about his work or previous conflicts in the 30+ years since.
So, it is my contention that God, if he exists, simply doesn't care what people think of him or what people believe in him.
Sounds like you're experiencing bitterness about human conflicts.
This was a problem for me too. I came to the realization that I could either let my irritation consume me or hand it over to God. Because all the heartaches I've had in life weren't worth destroying myself over.
This God has not provided a reliable way for people to know him.
Actually, he had. The bible. That however doesn't mean that everyone actually obeys the bible.
Each religion has followers who are convinced they are right.
Yep. Their ego is more important to them than the biblical narrative on the issue.
Again, this is a people issue
Their God is the only true God.
Yep. The first 3 commandments talk about this.
It's known as idolatry. Either YHVH is God, or your ideas are god. It can't be both.
It's something that everyone has to deal with. Even more so people who are religious.
Thankfully, YHVH says he has ways to break down false beliefs and ideas about him. We used to describe it as "God doesn't like being put in a box. If we do place him in a box, he'll destroy the box. If we refuse to engage him on his terms, our sin will destroy us."
And there is no reliable way to point them to a true God.
Actually there is.
It's a book known as the bible.
It's been working for millennia.
It's most effective when we are spiritually regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
FWIW, I lasted 3 months in a Baptist church.
In my own church community I've tried engaging in church service activities getting me closer to the leadership.... I found too much conflict and backed off. People are people. Sometimes they have a little too much flesh in their service. I'm not innocent of that one either.
I came to Jesus because he demonstrated himself to me. I did not come because I like religiosity or social clubs.
Being engaged in church isn't easy by any stretch of the word. It's become my opinion over the years that's exactly why Jesus said that we're to love one another.
Not the easy love that's all emotional, but the choice love, that's hard and painful. The kind of love that takes work, patience, kindness, etc.....
