Irrefutable proof God exists\ does not exist AND who He blesses\ does not bless\ I need help!

a reply to: HD3DSURROUNDSOUND

I am an atheist and have been for about 25 years. I don't know if there's a deity that created this whole thing or not, but I don't believe so. I was raised in a very religious household (complete with being "born again") and at or about 30 years old, started really questioning the beliefs that had been passed on to my by my parents, which led to my current state.

I don't have a career now, but I was an electronic engineering technician when I was working. I'm married with no kids. I'm 57.

I am the happiest that I've ever been in my life. I'm surrounded by love and feel very secure and content. I love my life. I consider myself very "blessed" or lucky, or maybe my karma's good and that's why my life is as it is. I don't really believe in "miracles" because I think life can be miraculous without the idea of someone or something external bestowing miracles on me.

Some of the tragedies... my parents both died and I got pregnant (a pregnancy that threatened my life, so had to be removed) and I found out I couldn't have kids... These were the events that led me on my spiritual search. I felt that what I had previously thought about God must be explored and figured out. A few years later, I realized that I didn't believe what I had been taught as a child.

My marriage is a miracle. I was physically and sexually molested as a child and was pretty messed up as a result. No amount of prayer or begging God to take the pain away or "fix" me would help. I hated men and wanted nothing to do with them. It was only after I met my (now) husband (of 22 years) and had a safe place to explore what had happened to me, that I was able to find my way out of the darkness that had been my life to that point.

In 2003, I found a lump in my breast. It was cancer. I am cancer-free to this day. Getting the cancer was a "tragedy", but overcoming it and living a full life afterward is a "miracle". Both of them happened without God.

Most "bad" things that happened to me happened while I was a Christian. I won't go into details, because it's private (and embarrassing, shameful), but I tried EVERYTHING in my young life, looking for some satisfaction and meaning. I was a wounded person and nothing helped. It was only after I went on my spiritual journey to try to find my own beliefs that I broke out of the darkness and into my current life.

Realizing that I am an atheist is probably the single, most beneficial "happening" in my life. I depend on myself, I own my own feelings and my circumstances. I'm accountable for the "good" and "bad" in my life. And I take responsibility for what happens. I look inside for the strength that I have at my core and I'm a very strong and self-sufficient person. I choose happiness every day and I do my very best to be a good person and be in integrity. I have high morals and a strong value system. Love is the most important value in my life. And I give and receive it freely.

Hope this helps!

a reply to: andy06shake

Ok then give me what I want, a true life story of a miracle\blessing or tragedy\loss in your life and how it related to your religion and how your religion helped you cope and will take back all my words if not beat it kid, I got some serious work to do here!

Unless you are unable to share a simple TRUE story andy06shake

Chicken?

most who do not believe or have faith that this small portion of ats is for those who do. i have found that they often need a short word in the op to explain if there stance is needed in the thread otherwise they feel the need to vent their satanic spirit of unbelief. Just to be clear and it has been a while since i said it they need too repent before they get bent over by the devil again.

eta "the end is near"
i forgot the backside of my cardboard repent sign

a reply to: HD3DSURROUNDSOUND

Son away you go and do your own homework. If I wish to share a true life story, miracle/blessing and or tragedy/loss in my life I will do so by posting a thread pertaining to such. I am most certainly not willing to do so after such a display of arrogance and down right cheek from yourself!

Since we are on the subject of sharing our views why have you not addressed the questions I posed to you in my first post?

And i dont need to, how did you put it "beat it kid" ATS promotes freedom of opinion and speech as i think you may find should you ever get around to reading the TnC regarding the site.

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Thank you for a sensible reply, whoo hooo! Will reply tomorrow as I'm eating with the family and then sleeping. Thanks for the reply.

This is my personal story.

When I was a kid I needed glasses, I couldn't see far away, my eyes couldn't focus on small things or letters. In one occasion ( I was already 17 ) a local priest from south Puerto Rico, went to my church. At the end, as usual, he ask for the sick to come by the altar, for him to pray for them. I just stay where I was. I just close my eyes for the purpose of praying, I wasn't even thinking about my eyesight. All of a sudden I felt 2 drops of oil fell in my eyes. I know it was oil (or something oily) because as soon as I felt it I opened my eyes and touch it, nobody was near me. But weird enough my eyesight was clearer than ever. At the moment I did not shout miracle!!! I just keep it to myself and tell it from time to time.

That's my story.

I can testify that you can achieve a body bliss/energized state and feel spiritual energy flowing thru your body normally called light in the bible. How far you can go I do not know since I only know the level of energized state that I have experienced. In eastern philosophy it is called Chi/Kundalini.

I had a person tell me that I would receive the energized state before it happened that helped my afterwards understand that I was not crazy when 4 days later it happened. The energized state might not fix you situation and you might not have a happy mindset but you will have times where you feel loved in a way from my point of view and can laugh even if you are not 100% happy with the situation.

I was totally non spiritual before my first energized state so whatever gives the light do not seem to care about my reasoning/faith/belief for doing something.

I know read and think about teachings of Rumi/Nanak/Buddha/Jesus and avoid Paul and Muhammad since I find them to be not good teachers for this age. I have experienced telepathy and synchronicity and have played around with low level laying of hands so I understand that consciousness is not as limited as current science say and that we can do a lot more than we think if we where trained by society to do it.

From my point of view humanity is dumbed down by faulty science and lack of understanding the spiritual reality that is all around us. I do believe the quantum probability wave from double slit experiment and Synchronicity is connected. And understanding synchronicity is the first step to understand the "works in mysterious ways" from my point of view.

Namaste. (I bow to the divine in you)

originally posted by: Abednego
This is my personal story.

When I was a kid I needed glasses, I couldn't see far away, my eyes couldn't focus on small things or letters. In one occasion ( I was already 17 ) a local priest from south Puerto Rico, went to my church. At the end, as usual, he ask for the sick to come by the altar, for him to pray for them. I just stay where I was. I just close my eyes for the purpose of praying, I wasn't even thinking about my eyesight. All of a sudden I felt 2 drops of oil fell in my eyes. I know it was oil (or something oily) because as soon as I felt it I opened my eyes and touch it, nobody was near me. But weird enough my eyesight was clearer than ever. At the moment I did not shout miracle!!! I just keep it to myself and tell it from time to time.

That's my story.

Love when things like that happen.

We are all our own god and we determine what happens in our life. Anything is possible.

I also like this take on it:
short story

I am middle aged, a mother of one. I have had a deep prayer life every since I was quite young, 1st grade in fact.

I grew up in a house that had something dark in it. I remember that when it used to make me feel the worst, I could always call on God or Christ and I would always feel better, feel safe. It could always pray or even something as simple as sing "Jesus Loves Me" as a child, and that dark feeling would leave. After spending over a decade in that house with that dark presence. You might be tempted to think it was all just my imagination and wishful thinking. However, years later my sister and I were talking with our mother and discovered that we both had the same experiences in that house without ever once talking to each other or to our parents about it. So, I only know that the comfort and relief I felt from prayer and hymns was likewise just as real.

I also have spent my life with a lot of pain, chronic pain, and God has been my anchor to endure. Both through the tough years of chronic migraine, and now the years where I have constant nerve pain and cannot take painkillers without risking the chronic migraine again. I endure and again prayer is the comfort that always helps me endure when things are at their worst.

And also, I know that no matter how dark other things in my life have seemed. He has always opened a door. It is just a matter of finding it and figuring out how to take it. And I don't mean just that we are suddenly looking for opportunities, but that opportunities that might not have been there before although I have tried for them will suddenly exist if I have the courage to take them.

THen there are the things that make you think, "Surely, God watched over us!" The most recent being that we took our car in for a repair and the mechanic found a leak in the fuel line. It had been dripping on to our exhaust pipe ... for at least a month, if not a little longer. My husband and son drive no less than 90 minutes every day in that car. And we had gas dripping onto a blazing hot exhaust pipe with plenty of oxygen. How did that not ignite?

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Many who no longer believe in God have similar stories to yours and I would like you to see - while you were a Christian horrible things happened to you as a child and also as an adult but things changed once you changed your opinions about God - life became easier. Once you gave up on God ..... life became easier... right? I understand and I have walked on both sides but hear me out.........

This world is currently under control by evil and his followers. All those who follow his enemy (God) is also his enemy and they will punished, tortured and killed. If killing their children will cause them to turn from God, then so be it. Evil searches out to destroy what is good..... it knows humans for it has been here since the begining and it knows how little it takes to destroy most who have little faith, they know to keep the pressure on because many will give up and turn their back on God and blame him and once they do ..... they (evil) will back off and leave you alone. Mission accomplished!

Most people do not realize there are different types of prayers, praise, protection, and confession. (Just to name a couple) and people do not properly pray. Also if you keep the faith, keep up with your prayers and try your best one day .... maybe in 1, 3, 5, 10 maybe 60 years down the road you will be shown by God why at which point you will then understand.

Not long ago I was baptized along with my grown son and afterwards on the way home we could feel the air around us get thick, anger and hate fell upon our hearts... (one form of attack) We both felt it and talked about it at the same time when it hit. It stayed with us all that day until night fall. Temptation soon came..... (the most dangerous attack of all) and to this day I keep my eye open because it comes often.

I have lived my life as a Christian and as someone who has backslid on his faith. Life was VERY easy when I stopped living the life of a Christian, stopped praying, stopped studying God's living word etc.... No more struggles, no longer cared about God or his kingdom.

Evil will attack you when it is his enemy. He will make you sin mostly through temptation!!! But beware of this trap and give God praise when you are under attack for you have been marked as a child of God.

Your whole life..... everyday is a test...... one long and hard test. One of the best ways to test one's character is how the person responds to bad, negative, horrible and evil outcomes that becomes a part of their life.

Jesus Christ told his disciples to take up their cross and follow him for you will be hated as he was.

I hope you will reconsider your life choices about returning back to God.

I appreciate you taking your time to write a thoughtful response to my post. I have some responses to you.

originally posted by: DeathSlayer
Once you gave up on God .....

I didn't "give up on God". (That implies that I still believe he exists and I've "turned my back on him". That's not the case.) I studied, with curiosity and open-mindedness and came to the conclusion that what I had been taught was HIGHLY unlikely to be true. In my search for the Truth, I realized that I have no way of knowing the Truth. And I became content and secure in that "lack of knowledge". No one knows the Truth. There is BELIEF, but not knowledge.

This world is currently under control by evil and his followers.

Uh... yeah. I don't believe in "evil" as an entity, either.

I don't think my life got better BECAUSE I became an atheist. I think I learned how to see life in a responsible and accountable way and learned how to handle problems and challenges with strength and determination of my own.

Evil will attack you when it is his enemy. He will make you sin mostly through temptation!!!

The only temptation I deal with is food and I do have several things in life that I refer to as "sin" (like lying, not taking care of myself, hurting others, etc.), but I deal with these things on my own very well. No one else has the power to tell me when I "sin". That is my decision and my business. I have taken on that role in my life. I answer to myself and I hold myself accountable. It's a pretty amazing thing.

Your whole life..... everyday is a test...... one long and hard test.

Actually, my life is not. There are very few days that feel like that to me. Mostly, each day is a happy miracle and I am grateful for every one. I would hate to live every day as a struggle. There are struggles in life, but I can usually let them go or overcome them pretty easily. I spend my days appreciating the sunshine, the love of my family and friends, smiling and chatting with strangers I meet, having great discussions with people on ATS, loving my dogs, making delicious and nutritious meals for my family and being positive and grateful. Where's the "test" in that?

One of the best ways to test one's character is how the person responds to bad, negative, horrible and evil outcomes that becomes a part of their life.

I do quite well at responding to negativity. The vast majority of the time, I keep my high standards and don't let negativity affect my actions or emotional response. I'm pretty solid here.

I hope you will reconsider your life choices about returning back to God.

This is not a choice. It's a belief. How can I turn toward something I think is man-made fantasy? I cannot make myself believe something that I don't believe and don't desire. Could you? I could SAY ... I now believe in God and I could play the part because I did so for 30 years. I know the bible and I know a LOT about Christianity. I could start going to church and be the perfect Christian. But in my heart and mind, THAT would be a "sin", because it's a lie.

Thank you for your concern.

originally posted by: DeadSeraph
All I can say is that obeying God's laws will definitely yield more fruit in life than disobeying them.

I hear ya' but I think that's kinda hard to do because people can't agree on what God's laws really are.

We have humans who, still to this day, stone other humans to death because they supposedly broke Gods laws. Some think eating bacon and shellfish breaks Gods laws. Others think being homosexual is breaking God's laws while others do not. Some humans shun others who don't believe like them and they make their lives very difficult. Others are beaten for wearing the 'wrong' length dress or for not covering their hair because they are supposedly dressing against God's laws. Etc etc.

I'm of the opinion that basic human decency toward each other as well as self responsibility and common sense is the way to go. It doesn't have to be that complicated. But I'm sure others will disagree.

originally posted by: OpinionatedB
Suffering is not punishment. It's a blessing hon. If we get to suffer in this life... we have grown from it.

The Catholics and the Buddhists would agree with that. My own experience says just the opposite. All my suffering does is make me angry and pissed off at God for leaving people in their rotting bodies. I know that sometimes we see good things coming from some of the suffering like people using the suffering as an opportunity of helping others etc. But when a person is stuck in a diseased body that gets progressively worse and it HURTS without end year after year after year after year ... it sure looks more like a punishment then a blessing. Actually it looks more like abandonment.

originally posted by: HD3DSURROUNDSOUND
a What I asked for was a story of a blessing\miracle or tradgedy\loss and how it relates to your religion.

I was a conservative praise-the-Lord God-is-my-Father Catholic. Very active in the church for decades. Then I got sick and experienced the other side of things. I've had major health issues for 12 years and have been DX'd with autoimmune etc etc for the last five. I have had three close encounters with the divine so I know that God exists and so does the spirit world. That's not 'faith' ... that's KNOWING due to experience. Even though I know for sure God is there, I'm not sold on God being such a good guy anymore. I figure I'll find out when I'm dead. Nothing I can do about it either way. That's my story and how it relates to my 'religion'. I don't know what my religion is, if I have one at all. My beliefs change with my experiences.

a reply to: FlyersFan

Yes sweetheart it hurts. It hurts bad. But HE hasn't simply abandoned us. Have I been angry? Have I yelled at God? Yes... I did. But then I grew from it... I learned.. I finally overcame it all..

And then I understood.

Look at people like me... I'm not alone. Most people who endure suffering, have a much different outlook on that suffering, not everyone - but more often than not you find those who saw suffering not as a bad thing, but as something that helped them grow.

Are our bodies dying.. yes, from the day we are born we begin to die. These bodies aren't the only thing, these bodies are machines that are organic. They die. But they are not the reason - they are only for a time.

Learn what your will is... learn how to use your mind. Control the pain - YOU can. Your not helpless against it. You can decrease the amount of pain your mind feels - it wont go all the way away, but its controllable. You have the ability to make it to where the pain doesn't control you... God gave us our minds and souls too. We learn to use them.

And HE will help you through every single step. Your not abandoned. He is there ready to help. Lean on Him... and learn about ALL the gifts he gave us!

originally posted by: OpinionatedB
a reply to: FlyersFan

Yes sweetheart it hurts. It hurts bad. But HE hasn't simply abandoned us. Have I been angry? Have I yelled at God? Yes... I did. But then I grew from it... I learned.. I finally overcame it all..

And then I understood.

Look at people like me... I'm not alone. Most people who endure suffering, have a much different outlook on that suffering, not everyone - but more often than not you find those who saw suffering not as a bad thing, but as something that helped them grow.

Are our bodies dying.. yes, from the day we are born we begin to die. These bodies aren't the only thing, these bodies are machines that are organic. They die. But they are not the reason - they are only for a time.

Learn what your will is... learn how to use your mind. Control the pain - YOU can. Your not helpless against it. You can decrease the amount of pain your mind feels - it wont go all the way away, but its controllable. You have the ability to make it to where the pain doesn't control you... God gave us our minds and souls too. We learn to use them.

And HE will help you through every single step. Your not abandoned. He is there ready to help. Lean on Him... and learn about ALL the gifts he gave us!

you make god sound like a state of mind, a perspective. is god nothing more than optimism given flesh?

a reply to: OpinionatedB
I used to believe that. I used to believe that God didn't send more than a person could handle. I'm ashamed to say that I used to say it to those who suffered all the time. However, looking at the lives of others and my own ill-health experiences tell me that isn't true. This is one thing we'll just have to agree to disagree on.

originally posted by: FlyersFan
a reply to: OpinionatedB
I used to believe that. I used to believe that God didn't send more than a person could handle. I'm ashamed to say that I used to say it to those who suffered all the time. However, looking at the lives of others and my own ill-health experiences tell me that isn't true. This is one thing we'll just have to agree to disagree on.

"no more than you can handle" and "the least i possibly can" are two very different things. seems this god is more content to test our limits in suffering than his own in compassion.

a reply to: FlyersFan

You can use your mind, to block pain.

I live every day on fire. Literally - actually being burned alive, and the pain signals that go to my brain, is no different other than one ends in death, and one does not.

I spent 6 months with a gun near my hand, living a minute at a time, simply trying to make it to the next minute without blowing my brains out - THAT is how intense the pain was.

The doctors had me taking 100 mg of Oxycontin per day, with 10 mg Vicodin for break-through pain (Up to 3 times per day), sleeping pills at night so I could at least go into nearly a medicated coma to sleep every night, plus I took Neurontin too, 3200 mg of that a day.

The disease didn't go away... but I no longer need all of that. The only thing I still take is the Neurontin.

Now you tell me... why do I of all people say... to use your MIND to block the PAIN?????