God is REAL?!... umm... well... PROVE IT!

okay... i know there was a thread that was started about the videos on godisimaginary.com, i read about the first page of it... and just wasted my time reading about how they wasted their time... now there is a few people starting a mission against God... yet we are a "Christian site" that is not doing anything about it... i understand you guys wanna talk about wasting your time watching these videos and all... but c'mon!!! why don't we fight it... they have some really interesting points... like i for myself was really touched... by this video ... or the beginning of it at least... because that was a problem i faced... and sometimes face till this day... they are thought provoking, and well researched, well kinda!... i think we should fight these videos... even by putting up some videos... ill do the videos to respond to them on youtube... and we could put it up here too... but please lets act.... lets do something!
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  • I would love to help. I watched that video but it didnt convince me of anything. All it convinced me of was that there are people who rely entirely on physical evidence of our Lord before accepting him. Like the video said. You go to the Hospital for treatement because God is imaginary. Thats incorrect, we go to the hospital because God is not a magician. When you get sick you cant just ask God to heal you and expect him to do so. If so, why would he let you get sick in the first place. It is because it is more important to become closer to God than to be healthy, and for some reason, only sick people want to be close to God...hmmm i wonder why. The all knowing perfect God knows and never forgets (unlike almost every human) that this life is meant for 1 purpose and one purpose only. To know and accept Jesus Christ, grow in wisdom and knowledge, and to build your relationship with the Lord, so that the relationship becomes permanent in Heaven. And the all knowing perfect God knows that people will begin prayer and putting an effort into becoming closer to the saviour only if there is something wrong in their life. Only if their is something threatening their "preciouse" life on earth which they so desperatly want to keep. Totaly forgeting that the life after is never ending, and where you spend it is CRITICAL. The Lord therefore will put the persons human life at risk, only to save his eternal life in heaven. This is the all knowing God that we Orthodox Christians believe in.
  • [quote author=SuperMAN(BAM) link=topic=5932.msg79374#msg79374 date=1195027401]
    okay... i know there was a thread that was started about the videos on godisimaginary.com, i read about the first page of it... and just wasted my time reading about how they wasted their time... now there is a few people starting a mission against God... yet we are a "Christian site" that is not doing anything about it... i understand you guys wanna talk about wasting your time watching these videos and all... but c'mon!!! why don't we fight it... they have some really interesting points... like i for myself was really touched... by this video ... or the beginning of it at least... because that was a problem i faced... and sometimes face till this day... they are thought provoking, and well researched, well kinda!... i think we should fight these videos... even by putting up some videos... ill do the videos to respond to them on youtube... and we could put it up here too... but please lets act.... lets do something!


    Firstly, let's get real- this is not a modern war. The debate about proving the existence of God has been long and suffocating. The points made by Atheists are old, and the reason why we shouldn't entertain such thoughts and elucidate their many fallacies on this platform, unless directly provoked, is because there exists many critiques of these Atheist crusaders and their philosophies. But let's look at this:

    The Disciples  died for the claim that they have seen the Risen Lord. You might think impossible that one could rise because it is illogical. But on contrary, that is not logic; if they are sane, and they are reputable, then it is logical that their claim could be true. Hence, it is possible.

    Let's examine the Disciples conduct. They all displayed skeptism; they all laboured greatly and selflessly for their belief; they died for their belief without any denying Him (except of course for Judas Iscariot). Seems sane and reputable. We even have their writings showing complete sobriety.

    If Christ is Risen and He claims to be the Son of God; what other option is it for us except to believe that there is possibly a God.

    Further, do you read the Synexarium; it shows endlesly how being faithful and pious brought fruits unimaginable. You should think of it as evidence. You should see the Holy Bible as evidence.

    For instance, one Atheist said I can't believe the God of the Bible because He is evil in the OT, yet, we are to call Him Good and Love? If someone you loved slapped you, and it hurts, are you going to stop believing that person exists? Is that a logical argument to you. Obviously, it is our concepts of "love", of "goodness", of "God" that must change. (And that is God is infinitely just as well as compassionate, and His will reflects its unfathomable synchrony).

    Many Atheists think if God exists, then He would be too distant and wouldn't care about the Earth and its inhabitants. Such is just begging the question, and really has no merit. If they think it possible that God exists, then they should look at whether He is intimate with Mankind. The Bible shows this with clarity. One Atheist argued its enough to believe in God, but to believe in the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection, the Healing of blindness with saliva and dust etc. is silly for an institution. What? This argument is so stupid because if an Entity like God can exist, Who is beyond our senses, then it is only logical to assume that it is possible that things beyond our sense can occur.

    You have heard of many miracles on this forum and in the Synexarium; some Atheists would scoff with disbelief and say they are impossible, and then use the fact that life is too ordinary and can be accounted all by bizarre yet natural laws to say that thus God does not exist. You see, the initial premise is the key. If you have prejudice like the Atheist I just described, no amount of evidence can persuade him.

    I will briefly mention a story, that shows clearly the folly of using arguments with  these prejudiced skeptic:


    The king had sent a letter to a wise but skeptical man, who, in his faraway province, refused to accept it. He was one of those men who think too much, who complicate their lives by complicating small things. He couldn’t understand, not in the slightest, what the king might want of him: ‘Why would the sovereign, so powerful and so rich, address himself to me, who am less than nothing? Because he takes me for a philosopher? There are more important ones. Could there be another reason? If so, what reason?’

    Unable to answer these question, he preferred to believe the letter a misunderstanding. Worse: a fraud. Worse yet: a practical joke. ‘Your king,’ he said to the messenger, ‘does not exist.’ But the messenger insisted: ‘I am here, and here is the letter; isn’t that proof enough?’—‘The letter proves nothing at all; besides, I haven’t read it. And by the way, who gave it to you? The king in person?’—‘No,’ confessed the messenger. ‘It was given to me by a royal page. In his name.’—‘Are you sure of that? And how can you be sure that it comes from the reigning sovereign? Have you ever seen him?’—‘Never. My rank does not permit or warrant it.’—‘Then how do you know that the king is king? You see? You don’t know any more than I.’

    And without unsealing the letter, the sage and the messenger decided to learn the truth once and for all. They would go to the end of the world, they would question the very last of mortals, but they would know.

    At the marketplace, they accosted a soldier: ‘Who are you and what do you do?’—‘I am a soldier by trade and I am in the king’s service.’—‘What king?’—‘The one to whom we swore allegiance; this land is his. We are all here to serve him.’—‘Do you know what he looks like?’—‘No.’—‘Then you have never seen him?’—‘Never.’

    The two companions burst into laughter: ‘Look at him! This man in uniform insists upon serving someone he has never seen and will never see!’

    Further on, they met an officer: yes, he would willingly die for the king; no, he had never had the honor of seeing him, neither from close by nor from afar.

    A general: same questions, same answers, clear and precise. He, too, thinks of nothing but to serve the king, he lives only for him and by him; and yet, even though he is a general, he cannot boast of ever having set his eyes upon the king.

    “‘You see?’ says the skeptical sage to the messenger. ‘People are naïve and credulous, and rather foolish; they live a lie and are afraid of the truth.’


    As I wrote the above I thought of counter-arguments and counter-counter-arguments- its a never-ending cycle; and frankly that is a waste of time if you are living the Christian life, for you will see the fruits of your faith. Please read C.S.Lewis on Miracles.

    Faith is believing in what you can't see, and it's reward is to see what you believe. That sounds irrational, perhaps, but with a good deal of evidence that this has been a fruitful journey, I do not see how that is so far-fetched. We shouldn't expect that human logic should underscore faith; and why should they- because our spirits are impalpable, immeasurable, and live beyond what we can see and observe. It is thus only logical that what is spiritual would involve a logic that is not human, since we have no laws that we know that dictate its behaviour (except that found in spiritual sources).

    Sigh...I only had an hours sleep last night from my late shift at the hospital....I should get some rest. lol Night.

    I will suggest also some books for your doubt tomorrow.
  • God protects. He has not allowed many ailments and tribulations to emerge and happen to us but we are unaware of these. He has silently spared us from so many bad things.

    The author of the "interview" is blaming God for many things mankind have done!

    * he has wasted a lot of his time, money and talent for a useless cause. God is eternal.
    * he is shallow and insolent towards God because he can only see and count negative things: if he were to know and count all the positive interventions the Lord makes in our lives he will be really ashamed;
    * most of those who stand out through the media claiming that they have been sent special messages from God are deceived or deceivers. Watch out for they are wolves: it is proven in their deeds and their speeches.
    * we go to the hospital because God has granted mankind to discover, partially understand, partially master and devise some advanced tools to enjoy some of the knowledge of things He had Himself originally created, and still maintains till now. Can the hospital staff really heal everything?
    * he cannot understand that God is Spirit and that He is Holy. It is totally inappropriate to approach God lightly as in a system of home delivery or as some casual friend, God forbid;
    * most of the problems we have personally, locally or globally derive from accumulated human mistakes made by us and/or others, because after all humans ARE error-prone;
    * God IS Love yet He would not generally engage in a free direct speech with just everybody - especially the arrogant: He is Holy and Supreme. We are not. God is extremely organized: He has given the manners of worship and blessings for the faithful via the Church in His Holy Sacraments - He would do so nevertheless sometimes if He knows a person needing salvation is or will be truly repentant or: after a miracle she/he will glorify His Name essentially for expressing true reciprocal Love or for the edification and the spreading of the Faith among others;
    * is he against religion or mainly against Jesus Christ?
    * finally challenge the author to try just once to humbly ask God to forgive him, to know He exists and cares and to lead his life to salvation. Tell him you'll pray for him even if he still think it's a superstition. If he dislikes the whole idea then tell him he is still wrong. Insist it shouldn't bother him anyway by any means whether people do believe or don't.

    Hope this helps a bit?
    GBU
  • I acctually want to do somthing about it. But making a video in response won't be the answer. They are athiests that don't know who God is and don't know anything about God apart from what they have been taught about god being imaginery. I have experienced this when athiests try to question the existance of god without evidence, whithout reading the bible or understanding it or anything. Every body in the west now denies God . Even at school. Mainly because of sin and lust. Notice how every body is attacking our God while they respect other religions which are built on false things.
  • i agree with all of you, but here is what i want to do... i will start making a few videos to respond to their videos, word, by word.... fyi this video that they made that i showed earlier it derived from another video here it is

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    you see their interesting attack?! what i want to do is post a video here, we all add what we have to say... use the same idea... same way... and ill take care of the rest... i might even make a site just to attack their articles also... but c'mon... this video reached me, while i was searching a christian song! c'mon now... imagin our younger youth watching this... you know how much doubt it will cause?

    this video hit me most just because how it approached the idea... the way the "interviewer" was calling on God, and there were no answers... it just reminded me of the endless nights i stayed up and never got back a response from God... just the way they approached it was very provocative, to me at least! so we'll do it the same way! at least when our younger youth watch these videos, they will see the responses to it... then it would be a fair for them to chose whats right and whats wrong!
  • I see what you mean in this case it is right to refute it, though using video may need much time and effort. I wish I could help a bit more but I'm tied up (for over a year now :o)
    Forgive me but right now I can't keep my promises to do things on time.

    But I like your initiative. A team work project may be more practical.

    GBU
  • Best of luck if you wish to try making a video - but you won't convince those who do not wish to be convinced, I fear.

    This is, as has been said, an argument that has been going on for centuries - and the whole point of Faith is that we believe what we cannot see. Doubting Thomas believed when he could touch and see - but Our Lord thought it more blessed to believe in faith.

    In Christ,

    Anglian
  • well... what are we gonna lose?!

    wait now... what are we gonna gain?! maybe a person or two... if one person does not go through the spiritual torment i went through, because of messages like that... my job is a success!
  • Im with you 100% of the way...whatever you need ill be glad to do. I agree 100% with you about our youth who may be watching these videos.
  • sweet! i need all the help i can get... so get in contact with me!

    okay lets get rolling... here are three videos, these videos are easy to respond to... and after we tackle every point on them i will start putting up more videos... so we can do the same to the other videos... and i will start putting the info all together and make short videos, just like theirs!

    How do we know that Christians are delusional? the end of it!

    Proving that Jesus is imaginary

    Proving that nobody can get into heaven
  • do you want us to just post our answers on youtube? or write something and you make it into a video, or what?
  • answers... then i will put them all together... make a video very close to theirs... in three separate videos... each video to answer each one... and i will ask the admins to put them up here... and i will put them up on Google... because they have their videos on Google... and of course youtube... and insha'allah down the line, i will start a site!
  • If you make a video, they will just make another video, and so on and so forth. If people are genuine about wanting to know if there is something legitimate about faith, they will do their own research. If they don't, then they were just fickle, ambivalent, already prejudiced, and you will not win them over. I refer you to the story I had in red in my last post.
  • SuperMAN please let me know if you need any more arguments for your video I am willing to really help you with it.
  • whether they choose to believe or not is up to them and God, this does not mean that we shouldnt do our Jobs as christians. Remember, Jesus always sat with the SINNERS. I know many of them will just read our combacks and grunt. But who knows, others who have not yet taken either side may see the truth in our videos, if we work together for God, the Holy spirit will work with us.
  • Menna writes:

    if we work together for God, the Holy spirit will work with us.

    Amen to that!  :)

    In Christ,

    Anglian
  • Here are answers to the second video, "Jesus Is Imaginary"

    1. It WAS OK for Jesus to appear to the 500 in fact it was required that he do so. Why? Jesus had to appear to those 500 and the disciples because he said that he would rise from the dead. After being delivered by the Jews to being killed everyone believed he was trully dead. They also remembered that he said he would rise from the dead on the third day. If he did not show himself to the 500 than they would have said he trully was not the messiah because he could not do as he promised. Thus, the Church would have never been born. Some of the disciples were even doubting that he rose from the dead, so how could they preach that he was the son of God if they themselves were having doubts, and had no physical proof that he rose from the dead. So by appearing to the diciples and 500, he proved his ressurection and had witnesses to his ressurection. If there were no witnesses to his ressurection, no one would have believed in what the disciples said about him and the church would not be around today.

    2. God will not do anything we ask, he is not a genie. What kind of world would we live in if God did everything we asked. We would no longer be servants, for God would be serving us. The prayer showed in the video said "we ask that you appear, we have faith that you will answer our prayer". This prayer contradicts itself. If you have faith that Jesus will anwer your prayer than that means you have faith that he is real, so why ask for physical proof? If you already believe in God you dont ask him for proof of his existence, this shows that you trully do not have faith, and prayer without faith is like praying into the air.

    3. Jesus NEVER ignored prayer. Just because you do not get what you want, does not mean he is ignoring you. Jesus has 3 answers, yes, no, and wait. If you truly beleive in God than you know that your knowledge does not even compare to his knowledge of everything. And for you to ask God for something and not get what you want and than say he is ignoring would is wrong. He is not ignoring you, his answer is NO. Many times his answer is no, why? Because he has a better plan for us. For example: You may pray for your sick mother, or sick friend to get better, and sometimes they end up dying. People will always say we prayed and God did not answer our prayer. No, God did answer your prayer he said no, why? The all knowing God knew that it was the prefect time for your sick mother or friend to be takin up to heaven, and if he or she had stayed back they might have eventually become bad, and have no other chance of getting into heaven. So his answer is No, if he answered your prayers you mother or friend would have gone to hell, and why? Just because you "miss" them and want them on earth a little while longer. God is all knowing, if you let him lead your life you will live an incredible one. But try to live life on your own and you will stumble and fall your entire life. All you have to do when you pray is pray hoping that you get what you want, but the entire time keep thinking, and saying "but let your will be done Lord and not my will".

  • Your question is a bit misleading... If i can prove God exists then that means I fully inderstand him, which I do not. If i fully understand God then he must not be God because our God is infinite. It is impossible to prove God, it is all a matter of faith. These people that made these videos clearly have knowledge but no faith. Knowledge without faith is nothing. God has given us the neccessary signs to believe in Him in the past, and He countinues to remind us about his existance today. I saw a few minutes of one of these videos and you can see that whatever you do to counter their arguments they will never understand without faith. How are you supposed to prove that the bread and wine become body and blood without faith? Science will never prove this and it will never be understood without faith.
  • here is a great site for those who love science and find astrophysics intruiging. it is the thoughts and story of an athiest turned christian. a scholar in astronomy and biology who felt forced to believe in God as a result of studying science in such depth. it is not purely scientic proof of the existance of God but also a portrayal from a scientific aspect that there must be a spiritual and non physical dimension to life. this is for personal use and not intended to attack any criticisms directed to God, because these criticisms have been since the creation and all that is observed at the end is the fall of these critics. hope you all are inspired by it like i was
    God bless

    www.doesgodexist.org
  • [glow=orange,2,300]i would LOVE to help!! but i have a question!!! wut did u have in mind about doing. i learned that to show that u r true coptic orthodox christian is t show by ur ACTIONS!!!! just saying!! but i will LOVE to help!!! [/glow]
    [move][glow=blue,2,300];D :D Hope i helped!! :D ;D[/glow][/move]
  • Thank you GMAN for the site.

    The following site walks the readers via seriously rich rational reasoning to conclude that God exists, answering atheists, etc. along the way.

    The Case for the Existence of God.
    Part I
    Part II
    Part III
    These are strong arguments. It is an approach that is appealing to atheists.

    Extras:
    Here they research this undoubtedly intelligently designed beetle to try to copy the technology!
    Beetle's jet may inspire new engines

    A nice scientific study done on this creature (by an evolutionist I think):
    Spray aiming in the bombardier beetle

    GBU
  • Here's an exercise, which I introduce at the beginning of the academic year.  Raise your right hand and wiggle your index finger.

    That proves there is a God.  How many billions of processes are involved with such a simple movement.  Look up all of the anatomy, physiology, cytology, biophysics, and everything else.  Look at all the permutations and realize, appreciate, and love that there is a God.  The supposed academicians are dealing with a bit of hubris and a loose screw.

    As for the Big Bang, my question:  "Where did that infinitely small speck come from to start all of this?"

    God is.  That is the only statement to appreciate.  You can read all the philosophers you want, but the easiest way is to just wiggle your index finger.
  • A very good resource page by a known convert medical scientist.
    Take what's appropriate to answer atheists.
    Answers for Atheists and Agnostics

    And nice slide shows too!
    Evidence for God from Science

    GBU
  • guys i just wrote a whole paper thing proving that God does exist... ill post it on here when im on the other computer lol... there were a looot of good websites that provide excellent proofs.. ill try to find them for u God bless the time u r spending on this
  • This is a very simple question to prove. So, the universe that came about today, how is it what it is now? Because of the Big Bang. Now, the Big Bang must have been activated somehow because "For every action, there is a reaction", and therefore, that action that brought about the Big Bang, was God saying "Let there be light." The first verse of the NKJV Bible is in fact inaccurate, saying "In the beginning, God created heaven and earth", while if you translated the Aramaic or Jewish Torah directly, we come to see that really, the Bible begins with "In the beginning, God created time and space." Before the Big Bang, there was no such concept of time, for time and space are one, according to Einstein's Theory of Relativity. Therefore, God exists.
  • Ok, ive read some of these responses and they are good....the fact that some people wanna see God isnt new and the fact that people are fighting the faith isnt new.

    If they wanna see God do as some of the saints did
    (dont remember the saints name exaclty)
    But when thay said show us your God he said:
    Look at the sun,
    they replied, we can't its too bright,
    he said, Then how can you see the Creator if you cannot look at the created.

    and there is a long story also (im going to paraphrase|)
    A man and his barber were were talking and the barber said God doesnt exist because there are alot of people who are poor, starving and dying in this world 
    So the man in the barber chair replied: Well you know what, barbers dont exist
    the barber said astonished, How can you say that im right behind you
    The man said:Well, because there are people with long hair and beards out in the world
    The barber said: A HA but they dont come to me so i cant do anything for them
    The man replied:Exactly, God does exist, its just that people dont go to Him and ask for help, they just sit there blaming Him.

    God Bless
    May the prayers of Pope Kyrollos be with us all Amen
    Glory be to Our God Amen!
  • well..that video is stupid, if God ansered every single person that tried to speek to him then he would be speeking to every person all the time,    and the even biugger problem is that most "christians" in theses countries,(e.x. Canada, U.S.A., Australia, and Europe) dont even go to church ..at all.... then they expect to talk to God?....  with all of what most of them do, they expect to talk to God?.... at least in our Coptic Orthodox Church, people know the true meaning of christianity, of beleiving, u dont havee to see, or hear to believe...              and who said u can't talk to God?... lots of saints and hermits did it(e.x.  St. Karas... http://www.copticchurch.net/topics/synexarion/stkaras.html Jesus came to talk with him everyday...) plz correct me if i am wrong

    God Bless

    Coptic Pharoah
  • You guys are missing an original book that not only proves that God exists, but also proves that Our Lord is that God: Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. Personally, he is my favorite author and this is my favorite book. It's a bit lengthy, but it is definitely worth the read.
  • Greetings Friends,
    I have given much thought to this subject and prayed for understanding.
    When Thomas had been given his proof the Lord said to him that those who need no proof are blessed.
    That makes me wonder if those who need proof are cursed - Thomas being the exception. He knew Christ before he died, and knew him arisen - would he have believed otherwise?

    Some will not believe regardless of proof.  You could raise the dead in front of them - and they still wouldn't believe.
    It's a trick! like the priest said when Peter healed the lame man in the temple before their very eyes.

    Often those who demand proof don't really want proof.
    To paraphrase a statement I read (don't have the actual quote) - there are two types of people in mortal danger, the philosopher and the atheist.
    The philosopher knows the Redeemer, but nothing of his own wretchedness; the atheist knows only his own wretchedness, but not the Redeemer.
    Think about that and you will understand what atheists are - and philosophers too.

    Not only could you provide proof and have people refuse to believe it, it is probably the worst thing you could do.
    With proof there is no need for faith.
    No faith.
    Imagine a world without faith.

    If you are given proof then you have no choice - no free will - you then believe in God from necessity, not from desire to be with God.
    You didn't believe in God from faith.
    The devil does not have faith in God, but he needs no proof either.

    If I had proof of God's existance, I wouldn't tell anyone!

    How is it possible to love one's enemy?  By having faith that there is something you can love in them - then asking the Lord's help to find it.

    So tell those who demand proof that you can't give it to them, and why.
    It isn't about proof.
    If you want to be mean - ask them to prove there is no God - they can't do that either.
    Then ask why they expect you to do what they can't do themselves.
    (don't mind me I talk a lot)

    God bless you.  Anthony
  • Actually, Anthony, there is SCIENTIFIC proof of God's existence, so there is a definite explanation. It's a long story, but I will tell how if you request.
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