If someone claimed to be the Son of God today…

[Nutcracks]

If someone claimed today all the things that Jesus did/said, would you believe them?

Curious about how people would respond in today’s world.

Mmmh but that doesn't answer my question.

Why would an omnipotent God not make his word known to everyone in the world from time began?

I'm not sure what they could say to convince me. I'm afraid they'd probably be detained under the mental health act.

Others have mentioned similar experiences, which they don’t attribute to God. That’s fine.

Yes, we usually call it instinct or our subconscious. Some people speak of a "Third Person" experience, usually in emergencies. This is generally agreed to be the unconscious mind sounding like an actual voice due to the urgency.

Slightly less urgently, I had one of these when I was being horrifically bullied at work - it told me "Don't go in today". I recognised what was happening and got signed off with a stress breakdown.

Your college / creche story was really sweet, @AgileGreenSeal Most people would've simply phoned anyway - it was the exact course you wanted, of course it's sensible to double-check the childcare situation. In any case, I'm happy it worked out for you!

It sctually wasn’t the course I wanted. It was in a part of town that was very difficult for me to get to, and that wasn’t actually very safe to be in either. And there was a much more convenient, less stressful identical college course closer to home.

I love how random people like to re-write the lived experience of someone they’ve never met to make it fit their assumptions! Never mind. I’m used to not being believed. 🤷🏼‍♀️

OK, that wasn't clear from your post. Thanks. Did this inconvenient course turn out to have some spectacular advantage over the better one? Why d'you feel God (or your subconscious) sent you there instead?

I meant it told me where to go and live.

The things you are describing are common sense - some people have more of it than others. It’s our brains reminder system to double check things.

Thanks for your reply. I have a similar story, funnily enough about college courses. I was drawn to apply for a particular course, even though it was in another city and would be hugely difficult logistically and with childcare. I was already in a well-paid job and had been asked to apply for a promotion. Doing the course would mean halving my salary and we couldn't easily afford it. Something still pulled me towards the college course though, but when I checked the website I didn't have the right qualifications. I contacted the course leader anyway - and amazingly - they said they would accept me with the qualifications I had! Incredible! The course has been life-changing and one of the best decisions I ever made. It wasn't God though, I just made some choices that turned out well.

Personally, my view is that Christians view these experiences through the lens of their faith and see God at work when really, they're quite commonplace chains of coincidences that happen to lots of people.

No, don't have any idea what you're talking about.

So a misprint in a prospectus proves that God is communicating with you? People really can convince themselves of anything if they're so minded.

Why did God just not put in the misprint in the first place? Actually, don't answer that because I already know what the answer will be.

Well they would need to perform many miracles (cutmring the blind, bringing dead people to life....Lazarus). They would also need to resurrect themselves 3 days after being murdered.

Nope, God cannot have a son as it'll make him like a human. Surely the whole concept of God is to be unlike humans so he maintains his power and uniqueness. Why give him human attributes and make him like a mere mortal. That doesn't make sense.

Anyone claiming this today would be detained under the mental health act.

I was drawn to a course and submitted my application which no-one initially responded to. Something made me chase it up and they offered me the last place.

I met a man on the course who I had a relationship with, until it all went wrong, he left me and I had a breakdown which took me about a year to recover from.

So was that God's will? I mean you really can make these stories signify whatever you want them to mean, can't you? When it's nothing more than random happenstance.

But praise be that God took time off from looking after children in poverty suffering from Ebola in Sierra Leone to make sure I had childcare so I could get my Level 3 certificate in cake decorating.

@niadainud I think that is clear. Just to recap: It was you who quoted me and you who asked the question of me. I merely reminded you of the topic of the thread and therefore the context of the post you quoted. No worries if you now have no idea about it all. Best to move on methinks.

Personally, my view is that Christians view these experiences through the lens of their faith and see God at work when really, they're quite commonplace chains of coincidences that happen to lots of people.

Apologies for quoting myself, but I meant to add that the reason I think Christians do that is because I was one! The above anecdote is from after I lost my faith but I had many similar experiences as a Christian that I was convinced were God speaking to me or acting in my life. I became an atheist due to Darren Brown (bless him) explaining in his book how some of his tricks "work" and more generally about the capacity of humans to see God when it's just how our brains work. My life has actually improved massively since the scales fell from my eyes and I took control of my own life and decisions. My mental health, my relationships, my finances, everything really.

Well this is the story (honest 😜) of the Mormon founder Joseph Smith! (Ok it’s from the musical Book of Mormon!) but it makes as much sense as anything else!

No of course it’s not proof and it wasn’t presented as such. I was asked for an example and gave one. That’s all.

Why do some use religion as a threat or punishment? Neither heaven or hell exists. It’s held over as a control mechanism. Thankfully the majority of us can think for themselves and don’t even think about this.

Life as an atheist is pretty good - haven’t done anything wrong, no worries about the future.
Jesus seems to have been a regular bloke who got in with the wrong crowd and got himself killed. Nothing special to look up to.

Can't we have a daughter of god next time?

Definitely - much more superior and wouldn’t make the mess up the previous versions have made!

This is an interesting post and I wanted to go dig into Revelations and listen to a sermon I have on those particular verses.

Rev 19:11 "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war."

So this is Christ seated on a white horse, not a monster. The 'Faithful and True' name directly references Christ. Christ is faithful to His promises and true in His judgments. This title assures believers of Christ's unwavering commitment to justice and truth. Here we see Christ riding forth to make war against the Beast, the AntiChrist and the False Prophet.

Ref. Ps.96:12-13
"Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord.
For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.
He shall judge the world with righteousness,
And the peoples with His truth."

Rev 19:12-13 "His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God."^

The 'eyes like flame of fire' is a reference to judgment of the world. The many crowns are the diadems, the crowns of kingdoms and authorities, indicating that Christ now rules over the whole world. The robe dipped in blood means the blood of the enemies from the 'winepress of God's wrath'.

Ref: Isa.63:3
“I have trodden the winepress alone,
And from the peoples no one was with Me.
For I have trodden them in My anger,
And trampled them in My fury;
Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments,
And I have stained all My robes."

Rev. 19:15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations.

Ref. Isa.11
"But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked."

Christ will speak his judgment and people will die immediately. Just as in Acts where Peter gave his judgment on Ananais and Saphira and they fell down dead.

Ref 2 Thess. 2:8
"And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming."

This is an interesting aspect of Mormonism tbh. The Book of Mormon claims Jesus went to the Americas and let people touch his wounds etc. If the Mormons ‘found’ a book claiming he did the same in other areas I think they’d accept that. For all their weird racial history (they didn’t let Black men achieve priesthood until the 1970s or 80s) they believe Jesus made himself known in other places.

Hmm it didn’t quote @Terrribletwos like I was trying to but I was trying to respond to your comment

Excellent overview.
thank you for this 👏🏻👏🏻

What is ‘it’ though. Like isn’t it just your inner thought? Or is it something more intrusive then that you’re not thinking yourself?

Well don't thank me, thank an extremely good pastor/theologian whom I follow on YT, he has gone through all the verses of Revelation giving the exegesis and it's really helped to clarify what's going on. Otherwise I've just gotten bogged down in it, not understood or been scared which isn't helpful!