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When all arguments for and against the existence of god are over, it would appear that the conclusions reached have little effect on whether ones religious beliefs are altered or not. What really seems to be the 'deal breaker' is whether a person believes that they have personally experienced or witnessed Gods' presence.... or not.
Most devout Christians here on MyNews24 claim to have experienced the presence of God This is an experience I have not had, perhaps that is why I am a sceptic.
Christians also believe in the devil and speak a lot of him, often suggesting that many non-believers here are under his influence. It would appear that Satan possesses many of the super powers claimed for God,such as omnipresence, omniscient and is quite potent too.
The reading of many Christian claims, regarding the devil, has lead me to conclude that it is pretty easy to come under the influence of Satan. Many Christians and clergy are constantly vigilant of any of Satan's influences in their lives,and the world at large.
I was discussing the Christian invention of the devil with a fundamentalist friend of mine. She assured me that the devil is very real and related several horrifying stories of exorcisms that she had witnessed. As a final 'proof',she told me how her church and particularly the leaders thereof had recently come under tremendous pressure from the devil.
I asked her if she experienced the 'spirit of the devil' like she experienced the Holy spirit, or Gods' spirit, she seemed taken aback by my question and said that it was as evil temptations and evil thoughts that she detected the devil trying to influence her, but quickly added that she had felt the very real presence of evil spirits.
I told her that did not believe that I had ever experienced temptations from an outside source, or detected any influence from the devil, her answer surprised me. She said that this was because I was an agnostic or atheist and that Satan did not have to tempt people like me. It is the children of God that Satan targets. I asked her," so if I do not want to be lead into temptation, I should not believe in God"? Our conversation ended there.
For some reason this conversation bugged me and I thought about it a lot. Then an idea started to come to me.
My thinking being thus:
1) It is only those that believe in God that also believe in the devil.(and experience both)
2) Many of us have failed to experience Gods' presence as Christians claim to do.
3)It appears far easier to come under Satan's influence than to get to experience God.
My conclusion: if I can experience the devil, then God must exist. I will then have all the proof I have ever needed to believe God exists, for how can Satan exist if God doesn't?
I put my ideas to my fundamentalist friend, "You're mad," she screamed,"do you know what you are doing,I have seen the power of Satan,no, you want to become a Satanist". I interrupted her, "rubbish, you are a Christian and you have felt the influence of the devil. Are you a satanist?" She appeared frightened and then relaxed and smirked. "Anyway it wont work" she said quite smugly, "why not', I asked, "because the devils' greatest trick is to get you to think he doesn't exist, and he also knows that if he showed himself to you, you would believe God exists, therefor he wont".
I could not help wondering how she knew what the devil knew and how he thinks. And why did she seem so happy that I could not get to experience the devil and thereby know God exists. After all, Christians often use the threat of hell to encourage correct thinking amongst the fallen and unfaithful.
But, then I am getting to live the Godly life here, not the believers, in fact the believers are getting the raw deal here, not us sceptics whom the devil seems to leave alone. Just think, I could go to my friends church and my mere presence will cause Satan to bugger off and stop putting this tremendous pressure on the church as he will not show himself, lest I become a believer in God. Boy, I could become an exorcist. I arrive and Satan is gone.
Despite dire warnings I have decided to seek Satan. The Satan project. If I am possessed by the devil I will become Gods' greatest missionary, and I can just get myself exorcised at my friends church to rid myself of any demons. But then again,if one has to know God, to know the devil, then perhaps we are all better off not knowing God. BUT, if that is true then it only confirms that my experiment is a pretty good one, because in experiencing and getting to know Satan,I have a very good chance of also experiencing God.
If my efforts result in nothing happening, then I will know that we cannot really know God and all of these Christian claims of experiences with God are probably something imagined rather than real.
I will report back on any progress made in my experiment/project.
Most devout Christians here on MyNews24 claim to have experienced the presence of God This is an experience I have not had, perhaps that is why I am a sceptic.
Christians also believe in the devil and speak a lot of him, often suggesting that many non-believers here are under his influence. It would appear that Satan possesses many of the super powers claimed for God,such as omnipresence, omniscient and is quite potent too.
The reading of many Christian claims, regarding the devil, has lead me to conclude that it is pretty easy to come under the influence of Satan. Many Christians and clergy are constantly vigilant of any of Satan's influences in their lives,and the world at large.
I was discussing the Christian invention of the devil with a fundamentalist friend of mine. She assured me that the devil is very real and related several horrifying stories of exorcisms that she had witnessed. As a final 'proof',she told me how her church and particularly the leaders thereof had recently come under tremendous pressure from the devil.
I asked her if she experienced the 'spirit of the devil' like she experienced the Holy spirit, or Gods' spirit, she seemed taken aback by my question and said that it was as evil temptations and evil thoughts that she detected the devil trying to influence her, but quickly added that she had felt the very real presence of evil spirits.
I told her that did not believe that I had ever experienced temptations from an outside source, or detected any influence from the devil, her answer surprised me. She said that this was because I was an agnostic or atheist and that Satan did not have to tempt people like me. It is the children of God that Satan targets. I asked her," so if I do not want to be lead into temptation, I should not believe in God"? Our conversation ended there.
For some reason this conversation bugged me and I thought about it a lot. Then an idea started to come to me.
My thinking being thus:
1) It is only those that believe in God that also believe in the devil.(and experience both)
2) Many of us have failed to experience Gods' presence as Christians claim to do.
3)It appears far easier to come under Satan's influence than to get to experience God.
My conclusion: if I can experience the devil, then God must exist. I will then have all the proof I have ever needed to believe God exists, for how can Satan exist if God doesn't?
I put my ideas to my fundamentalist friend, "You're mad," she screamed,"do you know what you are doing,I have seen the power of Satan,no, you want to become a Satanist". I interrupted her, "rubbish, you are a Christian and you have felt the influence of the devil. Are you a satanist?" She appeared frightened and then relaxed and smirked. "Anyway it wont work" she said quite smugly, "why not', I asked, "because the devils' greatest trick is to get you to think he doesn't exist, and he also knows that if he showed himself to you, you would believe God exists, therefor he wont".
I could not help wondering how she knew what the devil knew and how he thinks. And why did she seem so happy that I could not get to experience the devil and thereby know God exists. After all, Christians often use the threat of hell to encourage correct thinking amongst the fallen and unfaithful.
But, then I am getting to live the Godly life here, not the believers, in fact the believers are getting the raw deal here, not us sceptics whom the devil seems to leave alone. Just think, I could go to my friends church and my mere presence will cause Satan to bugger off and stop putting this tremendous pressure on the church as he will not show himself, lest I become a believer in God. Boy, I could become an exorcist. I arrive and Satan is gone.
Despite dire warnings I have decided to seek Satan. The Satan project. If I am possessed by the devil I will become Gods' greatest missionary, and I can just get myself exorcised at my friends church to rid myself of any demons. But then again,if one has to know God, to know the devil, then perhaps we are all better off not knowing God. BUT, if that is true then it only confirms that my experiment is a pretty good one, because in experiencing and getting to know Satan,I have a very good chance of also experiencing God.
If my efforts result in nothing happening, then I will know that we cannot really know God and all of these Christian claims of experiences with God are probably something imagined rather than real.
I will report back on any progress made in my experiment/project.
