Sorry Wayne, but none of that was worth the wait.
Can you point to one, single thing in your vision that could ONLY have pointed to an earthquake? Are you prepared to admit that - if you had returned to Paul's on the 30th September instead, and there had been a car crash outside that made everyone run and shout, that you would instead have written a story about how god brought you there specifically for that purpose?
Sure. But come on now, an earthquake is so much better.
I don't blame you for giving a shortanswer to this question - because that's what it all hinges on: the fact that you had a vague daydream, which could have applied to anything, and you
chose to belive that it was a portent of the next event that happened to you.
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How do you determine if something is causal or not?
Missed this questions Wayne - and I've asked it half a dozen times now. I will therefore assume that you HAVE no way of determining whether something is causal or not: that your automatic and constant assumption is that "god did that". It means that NONE of your anecdotes here are worth our consideration or discussion.
How do you determine whether every experience you have had was not Satan's work, using you as an agent to drive US from belief?
How would anything I've told you drive you from belief? The repettitive nature of my episodes points to the cause being God.
That's just it - they do for you, because you just ascribe everything to god's actions. We do not, and so they do not point that way for us. As for driving us from belief.....I've covered that before, but I'll explain it further below.
How do you square the circle of the god who will intervene regularly and directly in the minutiae of your life, but sits on his hands for the vast majority of people?
Devout people have encounters, maybe fewer, but they do. Non believers and non devout much less if any.
I'm sure it is. But it isn't for us. That's the problem with a god who picks and chooses his favours and interventions: it's only convincing for the individuals concerned.
He wants you to believe like a litte child, because to him you are. If I had anything to do with it, I'd have to say that that is it.
How are you driving us from belief? I will explain why, Wayne. You aren't going to like it, because it is going to sound extremely insulting. It's for two reasons.
Why would we not want to be like you? Because you have no critical thinking skills that you have demonstrated here. You refuse to chang your position even when massive evidence is provided for you (remember those crime graphs?). You alternate between being patronising, and smug. You are happy - or at best, indifferent - to the fact that you worship a god who doesparlour tricks for you, and ignores the plight of others in far more need. For the most part, you refuse to answer questions, and those you do answer are normally rewarded with either a non sequiteur, or a smug little "bless you, you don't understand".
In short, you are a poor advert for any religion - if being a follower of your god would turn me into someone like you, then I want no part of it. That is how your actions, and presentation, are driving me away from your god - I see the multiple negative effects that your belief apparently has on you.
Why would we not want to worship your god? Because he will reward the believer with numerous little parlour tricks. Spending vast amounts of time setting up little tales for you to tell about how super-powered he is, while ignoring the very real plights of millions of people in desperate need around the world. A god who is willing and able to pop down to the world and steer things so that one special little flower will get an amusing anecdote, while women are raped and toddlers battered and children abused by his priests and....well, I needn't go on. I look at the god you are portraying to me, and it sickens me. You portray your god as a selfish manipulator, one who (by your own admission) will help find the keys of people who bow down before him and kiss his feet, but who will shrug and sneer at anyone who doesn't and happily watch them suffer. It sickens me. The god you tell us of is not a fount of love and kindness, but an inadequate with a colossal need for love himself.
This is the god you
present to us Wayne - be very clear about that. It MAY bear no relation at all to any god that really exists. But it is the god that we construct from everything you say here. You are the one putting this god forward Wayne - THAT is how you are driving us towards Satan.
To be entirely fair, I can't recall you ever once mentioning your god being loving, or nice - just powerful. Perhaps that is enough for you. It is not for me.
I don't think I can be any clearer that that. It gives me no joy to have to be so blunt and to be so insulting, but I've touched on these issues before and you don't seem to have grasped my point.
To be honest, I have no expectation that you will be able to change, or even that you will try to understand what I am saying above. I HOPE that you will be able to engage with the issues I've raised, treat them seriously, and give a considered and relevant response that answers rather than avoids. My expectation, based on your previous performance, is that your response will avoid what I've said entirely. If this latter is the case, then I will quit wasting my time and this will be the last communication you will have from me that is not as a mod.