OK I found God, what next?

rocala

rocala

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This post has been a very long time in the making. Earlier today, @Thomas made a post in which he wrote " I'd say God is that which is the source and origin of all things, Itself not originated; the Creator, Itself uncreated ...Other terms are 'the One', 'the Absolute', and so forth." I kept reading this description, it meant something to me.

Many people it seems have experiences where they have to accept the existence of 'something else'. I myself have had three, All very different, all incredibly real, very gentle, yet totally convincing - they were very much, " I know", not "I think" moments.

My reading, TV viewing and internet browsing has discovered various accounts, such as a violent criminal alone in his cell to survivors of heart attacks and car crashes to those who 'died' during surgery. They all seem to have encountered something which is possibly that which Thomas describes.
The next thing is that all these people start attending church.

Maybe I have missed something but nobody has explained how having a mystical experience leads to Christianity including no doubt accepting virgin births, walking on water, resurrection, the Trinity, original sin and all the rest. I have tried, long and hard to make the required connections but so far, nothing.

What am I missing?
 
rocala said:
... nobody has explained how having a mystical experience leads to Christianity ...
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That's exactly what I was thinking, when I started reading your post. Didn't anyone in any of those stories give any explanation fo that?

If the stories that you have in mind are people who were raised in a Christian or cultural Christian environment, but don't believe in God, they might have already had some ideas about what God would do if he existed, and their experience matched one of those. If they hadn't learned about any other religion, it doesn't seem like any mystery why they would start going to a Christian church.

I'm imagining that it happens more often the other way around. They're attracted to the fellowship of some church, or some kinds of churches, and that leads them to interpret some experience as proof of God.
 
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For some no explanation is necessary....for others no explanation is enough.

As far as i have seen mystical experiences can lead you to Christianity....or whatever other religion you are so inclined at that moment...i always find it intriguing what initiates the ah-hah moment....was it a Eureka or was it building and one phrase acted as the straw.... i like that it was a post by Thomas, while he was on holiday!
 
rocala said:
Maybe I have missed something but nobody has explained how having a mystical experience leads to Christianity
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I think perhaps the missing factor is the God who hears and responds to individual human seeking. This seems to be the main purpose of the Lord's Prayer taught by Christ and addressing God as personal Father.

There are several examples in Christ's teaching, such as:

Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
Luke 11:11-13

rocala said:
including no doubt accepting virgin births, walking on water, resurrection, the Trinity, original sin and all the rest.
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That would be a further step, imo

EDIT: Although obvious I probably need to make clear that IMO personal prayer will not always get the exact thing a person asks for. Because there are sure to be posters jumping in on the issue: Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz ... IMO
 
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rocala said:
I had no idea that he was on holiday and i am unsure as to your point here.
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The power of the word....the power of this forum.....the power of sharing.

The fact that what is written is written...it is written to answer one question, complete one thought yet it goes on to initiate another make a change...could be weeks or centuries later.

But I think there is something beautiful about being on the bank of a river with a fishing pole, while the grandkids are rolling down the hill screaming "watch this" yet at the same time

rocala said:
I kept reading this description, it meant something to me.
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The unknowable affect of clicking on a keyboard....
 
Longfellow said:
I hadn't thought of that. I can see it as a possibility sometimes, but maybe they would have to actually be seeking.
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Yes. IMO the God who gave men free will requires our invitation for angels to intervene in our material affairs

EDIT Humbling to know that God requires my permission ...
 
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rocala said:
Many people it seems have experiences where they have to accept the existence of 'something else'. I myself have had three, All very different, all incredibly real, very gentle, yet totally convincing - they were very much, " I know", not "I think" moments.
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Oh. You mean something else that feels like someone else, but not a human, an extraterrestrial, an extradimensional, a dolphin or an AI?
 
rocala said:
So, some use the experience to confirm previously held beliefs, that does make sense. But where does that leave those who did not have such beliefs?
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You might be about to be a voracious reader, or an avid meditator....

My concern would not what to do next but what not to do next. In that inquisitive state I would not want to be lead astray, and each and every religion has their zealots that would like bring you into their fold, take ya to their church...
 
rocala said:
The first was when I was nine, the second I was in my twenties and the third my thirties. I am now 70, still wondering, still searching but I am not there yet.
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I might be getting closer to what your question is. You've had three experiences that felt like there's some kind of someone, and you've seen that when other people have that kind of experience, they decide to become active in some kind of religious community, but you don't see any logic in it, so that doesn't help you?
 
RJM said:
Yes. IMO the God who gave us free will requires our invitation for angels to intervene in our material affairs
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Strange as it may seem this does make sense to me. Intuition plays a part of my spiritual search and I have always felt accepting of the existence of angels.
 
rocala said:
Strange as it may seem this does make sense to me. Intuition plays a part of my spiritual search and I have always felt accepting of the existence of angels.
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Wait, when you say that you "know," do you mean that you know that there was some kind of intention behind it? Is this about some kind of will and purpose that is not simply a product of human wills and purposes? If so, could it be responsive to you, or have intentions towards you, personally?
 
wil said:
You might be about to be a voracious reader, or an avid meditator....

My concern would not what to do next but what not to do next. In that inquisitive state I would not want to be lead astray, and each and every religion has their zealots that would like bring you into their fold, take ya to their church...
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Wil, I am a life long avid reader, I have been an avid meditator and probably will be again. I treat zealots politely but with thinly veiled contempt.
I have been around a long time and know my weak spots. Being lured by zealots aint one of them.
 
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