How Do You Explain God?

T

Timothy

Guest
How do you explain "God" to someone who is ignorant of such things? Or, how do you prove God?

Does not one need to believe in God before even accepting the Bible or Jesus Christ as true?

I have always found nature to be a witness to God, but that can be faulty.

So - explain God to someone who doesn't know him.
 
Timothy said:
How do you explain "God" to someone who is ignorant of such things? Or, how do you prove God?

Does not one need to believe in God before even accepting the Bible or Jesus Christ as true?

I have always found nature to be a witness to God, but that can be faulty.

So - explain God to someone who doesn't know him.

The first part of the book Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis) does a good job.  I can't summarize it all here, but it's a clever argument based on the observation of how we behave with each other. 

 
I know you want to stimulate conversation, and that's a good thing.  And I hope the thread takes off with some good conversation, but I doubt it will be anything substantive or deep.  So with that in mind, if you're willing to study it for yourself (assuming you haven't already), google presuppositional and classical apologetics.  Here's a link...

http://andynaselli.com/carson-on-presuppositional-vs-evidentialist-apologetics
 
ALAYMAN said:
I know you want to stimulate conversation, and that's a good thing.  And I hope the thread takes off with some good conversation, but I doubt it will be anything substantive or deep.  So with that in mind, if you're willing to study it for yourself (assuming you haven't already), google presuppositional and classical apologetics.  Here's a link...

http://andynaselli.com/carson-on-presuppositional-vs-evidentialist-apologetics

Side note. Do you really believe Googling a subject is wise? I thank you for the link though, at least that has your stamp of recommendation.

I would think though that the subject of "God" would be like a personal testimony. Almost like, "I believe there is a God because ...."
 
"I exist therefore God exists."
 
Timothy said:
Side note. Do you really believe Googling a subject is wise?

How do you evaluate knowledge Timothy?  That question is the essence of what FSSL was saying when he told folk not to merely link articles, but to synthesise them and put them in their own thoughts.


Timothy said:
I would think though that the subject of "God" would be like a personal testimony. Almost like, "I believe there is a God because ...."

Personal testimonies are subjective.  The Mormon has a "burning in their bosom".  The Muslim has the prophet.  The hindu has numerous gods that have watched over and provided for them.  Testimonies have their place in apologetics, but not as a first order of attack.
 
Explain God? I don't even try. I don't mean no apologetics, I mean not trying to explain God, who is ineffable.

I established to my own satisfaction that at least a deistic god exists by putting together a large number of pieces of the cosmic jigsaw puzzle, gathered from far and wide. The sources I used for that include Alan Watts, the Tao Te Ching, Locke's version of Natural Law, Adam Smith's Invisible Hand, and a whole bunch more, mostly learned while studying political philosophy and economics. I don't necessarily expect anyone else to understand it or be convinced by it. And all that could only take me as far as the Eastern syncretic Zen/Tao/Vedanta form of deistic pantheism I believed when I was 20.

The evidence that convinced me the Judeo-Christian God is real is the Resurrection. I could find no explanation that wasn't full of holes... except that it really did happen as described in the Gospels. N.T. Wright explains it best I think.
 
Izdaari said:
Explain God? I don't even try. I don't mean no apologetics, I mean not trying to explain God, who is ineffable.

I established to my own satisfaction that at least a deistic god exists by putting together a large number of pieces of the cosmic jigsaw puzzle, gathered from far and wide. The sources I used for that include Alan Watts, the Tao Te Ching, Locke's version of Natural Law, Adam Smith's Invisible Hand, and a whole bunch more, mostly learned while studying political philosophy and economics. I don't necessarily expect anyone else to understand it or be convinced by it. And all that could only take me as far as the Eastern syncretic Zen/Tao/Vedanta form of deistic pantheism I believed when I was 20.

The evidence that convinced me the Judeo-Christian God is real is the Resurrection. I could find no explanation that wasn't full of holes... except that it really did happen as described in the Gospels. N.T. Wright explains it best I think.

So just for curiosity sake, as I contemplate what I've heard of your "testimony"/journey, do you believe you were born again when you were a little girl at the GARBC church, or somewhere later as an adult after you'd considered things of God with more rigor?
 
ALAYMAN said:
Izdaari said:
Explain God? I don't even try. I don't mean no apologetics, I mean not trying to explain God, who is ineffable.

I established to my own satisfaction that at least a deistic god exists by putting together a large number of pieces of the cosmic jigsaw puzzle, gathered from far and wide. The sources I used for that include Alan Watts, the Tao Te Ching, Locke's version of Natural Law, Adam Smith's Invisible Hand, and a whole bunch more, mostly learned while studying political philosophy and economics. I don't necessarily expect anyone else to understand it or be convinced by it. And all that could only take me as far as the Eastern syncretic Zen/Tao/Vedanta form of deistic pantheism I believed when I was 20.

The evidence that convinced me the Judeo-Christian God is real is the Resurrection. I could find no explanation that wasn't full of holes... except that it really did happen as described in the Gospels. N.T. Wright explains it best I think.

So just for curiosity sake, as I contemplate what I've heard of your "testimony"/journey, do you believe you were born again when you were a little girl at the GARBC church, or somewhere later as an adult after you'd considered things of God with more rigor?

At the GARBC church. I think He let me wander off in my teens to learn some things, then drew me back.
 
Izdaari said:
At the GARBC church. I think He let me wander off in my teens to learn some things, then drew me back.

From what I've cobbled together, I figured that was it.  And that was a neat way of describing it.
 
... blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

John 20:29

Guess is really is all about faith ...
 
Paul was told, "...almost thou persuadest me." 

Methods of persuasion may vary depending upon the audience:  a quiet description of heaven at the bedside of a dying saint when dealing with an unsaved family member or a spirited discussion of Intelligent Design in a nearby doctor's lounge.  The method varies, not the gospel. 
 
Timothy said:
Side note. Do you really believe Googling a subject is wise?

How is it any worse than your asking questions of a bunch of amateur theologians on an Internet forum?

At least ALAYMAN's search came up with a resource from a well-known, competent, professional pastor and theologian - which is more than you could say if any one of us tried to answer.
 
Timothy said:
How do you explain "God" to someone who is ignorant of such things? Or, how do you prove God?

Does not one need to believe in God before even accepting the Bible or Jesus Christ as true?

I have always found nature to be a witness to God, but that can be faulty.

So - explain God to someone who doesn't know him.



Timothy,


I think even the non elect (such as myself) realize that there is a god. Because the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the the things that are made . . . . so that we are without excuse.

I think MOST people of the world believe in the existence of God. The problem comes in his specifics: his name, his attributes, what he requires of us. (the Muslims, the Hindus, the mormons, the Christians, etc)

While none of us can understand God: his ways are past finding out, most can accept that there is a God of some sort. If indeed, the Christian god is the one, then it will be up to him to reveal Himself by His spirit. Because the things of God cannot be known except by the Spirit of God.


Gringo

 
Gringo said:
Timothy said:
How do you explain "God" to someone who is ignorant of such things? Or, how do you prove God?

Does not one need to believe in God before even accepting the Bible or Jesus Christ as true?

I have always found nature to be a witness to God, but that can be faulty.

So - explain God to someone who doesn't know him.



Timothy,


I think even the non elect (such as myself) realize that there is a god. Because the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the the things that are made . . . . so that we are without excuse.

I think MOST people of the world believe in the existence of God. The problem comes in his specifics: his name, his attributes, what he requires of us. (the Muslims, the Hindus, the mormons, the Christians, etc)

While none of us can understand God: his ways are past finding out, most can accept that there is a God of some sort. If indeed, the Christian god is the one, then it will be up to him to reveal Himself by His spirit. Because the things of God cannot be known except by the Spirit of God.


Gringo

Just so. For me to be a Christian again, after nearly becoming an atheist, I had to be a Zen/Tao/Vedanta deist/pantheist first. I think God used that like a stepping stone, a way for me to cross over to Him.

Nice to see you here again, Gringo.  :-*
 
Thank you, Izdaari.  :)
 
Izdaari said:
Explain God? I don't even try. I don't mean no apologetics, I mean not trying to explain God, who is ineffable.

I established to my own satisfaction that at least a deistic god exists by putting together a large number of pieces of the cosmic jigsaw puzzle, gathered from far and wide. The sources I used for that include Alan Watts, the Tao Te Ching, Locke's version of Natural Law, Adam Smith's Invisible Hand, and a whole bunch more, mostly learned while studying political philosophy and economics. I don't necessarily expect anyone else to understand it or be convinced by it. And all that could only take me as far as the Eastern syncretic Zen/Tao/Vedanta form of deistic pantheism I believed when I was 20.

The evidence that convinced me the Judeo-Christian God is real is the Resurrection. I could find no explanation that wasn't full of holes... except that it really did happen as described in the Gospels. N.T. Wright explains it best I think.

Although growing culturally as a Christian and always "believing", this is pretty much the reason why I grew beyond a "blind faith" place in my relationship with God to a place of much deeper trust and understanding of the Divine.
 
Timothy said:
How do you explain "God" to someone who is ignorant of such things? Or, how do you prove God?

Does not one need to believe in God before even accepting the Bible or Jesus Christ as true?

I have always found nature to be a witness to God, but that can be faulty.

So - explain God to someone who doesn't know him.

Check out "Defending Your Faith" by RC Sproul.  It is very well done.
 
The Creator

Anishinabe

 
God has to reveal Himself to the human heart. That isn't to say there aren't things in human nature and the rest of creation that testify of Him, but faith is imparted by the Spirit.
 
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