Around this point is where things start to take a downward spiral. I really don’t know what kind of argument you are capable of making, I agree, so go ahead. Though I fail to see what more you are going to say on this topic besides what you’ve already said (3 - 4 times over)
Considering the 6 billion+ population, and keeping in mind the amount of people that don’t pray, but still have fulfilled married lives must be taken into account. I never claimed such a thing as you have stated that I have in the first place, what I said was that excessive prayer and petitioning isn’t going to cut it if marriage was not intended for that person. It was a generalization, nowhere did I target specific people saying “you are not going to get married” and “hey you, i’ll see you at the altar consecrating the bread”
It is nothing so trivial as what you have stated there. So what my dear friend is the discernment process, englighten me without talking about how I’m attacking you, and the others.
Let’s use a parallel argument here. Let’s say that someone wants to bake bread out on the streets, scream “Glory to God in the Highest”, and make a fool of themself. And someone tells them to stop, and the nuisance says “It’s my calling to praise God, bake bread and do the cha-cha on the streets”
My discernment process is no one’s business here, and there is plenty to be said without knowing that information.
How dare you say that God is not moving in these peoples lives. I know God is moving in my life. Perhaps not in the realm of relationships, but he is moving. How do I know? Through prayer. Too many coincidences are starting to pile up. I won’t go into details, because the area where this is happening is not in the realm of relationships. But he is moving in my life and I am elated. I just happen to think that your dismissal of prayer runs counter to what we are taught in scriptures. Of course none of us are as enlightened as you are
Oh…then just state a general discernment process. How do you know making bread on the streets is not a vocational call? It’s not just making bread on the streets, it’s shouting glory to god, what of those poor people in 3rd world countries singing chants to God whilst they go about their bread business/drink stands, etc. (It exists), are you saying that’s not their call? Perhaps they should be on the forums like we are, or playing the stock market. ← Try looking at world news once in a while
I don’t know about females, but in males, when they meet a girl that makes them do cartwheels, heart jumps out their chest, etc. There is a powerful chemical in the brain that’s being produced, this infatuation can last for 2 years, then it slowly starts dying down as they get used to the person.I don’t want you to go into details, that’s private of course. But how do you know?How dare you say that God is not moving in these peoples lives. I know God is moving in my life. Perhaps not in the realm of relationships, but he is moving. How do I know? Through prayer. Too many coincidences are starting to pile up. I won’t go into details, because the area where this is happening is not in the realm of relationships. But he is moving in my life and I am elated. I just happen to think that your dismissal of prayer runs counter to what we are taught in scriptures. Of course none of us are as enlightened as you are
I’m not fighting, really. There’s nothing to fight. When you dont’ understand what a true vocational call is, I can see that we have no basis for a fruitful discussion here.Oh…then just state a general discernment process. How do you know making bread on the streets is not a vocational call? It’s not just making bread on the streets, it’s shouting glory to god, what of those poor people in 3rd world countries singing chants to God whilst they go about their bread business/drink stands, etc. (It exists), are you saying that’s not their call? Perhaps they should be on the forums like we are, or playing the stock market. ← Try looking at world news once in a while
So how would you know that it’s not a feeling but God? Enlighten me, oh wait…it’s private
So do you wait for 2 years before making a move, or do you make a move? Common sense tells us to make a move, but be careful, take it slow, etc. This is how people generally go about these things, Catholic or not. There are exceptions of course…But in this chaotic mess of relationships which cannot be summed up in a paragraph, you can definitely say how God acts? But you can’t tell me how you know this, or you don’t want to, yet you will get into a fight with me…interesting.
I didn’t say “God definitely acts like this”, it was a hasty generalization perhaps, but I didn’t target people specifically. You have stayed on point? Did I say you didn’t? That’s fine if you don’t want to discuss this further, clearly you have carefully avoided making any note of how you know it’s God and not just feelings.
Am I understanding you right? You need scriptural evidence that God hears and answers prayer??? You must be joking.I don’t want you to go into details, that’s private of course. But how do you know?
Have you thought perhaps that the same kind of things are happening to people in other religions? How about the atheists, who feel “wow, this relationship is working, look at all the good stuff that’s been happening” - or do you want to be naive and think it only happens to praying Catholics
If not…then what’s the difference
Quote scripture please, you did this before, but didn’t directly respond to what I said in turn, or did you and I just happened to miss it?
It seems to me, the you have a somewhat faulty view on the catholic understanding of God, Catholic theology have never claimed that God doesn’t act in the lives of Atheists, Hindus, Muslims, etc. In fact the opposite is true, because without God they would have no capacity for love or justice. God is Love in its most essential form, so it is ridiculous to claim that you can have one without the other.But not always the way you want him to, isn’t that right? So if you wanted to get married, and he doesn’t, he will answer alright, but not what you expect. Or he will make you wait, say 40 years for some people? I’m speaking in the third person here, these are the general observations given by people. It’s not that God is answering, these kinds of things happen to people in general, religious or not. Atheists meet their ‘special someone’ too you know? They can be 18, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50. Some of them go through the same struggles, same with muslims, hindus, protestants, some of them don’t pray, you don’t hear them saying “God answered my prayers”, especially the atheists. It just happens to them, so it’s no way an indicator that God has answered your prayers, if it happens to a lot of people
That’s not to say God hasn’t, or that he won’t. When you meet that special someone, feelings fly around, etc. You probably think it’s a divine calling, it’s not God, it’s just you.
If I’m following you correctly, we are too fallible to ever know God’s will so we should just forget trying cuz the whole thing is a sham. Is that correct?
Why worry about the statistics? There are all sorts of statistics that will tell you all sorts of things. Have you ever heard of “lies, d**ned lies and statistics”? My point is that in your life you will only need to meet one man or one woman. If both of you are leading Godly lives with God as the center of your relationship then 50% of this and 60% of that won’t mean anything to your happiness. The example you cited does indeed happen, but hopefully in a marriage after 20 or 30 years the feelings will only have grown stronger and the people involved will be even more in love than the day they were married.
It’s very easy to become discouraged when reading such depressing statistics, or when we see examples of bad marriages among our own friends and family.
