This is simply an argument from ignorance.
Perhaps, if it was an argument, but it was rather pointing out the
background conditions that should be taken into account before coming to a conclusion. I think if you reject the background conditions outright, you would have to hold that a child is justified in criticising his parents when they give him vegetables instead of chocolate for dinner, since the child neither knows his ultimate good nor his dietary requirements as well as his parents do.
If I ask for a piece of bread, and nothing happens, then my prayer was NOT granted.
Okay, and…? How many times have you prayed to God when you were suffering from malnutrition and starving?
The problem is that this “ultimate” good and our “lesser” goods are not incompatible. There is no reason to refuse reasonable requests here and now.
Of course, and God
does respond to requests, but you are suggesting God should do so every single time.
You are off into the mythological never-never land here. Not interested. Besides, I see the most devout believers to be sad when their loved ones die, not to be joyful and happy. If they really believed that death is merely a door to the eternal bliss with God, they would be bursting forth with joyous praises that “finally!” their loved one is with God… but they weep… It tells me a whole lot about their real beliefs.
Haha I guess it’s too much to ask you to reply with courtesy rather than insult?
Naturally people are upset when their loved ones die - they won’t see them again on this earth.
I wouldn’t want to draw such a broad conclusion about someone’s “real” beliefs. I suggest you read C.S. Lewis’
A Grief Observed.
Of course. All I asked for was to manifest his existence to me, so I can at least know that he exists. Nothing happened. Period. And I will not accept that “blessed are those who have not seen, yet believe”. Nor will I accept that God manifested himself, but I “closed my eyes”. The fact is that I asked for something very plain and simple, and nothing happened. So I was open to the communication, and God “refused”. Actually, he not “refuse” like he did with Timmy Yu… he simply ignored me.
Perhaps He is reaching out to you now. When was the last time you opened the Bible and read one of the Gospels? Encountering Jesus is an amazing thing: beautiful and life-changing. I highly recommend it!
(As an aside, I still don’t think you understand people very well. If by “manifest” you mean something like: “Come on God, show yourself!” that’s more of a threat than a request. Why not pray some more, you may be surprised?)
Nothing remarkable. “Dum spiro, spero”. If there is no real hope, people turn to imaginary hope. However, even if this would be true, the method to make people to “love” God by making/allowing them to suffer is despicable. Would you constantly ignore your child’s well being so that he will “love” you more out of despair? There was sign on my cube-wall at work: “The beating will continue until the morale improves”. Do you see the significance?
But don’t you see - they are
happy! It is amazing how the happy the poor are because they know the love of God. What is more amazing is how miserable the rich are, both you and I, when we don’t have the love of God.
It is not closed. And I do not even demand “special” evidence. I look at all the claims equally, and demand the same evidence, whether the claim is the efficacy of a new drug, or the efficacy of prayer. As a matter of fact it is the believers who demand special treatment, not the skeptic. When they don’t get it, and usual analysis proves them wrong, then the white-washing stars. Like you cannot test God… In my opinion that kind of excuse is intellectually dishonest.
Oh, great to hear! So, what
do you think about Fatima then?
You can test God but it depends on the test. I’d think it was slightly insulting to test God as if He were an object and not a subject. I’d that that would be insulting for anyone.
