Where have you felt closest to God?

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b_justb said:
I reconcile the fact that these experiences happen to be people regardless of religion is because I believe firmly that God is relational and His relational aspect goes forth to positively affect people on an individual level. What people do with that experience is also individualistic even if it leads them to a community of people that have had, or seek to have, a similar experience.
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thats a nice view.

those testimonies affected me in a negative way. hearing opposing religions use such testimonies to validate their faith convinced me that all religion is man made and that the religious experience or ‘that feeling of closeness to God’ was nothing more than a self inflicted mental state.
 
George_Waters said:
I have experienced this feeling myself many times. Typically outdoors, once or twice at Mass, but sometimes in the most unlikely places. God has a way of reminding us of His presence doesn’t He?
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You are so right George. I never know when contemplation is going to occur. But for me it is typically in Eucharistic Adoration. At times during the Rosary. A word or sentence from Scripture. Reading Thomas Merton will also do it for me. After the Bible, the Thomas Merton books are the slowest reads I have. Because when the Lord knocks, I stop and listen…and rest in Him.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.
 
AgnosTheist said:
thats a nice view.

those testimonies affected me in a negative way. hearing opposing religions use such testimonies to validate their faith convinced me that all religion is man made and that the religious experience or ‘that feeling of closeness to God’ was nothing more than a self inflicted mental state.
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I read the same stories you did here. I heard people affirming God, not themselves. The faith they are validating is not pointing to themselves but pointing away from themselves; toward The Other. You see these stories as people closing in on themselves and validating their own made up explanation of their own euphoria. That seems rather pessimistic and cynical to a fault.
 
AgnosTheist said:
thats a nice view.

those testimonies affected me in a negative way. hearing opposing religions use such testimonies to validate their faith convinced me that all religion is man made and that the religious experience or ‘that feeling of closeness to God’ was nothing more than a self inflicted mental state.
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You may think of it as a “self-inflicted mental state”, which is just fancy phraseology for " God speaks to us". God doesn’t violate our sensibilities or our free will. It’s easy to believe in God… it’s another to actually believe Him.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.
 
b_justb said:
The faith they are validating is not pointing to themselves but pointing away from themselves; toward The Other.
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How was it that a muslim can also experience this which only strenghtens their faith in islam- the thought was unbearable for me when i was a christian.
 
AgnosTheist said:
great! now i wonder how catholics reconcile that fact with their faith.
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What’s to reconcile? Of that “everyone” group whom God speaks to, only a small percentage actually listens. The percentage gets smaller of the ones that recognize God as the speaker. Even smaller the ones who will keep the word and ponder it in their hearts (sound familiar?). Then you have all the other ones who ignore His word, don’t bother to apply His word etc etc. Kinda’ like the parable of the seed thrown on rocky ground, in the weeds and on fertile ground. You get the picture.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.
 
AgnosTheist said:
Then please kindly explain it to me with regards to the muslim who experienced god in the name of islam. 🙂
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“The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day” (CCC 841).

The Catholic Church also teaches that ALL religions contain elements of Truth (but that Catholicism has the fullness of Truth). Truth can only be of God; thus, all religions have something of God in them, however small or imperfectly understood.
 
Thanks Valke2 for asking the question so we can give “testimony” to convert AgnosTheist!🙂
 
AgnosTheist said:
thats a nice view.

those testimonies affected me in a negative way. hearing opposing religions use such testimonies to validate their faith convinced me that all religion is man made and that the religious experience or ‘that feeling of closeness to God’ was nothing more than a self inflicted mental state.
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It is the self inflicted mental state pursuant to which we are able to drown out the secular and be left with the still small voice.
 
wanner47 said:
“The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day” (CCC 841).

The Catholic Church also teaches that ALL religions contain elements of Truth (but that Catholicism has the fullness of Truth). Truth can only be of God; thus, all religions have something of God in them, however small or imperfectly understood.
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Does the plan of salvation means that Muslims, Hindus & Wiccans have no need to become catholics since get to be close to God through their own religions anyway?
 
I’m simply saying that just because the experience with the Divine is a product of human effort, it doesn’t mean that the experience is false.
 
Valke2 said:
I am sure many of us have had moments when we have felt the Divine Presence so strongly that it overshadowed everything else, including the self, if only for a moment. I’d like to hear from people as to where they were when this happened/happens.

I have had this experience on several occassions, but never while I was at shul (synagouge).
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Never.

Consider yourselves lucky.
 
Valke2 said:
I am sure many of us have had moments when we have felt the Divine Presence so strongly that it overshadowed everything else, including the self, if only for a moment. I’d like to hear from people as to where they were when this happened/happens.

I have had this experience on several occassions, but never while I was at shul (synagouge).
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I have such a distrust of “feeling”, it is so very subjective. And like has been stated by agnotheist, I am not convinced that feeling God is anything but the my own brain doing what it does.

But, I have had experiences that are opposite to what I consider my own nature. So much so that I cannot attribute them to me trying feel something. More like a knowing than a feeling.

From these experiences I sort of think that God doesn’t wander in and out of people’s lives, appearing here and there. I am convinced that He is always there, just there are certain times where we actually notice.

As for religion, I hardly think it matters to God what tools we use to notice He is there, but I do believe that some tools work better than others. Prayer is of course one. Love is another, like the complete and unconditional love we feel for our newborn children. And to me, what Christ taught, showed, and the gift He gave to us…those are the most excellent tools of all…which is of course God’s Love.

So, I’d say that is when I notice God is around, when I focus on His Love, in whatever form it takes.
 
Valke2 said:
I’m simply saying that just because the experience with the Divine is a product of human effort, it doesn’t mean that the experience is false.
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i do consider that idea. but that its not really religion that triggers the experience, but our personal cravings. any tool can be used to trigger the god-experience, be it religion, music or meditation.
 
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