When An /r Christian Pretends To Be Confused
Responding to:
[Link]
"What is happening to me..? Is God real?
Hello,
Im super confused. I’ve been an atheist my entire life, a staunch one at that, even passionately arguing for it and debating all the reasons god can’t possibly be real.
I’ve led a difficult life, an awful childhood, been the victim of some awful people. Then I started my family, got married, and am now pregnant with my second child. Happier and safer than I’ve ever felt, filled with love, all the time.
For the past month or so, I’ve felt pulled towards Jesus, the bible, god. I’ve never even read the bible. The only way I can explain it is, I feel like something deep inside me is guiding me towards all of this. And I never wanted that, the opposite. But now I feel like I’m being called home. I find myself deeply moved by ut. List in thoughts of introspect and of the world and everything around me. Feeling kind of one with it all.
Is this what being called by god is like? Is this what I’m experiencing?"
------------
Nobody
can account for the specific internal mechanisms which have made (anyone) feel that way.
Potential casual-mechanisms include:
social, societal, cultural, linguistic, aesthetic, dietary, quantity of sleep, quality of sleep, dreams, changes to gut microbiome, changes to epigenetic switches, etc..
In any case,
you came here as either:
A.) someone who is currently having that experience.
or
B.) Someone pretending to be having that sort of experience.
Are you trying to create a fictional Christ-mas miracle?
To what end?
To get other Christians to put on a public display of endorsement; to publicly promote the vague religious label you identity with?
Or are you secretly an atheist; trolling Christians for lols, by saying ridiculously "trope" things that American fundamentalists would predictably go gaga over?
If you really are currently having that religious experience, then you came here
[to a group operated by Christians ... and occupied predominantly by Christians]
to help "make it real" for you.
In any case,
you are not confused.
The only reason someone approaches a Christian to ask "is this real?" is if they're determined to hear "yes; it is".
Even in the way you worded your post,
you have (personally, or as a character) already committed your emotions and your ego to the same conclusion.
There is no other answer you'd accept.
In any case,
since the topic is 'on the table' for discussion,
we may as well examine the issue itself.
Most (if not all) people who already strongly identify with the elements of religious-narrative you specified .... are going to want to assume their "God" is calling you home.
As it happens, you were generic enough about it that every Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Pentecostal, Mormon, and Scientologist are probably going to say it sounds legit.
In other words, your question isn't really even meaningful.
It's just a roll-call to see who likes hearing the words you used.
In any case, it's a great opportunity for any random-version "Christian" to re-purpose your experience as a way to say (to the general public) "See. We told you this is totally real".
However,
that's called the "Texas Sharpshooter fallacy".
It's where they ignore or de-legitimize countless other people's lived experiences which are mutually-exclusive to yours.
For example, every day, this same sort of experience is reported by people feeling mysteriously drawn to Islam, or to Hinduism, or to some rival Christian-faction like Jehovah's Witnesses, Roman Catholics, Scientologists, etc..
Now, assuming your testimonial is true
(for the sake of argument), ...
The fact is,
...
Every time someone feels the way you're describing,
...
Someone who is already a member
(of whichever religious faction)
"struck a chord" in a very deeply emotional part of the subsequently-"called" person's psychology.
Meanwhile,
literally no human has ever felt "called" to a specific faith-system, nor faith-narrative, nor any specific "God" ... until after some other fallible human promoted those concepts to them.
If religions didn't need humans to be the middle-men, they would never use humans as middle-men.
They need agents to make those calls ... because their "God" doesn't "call" anyone himself.
In fact, now we're entering an era where those religions can just purchase and program a.i.-bots to "evangelize" for them.
That's because their "God" is not real.
Although, to be charitable,
and also to avoid needless arguments,
...
Let's say "Deism" is true.
He just doesn't have any busine$$ to call us about.
But churches sure do.
"Who is Hank?
And why should I kiss his ass?"
"We are so glad you asked...."
Meanwhile,
your claim necessarily ignores or de-legitimizes the plight of every "Christian" (whatever that is) who has, is, or will experience a serious "crisis of faith".
That's when someone who IS a believer ... suddenly, and without intent or expectation, ... stops believing it.
As a result, they panic.
They desperately want to believe but are currently unable to get themselves back into that headspace.
Your hypothetical scenario
accuses "God" of abusively abandoning people who are in a "crisis of faith", while going out of his way to "call you home".
Honestly, that's really shitty.
Meanwhile,
how many of the people who experience a "crisis of faith" end up finding some new way to make themselves believe in (any version of) Christianity again?
Nobody knows.
But from my own observations,
that either never works
or seldom works.
It's also important to note:
Most self-identified "atheists"
(in predominantly-Christian societies)
used to be Christians.
They didn't leave because of hating any "God".
They weren't rebelling.
They weren't chasing after worldly pleasures.
Sometimes people's feelings and cognitions change unexpectedly.
In any case,
if we start vouching that a specific "God" is "calling (some people) home",
then:
We're automatically being unfair to everyone who will ever stop (or never start) believing in *whichever version* you feel called to.
[Link]
"What is happening to me..? Is God real?
Hello,
Im super confused. I’ve been an atheist my entire life, a staunch one at that, even passionately arguing for it and debating all the reasons god can’t possibly be real.
I’ve led a difficult life, an awful childhood, been the victim of some awful people. Then I started my family, got married, and am now pregnant with my second child. Happier and safer than I’ve ever felt, filled with love, all the time.
For the past month or so, I’ve felt pulled towards Jesus, the bible, god. I’ve never even read the bible. The only way I can explain it is, I feel like something deep inside me is guiding me towards all of this. And I never wanted that, the opposite. But now I feel like I’m being called home. I find myself deeply moved by ut. List in thoughts of introspect and of the world and everything around me. Feeling kind of one with it all.
Is this what being called by god is like? Is this what I’m experiencing?"
------------
Nobody
can account for the specific internal mechanisms which have made (anyone) feel that way.
Potential casual-mechanisms include:
social, societal, cultural, linguistic, aesthetic, dietary, quantity of sleep, quality of sleep, dreams, changes to gut microbiome, changes to epigenetic switches, etc..
In any case,
you came here as either:
A.) someone who is currently having that experience.
or
B.) Someone pretending to be having that sort of experience.
Are you trying to create a fictional Christ-mas miracle?
To what end?
To get other Christians to put on a public display of endorsement; to publicly promote the vague religious label you identity with?
Or are you secretly an atheist; trolling Christians for lols, by saying ridiculously "trope" things that American fundamentalists would predictably go gaga over?
If you really are currently having that religious experience, then you came here
[to a group operated by Christians ... and occupied predominantly by Christians]
to help "make it real" for you.
In any case,
you are not confused.
The only reason someone approaches a Christian to ask "is this real?" is if they're determined to hear "yes; it is".
Even in the way you worded your post,
you have (personally, or as a character) already committed your emotions and your ego to the same conclusion.
There is no other answer you'd accept.
In any case,
since the topic is 'on the table' for discussion,
we may as well examine the issue itself.
Most (if not all) people who already strongly identify with the elements of religious-narrative you specified .... are going to want to assume their "God" is calling you home.
As it happens, you were generic enough about it that every Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Pentecostal, Mormon, and Scientologist are probably going to say it sounds legit.
In other words, your question isn't really even meaningful.
It's just a roll-call to see who likes hearing the words you used.
In any case, it's a great opportunity for any random-version "Christian" to re-purpose your experience as a way to say (to the general public) "See. We told you this is totally real".
However,
that's called the "Texas Sharpshooter fallacy".
It's where they ignore or de-legitimize countless other people's lived experiences which are mutually-exclusive to yours.
For example, every day, this same sort of experience is reported by people feeling mysteriously drawn to Islam, or to Hinduism, or to some rival Christian-faction like Jehovah's Witnesses, Roman Catholics, Scientologists, etc..
Now, assuming your testimonial is true
(for the sake of argument), ...
The fact is,
...
Every time someone feels the way you're describing,
...
Someone who is already a member
(of whichever religious faction)
"struck a chord" in a very deeply emotional part of the subsequently-"called" person's psychology.
Meanwhile,
literally no human has ever felt "called" to a specific faith-system, nor faith-narrative, nor any specific "God" ... until after some other fallible human promoted those concepts to them.
If religions didn't need humans to be the middle-men, they would never use humans as middle-men.
They need agents to make those calls ... because their "God" doesn't "call" anyone himself.
In fact, now we're entering an era where those religions can just purchase and program a.i.-bots to "evangelize" for them.
That's because their "God" is not real.
Although, to be charitable,
and also to avoid needless arguments,
...
Let's say "Deism" is true.
He just doesn't have any busine$$ to call us about.
But churches sure do.
"Who is Hank?
And why should I kiss his ass?"
"We are so glad you asked...."
Meanwhile,
your claim necessarily ignores or de-legitimizes the plight of every "Christian" (whatever that is) who has, is, or will experience a serious "crisis of faith".
That's when someone who IS a believer ... suddenly, and without intent or expectation, ... stops believing it.
As a result, they panic.
They desperately want to believe but are currently unable to get themselves back into that headspace.
Your hypothetical scenario
accuses "God" of abusively abandoning people who are in a "crisis of faith", while going out of his way to "call you home".
Honestly, that's really shitty.
Meanwhile,
how many of the people who experience a "crisis of faith" end up finding some new way to make themselves believe in (any version of) Christianity again?
Nobody knows.
But from my own observations,
that either never works
or seldom works.
It's also important to note:
Most self-identified "atheists"
(in predominantly-Christian societies)
used to be Christians.
They didn't leave because of hating any "God".
They weren't rebelling.
They weren't chasing after worldly pleasures.
Sometimes people's feelings and cognitions change unexpectedly.
In any case,
if we start vouching that a specific "God" is "calling (some people) home",
then:
We're automatically being unfair to everyone who will ever stop (or never start) believing in *whichever version* you feel called to.
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