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Does Jesus talk to you?

Does Jesus talk to you?

  • Yes, I hear the voice of god.

    Votes: 4 8.3%

  • Yes, in the form of signs, dreams, etc., but no voices.

    Votes: 4 8.3%

  • Maybe, I'm not sure.

    Votes: 3 6.3%

  • No, I've never experienced this.

    Votes: 29 60.4%

  • Other (Please Explain).

    Votes: 8 16.7%
  • Total voters
    48
CaptainCourtesy said:
Does God 'talk' to you in actions, occurrences, or similar to how we use 'self-talk' to help ourselves? Nothing crazy about this. It's both faith-related and an adaptive coping mechanism.
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But Capt'n, there can't possibly be any logical reason for accepting a faith...so the atheist argues anyway.
 
Jerry said:
But Capt'n, there can't possibly be any logical reason for accepting a faith...so the atheist argues anyway.
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Just because there is no logical reason to accept faith doesn't mean it's illogical to accept it. Not everything is based on logic. We have intuition, 'gut' feelings, and the like. Faith is just that...faith. Obviously, not being an atheist makes it more difficult to understand that position. I, also, do not like debating this particular topic, and usually steer clear from it. Faith is very personal, and if my faith doesn't affect you, your position on my faith is valueless. It is neither illogical or crazy to have faith...nor is it either to not have faith. It is one's personal belief system...that's all.

BTW, Jerry, the 'you' did not refer to you...it was the 'global' you...not that you are global. :mrgreen:
 
Jerry said:
Years ago I was a mgr at a KFC...imagin my suprise while passing out checks, I found one made out to Jesus.
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Our local Jesus is the 16 year old to call when you need your lawn mowed cheaply and efficiently. He also works at a Burlington summer outdoor car wash with his uncle/cousin Jose(ph).

I say uncle/cousin because Jose looks like he's maybe a year or two older then Jesus but one is somehow the others uncle.
 
Summerwind said:
One of those "I wonder why" questions I've had since childhood (in Texas) relates to this. . .

Why do spanish/latin and arabic/me societies name their children after their saviours, but in english/american society is seems almost blasphemous? Is it only blasphemous in the english translations of the bible?
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I have a theory that there will be a rise in the number of children named Ron and Paul this year, considering the number of people who consider Ron Paul their savior. In fact, I expect a lot of people to use Ron as a first name and Paul as a middle name.

George Washington Carver? Meet Ron Paul Jones!
 
Now that I'm thinking about it (and to bring the thread back on topic), there was recently a story about a Canada Air pilot who went insane in the cockpit and started talking to God.

I don't think even the godsoaked can defend this kind of thing.

BBC NEWS | Americas | Pilot 'breakdown' diverts flight
 
CaptainCourtesy said:
What occurred to this pilot is, very clearly, a severe psychiatric problem.
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So what I get from this thread is that it is okay to talk to "god" or "jesus" as long as you don't act upon it if the voice is irrational.

If it is irrational then who are they "talking to"?...
If it is rational then who are they "talking to"?
 
CaptainCourtesy said:
What occurred to this pilot is, very clearly, a severe psychiatric problem.
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My question is, why is it a "severe psychiatric problem" when someone in a position of authority and responsibility talks to God, but perfectly normal when your random believer does it?
 
Jesus won't return my calls. :confused:
 
Cephus said:
My question is, why is it a "severe psychiatric problem" when someone in a position of authority and responsibility talks to God, but perfectly normal when your random believer does it?
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I work in a psychiatric facility (institution for the criminally insane) and I believe your supposition should be based on outward actions. IF someone hears the voice of "god" but is demonstrably harmless this delusion (as some would claim it to be) is not a danger to either the "hearer" or those around them. However if someone hears "god" and either threatens or purposefully causes harm to themselves or another because this "god" compels them to, this is a serious delusion which should be dealt with either through psychiatric care and/or psychotropic medication.

Now there are many Christians and other religions whose believers attest to hearing from "god". There is no harm-no foul in this type of faith. Unfortunately atheists wish to disavow the possibility that such experiences are true and harmless yet in the same hand deny the reality that to NOT believe in "god" is a faith based belief system in and of itself. But that is a topic for another thread I suppose.
 
buttonpsi said:
aww... come on, at least give JESUS amnesty...screw pedro though.
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Nop, I'm concrete on my position on illegal immigration...undocumented savior is still undocumented, and Jesus is from the middle east...you never know....
 
CaptainCourtesy said:
Just because there is no logical reason to accept faith doesn't mean it's illogical to accept it. Not everything is based on logic. We have intuition, 'gut' feelings, and the like. Faith is just that...faith. Obviously, not being an atheist makes it more difficult to understand that position. I, also, do not like debating this particular topic, and usually steer clear from it. Faith is very personal, and if my faith doesn't affect you, your position on my faith is valueless. It is neither illogical or crazy to have faith...nor is it either to not have faith. It is one's personal belief system...that's all.

BTW, Jerry, the 'you' did not refer to you...it was the 'global' you...not that you are global. :mrgreen:
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I would argue that the scientificly established benifits of prayer and self talk would be logical reasons to accept a faith, but we're not really having that debate right now.
 
buttonpsi said:
So what I get from this thread is that it is okay to talk to "god" or "jesus" as long as you don't act upon it if the voice is irrational.

If it is irrational then who are they "talking to"?...
If it is rational then who are they "talking to"?
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You should do as I do and listin to what you dog tells you...he always nows who needs to be killed.
 
I wouldn't worry about it from a 5 year old. most 5 year olds aren't able to fully seperate what they imagine from what is real, and its normal for 5 year olds be be obsessed with things for periods of time.

it only becomes abnormal when they don't outgrow it.

I don't have anything against religion or spirituality, but literally hearing voices in ones head is delusional and a sign of mental illness, not spiritual enlightenment.
 
FallingPianos said:
I wouldn't worry about it from a 5 year old. most 5 year olds aren't able to fully seperate what they imagine from what is real, and its normal for 5 year olds be be obsessed with things for periods of time.

it only becomes abnormal when they don't outgrow it.

I don't have anything against religion or spirituality, but literally hearing voices in ones head is delusional and a sign of mental illness, not spiritual enlightenment.
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This is debatable.
Very young children exhibit many symptoms associated with mental illness in adults: chief among them, being unable to distinguish between what is real and what is fantasy, "magical" thinking, and ritualistic behaviors which would suggest OCD in an older person. It is also not uncommon for children to "hear voices".
It is now widely accepted within the psychiatric community that children- some children- are simply more susceptible to hallucinations and delusions, and that this may fall within normal parameters and is not, in most cases, a warning sign of future psychological problems.
 
1069 said:
This is debatable.
Very young children exhibit many symptoms associated with mental illness in adults: chief among them, being unable to distinguish between what is real and what is fantasy, "magical" thinking, and ritualistic behaviors which would suggest OCD in an older person. It is also not uncommon for children to "hear voices".
It is now widely accepted within the psychiatric community that children- some children- are simply more susceptible to hallucinations and delusions, and that this may fall within normal parameters and is not, in most cases, a warning sign of future psychological problems.
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*confused*

what part is debatable? you just said the exact same thing I did. :confused:
 
FallingPianos said:
*confused*

what part is debatable? you just said the exact same thing I did. :confused:
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This part:

"...but literally hearing voices in ones head is delusional and a sign of mental illness, not spiritual enlightenment."

Or perhaps you meant only for adults- in which case, yes, we are in agreement.
I'm not saying that such hallucinations never indicate a serious psychopathy even in small children, however in small children it's not a definitive sign that something is wrong. And I'm not sure at what age it becomes problematic; I would think that by five or six (just guessing) this sort of thing should begin to abate.
Of course recieving a lot of outside encouragement for and affirmation of one's hallucinations from the adults around one would complicate things.
 
Jerry said:
I would argue that the scientificly established benifits of prayer and self talk would be logical reasons to accept a faith, but we're not really having that debate right now.
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And I would agree with you on both counts. :mrgreen:
 
Mythological creatures don't talk to me, but I have seen this technique on Jesus Camp. Kids are easy to manipulate and control so you make them believe this and then you send them out Evangelion-ing it up for ya. It's harder to yell at a kid than it is for an adult. So you can engineer it so that the kids are the ones going out and talking about this and that. It's a pretty brilliant ploy, at least it will stop doors from slamming and such. Though I would rather my little child be concerned with playing and such and not so much with imaginary creatures man invented log ago.
 
If an adult told me that they literally heard the voice of some dude named Jesus and/or any other voices, I would probably stop associating with them as much since I'd be resigned to believe they are bordering on insanity.

I had a friend who insisted that he saw and talked to 'god' once. The only reason I let it go with him is because he told me he was tripping on LSD at the time. Therefore I know he only had a hallucination that he is interpreting to have been "god". Having used LSD a few times myself, I know how real those hallucinations can be. I tell him I saw pink and purple polka-dotted miniature elephants on LSD, but that doesn't make them real. However, he insists that he "saw god". /shrug I don't consider him insane because he was under the effects of a pretty damn strong hallucinogen.

But anyone else I would!
 
I wouldn't mid Jesus or God talking to me. It would be better than the country music that plays in my head for hours, since I have to listen to it ALL day at work.
 
I think i would find this kind of thing disturbing.I dont think its a very good idea to encourage the child into believing some of her thoughts are jesus talking to her.Chances are she will remain a strong believer as she gets older and if she carries on believing this it will give her own thoughts a massive amount of authority.I think we call think up some pretty crazy ideas that we dont follow on. However imagine believing the idea was told to you by jesus himself?
 
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