Simple question?

Quote: FrGamble

You know for someone who dishes out insults like telling me I am mentally ill

And you tell me I should see a therapist because
I won't admit when I'm wrong? Do you realize
people who said god talked to them were
considered mentally ill at one time? Just
100 years ago in the Scopes monkey trial,
when William Jennings Bryan said god talked
to him, Clarence Darrow tore him apart for
being a mental case. Pat Robertson said in
the 70's god talked to him and he was mocked
and laughed at.

People who hear voices that aren't there, or think
invisible beings talk to them, there's a name
for that:

Hearing voices is often one of the many disabling symptoms experience by people diagnosed with schizophrenia. ... Somehow the patients never made the connection that they were hearing their own voice.

Do I think people who claim god talks
to them are schizoid? Youbetcha I do..

I guess if you don't believe that God exists you must feel there is a pandemic of unbelievable scope now and throughout history of schizophrenia. I don't think mental health professionals would agree with you. Do you think perhaps without God there might be a more reasonable explanation that you could propose instead of lumping more than 90% of the world's population into a very serious mental illness?

I also wonder what you would call someone who believes in something without any evidence or support whatsoever?

Quote: FrGamble

I guess if you don't believe that God exists you must feel there is a pandemic of unbelievable scope now and throughout history of schizophrenia.

Not at all. For most of the history of
the Church, it was a crime to claim
god was speaking to you specifically.
You couldn't put yourself up there
with Moses and Abraham, or Job.
God talks to very few people, and
it's always a big deal.

Except today, when he talks to everybody
and their cousins mother. 20 years
ago a Gallup poll showed 27% of Xtions
claimed god talks to them or appears
in visions. I'm sure it's much higher
today. The herd mentality loves stuff
like this, now that you won't be punished
for it.

Quote: Evenbob

Not at all. For most of the history of
the Church, it was a crime to claim
god was speaking to you specifically.

I in the strongest terms possible I am telling you this is not true. Whoever told you this is lying. Not only is what you are saying false, but the truth is the complete opposite. It has been from the first days of Christianity the goal for all of us to have a loving and personal relationship with Jesus and in our prayer with Scripture and in our adoration, repentance, and petition to speak to God and listen to Him as well. It may have been a crime at some point to not believe anyone can know and speak to God because that would be a grave heresy.

Quote: FrGamble

I in the strongest terms possible I am telling you this is not true.

This is today:

"Although some people unintentionally use the “God told me” vocabulary without understanding the implications, in other cases, certain people and preachers use the phrase as a means of claiming that they actually heard directly from God. This intentional use of God’s name is a clear violation of the third commandment. Don’t immediately classify a friend as a lunatic or a heretic if they use the “God told me” language in their communication. However, when you hear people talking in this manner, it should serve as a big red flag."

Imagine how it was 500 years ago
if you walked around saying god
spoke to you. Heresy at it's finest.

Quote: FrGamble

I think I would have been martyred during that time as well.

This speaks volumes about you. It's
not that you would have been a
humble monk, or farmer. Oh no,
your ego has been inflated to the
point that you would be a dang
martyr. Xtionity, the me me me,
religion. Look how important I
am religion. The I'm so special
I have a god watching out for
me religion.

Good grief..

Paco: I have not heard of this religious order before and would like to learn more about them sometime. Thanks for the heads up.

Quote: Evenbob

This speaks volumes about you. It's
not that you would have been a
humble monk, or farmer. Oh no,
your ego has been inflated to the
point that you would be a dang
martyr. Xtionity, the me me me,
religion. Look how important I
am religion. The I'm so special
I have a god watching out for
me religion.

Good grief..

Good grief...I was referring to the simple fact that I am a Catholic priest and many were martyred during the reformation time. Especially because I am of German descent and that was not a good or safe place to be a Catholic during that time.

Quote: Evenbob

This is today:

"Although some people unintentionally use the “God told me” vocabulary without understanding the implications, in other cases, certain people and preachers use the phrase as a means of claiming that they actually heard directly from God. This intentional use of God’s name is a clear violation of the third commandment. Don’t immediately classify a friend as a lunatic or a heretic if they use the “God told me” language in their communication. However, when you hear people talking in this manner, it should serve as a big red flag."

Imagine how it was 500 years ago
if you walked around saying god
spoke to you. Heresy at it's finest.

Where is this quote from? People all the time walked around at that time 500 years ago saying they spoke with God and had a relationship with Him, we call those people saints and the faithful. The same thing 1,000 years ago, the same thing 1,500 years ago, and the same thing 2,000 years ago.

Quote: FrGamble

Where is this quote from?

What's the difference, it's obvious your
religion varies wildly on it's interpretation
of everything. Nobody can agree on
any of it. To an outsider you all look
like a bunch of confused and confounded
people trying to make sense from a
book of bewildering nonsense. To us
it screams RUN AWAY!