i would tell them that my proof would never satisfy them, most likely...but then i would tell them my stories of His Hand in my life and i would ask them to just try...when they were alone...to ask Jesus to come into their heart...and see if they got an answer....

I would ask them why they were a poor motherless child that has the audacity to believe that God is singular male? God is nature, God is female, God is everywhere, God is all religions and none. Why do you think that God is capital Him caucasion man? Maybe God is black and white male and female--The universe and all its empirical laws?

God is a double helix with a twist who would not leave you motherless and forlorn....

I mean, if someone were to ask me about proof of God....just saying.

@SandraDeeDees@xanga - because the bible says he is.  Or at least masculine with feminine qualities.

As for Caucasian?  I had never thought about that, I try not to stereo type God.

x

@sarahsD@xanga - "Because the bible says so" OK

Caucasion---because have you ever seen Him (oops almost didn't capitalize "him") depicted any other way in Judeo Christian folklore? I'd like to see the human form of God with someone other than random virgins once in awhile too. Perhaps the "Queen of Heaven" of old? Why does He have to hate Her? IDK

@sugartomyhoney@xanga - His Hand would not satisfy that person?

@sarahsD@xanga - Blasphemy--Someone has certainly seen Him. I've heard accounts of burning bushes! That's it! He's a burning bush or how did crazy Ezekiel describe him?  Four faces, wheels, a fire storm of a waist?

Although his definition is more nebulous like I prefer--non-gender or race really:

EZEKIEL 2:28: Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.

So, how people get a caucasion man from a 4 faced,wheeled,winged, apparition that may or may not have the likeness of a cloud, is beyond me. Your guess is as good as mine.

@SandraDeeDees@xanga - liar, you are not chastising yourself...you are a disrespectful little girl who finds herself terribly amusing...pfftt..go away, you are soooo boring....a cardinal sin in my book...

Very good post.  I never thought about it like that.  Seems I frequently get feelings and the 'knowing' mixed up.  But you're right, there are feelings, which frequently accompany the awareness, but the feelings aren't the same thing. 

Thanks for your clarification.  Here's some more verses for help regarding being sure of our salvation. 

"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."  - Romans 8:16. 

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.  Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?  And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test."  - 2 Corinthians 13:5 & 6.

And hey, even if we do fail the test, that should only mean that we haven't messed it up, but get a chance to really experience God and His salvation. 

"'If you love me, you will obey what I command.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.'"  - John 14:15-17. 

"'He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.'"  - John 14:24. 

"We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.  If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us." 

"God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.  In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.  There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love." 

"We love because he first loved us.  If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar.  For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.  And he has given us this command:  Whoever loves God must also love his brother."  - 1 John 4:13-21. 

"Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.  You should not be surprised at my saying, "You must be born again."  The wind blows wherever it pleases.  You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.  So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.'"  - John 3:5-8. 

"'Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.'"  - John 3:18. 

"'And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.'"  - Matthew 18:3. 

"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'"  - Matthew 19:14. 

"'And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"  - Acts 2:21. 

"for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"  - Romans 10:13. 

"'For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.'"  - Matthew 12:37. 

"'They overcame him
      by the blood of the Lamb
      and by the word of their testimony;
   they did not love their lives so much
      as to shrink from death.'"   - Revelation 12:11. 

"'I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.'"  - John 16:33. 

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."  - Romans 12:21. 

"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.  This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.  This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.  This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world?  Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."  - 1 John 5:1-5. 

"'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him whoovercomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.'"  - Revelation 2:7. 

"'He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.'"  - Revelation 3:5. 

"'They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.'"  - Revelation 17:4. 

@SandraDeeDees@xanga  -God is not a female.  Female aspects have to do with femininity and submission.  Masculine aspects pertain to power, leadership and authority. 

@SandraDeeDees@xanga - how about Jesus' words in John 6

46No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father

1.  I can't "prove" that my wife loves me, but that's hardly grounds to disbelieve that she does.  In fact, it doesn't make a lick of difference.  She loves me even if I can't prove it to you.

2.  A person who waits for absolute proof of your trustworthiness before they believe in you isn't your friend.  God is looking for friends.

3. If there isn't a God, then Nobody sure does a good job of turning people's lives around for good.  Nobody turned my friend D. from a drug addict into a pastor; Nobody turned my friend C. from a convicted drug dealer into a Bible teacher; Nobody turned my friend R. from a prostitute into a loving wife and mother.  They give all the credit for their change this Person who doesn't exist.  In other words, this Person who doesn't exist does a lot more good in the world than people who do exist.  Funny how that works, innit?

PI.  Any comparable stories to the above from people whose lives were transformed by atheism or agnosticism?  Just askin'.

4. So my attempt to "prove" my own experiences of God probably won't help anyone, but I can tell you how to get some of your own, if you want them.

This reminds me of a tangentially related experience: one time I installed some flooring for a Jehovah's Witness, and afterwards he insisted on me sitting down for a "Bible study". It was fascinating to find that the JWs put heavy emphasis on the parts of the Bible that we do the least with, like Ecclesiastes (which I would consider the culmination of human wisdom more than revelation from God).

This guy had answers to questions I had never thought to ask, like where was Jesus and what was he doing during the days between his ascension and Pentecost, or where exactly will God's people be at the end of the age (heaven, earth, the New Jerusalem). He knew his Bible backward and forward (the JWs have their own translation that differs substantially from any other version you are likely to find).

However, when I asked him about his testimony, he said that when he was younger he had had questions, and the JWs had the answers that were most in line with his views. He had nothing to report resembling a personal experience with God, nor a transformed life, nor stories of what God had done for him. It was all about information. I found it rather sad.

It was disconcerting to discover that my understanding of what happens after death or after Christ's return is rather foggy, but I realized that the specifics weren't all that important to me. I'll be in Christ's presence, and that is all that matters. And I'd rather have a day of intimacy with God than a lifetime of information about him.

The ancients Greeks proved the existence of God through a posteriori reasoning.  That is to say, they looked at the world and followed it back to God.  It is possible to start with the finite and work toward the infinite.

When speaking of a proof of God, a great many people automatically think that an a priory proof is needed.  That is to say, let's start with God and prove his existence.  Of course that's impossible since God cannot be thought of as a finite start or finish.

Feelings do not prove God because feelings are subjective.  That is they may or may not be true. Since truth is objective it must be approached with an ability that can understand objectively.

Likewise, experience does not prove God because experiences, like feelings are, subjective.  That is to say, that experiences may or may not be true.

If proof of God cannot be approached through either emotions or experiences than how can we approach it?

We start by knowing that we are created in God's image.  God has intellect and will and it is our intellect and will that make us the clearest, brightest images of God.  For no other earthly creature has intellect and will.  Many creatures feel (emotions) and all creatures have experience.  Consequently, we must approach God through our intellect.  In fact, according to the ancient Greeks, the intellect is an ability of human soul.  And it is through the ability of the intellect that we can reason out the truth of something.

I would tell them that it was God who caused me to be so indulged into my studies because I know what I'm doing what He wants me to do in the expansion of His kingdom.

Proof of God.  Doesn't that take away the point.  All that I could offer as a flawed human, is the things God has done.  If that person has no faith they could choose to believe that those events in my life occurred another way.  Usually, people looking for proof are really looking for faith or a good argument.  We can't dish out faith.  All I could do is cite God's work in my life.  Surprisingly enough, my little testimony for God has had effects on people. 

Ah, what God can do with all of us...  :D