Dealing with those who have experienced God

[cricket]

The flipside question: how do you deal with those who claim to have had a "God experience" when everyone else around them (even the Christians) views their experience as attributable to something else entirely (i.e., a medical condition, mental instability, coincidence, happenstance, or the workings of some other human aspect)?

Do you tell them that it wasn't a God experience, or do you let them go on believing as if it were?

[Bravus]

I think it would be arrogant to try to correct someone else about their own experience.

[cricket]

I agree.

[JoeMo]

I

Quote:

think it would be arrogant to try to correct someone else about their own experience.

Not only arrogant but judgemental. My "God" experiences generally leave me temporarily undone (either emotionaly overwhelmed or feeling "drunk"); and the biggest buzz kill on earth is for someone to tell me it wasn't real. My usual response is "How do you know? You weren't there."

[LifeHiscost]

Quote:

Do you tell them that it wasn't a God experience, or do you let them go on believing as if it were?

I'm of the opinion that unless danger is presented to others, it seems the better part of wisdom to let every person's freedom of choice be just that, without verbal hindrance.

OTOH, if we have any consciousness of being "our brother's keeper", can love be expressed while one lets their brother/sister run off the cliff when we see it happening, without at lest a modicum of warning? This of course lays one wide open to being crucified, as our Lord was for the warning He made effort to give.

God cares!

[Igakusei]

I'm generally a big fan of respecting and protecting personal autonomy wherever reasonable, but what about where their "God" experience causes them to harm others?

[phkrause]

The flipside question: how do you deal with those who claim to have had a "God experience" when everyone else around them (even the Christians) views their experience as attributable to something else entirely (i.e., a medical condition, mental instability, coincidence, happenstance, or the workings of some other human aspect)?

Do you tell them that it wasn't a God experience, or do you let them go on believing as if it were?

Excellent post cricket.

[phkrause]

I'm generally a big fan of respecting and protecting personal autonomy wherever reasonable, but what about where their "God" experience causes them to harm others?

Good point. I also think though that sometimes we can take posts to personal, and think someone is directing it at them, but in general I do agree with you.

[Bravus]

My statement above, of course, applies in all directions...

[M. T. Cross]

I think the real question would be how many people are willing to talk about an experience with deity in an open way.

[JoeMo]

Quote:

I think the real question would be how many people are willing to talk about an experience with deity in an open way.

MT,

I have tried in a rather summarized way, as have you. I don't know if I would want to get into details on a public forum. Besides, to adequately describe it would be a rather long post; and likely gather more derision than I care to endure.

[M. T. Cross]

Quote:

I think the real question would be how many people are willing to talk about an experience with deity in an open way.

MT,

I have tried in a rather summarized way, as have you. I don't know if I would want to get into details on a public forum. Besides, to adequately describe it would be a rather long post; and likely gather more derision than I care to endure.

I will give you an amen there my friend

[debbym]

then there is that group that has not had any special "experience" of God, no blinding light, no waves of anything, no fire, no powerful moving, no amazing epiphany.... no powerful presence.

just simple quiet faith.

i think when we deal with others, we really are dealing with our reactions to them. not with them really hardly at all. unless they are coming at you in some way.

[Stan]

we all need to encourage one another.

[cricket]

I'm generally a big fan of respecting and protecting personal autonomy wherever reasonable, but what about where their "God" experience causes them to harm others?

Or where their "God" experience causes actual physical (not just mental) harm to themselves?

[cricket]

we all need to encourage one another.

True.

[JoeMo]

Those who admit to God (not necessarily God; I prefer to generalize to supernatural beings) experiences are just as hesitant to discuss them in unsafe places as those who have not had these experiences. Most people think you're just plain weird or mentally unstable.

For me, it wasn't that I just "started" having these experiences; it was that I realized I'd been having them all along without ever noticing. Kind of like these being communicating on the FM radio band; but all I ever listened to was the AM station. Someone suggested that we start actively looking for what God was doing (rather than what He's not doing); and you may experience the supernatural. When I did that, I started realizing that some of my "off the wall" thoughts weren't my thoughts at all - they were thoughts planted - like the after-image immediately following a bright lightning strike.

Notice I said "experience the supernatural". God is not the only supernatural being who is planting thoughts in our heads - there are multitudes of spiritual beings who have that capability - not all of them are benevolent. How can you tell them apart? Is. 8:20.

I also have to admit that all of the God experiences are not pleasant. He might be a good God; but He's not necessarily a "safe" God. When I first started realizing some things were of God, the experiences became quite intense and unnerving - leaving me emotionally undone for hours. On a couple occasions, I actually asked God to stop; the experience was too intense (I promise these were not drug-induced events). Not nearly as unpleasant as an encounter with a malevolent spirit.

Thing is, I think that, if we thought about it, many would have to admit to at least a couple potentially supernatural encounters in our lives - that totally bizarre recurring dream you had as kid that you remember to this day? Those rare but unexplainable occurrences in your bedroom or house in the middle of the night that you pass off as a nightmare or a weird dream? That time there is no way that you weren't going to hit that car in front of you; but you didn't? Supernatural experiences are more than a bright burning ball of light speaking English to you out of the midst of the flames. If you open your mind to the Divine speaking to you through more than your ears, you might be surprised what you "hear". (Or not hear - I have no idea why the supernatural does not manifest itself equally to all. I can only relate my own experiences)

[Planey]

then there is that group that has not had any special "experience" of God, no blinding light, no waves of anything, no fire, no powerful moving, no amazing epiphany.... no powerful presence.

[cricket]

That time there is no way that you weren't going to hit that car in front of you; but you didn't?

Yep. All I could think was that there had to be a supernatural buffer when that happened to me.

[cricket]

Originally Posted By: debbym

then there is that group that has not had any special "experience" of God, no blinding light, no waves of anything, no fire, no powerful moving, no amazing epiphany.... no powerful presence.

Me

Quote:

just simple quiet faith.

Not me

Graeme

I can appreciate this, Graeme. There seems to be something missing that others seem to experience, but "not me."

[Ted Oplinger]

Quote:

I think the real question would be how many people are willing to talk about an experience with deity in an open way.

MT,

I have tried in a rather summarized way, as have you. I don't know if I would want to get into details on a public forum. Besides, to adequately describe it would be a rather long post; and likely gather more derision than I care to endure.

I would second that thought/feeling, JoeMo.

I have experienced both "experiences" - the quiet, no "bangs/bells/whistles" experience (which most people view as "normal"), as well as those times where God has interacted in my life in very dramatic ways.

Most people - even most Christians - look at me askance when I try to relate a few of my God experiences. In short, they cannot relate - they have no basis of common reference where they begin to understand. Ridicule/derision or anger are the usual end reactions I get, even from many Christians - so I really don't share these much anymore.

I have found it is simply best to simply restrict my sharing to the discussion of points in the Scriptures. Those who come across as mature enough to handle sharing something deeper with, I do share.

I have simply recognized that there is a major plurality of people who can't relate - and must react negatively to that which they do not understand.

Blessings,

[JoeMo]

Ted,

Thank you for that post! You have read the more bizarre parts of scripture where one might wonder what the prophets are talking about? I have experienced some things that I don't even have a clue what they meant; so trying to relate them on line is futile. I wouldn't even know where to begin without sounding like I was psychotic.