Switching back and forth
Started by
mixedupconfused
, Nov 11 2011 05:44 PM
1 reply to this topic
#1
mixedupconfused
-
- Members
- 1 posts
Member
Posted 11 November 2011 - 05:44 PM
Ever since I was little I hated being jewish. Then I was rebellious for about a year and a half and then came back. Now I'm again surrounded by confusion and questions. One thing I feel will help is blatant proof of Hashem's existence. I don't fall for the 600 thousand people stuff and such. I want blatant proof. If someone really heard a bas kol or died and saw what's up there, I'd believe them. Anyone? I'm not really questioning out of anger or am I?! I don't even know any more
#2
Rabbi Shapiro
-
- Administrators
-
- 1,423 posts
Member
Posted 12 November 2011 - 08:40 PM
No problem.The most "blatant" proof for Hashem's existence is the First Cause argument, when properly presented (as opposed to the way it is usually presented). I explained this at length here. We also have discussion forums on the site about different aspects of it here. And a video Shiur (if you prefer you can click audio only) about it here.
There is also the teleological proof, here.
Whether you are questioning out of anger or out of the desire for an answer can be determined by whether you will accept a valid answer once you receive it. Let's test this. You said you "won't fall for the 600 thousand people stuff." I don't know how the "600 thousand people stuff" was presented to you - often it is presented incorrectly. I presented it in two parts: Here, and here.
Please take a look (and a listen) at these materials and then let me know what it is exactly that you think you do not "fall for." If you accept the proofs, then the odds are you are not questioning out of anger, because if so you probably would not accept the answer. If you do not accept the proof, but cannot refute it, then you must ask yourself what is motivating you to ask the question.
By the way, why would you accept as proof the word of someone who claims he died and then "saw" something "upstairs"? If that's all it would take, then there are tons of religions where people have claimed they received prophecies from the Deity. If fact, there are so many contradictory religions that all make this claim, which means either it is a very confused god that is giving these prophecies or someone is making up a story.
There is also the teleological proof, here.
Whether you are questioning out of anger or out of the desire for an answer can be determined by whether you will accept a valid answer once you receive it. Let's test this. You said you "won't fall for the 600 thousand people stuff." I don't know how the "600 thousand people stuff" was presented to you - often it is presented incorrectly. I presented it in two parts: Here, and here.
Please take a look (and a listen) at these materials and then let me know what it is exactly that you think you do not "fall for." If you accept the proofs, then the odds are you are not questioning out of anger, because if so you probably would not accept the answer. If you do not accept the proof, but cannot refute it, then you must ask yourself what is motivating you to ask the question.
By the way, why would you accept as proof the word of someone who claims he died and then "saw" something "upstairs"? If that's all it would take, then there are tons of religions where people have claimed they received prophecies from the Deity. If fact, there are so many contradictory religions that all make this claim, which means either it is a very confused god that is giving these prophecies or someone is making up a story.
