You guys ever see a thread and just sort of follow it because it seems interesting but you don't bother posting because you don't feel like adding anything? And then you just stop reading it for a day or two, maybe longer because, well, life? Then you get back and holy crap what went wrong?
We went from a hypothetical situation to a discussion on Obama's race, someone claiming that Christians run the world, talking about how the universe began which 99% sure there's already a thread for that
somewhere. I don't know, things went a bit nuts.
Okay, let's get back on topic:
What’s the worst that could happen if God were to address the entire world at once, in a language that each of us could understand; and cleared up all the misunderstandings we have of him? Why doesn’t he do this?
Ken
Well, let's start with this: human experience is subjective. We all accommodate what we see to fit the paradigm we have. For example:
Five friends are out late one night and see a bright light. The first guy believes in ghosts, so he sees a ghost. The second friend believes in God and Angels, so she sees an angel. Another an alien, another a time travel, a cryptid, maybe someone decides they can't explain since no explanation fits into their world-view. Whatever. So, you have the exact same event leading to different experience depending on the beliefs the person comes in with. Simple enough so far, yes?
I know that isn't as specific as your example but keep what I said in mind. I'm getting to it.
Now one morning we all wake up, go about our business then a booming voice came from heaven. "Hi, I'm God. I'm a woman. You seriously aren't supposed to eat pork, you will burn in Hell if you do. That is all."
Now imagine it hitting the fan. First, how many people wouldn't believe in God as a woman? How many would accept the pork rule? A lot would be against it. Muslim fundies would decide it was an evil plot by demons or the west, a lot of Christians would assume it was demons or something else, conspiracy theorists would claim it was proof governments had invented the tech to fake God showing up before the NWO. Pick a group, they'll come to their own conclusions.
Still not the worst yet. Follow it through. Muslim fundies decide to fully attack the west all once with everything they have to stop these efforts, any government that thinks another government somehow caused it will go to war and attack fast and hard. In the states some would start murdering for other reasons (conspiracy theories preventing the NWO, Christians blaming something for it, e.t.c)
Oh, also new issues would pop up. Is Bacon pork? Some say yes others no, new misunderstandings would pop up immediately.
Why doesn't He do it? The above, maybe? No clue. I'm not going to try and put myself in the shoes of an omnipotent, omniscient, immortal being with a mind infinitely superior to mine. Seems like an exercise in futility to me.
