Or her. Not an angel, messenger, inspiration, or idea; but the one and only true deity who created everything from nothing: “God spoke to me,” they tell us. That’s revelation with a capital R. There’s no OMFG! with this.
It happens all the time. Every single day. Twice on some Sundays. And they know who it is: it’s God. They tell us, and many of us believe them. God wanted us to know, told them, then they tell us. That’s how it works. We are communicated with, second-handedly, by God! God needs middlemen and scapegoats. No chance someone is lying about who said what, is there?
Googling god speaks to us got me more than two billion hits. His Lordship must be something of a chatter box. When I asked for examples, I got 758 million googly hits. Each one I glanced at said, Yes! God speaks to us. When such a claim is inclusive, as many are, they mean to metaphorically “speak” through scripture or some experience. It’s not like hearing a literal voice.
When I speak to people, words (noises) come out of my mouth. My vocal cords vibrate the air. If someone’s ears function normally and their brain works; if I am loud enough and near enough, they should hear me. They may understand me. They may speak or talk back to me. Communication could happen. Cats hiss or meow. Dogs growl or bark. Snakes may rattle. Birds chirp. Gorillas may grunt. God talks.
These days we are supposed to believe that the main God or Jesus “speaks.” The Holy Ghost (or Spirit) may move to inspire someone, but the Father and Son speak words. Often, it’s English with no Italian, Hebrew, or Aramaic accent. Only special people can hear God. They’re the “anointed” ones.
I’ve known a lot of Catholic Priests. All claim the apostolic successional ability to change bread and wine into the actual, real, body and blood of Jesus Christ during Mass. They can forgive sins. They can keep people out of Hell. Very special and powerful stuff. However, none of them ever claimed the experience of God speaking to them unless it was metaphorically. Nor did any of them, to my knowledge, speak in tongues, but that’s another post.
When confronted with hearing voices, the chosen to whom God talks often equivocate to hearing without actually “hearing.” Some claim reading scripture as God’s voice. Men and women wrote all the holy books ever penned. Humans wrote every word of scripture. God, you see, seems unable to write. Jesus wrote nothing. Nothing!
These circumlocutory claims of God speaking are pure charlatanism. It’s obvious. I knew all this when I was a teenager. It never changed. I may have believed in God, but this crap was all lies. And yet.
Ironically, people will vigorously challenge the Catholic Church’s claims about what their priests can do. But the very same souls don’t bat an eye when some TV preacher says God told him or her to raise cash for new private jet. They will sit right down and write that quack a check. Cuz, God told him to, for Christ’s sake.
Peace and love to y’all in this New Year.
Bill
Dispassionate Doubt 
The one thing God DOESN’T do is talk to me. Howevet, he SPEAKS volumes- I hear his voice in a million ways. Via Jesus Christ.
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“The one thing God DOESN’T do is talk to me. However, he SPEAKS volumes- I hear his voice in a million ways. Via Jesus Christ.”
that “million ways” part is rather true but not in the way you might think. We have a million, or more, versions of what Christians want to pretend that Jesus “really said” and claims of what JC “really does”. And you all contradict each other.
Since not one Christian can do what the bible has JC promising they’d be able to do, it seems either your bible is false or not one of you is getting it “right”.
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I was also thinking that I remember thinking something was wrong with me since I didn’t hear from this god like every other Christian supposedly did. I was convinced, for a time, that I must be going to be the anti-christ since I “obviously” wasn’t part of the chosen.
What lies to harm a kid when no one hears this god.
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Yes. While I never experienced exactly that, many people have. I’ve noticed a Facebook page called “recovery from religion” Must be many people following it.
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I’ve seen that one too. I dont’ think I follow it but it’s always popping up
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That meme (grammatical errors, included 🙄) sums it up rather well.
I’ve been watching Game of Thrones (yeah, yeah, I know, it played eons ago) and am rather amused with the whole religious side of it. Maybe amused is not the right word. Horrified is more like it. The red sorceress who has her god speak to her through fire. Always nice to know it’s OK to burn your child alive in the name of the god of light. He will show you the way in the flames as she screams in agony.
The Sparrows, an ultra-religious fanatical cult are something else, too.
Love your “Ironically….” paragraph,
Happy New Year to you, Bill! May 2022 bring you lots of inspiration to write, good health to be able to do it and joy just because.
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Thank you, Dale. I’ve been watching “The Sopranos” first time around, so I understand looking late. 🙂
Speaking of grammar (and writing), I need your editorial help. Is this right?
‘mon ne pas savoir répliquer sur le moment’
for “my not knowing how to reply at the moment”? 🙂
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I so enjoyed that show… my beau is watching Six Feet Under for the first time at my nudge (now I want to rewatch it).
Mon non-savoir quoi répliquer pour le moment – it’s a fracture as it is in English… Does anything else precede or follow?
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Tony Soprano, the bad guy we love. 🙂 The phrase is the last stanza of a poem. I’ll use English if the French phrase is inappropriate. So far it goes like this:
“I waste my few remaining days
listening to licensed fools,
feeding family fodder;
holding my tongue, sitting on my hands,
pleasingly as I smile like Hannibal Lecter
pondering ‘mon ne pas savoir répliquer sur le moment.'”
🙂
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I know, right?
And do leave it. Poetically speaking, it totally works.
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🙂 Thanks.
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And I changed out the meme. Ugh. I don’t think my editor saw it yet. 🙂 Thanks.
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Hahaha! Sorry.. Grammar Nazi that I am, these things pop out at me. You could always leave it with a note saying you were not responsible for it 😉
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I normally do not miss that error.
Anyway, grammar people surround my life, which is good thing if I ask them first. Besides, I like the new meme mo’ betta’.
I fix mistakes when I can. 🙂
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Right. I would not be so rude as to tell someone on their blog. You didn’t write the meme, so I took liberties.
Now I have to go see the new meme.
…
Went to see meme…
I like it!
I do too (fix, that is).
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Great post! And spot-on! 👏👏👏
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that’s a great observation. These nitwits get more and more arrogant as time goes on, insisting they speak directly with the big guy himself.
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Arrogance without boundaries. 🙂
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and those who are arrogant without reason are just so damned annoying to those of us who do have reason 😀
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Yep. It’s crazy.
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