Hearing God's Voice

[Matrim55]

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060115/NEWS01/601150370

AURORA — Jim Luce isn't demanding you turn from your wicked ways.

The retired Aurora artist just hopes motorists driving on Lawrence County K are inspired by the massive Ten Commandments sculpture under construction on his property, one he hopes is the world's largest.

...

"If anyone goes by and it makes them feel good, or maybe they think twice about doing something they shouldn't do, I just think it's a good thing that needs to be done," he said.

Luce paused, running a hand over his beard in the dining room of his rebuilt home.

"Well, I have to do it, whether I want to or not," he added with a chuckle, referring to a perceived heavenly request.
I'm always skeptical about claims to have heard god's voice, no matter if it's from a retired artist building a monument of the 10 commandments or the pope making a proclamation. But I understand there are those out there (and even some of you here) who hold a differing opinion.

So let me ask: is this how it works? Does god speak directly to you, give you a command, and let you have at it? Does anyone believe this guy actually spoke with god, or is he just a whack-job?

[writered21]

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060115/NEWS01/601150370


I'm always skeptical about claims to have heard god's voice, no matter if it's from a retired artist building a monument of the 10 commandments or the pope making a proclamation. But I understand there are those out there (and even some of you here) who hold a differing opinion.

So let me ask: is this how it works? Does god speak directly to you, give you a command, and let you have at it? Does anyone believe this guy actually spoke with god, or is he just a whack-job?

Speak to me? Dude owes me $12.

--

OK, OK. I don't think this person is a whack-job. If this is what he believes, than so be it, there's really no way to prove him wrong if he thinks he's hearing what he's hearing. If he is, and it works for him, fantastic. Other people's mileage may vary.

I believe in God, but don't ever expect Him to talk to me. I'd hope he'd be busier with more important things.

[SoccerPro843]

God works in mysterious ways.

[YankHibee]

Like voodoo and magic.

[spejic]

Wouldn't God say "You should not" instead of "thou shalt not"? It isn't like Ye Olde English is his first language.

[christopher d]

Wouldn't God say "You should not" instead of "thou shalt not"? It isn't like Ye Olde English is his first language.
From the piece:

The translation was the oldest he could find, Luce said. It predates the King James version, but uses similar language.

"I've had a couple of friends ask me about Hebrew or Aramaic," he said.

While the KJV or :eek: even older translations may not be of much use in biblical scholarship, many people find the more familiar texts comforting.

From my own experience: not willing to alienate most of both sides of our new family with a Pagan handfasting, my girl and I are going with the Episcopalian Rite One service for our wedding. More thees, thous and vouchsafes than one could shake a stick at. But, it was what I was raised on in a really stuffy church (St Thomas, 5th Ave in Manhattan), and is comforting. The lesbian priest who's performing the ceremony is none too pleased with the admittedly patriarchal language in the service, but understands the profound effect familiar text has on people.

[christopher d]

So let me ask: is this how it works? Does god speak directly to you, give you a command, and let you have at it? Does anyone believe this guy actually spoke with god, or is he just a whack-job?
For the last 3805 days, give or take, I've been known to spend my evenings in church basements listening to folks talk about such things, as we spend days at a time postponing consumption of another alcoholic beverage. Many times one's decision to put down the drink has been pushed by what is known as a "moment of clarity". Sometimes these are dramatic events, with actual voices heard (pause for smart-assed remark about D-Ts), other times, they are simply a realization that life cannot go on the way it is. In any event, general consensus among us is that a "Spiritual Experience" is essential to recovery from alcoholism.

I've come across two basic stories: the "burning bush" type, wherein some voice, some large, violent "thing" happens, and the drunk in question gets the requisite kick in the ass necessary to revamp his or her life. Others are known as "spiritual experiences of the educational variety", wherein over time, through work with others in AA, folks notice that they have undergone a change even without immolated foliage.

From the basic text of AA, appendix two:
SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE

The terms “spiritual experience” and “spiritual awakening” are used many times in this book which, upon careful reading, shows that the personality change sufficient to bring about recovery from alcoholism has manifested itself among us in many different forms.

Yet it is true that our first printing gave many readers the impression that these personality changes, or religious experiences, must be in the nature of sudden and spectacular upheavals. Happily for everyone, this conclusion is erroneous.

In the first few chapters a number of sudden revolutionary changes are described. Though it was not our intention to create such an impression, many alcoholics have nevertheless concluded that in order to recover they must acquire an immediate and overwhelming “God-consciousness” followed at once by a vast change in feeling and outlook.

Among our rapidly growing membership of thousands of alcoholics such transformations, though frequent, are by no means the rule. Most of our experiences are what the psychologist William James calls the “educational variety” because they develop slowly over a period of time. Quite often friends of the newcomer are aware of the difference long before he is himself. He finally realizes that he has undergone a profound alteration in his reaction to life; that such a change could hardly have been brought about by himself alone. What often takes place in a few months could seldom have been accomplished by years of self-discipline. With few exceptions our members find that they have tapped an unsuspected inner resource which they presently identify with their own conception of a Power greater than themselves.

Most of us think this awareness of a Power greater than ourselves is the essence of spiritual experience. Our more religious members call it “God-consciousness.”

Most emphatically we wish to say that any alcoholic capable of honestly facing his problems in the light of our experience can recover, provided he does not close his mind to all spiritual concepts. He can only be defeated by an attitude of intolerance or belligerent denial.

We find that no one need have difficulty with the spirituality of the program. Willingness, honesty and open mindedness are the essentials of recovery. But these are indispensable.

“There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance—that principle is contempt prior to investigation.”

—Herbert Spencer

Also of note from the "Big Book" (the informal name of the book Alcoholics Anonymous) is Bill Wilson's (AA's founding member) own story, which has a bit of the drama to it (his own writing style, very much tinged with the 1939 date of publication). That can be found here (http://www.aa.org/bigbookonline/en_BigBook_chapt1.pdf).

[Chicago1871]

Isn't there a thread about LSD in the main forum? :cool:

[Chicago1871]

So let me ask: is this how it works? Does god speak directly to you, give you a command, and let you have at it? Does anyone believe this guy actually spoke with god, or is he just a whack-job?
Sometimes God will speak to you through your dog and tell you to kill people. And sometimes it's a bunch of geeks at a very prestigeous technical school who gassed you, then installed a microphone in your braces while you were unconcious.

[christopher d]

Isn't there a thread about LSD in the main forum? :cool:
Now that was simply gratuitous. Funny, but gratuitous... :)

[Norsk Troll]

OK, OK. I don't think this person is a whack-job. If this is what he believes, than so be it, there's really no way to prove him wrong if he thinks he's hearing what he's hearing. If he is, and it works for him, fantastic. Other people's mileage may vary.I hope you are as understanding of the gentleman who believes aliens are communicating with him.

[Val1]

God speaks to me through the voices of my faith community. Christianity is mostly a shared relationship and most of us lack the Moses in the desert or Saul on the road to Emmaus sorts of moments. Much more likely in my life has been the Samuel kind of moment, where as a young boy Samuel was called by God while he was sleeping. Not knowing who the voice was, Samuel ran into Eli (the chief priest and his guardian) and it was Eli who eventually recognized that God was speaking. Furthermore, God gave Samuel a message for Eli, that only Eli would recognize.

First off, God has to be in your reticular activator, you have be looking for Him. You have to be attuned to Him, seeking Him, and it helps if those around you are similarly seeking Him. The people usually hearing voices from "space aliens" are usually pretty isolated, and if there's not people around you who can make help you make sense of your insights, then I'm little more skeptical. God's voice usually passes peer review.

[bert patenaude]

I feel pretty confident that God's voice is a still small voice.

[DoctorD]

Wouldn't God say "You should not" instead of "thou shalt not"? It isn't like Ye Olde English is his first language.

Not true. If English was good enough for Jesus, then it should be good enough for everybody.

[Dead Fingers]

Not true. If English was good enough for Jesus, then it should be good enough for everybody.

Isn't that part of a quote from a former Govenor of Texas??

[Dead Fingers]

Isn't that part of a quote from a former Govenor of Texas??

answering my own question

Miriam Ferguson, first female Govenor of Texas

[Norsk Troll]

How come no one who "hears" god's voice ever describes the voice itself? You know - it was high pitched, or had a lisp, or had a thick middle-eastern accent, or sounded like Walter Cronkite? Why no specifics???

[YankHibee]

When my girlfriend talks to god, she has usually just heard a series of grunts that sound like my voice. Maybe I'm god.

[Dead Fingers]

How come no one who "hears" god's voice ever describes the voice itself? You know - it was high pitched, or had a lisp, or had a thick middle-eastern accent, or sounded like Walter Cronkite? Why no specifics???

Should we at least be thankful he stopped using burning bushes?

[Norsk Troll]

Should we at least be thankful he stopped using burning bushes?Maybe all the brush fires out west are simply god shouting at us. Too bad we've all got our iPods going, eh?