The Intense Game Of Hide And Seek With God with Dr. Jonathan McLatchie

John L. Schellenberg (see his book The Hiddenness Argument — Philosophy's New Challenge to Belief in God). Schellenberg draws the analogy of a friend describing his parents: "Wow, are they ever great — I wish everyone could have parents like mine, who are so wonderfully loving! Granted, they don't want anything to do with me. They've never been around. Sometimes I find myself looking for them — once, I have to admit, I even called out for them when I was sick — but to no avail. Apparently, they aren't open to being in a relationship with me — at least not yet. But it's so good that they love me as much and as beautifully as they do!"

Discussing the problem of Divine Hiddenness with Dr. Jonathan McLatchie.

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Welcome to Dealing With Deconstruction. If you find yourself questioning some of your deepest held beliefs and wondering if you can hold on to your Christian faith, you are in the right place. This is a safe place where we examine the questions that people on the same journey ask, and we are looking for the truth.

[lloydtucker]

Jesus *did not* _"chide"_ Thomas. The Lord gently reassured him in his faith. Thomas did nothing unreasonable nor sinful by requiring adequate proof of the risen Lord. I happen to believe extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

Paraphrasing Nicodemus in Jonh 3 where he told the Lord: _"We can distinguish you as an authentic teacher sent from God because God is backing you up with signs and miracles."_

The writer of Hebrews 2 didn't just take the word of ministers he heard. _"God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles..."_

This is why I ask Christian ministers _"How do you prove Jesus Christ rose from the dead and called you to preach on his behalf?"_ In this day of religious confusion, it's certainly not an unreasonable request.

*I DISMISS HEARSAY WITH PREJUDICE*

I went to a church where, unfortunately, we lost people to cancer. However, the pastors and missionaries had stories of how they were in Kenya, Ethiopia, etc, touching people _"in Jesus' name, "_ miraculously healing them of blindness, deafness, cancer, etc. All they had was their word, no evidence. Why did those miracles happen in faraway places and never in the church building where I could see them? By the way, it was a pentecostal church and someone uttering _"yaba, yaba, yabe, ah-shali yanda"_ is not a sign from God.

Scholarship testifies to a person's expertise in a given field, not their integrity. A highly educated accountant with years of experience can still cheat on their taxes. I'm sure Dr. McLatchi's friend who has a PhD is a nice guy, but I can't just take your word nor his.

*I DISMISS GASLIGHTING WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE*

For example, _"People make excuses not to believe because they don't want to submit to the authority the local church, "_ or _"you're making excuses because you want to continue living with your unmarried spouse (shacking up)"_ or _"people are just stingy and don't want to tithe their firstfruits to God."_ 😡

[Spektor]

I could not disagree with him more. I talked to Johnathan one time and completely blew off my concerns about biblical confusion and he said that nonresistant nonbelievers do not exist. 🙄