Defending Faith And Encountered Problem!

[Byzantine]

How do you defend that God reveals Himself? I'm potentially about to engage on this and I need a defense for just saying that God reveals Himself period. Not like how we know He exists through nature, but just that some religion has to have the true idea of God. Thanks!

Edited May 13, 2012 by Byzantine

[PadrePioOfPietrelcino]

I'm not sure how I would formulate the argument yet, but I see two key potential pieces of information.
1) Cross culturally man has always tried to express his self identified spirit and seek to understand it. This has led to an incredible range of different systems, but the fact that they exist seems to show that there is a revealing happening
2) Nature is a great source of inspiration and understanding about who we are as individuals. This is a sign of God's revelation written by his own Word in creation.

[LouisvilleFan]

To engage the question that God has revealed Himself fully to one of the many faiths or religions in the world, I presume this person already believes in God and the existence of Truth. From that point, I believe it's a matter of whether God is a personal, loving God? Does He intercede in our lives? Does He work miracles? Is he an absentee father who merely set things into motion, or is our Father actively involved keeping all of Creation in motion? If the latter, and if the fullness of Love exists in God, then it stands to reason He would provide some way of mankind of know Him. That way would be whatever faith holds the universal Truth.

And to take it one step further, if there is a universal Truth, then whatever faith it is must believe itself to be the universal Truth.

[qfnol31]

[quote name='Byzantine' timestamp='1336876620' post='2430134']
How do you defend that God reveals Himself? I'm potentially about to engage on this and I need a defense for just saying that God reveals Himself period. Not like how we know He exists through nature, but just that some religion has to have the true idea of God. Thanks!
[/quote]I'm not sure that this can be explained from the point of view of reason alone. An argument might be: If there is a God, and we are created to be with Him, it is most proper that He reveal Himself to us. A and B are true, so C must be as well.

Unfortunately, this argument is based mostly on fittingness and not necessity. I don't think that God need reveal Himself, except insofar as He wants us united to Him. The argument works better from the point of view of faith. God did reveal Himself, most especially in the Incarnation.

[Papist]

Basically, we are talking Revelation here. Is this person honestly seeking the answer to this question? If not, I wouldn't bother. If he is, I would start by asking him is there an answer that he would accept. If so, what would that be.

You can go over certain things, as some listed above, but it ultimately will come down to him choosing to believe or not.

I think this is some food for thought, [url="http://www.myfathershouse.com/pdf/How_God_Reveals_Himself,%20How%20We%20Hear%20His%20Voice.pdf"]http://www.myfathershouse.com/pdf/How_God_Reveals_Himself,%20How%20We%20Hear%20His%20Voice.pdf[/url]