Prove that God exists

[Final-Fan]

DélioPT said:

I`m not going to tell you i already read the Bible from beginning to end or that i have perfect understanding of it and you don`t. And i hope you don`t take this in the wrong way.

"I realized that if you take the Bible word for word, it just doesn't hold up"
There are parts os the Bible you can take word for word and there are other parts who speak more than just words.
When Jesus told the samaritan woman about the "living water" it`s not to be taken literally. It`s to show how faith in God, how love in God is all humans need to fulfill themselves. Just among one interpretation of living water.

"Why should Doubting Thomas be the only one to get evidence?"
Do you really believe that makes a difference? What about the others who saw what Thomas saw and still didn`t believe? That case for example: if Jesus was so evident with all the miracles why was it that people still didn`t believe?
But you do have evidence (Bible, miracles, apparitions, people`s own experiences). The real question never is, was, will be, about if there`s something in front of you to be "seen", the question is do you believe them? And what that says of a person.
Still i would point out the Marian apparitions here in Portugal if you want more evidence.

About the book of Job.
In what way was Job different from you and me or even Jesus? Don`t we all get tempted by the devil? Even Jesus, the Son of God was tempted.
The Book of Job is about ourselves, not just Job, and how despite all things God`s there for those who stand by Him. Job was rewarded with more than He started with.
In other words, those who lose themselves, find themselves in God. That`s what happened with Job, Jesus and all those who want God.
The obstacles in our life are not enough to stop us. We can overcome them.

Well when Jesus speaks of "living water" it is easy to believe that he was speaking metaphorically.  But what about when the Bible says you shouldn't eat four-legged insects, except for the ones that jump around like grasshoppers and crickets?  (They have six legs.) 

I do think it makes a difference whether you have evidence or not.  And I mean reliable evidence -- the Bible may not have changed much since it was codified, but before that who knows what people might have made up?  I mean, why should I trust the books that were included but not the  apocrypha? 

Wikipedia:  "The idea of a complete and clear-cut canon of the New Testament existing from the beginning, that is from Apostolic times, has no foundation in history. The Canon of the New Testament, like that of the Old, is the result of a development, of a process at once stimulated by disputes with doubters, both within and without the Church, and retarded by certain obscurities and natural hesitations, and which did not reach its final term until the dogmatic definition of the Tridentine Council."

I don't think you understand what I was objecting to in the story of Job. 

Satan:  (walks up to God)
God:  Hey, sup?  You seen Job?  He loves me so much it's awesome. 
Satan:  I bet that's only cuz you've been nice to him.  I bet if you wrecked his shit he'd hate you. 
God:  OH YEAH?  Go wreck his shit, just don't mess with him personally.  I bet he'll still love me. 
Satan:  (Kills all Job's children and all but three servants (so they can deliver the news) and destroys/steals all his stuff)
Job:  Easy come, easy go -- thanks for the good times, God. 
(LATER)
Satan:  (walks up to God)
God:  Hey, sup?  You seen Job?  He still loves me so much it's awesome. 
Satan:  I bet that's only cuz I couldn't mess with his actual self.  No possessions matter more to people than their own lives.  I bet if you tortured him he'd hate you. 
God:  OH YEAH?  Go fuck him up, just don't kill him.  I bet he'll still love me. 
Satan:  (Makes Job very sick and in great pain)
Job's wife:  WTF Job?  You still love God? 
Job:  Shit yeah, don't you badmouth God.  Man, I wish I was dead though.  I wish I'd never been born.  I wish God would just kill me already.  God, why are you doing this to me? 
(LOTS AND LOTS OF TALKING between Job and people)
God:  Who's the God here?  What do you know about anything? 
Job:  Hey, man, I don't know. 
God:  Are you gonna say I'm wrong? 
Job:  You're the God here, just tell me what's up.  It's pretty bad for me. 
God:  (Gives Job twice as much as he started with, including sons but not daughters because who the fuck cares about women)

Admittedly this story has a happy ending for Job, but God was a HUUUUGE dick throughout the entire story.  The whole thing is based on God putting his most devoted, beloved follower in the hands of the devil to prove a point.  One supposes this is meant as the Old Testament answer to "why do bad things happen to good people" but it's a terrible answer.