How Healthy is Your Relationship With God?

Came across this quiz the other day and thought it looked interesting. Haven’t taken it yet but read some of the questions.

From patheos.com

“The following quiz* is a statistically valid and reliable measure that evaluates the degree to which a person’s relationship with God is healthy and secure. Most people are surprised by the results. How will you score?”

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithonthecouch/2015/02/how-healthy-is-your-relationship-with-god-take-the-quiz/

Originally posted by @romans1009
Came across this quiz the other day and thought it looked interesting. Haven’t taken it yet but read some of the questions.

From patheos.com

“The following quiz* is a statistically valid and reliable measure that evaluates the degree to which a person’s relationship with God is healthy and secure. Most people are surprised by the results. How will ...[text shortened]... theos.com/blogs/faithonthecouch/2015/02/how-healthy-is-your-relationship-with-god-take-the-quiz/

How similar is your relationship with God to the relationship of an emotionally threatened child to their abuser, especially when their abuser is imaginary?

Originally posted by @romans1009
Came across this quiz the other day and thought it looked interesting. Haven’t taken it yet but read some of the questions.

From patheos.com

“The following quiz* is a statistically valid and reliable measure that evaluates the degree to which a person’s relationship with God is healthy and secure. Most people are surprised by the results. How will ...[text shortened]... theos.com/blogs/faithonthecouch/2015/02/how-healthy-is-your-relationship-with-god-take-the-quiz/

There is nothing called a 'relationship with God' in the Bible.
The closest thing to a relationship with God is how one obeys the commandments.
The church pastor cannot determine that.
God and Christ will determine that at the appointed time.
Dont be fooled by church pastors and church websites.

Originally posted by @rajk999
There is nothing called a 'relationship with God' in the Bible.
The closest thing to a relationship with God is how one obeys the commandments.
The church pastor cannot determine that.
God and Christ will determine that at the appointed time.
Dont be fooled by church pastors and church websites.

You don’t think God had a relationship with anyone in the Bible? You don’t think God wants a relationship with human beings?

If you think the answer to both of those questions is “No,” why did God create human beings?

Originally posted by @js357
How similar is your relationship with God to the relationship of an emotionally threatened child to their abuser, especially when their abuser is imaginary?

You think God has abused you emotionally?

Originally posted by @romans1009
You don’t think God had a relationship with anyone in the Bible? You don’t think God wants a relationship with human beings?

If you think the answer to both of those questions is “No,” why did God create human beings?

The church idea of a relationship with God is unbiblical.

The bible speaks of implied relationships and there are two kinds
- obedience to God like Abraham, David etc
- disobedience to God like Satan and his followers

Originally posted by @romans1009
You think God has abused you emotionally?

The OP reminded me of a phenomenon called thr Stockholm Syndrome:

“The Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological phenomenon where a kidnap victim or a hostage becomes sympathetic to their captors. The term comes from a bank robbery in Stockholm Sweden in 1973. The plan went bad and the robbery turned into a hostage situation. At first the hostages were treated badly by the robbers, who were afraid, frustrated and angry. Later though, the captives were shown little kindnesses, bathroom breaks, small talk, a joke here and there. The effect of this was profound. At the end of the ordeal, the hostages were thoroughly sympathetic to their captors, even raising money for their legal defense.

“An emotional attachment is created by first terror, and then relief from terror. This is much like Christianity, where the threat of hell is used to put people in a submissive state; then relief is offered in the form of "salvation". Of course not everyone who is a Christian becomes one via this phenomenon, but the use of psychological terrorism is a tried and proven technique to win converts.”

Read more: http://www.city-data.com/forum/religion-spirituality/633750-stockholm-syndrome.html#ixzz5EIR71hdF

Originally posted by @js357
The OP reminded me of a phenomenon called thr Stockholm Syndrome:

“The Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological phenomenon where a kidnap victim or a hostage becomes sympathetic to their captors. The term comes from a bank robbery in Stockholm Sweden in 1973. The plan went bad and the robbery turned into a hostage situation. At first the hostages were treated ...[text shortened]... ttp://www.city-data.com/forum/religion-spirituality/633750-stockholm-syndrome.html#ixzz5EIR71hdF

I’m aware of what Stockholm Syndrome is, but why does the OP remind you of it?

Originally posted by @rajk999
The church idea of a relationship with God is unbiblical.

The bible speaks of implied relationships and there are two kinds
- obedience to God like Abraham, David etc
- disobedience to God like Satan and his followers

You’re very wrong about that. You see the only relationships as one of good child and bad child. You see no love either from God or toward God. You seem to have a very cold view of who God is and what being a child of God is all about.

I read an interesting article a few years ago that said our view of God is often shaped by our view of our earthly father. I think there’s some truth in that. You might want to consider whether your view of God is being negatively influenced by that. Not asking you to share info on that; just asking you to consider it.

Originally posted by @js357
The OP reminded me of a phenomenon called thr Stockholm Syndrome:

“The Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological phenomenon where a kidnap victim or a hostage becomes sympathetic to their captors. The term comes from a bank robbery in Stockholm Sweden in 1973. The plan went bad and the robbery turned into a hostage situation. At first the hostages were treated ...[text shortened]... ttp://www.city-data.com/forum/religion-spirituality/633750-stockholm-syndrome.html#ixzz5EIR71hdF

What does this have to do with an "imaginary" abuser, or did you just shoehorn that in just to claim that God is an imaginary emotional abuser?

Originally posted by @romans1009
You’re very wrong about that. You see the only relationships as one of good child and bad child. You see no love either from God or toward God. You seem to have a very cold view of who God is and what being a child of God is all about.

I read an interesting article a few years ago that said our view of God is often shaped by our view of our earthly fa ...[text shortened]... tively influenced by that. Not asking you to share info on that; just asking you to consider it.

Interesting point.

Originally posted by @suzianne
Interesting point.

Thanks

Originally posted by @suzianne
What does this have to do with an "imaginary" abuser, or did you just shoehorn that in just to claim that God is an imaginary emotional abuser?

The point of "imaginary" is not to claim that God is imaginary. but that one's imagined God need not be real, to have the stated psychological effect. It is the imagined God that matters here. After all, there is enough dispute between theists here on this forum about the imagined nature of God and especially, the imagined criteria for salvation, without my adding to it by throwing in an easily dismissed claim of the captor's nonexistence..If the threat is real, God must exist.. I won't claim nonexistence but some theists' imagined deities are in direct conflict with one another and it appears to really matter who is right and who is wrong, as if the captor is really going to give it to those who are wrong. Don't you see the parallel? Is it too dangerous for some to see?

Originally posted by @js357
The point of "imaginary" is not to claim that God is imaginary. but that one's imagined God need not be real, to have the stated psychological effect. It is the imagined God that matters here. After all, there is enough dispute between theists here on this forum about the imagined nature of God and especially, the imagined criteria for salvation, without my a ...[text shortened]... give it to those who are wrong. Don't you see the parallel? Is it too dangerous for some to see?

Just to be clear here, isn't an "imagined" God an imaginary God?

My point is that my God is not imaginary OR "imagined". He is as real as you or me.

Aren't you just using "imagined" as a code word for imaginary?

Originally posted by @romans1009
Thanks

No, really. (Trying to get the ones with the knee-jerk down-thumbs to reconsider.)

There are volumes written about the relationship with our fathers in psychological literature. I really never made the leap into the idea of substituting God for our father-figure in these writings and how that may explain the unsatisfactory condition of some people's feelings about "God". But my father and I enjoyed a wonderful relationship and I was devastated when he died. It actually never occurred to me to look at our relationship and attitude with our Heavenly Father in the same terms as our relationships with our earthly fathers. This is something new that I've never thought of before. I have a sorority sister who was in my class and she was a psych major too, and she became a Christian about a month after I did. I'll try to get back in touch with her and see what she thinks.