> I'm not at all suggesting that TOM is listening to a false spirit, nor am I denying God the ability or prerogative to speak to us in a spiritual manner with authority. But the simple fact of our own human fallibility is that we *can* become convinced of a falsehood by spiritual means, and so how can we truly determine a spiritually discerned truth from a spiritually discerned sweet falsehood without anything else but spiritual discernment to go on? I think that God, knowing this about us, hence ordinarily accompanies his spiritual guidance with tangible corroboration -- in these times, normally the teachings of the Bible. This is perhaps also why the basis of Christianity is in its facts -- Christ's life, teachings, death, and resurrection, and in the concrete words of the Bible -- rather than (exclusively) in our own spiritual discernment.

Sam raises a good point that I've always wondered: when people say that God is speaking to them, they usually don't mean it in a literal manner. They mean that they've seen signs in their life, or felt God wanted them to do something, etc. It's rarely a bolt of lightning from the sky or a burning bush issuing commands in clear, direct English. I don't want to pick on TOM at all -- I have no idea how he came to believe what he does, and I'm not terribly interested in his specific case. I'm going to talk a bit about this in a general sense.

Human psychology is a complicated thing. How can you separate a feeling that God wants you to do something from a subconscious desire? Without a clear, direct message from God, how can you know for sure you're actually hearing from him?

Events that happen in your life that seem indicate things are plagued with similar problems. Humans are what Carl Sagan dubbed "significance junkies." We constantly believe we find patterns and meaning in things that don't have them. Look at the widespread belief in such demonstrably false quackery like astrology. Heck, Las Vegas was built on the backs of those who think they can find patterns in a roll of dice or the spin of a roullette wheel. People have the tendency to give events meaning after-the-fact. Coincidences happen, and given the number of events in a day, incredibly improbable coincidences are bound to happen regularly. How can you tell that a series of events that seem to have meaning actually do, and aren't just a series of coincidences?

Even if God does begin talking to you in clear, direct terms, this poses problems. How can you tell you're not going crazy? One of the distinguishing traits of schizophrenia is auditory hallucinations, so if you begin hearing God's voice what makes you so sure you're not nuts? Lots of obviously insane people believe God talks to them. If you heard God's voice, how would you verify this wasn't an abberration in your brain's chemistry?

I'm interested to hear from those of you that believe God has given you specific revelations at times how you know that it was actually God and not just yourself (or as Sam mentioned, perhaps some other spiritual entity).

Stephen