We should share our testimony, because it is irrefutable?

Well if it makes you feel any better, I'm a Mormon and I don't rely just on my feelings. I believe there is countless evidence to support the Book of Mormon as well as Joseph Smith being a Prophet. I trust the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith completely, and I believe that both told the truth. These "feelings" you talk about are what we would call promptings of the Holy Ghost. Feeling the Holy Ghost gives you faith in your religion. These "feelings" just reaffirm what we already believe to be true-- we don't rely "solely" on them, as you seem to think we do...

What the person who said that meant is that people cannot refute our testimonies internally. They may disagree, but they cannot make us change our minds unless we let them. I mean you might say that you hate basketball, and I would disagree and say I love it. But inside, you still know that you hate basketball. What I say doesn't matter-- I cannot refute the fact that internally you hate basketball, even though I disagree with you. That's what the person meant-- people may disagree with us and our religious beliefs, but innately they cannot change what we believe unless we let them.

However I will disagree with the way that person *worded* his comment. But I understand what he was trying to imply and what point he was getting at.

Well, really, all religion is based on faith. "proof" I guess can be in the heart of the person who has it...

I mean think about when Christ was on the earth, he performed MANY mighty miracles and still people did not believe He was the Christ. Can you imagine seeing a person who lay dead for 3 days come back to life?? Think about that, seriously... BUT, even that was not proof enough.

I think it is the same now. The only proof we can actually rely on is the proof we receive from the Lord, which in turn is our testimony... to me, my testimony IS fact. It is not just a feeling, it is a distinct knowledge, something completely undeniable. To deny it, to me, would be like denying that I even exist. We are told in scripture, that the Holy Ghost, who is the 3rd member of the Godhead, will reveal truth to us - and it can be in many different ways, it can be through feelings of comfort, peace, a "burning" (no not that kind)... it can also come in a still, small voice or sometimes even a loud voice in your mind or even "out loud". There are many ways the Holy Ghost can communicate with us, we need to know how to recognize those answers and feelings.

The thing is, how else CAN we know for sure - without a personal witness from Christ Himself coming down and telling you "Yep this is it."? He has provided us the Holy Ghost.

So, that's why.

Very good question, actually. In my opinion - I have often thought long and hard about the issue - religion is a uniquely personal experience. The ubiquity of religion seems to argue for some innate "religious instinct".

The key insight in arriving at a resolution is that religion always begins in an experience that some individual has or that some small group of people shares. The response that this person or group makes to the original experience is what begins the process of interaction between the religion and the community, propagating the belief itself. Most recognizable religions acquire the identity by which we can recognize them, and to those who experience this "enlightenment", "testimony" or what have you, it is irrefutable. The problem lies when, in the eyes of the believer, this personal truth becomes "universal", aka applicable to everyone else.

Again, this is nothing more than my opinion.

There was a time when religion was not such a bad word.

In fact it was considered taboo and socially undesirable not to be “religious.”

During such times, believer’s were mostly led by collective rituals of how to act, what to say and do in every conceivable situation.

This was the central focus covered in weekly bible classes and religious study groups specifically designed for young folks, young females, young males as well as couples separately.

Any deviations or personal interpretations to this was frowned upon unless it came from a highly charismatic personalities which would then go on to form separate splinter groups which would later emerge as new branches or versions of religion.

Religion was then marred by numerous and widespread ‘religious scandals’ so the brand name was changed to ‘faith’ instead.

But then that too became riddled with scandals and corruption so the brand was changed to a definition rather than a single word:

“Personal relationship with God”

This new brand name caught on and grew very quickly.

It found wide appeal and acceptance since it admitted a wide range of subjective, custom made religions splintered off from a lot of other different religions as well.

Nowadays, people generally create and define their own ‘personal relationship” which fills their inner needs or vacuum created by industrial, intellectual and philosophical specialization.

“Personal relationships with God” is the only way that people of faith today can find common ground and unite in worship.

If you go beyond that into doctrines and the finer points of theology, then the old divisions ensue.

That is why most avoid it with the exception of staunch fundamentalists.

When you challenge that which fulfills individual alienation, people will not only take it very personal, but will abandon all human reason to defend it.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for , the evidence of things not seen. I don't expect you to understand this but let me at least give you an idea of the truth about faith. Faithful,

( full of faith) ,Sprit filled Christians have the actual & factual witness of the Holy Spirit living inside them. This creates a new person (another fact) that is apparent to all around them. Then they begin to do things that become facts like helping the poor, feeding the hungry and ministering to the sick .

( These are all facts, not feelings. Facts that can be verified with a minimum of research) The substance of our faith, includes , belief in Christ, hope of eternal life, trust in the blood of Jesus , obedience to God's laws and a total surrender to His will. This substance becomes fact written in the Book of Life. In a similar way rejection of God , and his righteous requirements are also recorded as facts in another book. The truth of all this, is proof that our faith is well founded and this proof will be apparrent, regardless of feelings when Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead. This is not merely a feeling that I or any other Christian has . It is in fact a conviction that is so true, that is so real that many a martyr has gone to death by burning at the stake. Mere feeling ? I think not. Men don't willinly die for a mere feeling , nor do they die for a lie. Christ is the way, the only way, the truth and the life. That is a fact that's worth dieing for. Come to truth, come to Christ.

Truth is relevant to knowledge,

Knowledge to understanding,

Understanding to reality,

Reality to interpretation.

Reality and Actuality are different, but reality is what we know. We never know actuality, because we experience life through our own eyes. Another words, through what we are told and what we feel is right. That is the reason there are so many different realities, because we are all unique. Having some sense within yourself that you have or know the truth is very important because it gives understanding (even if it is really a lie) to the life we live, the reason we are here and where we are going when we leave here (hope) of a better place. It also gives one peace. It allows people to at least have an explanation of why everything is so awful here, and just like children who are abused blame themselves for that abuse and love their abusive parent any way, we blame our selves for our sins, and we love the idea we have created to be our parent (God).

2 Corinthians 5:20a "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us." We are God' representatives in all our environments. Our testimonies reflect our obedience and our disobedience to Him But we are always 'work in progress', as we try to to follow His commandments. Matthew 22:36-38 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

The reason there is such a propensity for believers in religion to rely mostly on their “feelings” as evidence of truth, as opposed to concrete facts, is because “feelings”, quite frankly, is all they have. Their faith is absolutely bereft of true facts that can be corroborated. As far as the actual facts that they adduce, most of it is inconsequential to the argument at hand. Most of the evidence that theists introduce into religious debates, are mere non sequiturs. They will talk about the fact that the Bible or the Koran is replete with historical facts, which can be verified through secular sources – things like dates of wars, places, and events. Yet, these do not at all validate the spurious religious claims to miracles and divine intervention.

So given the absolute poverty of theistic rhetoric, what is left to introduce into an argument but emotion? It is sad when you really think about it. These same theists, who when it comes to their faith, think that introducing feeling into an argument is valid, would never accept this sort of argumentation in any other area of their life. It is odd, inconsistent, and embarrassingly hypocritical of theists to expect solid facts in every other area of their life, but not in the religious context. They wouldn’t be content with a used car salesman’s feelings that a car he is selling them is reliable; they would instead get it checked out by a mechanic. They wouldn’t trust the president of a university’s feelings that his university is the best in the nation, when choosing the college their child will go to, but instead they would do research to see how that college ranks among other colleges.

I, like you, I assume, wish that these theists would stop confusing emotional sentiments with facts; the visceral with the rational.

As for Mormons, I also have to question this testimony that they have. But I'm not gonna get into that.

If you really want to read some of the facts about the existance of God, get the book "I don't have enough faith to be an athiest", by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek. Believe me, it is well worth it. It is a truly amazing book.

Feelings mean jack squat. Our personal testimony has to do with direct and miraculous answers to prayer, lives changed for the better, and first hand experience with the supernatural. That sure is proof for anyone experiencing it. It is also irrefutable. Unfortunately, for many people it is non transferable as well. Every person has to experience that proof for themselves.

This has nothing to do with LDS by the way, I am speaking about Christianity in general.