Christian, have you ever seen an apparition of Christ or an angel?

Question

I know someone who says she has a few specific times. She goes to church very often, and always goes on retreats, classes and stuff like that.

I dont know if she's lying or crazy or whatever, she is very efficient in her life and is not some sort of loser. I would trust her with my life.

I however, am pretty much on the verge of atheism because Christianity for me never really helped my life, it made it harder and I thought (subconsciously) maybe because I was suffering so much as a Christian, God would somehow repay me by giving me something cling on to. The only thing I ever got from Him was a complete silence. So within time I just learned to say Fk it and things got better from then on.

So hearing her telling me this got me thinking that maybe I was wrong to slip and not pick myself up this time. Im not ready to become a full blown Christian yet, but maybe someday I will come back.

I have never seen any personal proof of Christ and I enjoy my life better not worrying about religion and stuff. Do you ever think God will call to me? Im not just going to believe in something that never even intervened in my life, but If I see other Christians turning for the better, maybe I might reconsider.

Have any of you ever seen any proof that Christianity is worth pursuing besides the whole after life thing.

Answer 1

No.  Jesus said we will not see him again until the day of reckoning.  Avoid the charlatans and their streaky windows/burnt pieces of toast.

Answer 2

I seen Jesus once,my entire family did.I have felt the presence of Holy Angels many times.

Answer 3

I would suggest to you...seek Jesus Christ, not Christianity. He will make Himself known to you if you honestly seek Him.

Answer 4

I've had multiple prayer-tested visions of Jesus and Mary in my youth.

However, I'm an atheist now, because I found out that neurology has quite good explanations for such experiences, and that the particular symbolism experienced is well predicted in the situations I was in at the time.

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The big one, for me, was riding home from Boy Scout summer camp when I was 16.  I was eager to get home the last night so I accepted a ride from one of my friend's mom.  My friend and his brother were in the back seat sleeping away, I was in the front passenger seat, and the mom and I were lightly chatting.  She asked if I would mind if she put in a Christian music tape.  Being, at the time, a Christian, I had no problem with this at all.  I did not, at the time, know the artist or song, but what she put in and started playing was "One" by Carmen.

It was very late at night so I was quite exhausted and my eyes started to drift closed as the music began.  Suddenly I saw a bright light which scared me and made me jump in the seat and open my eyes, expecting a head-on collision -- except there was nothing but the dark road ahead of us.

I closed my eyes again and a moment later, I saw an image of the globe, in extremely accurate detail, to the point I could 'see' buildings and roads and other such details, though I was viewing it from an immense distance.  Astride the Northern Pole, vastly out-of-scale, I saw Mary, with her hands held slightly out from her sides, palms outwards, pouring out the Graces of her Son on the world.  Immediately recognizing this as a potential vision, I prayed in earnest that if it was false it would leave me.  The image remained.  However, it was still startling enough that I found myself opening my eyes again after only a moment more.

The third time I closed my eyes, there was no delay.  I immediately found myself on a cobble-stone road, surrounded by a large gathering of persons dressed in robes and other roman attire, though looking at myself, I was in my own modern clothes.  The people around me were speaking in Latin, and while I had an idea of what they were saying, I could not actually understand their words.  The odd thing was -- many of them could see me and were reacting in awe and surprise, especially about my out-of-period garments.  However, my eyes were turned towards three crosses on a small hill, the middle of them upon which hung Jesus.  Again recognizing this as a potential vision, I prayerfully tested it again, that if it was false it would pass.  It remained.  At this, my eyes met Jesus's and despite the agony he was in, he found the strength to part his lips and silently, in English, mouthed the words, "I do it for you."  At this he threw his head back and in Aramaic cried out, "Eloi, Eloi, Lemma Sabbactani," which is, "My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?"  Saying this, he leaned his head forward and died.

I felt a powerful force suddenly throw me out of the seat, somehow defeating the seatbelt, and found myself thrown to the floorboard, curling up tightly to sob bitterly, a convinced and convicted sinner.

If only I had known the neurology I know now, I probably could have saved myself a number of years of pain because of that lovely little mental imagery experience.