Many people have different definitions of such a concept but personally I do not believe it is biblical nor is it natural. Feel free to google the concept and read up on it, but it means different things to different people. Catholic and protestant perspectives may have significant differences. The wikipedia page on it is good.
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If I had a problem with a person and I didnt talk to them until they realize their problem and fix it.. we might call that abusive, as we have a measure of duty to communicate our differences depending on the nature of the relationship.
And when its God that we are talking about, we know what kind of relationship it is, which means that an unnatural level of silence must have a logical and righteous purpose. Meaning God is teaching the person a much needed lesson in life. The question is, what lesson?
A handful of years ago a man posted a very length cry for help on a forum and I knew spiritually that I couldn't reply to him. He was unsaved, but was crying out for salvation to God and was not received. I prayed about it and was told "i am showing him how evil he is".
But there was no way I could communicate such a message to him without sending him deeper into despair. I shared the matter with a mentor, he immediately knew what i was talking about and said "yes that is a hard place to be".
Of all the things i find on the internet, most of the time when people complain God is far from them, it is because they are far from God.
Prayers not answered for a decade? Ask God why. And no answer of course, because they refuse to accept that it isnt their concern, or it isnt Gods will, etc.
When the person insists there is no logical righteous reason why God is far from them and their prayers are unanswered, many find comfort in this mysterious concept of the dark night of the soul.
And i suspect many are being led astray by it.
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If I had a problem with a person and I didnt talk to them until they realize their problem and fix it.. we might call that abusive, as we have a measure of duty to communicate our differences depending on the nature of the relationship.
And when its God that we are talking about, we know what kind of relationship it is, which means that an unnatural level of silence must have a logical and righteous purpose. Meaning God is teaching the person a much needed lesson in life. The question is, what lesson?
A handful of years ago a man posted a very length cry for help on a forum and I knew spiritually that I couldn't reply to him. He was unsaved, but was crying out for salvation to God and was not received. I prayed about it and was told "i am showing him how evil he is".
But there was no way I could communicate such a message to him without sending him deeper into despair. I shared the matter with a mentor, he immediately knew what i was talking about and said "yes that is a hard place to be".
Of all the things i find on the internet, most of the time when people complain God is far from them, it is because they are far from God.
Prayers not answered for a decade? Ask God why. And no answer of course, because they refuse to accept that it isnt their concern, or it isnt Gods will, etc.
When the person insists there is no logical righteous reason why God is far from them and their prayers are unanswered, many find comfort in this mysterious concept of the dark night of the soul.
And i suspect many are being led astray by it.
