The Problem With Miracles

Marty Hamrick
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The Problem With Miracles

Many theists have cited medical miracles as proof of god's existence. They show x rays and MRI films of before and after and some include statements from baffled doctors. Well I'm always happy to see someone beat cancer or some other malady, not important to me on how it's done or why.

I won't go into my own experience with a "medical miracle", it's not really relative to my OP and it's a bone of contention with some of my family members, so for now, I'll just leave it as, "been there, done that, seen it, still not impressed."

What my problem is with miracles is their selective nature. A little old lady in Jacksonville, Florida get miraculously healed while the majority of terminal patients succumb when they're all following the same prescriptions that the Bible says will work? Now I don't want to hear anymore of the "God's ways aren't ours" crap, that's too easy, theists have fallen back on that one for too long, in fact, any theistic explanation that involves God's personality or why he might or might not heal anyone is not something I don't care to even entertain. To me, it's just stupid, like arguing over which vampire movie is dealing with the real legend, who cares?

What bothers me about blanketly accepting a medical anomaly as a "miracle" because people prayed and the person was healed is bad because it doesn't account for anything else that could be responsible. What if there is a gene, or something that only certain people have that has yet to be discovered? What if this knowledge could be used to duplicate the effect on people who don't have what the ones who are being healed have? Accepting everything as a miracle would lessen the incentive to find another, possibly a correct answer and thus deprive many the chance to be healed.     

"Science flies you to the moon. Religion flies you into buildings."


Luminon
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 If you want some serious

 If you want some serious medical data on miracles, you should visit the healing water spring in Tlacote, (New?) Mexico. There were been clinical trials and the facility includes a doctor and a big archive of the visitors' diseases and positive changes that occured afterwards. Also, the water is supposedly lighter than normal water, which should be worthy of a test.

The place is claimed to be one of healing waters manifested by the Christ, so I think it's a wonderful place for skeptic family vacations Smiling

 

Beings who deserve worship don't demand it. Beings who demand worship don't deserve it.


Jean Chauvin
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Hi OP

I actually KIND OF agree with you. Miracles don't even exist today. Since they were set up as signs and wonders for the Jews and wisdom was sought by the Greeks. These miracles were demonstrations of God's Power since at that time the new testament canon was finished.

However, God can still heal. But it would not be a miracle technically speaking.

And a person's healing can be direct in reference to God's hand over them. But i absolutely agree with you. Most nutty nuts out there either fake it or claim this for that and it's all a fraud.

When babies are born, this is not a miracle. I know people say this. It's kind of a cultural idiom. But no.

So i suppose i would say you're right in 2011 with all the nuts walking around this earth. But if you were to say this in 1856, then i would take issue with you since actual Biblical giants did not mess around with money, and personal gain. While there were cults, they were specifically distinguished catalogically speaking.

Respectfully,

Jean Chauvin (Jude 3).

A Rational Christian of Intelligence (rare)with a valid and sound justification for my epistemology and a logical refutation for those with logical fallacies and false worldviews upon their normative of thinking in retrospect to objective normative(s). This is only understood via the imago dei in which we all are.

Respectfully,

Jean Chauvin (Jude 3).