Speaking of miracles...

[Danhalen]

How come miracles are always "good things" that happen? Why is it when a child recovers from a coma, theists attribute it to a miracle of God? Yet when a child dies, when their recovery seemed certain, theists say "God works in mysterious ways"? Why is one instance a miracle and the other "mysterious workings"?

What constitutes a miracle?

[CowboyHeretic]

It's all in the interpretation. We struggle with our tiny minds to make sense of G-ds ways and we simply can not comprehend.

[Columbus]

It's all in the interpretation. We struggle with our tiny minds to make sense of G-ds ways and we simply can not comprehend.Yet still people will tell me "G-d thinks this" or "G-d wants that". "G-d is this way" or "G-d meant that" "G-d did this or G-d changed His Mind about that". " I can feel the presence of G-d, but can't explain why most people don't".

My skepticism isn't based on any beliefs about G-d. It's a result of the contradictory assertions that all of the images of G-d I've been shown have. Generally theists make confident assertions about G-d, but fall back to "we simply cannot comprehend" when those assertions are shown to be illogical.

Assertions about miracles aren't much different from any other theistic claim. They just happen to make the contradictions stand out in bold relief.

Tom

[sharon45]

How come miracles are always "good things" that happen?They aren't though, that is just a positive reinforement and denial among many christians. The great flood is one such example of a truly hideous miracle.
Why is it when a child recovers from a coma, theists attribute it to a miracle of God?That is what they choose to believe.
Yet when a child dies, when their recovery seemed certain, theists say "God works in mysterious ways"?Their own bible comments that no one can know god's actual motives.
Why is one instance a miracle and the other "mysterious workings"?Well both could also be the case in either example, but for now, it still shows itself as only a theist's belief until revealed otherwise.

[my dog earl]

The Catholics seem to be able to drum up miracles to get their chosen ones into Sainthood. How can people be so gullible?

[Neutral]

How come miracles are always "good things" that happen?

not always good things, one of the miracles that i know of ended with a guy killed with poison.
i started a thread few months ago about the same issue in an Arabic forum (http://www.nadyelfikr.net/viewthread.php?fid=114&tid=28483) under the title " Hide your kids, kyrillos is coming' and kyrillos was the pope of the coptic church in Egypt before pope Shnoda, the present one.
there are many sites on the net dedicated to the Miracles of kyrillos and i took some of those miracles and started "analyzing" and "deconstructing" them.

to show you the degree of stupidity of those suckers i will translate one of those miracles from one of those sites (http://www.ava-kyrillos.com/miracles.aspx)

He died from poison - this is the title of the miracle, go figure!-

after kyrillos become pope, one of the bishops didn't accept him as a pope and some tried to calm him down but they failed.
this bishop started to collect signatures from other bishops and priests to remove kyrillos from the papal seat and calling kyrillos an uneducated and ignorant person - which by the way true charges- but during his effort to remove kyrillos he died from poison cause an unknown person- this is a literal translation now -put a bottle of poison similar to the bottle of cough syrup that the bishop used and he died instantly without finishing his evil work!!!!!

when pope kyrillos knew what happened to him he was very sad and said that " i told him love is good, god bless his soul" and he cried alot cause of what happened to him and he asked god to forgive his sins. end of the miracle

after each miracle- i.e crime- they write this slogan " believe it and you have to believe it"

i was thinking seriously to press charges against kyrillos and notify the police about this shit but a lawyer told me that i can't do this cause there is a certain number of years after which you can't press charges in cases like this.

Why is it when a child recovers from a coma, theists attribute it to a miracle of God? Yet when a child dies, when their recovery seemed certain, theists say "God works in mysterious ways"? Why is one instance a miracle and the other "mysterious workings"?

the mind set of theists is to play safe
there is a popular saying in Egypt explain this behavior and goes like this " fire will never hurt a believer BUT if it actually hurts him this is becuse the believer is always tested by disasters"
i hope this explain things to you

What constitutes a miracle?
a crock and punch of idiots

[David B]

A miracle is successfully drawing to an inside straight when your opponent has gone all in with trips.

David B (has this on the authority of poker commentators on TV)

[David Vestal]

It's all in the interpretation. We struggle with our tiny minds to make sense of G-ds ways and we simply can not comprehend.

Yeah. Think of it from god's perspective for a change, poor guy. I imagine him sitting up there, morosely muttering to Saint Pete "here I am, brain the size of a planet, and they ask me to fix a kidney. Call that job satisfaction? 'Cause I don't."

[John A. Broussard]

Yeah. Think of it from god's perspective for a change, poor guy. I imagine him sitting up there, morosely muttering to Saint Pete "here I am, brain the size of a planet, and they ask me to fix a kidney. Call that job satisfaction? 'Cause I don't."
I still can't figure out why god finds it so easy to fix a kidney but never (at least in modern times) replaces a missing limb. Even the Catholic Church doesn't claim such miracles--though there was one saint back in the middle ages who replaced his decapitated head and went on preaching.

If god did replace limbs, we could have a whole miracle wing to the VA hospital for recent amputees. Think of the money we could save on prosthetics alone.

[CowboyHeretic]

Yeah. Think of it from god's perspective for a change, poor guy. I imagine him sitting up there, morosely muttering to Saint Pete "here I am, brain the size of a planet, and they ask me to fix a kidney. Call that job satisfaction? 'Cause I don't."

:rolling:

[John A. Broussard]

A miracle is successfully drawing to an inside straight when your opponent has gone all in with trips.

David B (has this on the authority of poker commentators on TV)
Anyone drawing to an inside straight needs miracles.

[John A. Broussard]

How come miracles are always "good things" that happen? Why is it when a child recovers from a coma, theists attribute it to a miracle of God? Yet when a child dies, when their recovery seemed certain, theists say "God works in mysterious ways"? Why is one instance a miracle and the other "mysterious workings"?


Isn't there something in the law about an "act of god", where if something really bad happens and you can't blame anyone else, god gets the blame?

[DISSIDENT AGGRESSOR]

It's all in the interpretation. We struggle with our tiny minds to make sense of G-ds ways and we simply can not comprehend.

I agree. If someone brutal rapes and kills my hamster [and enjoyed it], I'd say that person had a severe emotional mental disorder.

[Infinite_Rules]

How come miracles are always "good things" that happen? Why is it when a child recovers from a coma, theists attribute it to a miracle of God? Yet when a child dies, when their recovery seemed certain, theists say "God works in mysterious ways"? Why is one instance a miracle and the other "mysterious workings"?

What constitutes a miracle?

Bernard Shaw summed it up well in St Joan: Any event that creates faith is a miracle. Whether it's cause is supernatural or if there's a logical explaination behind it is quite beside the point. :angel:

Since a child's death does not create faith, it is not a miracle. :Cheeky:

[Alethias]

there was one saint back in the middle ages who replaced his decapitated head and went on preaching.

Amazing! The Scarecrow in "The Wizard of Oz" comes to mind..."If i only had a brain..."

Also, he must not have put much thought into his sermons if he could use any ole head to preach em.

If the replacement head was female, would the resulting saint be transgendered?

[John A. Broussard]

Amazing! The Scarecrow in "The Wizard of Oz" comes to mind..."If i only had a brain..."

Also, he must not have put much thought into his sermons if he could use any ole head to preach em.

If the replacement head was female, would the resulting saint be transgendered?
I had visions of the saint replacing the head backwards.

Now, THAT would have been impressive.

Why can't we have good old miracles like that these days?

[Spanish_Inquisitor]

Isn't there something in the law about an "act of god", where if something really bad happens and you can't blame anyone else, god gets the blame?
Contracts usually have "Acts of God" clauses in them that absolve compliance with the contract upon such act. Usually it means weather of catastrophic proportions, but it could mean negligent acts of man also, such as an airplane flying into the house you're building, etc. Of course, then god probably gave the pilot a heart attack, or caused the engine failure, or whatever.

SI

[Hazel-rah]

Contracts usually have "Acts of God" clauses in them that absolve compliance with the contract upon such act. Usually it means weather of catastrophic proportions, but it could mean negligent acts of man also, such as an airplane flying into the house you're building, etc. Of course, then god probably gave the pilot a heart attack, or caused the engine failure, or whatever.
But if the plane misses your house and flies into your neighbor's instead, that's a miracle.

[jonesg]

How come miracles are always "good things" that happen? Why is it when a child recovers from a coma, theists attribute it to a miracle of God? Yet when a child dies, when their recovery seemed certain, theists say "God works in mysterious ways"? Why is one instance a miracle and the other "mysterious workings"?

What constitutes a miracle?


You could attribute it to gratitude to God, not the doctors, that the child lived.

When the child dies, then its Gods Grace which keeps a person from becoming unstable, its through His love and strength that I could go on.

EVen Frodo knew that.
"I know what I must do but my path is not clear".

It never is.

[jonesg]

Contracts usually have "Acts of God" clauses in them that absolve compliance with the contract upon such act. Usually it means weather of catastrophic proportions, but it could mean negligent acts of man also, such as an airplane flying into the house you're building, etc. Of course, then god probably gave the pilot a heart attack, or caused the engine failure, or whatever.

SI


An airplane crashing into your house isn't an act of God, its traceable to a fault, a human fault someplace. The plane, the mechanic, the pilot .. the weather (pilot again).

I thought it was MOTHER EARTH, but its act of God when something goes wrong.?
Typical.

[jonesg]

I still can't figure out why god finds it so easy to fix a kidney but never (at least in modern times) replaces a missing limb. Even the Catholic Church doesn't claim such miracles--though there was one saint back in the middle ages who replaced his decapitated head and went on preaching.

If god did replace limbs, we could have a whole miracle wing to the VA hospital for recent amputees. Think of the money we could save on prosthetics alone.


Don't lose your balance.

[Spanish_Inquisitor]

An airplane crashing into your house isn't an act of God, its traceable to a fault, a human fault someplace. The plane, the mechanic, the pilot .. the weather (pilot again).

Yea, but see post #18 above.

I thought it was MOTHER EARTH, but its act of God when something goes wrong.?
Typical.
Hey, that's lawyers for you. :devil3:

SI

[That Old Serpent]

Why can't we have good old miracles like that these days?
You do. Give them enough time to be "discovered." Once everyone of this generation is dead, all manner of miracles from this era will enter the canon. ;)

[MortalWombat]

Anyone drawing to an inside straight needs miracles.Not if you're getting better than 11:1 odds to call.

[John A. Broussard]

Don't lose your balance.
This is by far the best answer I've gotten yet to the question why god doesn't perform the miracle of replacing a lost limb--of a finger--or even a missing knuckle.

Good advice to the amputee while waiting--"Don't lose your balance."

[DISSIDENT AGGRESSOR]

An airplane crashing into your house isn't an act of God, its traceable to a fault, a human fault someplace. The plane, the mechanic, the pilot .. the weather (pilot again).


You forgot to mention co-pilot (http://www.b-n-senterprises.com/bns/images/d_god_is_my_copilot.jpg) error... but that would also be traceable to human fault.