This is not my question, but one posed by Marshall Brain (creator of the popular How Stuff Works website). It's a profound question, because it points out why supposed faith healing cannot be used as an argument to justify the existence of God.
It has been widely demonstrated that cases of faith healing occur at rates no greater than that expected by chance alone -- a fact most often ignored by religious believers.
But more than this, consider the fact that there have been absolutely no reported cases of amputated limbs being regenerated in humans. Rather than saying that God does not favor amputees, this strongly suggests that if God exists, she plays absolutely no role in the healing of human ailments. In other words, faith healing cannot be used as an argument for the existence of God.
it points out why supposed faith healing cannot be used as an argument to justify the existence of God.
it tries to say that because god doesn't "heal" amputees, he must not be real, which is interesting because I'd like to see why God is obligated to "heal" amputees.
second, there is a difference between actually healing someone and causing spontaneous limb regeneration
The idea of an amputee is that your limb was surgically removed. If God was going to heal, he probably would have done it before the surgery.
Wouldn't the same argument apply to God healing cancer patients? Wouldn't it make more sense for God to prevent the cancer to begin with?
__________________ “Because they know not the forces of nature, and in order that they may have comrades in their ignorance, they suffer not that others should search out anything, and would have us believe like rustics and ask no reason...But we ask in all things a reason must be sought.” --William of Conches (c. 1090 – after 1154)
This is based on a false assumption or several false assumptions. It is simple God does heal amputees, it is called a creative miracle.
I do not see anyone healing anyone by chance, how do you do that anyway, I would like to try to do it.
Did Jesus, drag people who did not want healing to be forcefully worked on? Of course not because God respects the choice of those who refuse to be healed. Where does this idea that God does not heal amputees come from?
I will present evidence of God healing people who are amputees.
This is the formal debate area.
Please reivew the rules of formal debate.....it is clear that this thread does not conform to the aforementioned rules.
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I'll be more enthusiastic about encouraging thinking outside the box when there's evidence of any thinking going on inside it.
Ok it was only the finger tip right now, but still it's sweet.
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Spoiler for Some Good Rules for Christians:
Luke 10:27 (Love God Above All, And Your Neighbor as yourself) And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
Matthew 7:12 (Do unto others)
Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Matthew 5:43-48 (Pray for those that persecute you)
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Luke 6:27-29 (Love your enemies.)
But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.
Originally Posted by Saint Augustine
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If they find a Christian mistaken in a field which they themselves know well and hear him maintaining his foolish opinions about our books, how are they going to believe those books in matters concerning the resurrection of the dead, the hope of eternal life, and the kingdom of heaven, when they think their pages are full of falsehoods on facts which they themselves have learnt from experience and the light of reason? Reckless and incompetent expounders of holy Scripture bring untold trouble and sorrow on their wiser brethren when they are caught in one of their mischievous false opinions and are taken to task by those who are not bound by the authority of our sacred books.
Isaiah 8:12-13 (NIV) "Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread."
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