Atheists make poor theologians.
A presumptuous question indeed! It is the same as asking if you have stopped beating your children and only makes sense if there has been a beating in the first place. Otherwise, the question has no reflection on you but only on the questioner which will either show their ignorance or hypocritical intent.
Let us take a moment a review first of all the rarity of miracles and when I use the term, I am using it as the Bible uses it and not as is commonly used today which also involve God intervening in the affairs of man through providence. See below:
http://christiananswers.net/dictionary/miracle.html
http://www.gtycanada.org/resources/sermons/90-56/does-god-do-miracles-today
Note the rarity of miracles. The average Israelite apart from the time of Moses or Christ and the apostles would never have seen one. 2 Corinthians 12:12 “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.”
Apart from this, rare indeed, John 8:32 “Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.” In the Old Testament, miraculous healing was extremely rare. And for something more shocking, read Luke 4:25-27.
Exodus 4:11 "...Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? "
Yet when Christ returns, for all sickness that will not be healed through prayer in this age, the Son of God will return with healing in his wings. Mal. 4:2
James speaks about prayer for the sick but some things needs to be kept in mind. The prayer appears to be related as chastisement for specific sin in that case. In many cases that is not the case. This also seems to apply to the apostolic time as it fits in with 1st Corinthians teaching of sickness related to sin. Why? When we look at James, we see that one of the requirements for the healing is the anointing of oil which is related to the miraculous ministry of the apostles. Mark 6:13 “And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them”.
If we became ill on that basis (see the state of sickness in the Corinthian church), I would think we would be much more ill than we are. James may apply though to today.Apart from this, it should be evident that an amputation is not a sickness.
Below are links which discuss the overall matter in more detail:
https://answersingenesis.org/who-is-god/god-is-good/why-wont-god-heal-amputees/
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Religions/Atheism/amputees.htm
However, after all this being said, if prayer cannot be shown ever to be answered, then yes “Houston, we have a problem”.
In an age of Laodicea or where the spiritual culture thereof is prevalent, then as James said of the believers he was writing to, “ye ask but you do not receive.”
In closing, while it is true that many of us may lack faith to see or receive the miraculous, it is just as true of many of us that lack faith to remain faithful where we do NOT see the miraculous.
Some may say we do not have the faith to receive a miracle. A just as worthy thought is many do not have the faith not to receive a miracle.
When an atheist asks to see a miracle, actually, the exact opposite is what they want. They do not want to see anything that will make him/her uncomfortable in their sin, and if shown a miracle, they will surely not believe. You can be sure of that.
The bottom line for the atheists, is that they always and only are looking for excuses to sin and feel good about it.
Matthew 16:4King James Version (KJV)
4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
Yes, there is much evidence for healing provided of the Lord that would not happen otherwise but such is not even the topic of this discussion.
Edward Super
A presumptuous question indeed! It is the same as asking if you have stopped beating your children and only makes sense if there has been a beating in the first place. Otherwise, the question has no reflection on you but only on the questioner which will either show their ignorance or hypocritical intent.
Let us take a moment a review first of all the rarity of miracles and when I use the term, I am using it as the Bible uses it and not as is commonly used today which also involve God intervening in the affairs of man through providence. See below:
http://christiananswers.net/dictionary/miracle.html
http://www.gtycanada.org/resources/sermons/90-56/does-god-do-miracles-today
Note the rarity of miracles. The average Israelite apart from the time of Moses or Christ and the apostles would never have seen one. 2 Corinthians 12:12 “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.”
Apart from this, rare indeed, John 8:32 “Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.” In the Old Testament, miraculous healing was extremely rare. And for something more shocking, read Luke 4:25-27.
Exodus 4:11 "...Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? "
Yet when Christ returns, for all sickness that will not be healed through prayer in this age, the Son of God will return with healing in his wings. Mal. 4:2
James speaks about prayer for the sick but some things needs to be kept in mind. The prayer appears to be related as chastisement for specific sin in that case. In many cases that is not the case. This also seems to apply to the apostolic time as it fits in with 1st Corinthians teaching of sickness related to sin. Why? When we look at James, we see that one of the requirements for the healing is the anointing of oil which is related to the miraculous ministry of the apostles. Mark 6:13 “And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them”.
If we became ill on that basis (see the state of sickness in the Corinthian church), I would think we would be much more ill than we are. James may apply though to today.Apart from this, it should be evident that an amputation is not a sickness.
Below are links which discuss the overall matter in more detail:
https://answersingenesis.org/who-is-god/god-is-good/why-wont-god-heal-amputees/
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Religions/Atheism/amputees.htm
However, after all this being said, if prayer cannot be shown ever to be answered, then yes “Houston, we have a problem”.
In an age of Laodicea or where the spiritual culture thereof is prevalent, then as James said of the believers he was writing to, “ye ask but you do not receive.”
In closing, while it is true that many of us may lack faith to see or receive the miraculous, it is just as true of many of us that lack faith to remain faithful where we do NOT see the miraculous.
Some may say we do not have the faith to receive a miracle. A just as worthy thought is many do not have the faith not to receive a miracle.
When an atheist asks to see a miracle, actually, the exact opposite is what they want. They do not want to see anything that will make him/her uncomfortable in their sin, and if shown a miracle, they will surely not believe. You can be sure of that.
The bottom line for the atheists, is that they always and only are looking for excuses to sin and feel good about it.
Matthew 16:4King James Version (KJV)
4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.
Yes, there is much evidence for healing provided of the Lord that would not happen otherwise but such is not even the topic of this discussion.
Edward Super
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