What Are Miracles...

[ronedee]

....Sorry - but the problem is that - with all of the FAILURES of religion - and the inability to show any act works (Prayer has never been proven to have any statistical significance) - it is more correct to assume that if something happens for which we have NO explanation NOW _ there will be one later.

I apprciate your answer...especially getting my "son to wash the car"! I can't even get him to take the garbage out.... of his room! LOL

But, I didn't assume anything on my original post! As a matter of fact, I left it wide open for interpetation!

[Consilius]

Believing would require nothing on our part except having seen or heard about the miracle event, and God would be forcefully intimidating us into believing in him.

Really??

Showing himself to us would be forcefully intimidating us to believe but threatening us with eternal damnation while providing not a scrap of evidence of his existence is not forceful intimidation?

I think your logic screw needs a bit of tightening, my dear.

First of all, our lives are testaments to whether or not we believe God exists, and the proof that we have of God's existence and the motivation we get for the lives we lead can be seen in our daily lives, as a posted last.
Second, if God went around turning people into salt and leveled a finger at you then said, "Pray," would you be a Christian out of love or fear?

[downbeatplumb]

Second, if God went around turning people into salt and leveled a finger at you then said, "Pray," would you be a Christian out of love or fear?

I would be part of the resistance if that was the case.

[Whateverist]

I'm sure this has been kicked around here before...

Has anyone had any experiences with Miracles (or as my Atheist friends & relatives call them: spontaneous, unexplained niceties) happening in their lives? Or, if not you, in the lives of people close to you?

This could be anything that seemed extraordinary, unexplained, or a supernatural event. If you can explain it...it's NOT a miracle!

What, if anything do you attribute them to, and why?

I have a few to share...but would like some perspective of how this is gonna proceed first!

Not I. (Or, if I did, how would I know? Is everything for which I haven't an explanation a likely miracle?)

[ronedee]

I seem to be getting the picture that admitting to an "unexplained" happening aka "miracle"...is somehow connected to believing in God!

These "things" do happen in all our lives!

But I guess not having an explanation is being out of ones control? Which for an Atheist is quite a dilemma! Imagine NOT having an answer to
a supernatural event?! What do you do? Where do you go? How do you act? Pretty scary stuff...eh?

[Baalzebutt]

Second, if God went around turning people into salt and leveled a finger at you then said, "Pray," would you be a Christian out of love or fear?

You are right. Because it would certainly be "love" that made me a christian if I "feared" eternal damnation.

What you are failing to see here is that xtianity is a religion of fear regardless of the methodology. I suspect that most people become xtians out of fear and grow to "love" their captor as is common is kidnapping cases. I believe it is called the Stockholm Syndrome.

[Whateverist]

I seem to be getting the picture that admitting to an "unexplained" happening aka "miracle"...is somehow connected to believing in God!

These "things" do happen in all our lives!

But I guess not having an explanation is being out of ones control? Which for an Atheist is quite a dilemma! Imagine NOT having an answer to
a supernatural event?! What do you do? Where do you go? How do you act? Pretty scary stuff...eh?

I don't suspect anything supernatural ever happens in my life. Do you? There are events I can explain and those I can't but I assume every event has a natural explanation. If your god exists I would consider it (him? her?) natural though as now not confirmable. So I don't think supernatural really means anything.

[Baalzebutt]

But I guess not having an explanation is being out of ones control? Which for an Atheist is quite a dilemma! Imagine NOT having an answer to
a supernatural event?! What do you do? Where do you go? How do you act? Pretty scary stuff...eh?

Actually, most atheist have no problem uttering the statement, "I don't know".

It is you theists that insist on plugging all of the holes in knowledge with god.

[ronedee]

I'm sure this has been kicked around here before...

Has anyone had any experiences with Miracles (or as my Atheist friends & relatives call them: spontaneous, unexplained niceties) happening in their lives? Or, if not you, in the lives of people close to you?

This could be anything that seemed extraordinary, unexplained, or a supernatural event. If you can explain it...it's NOT a miracle!

What, if anything do you attribute them to, and why?

I have a few to share...but would like some perspective of how this is gonna proceed first!

Not I. (Or, if I did, how would I know? Is everything for which I haven't an explanation a likely miracle?)

Hello again my furry friend! Well...I guess it's up for your interpetation?

Through community prayer and fasting, I have witnessed hundreds of miracles! Everything from ....well.....but no one wants to hear my lies....

So, the proof doesn't matter! Here anyway! It did, and does matter to those that received these miracles though. And that's all that really matters!

But, I and my friends will gladly pray for any of you, or your friends and family that need healing in any manner! Just IM me, and it will stay anonymous! I promise.

[Faith No More]

But, I and my friends will gladly pray for any of you, or your friends and family that need healing in any manner! Just IM me, and it will stay anonymous! I promise.

Send money instead.