Why didn't Jesus perform a miracle that we could confirm today?

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  Posted by Deanne Thu Sep 10, 2009 6:22pm PDT

  Hey S. Because NONE of it is real, that is why. I love how on others blogs NOBODY could come up with an answer to my question...

  WHY DO YOU NEED TO BELIEVE IN AYTHING?

  The best one was....I don't need, I want to. LOL.........

  Would love to talk to you more, I am Kristina btw.

  Nice to meet you.

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  Posted by S Thu Sep 10, 2009 6:46pm PDT

  Heh. None of it is real. Indeed. I do really appreciate your comment. However - when I saw there was a comment I became excited because I assumed a Christian had responded to my question. When I scrolled down to your post it was a bit of a let down, even though you are agreeing with me! You aren't my target audience here you know? I'm looking forward to seeing how a Christian will respond here. I'm 'S' btw, that's my yahoo name at least. I'm on here pretty sporadically. But I'm sure will both come across blog posts or articles that we can discuss. Take care.

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  Posted by Deanne Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:43pm PDT

  wow..........sorry I bothered you.

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  Posted by Rebekah Fri Sep 11, 2009 8:56am PDT

  Let's take a step back. I have a question for you--what would it take to prove to you that God exists (side-stepping the issue that faith isn't about proof)? Can you give me an example of a miracle that would convince you, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God exists?

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  Posted by S Fri Sep 11, 2009 10:29am PDT

  No need to take a step back. If direct evidence was ok back then, then what's the problem with us getting direct evidence now? If 'faith isn't about proof' then why did Jesus 'prove' his divinity to all those thousands of people back then? If they didn't need faith, then why do we?

  Why don't you answer the questions I am presenting, rather than trying to change the subject? (And besides, just assume an all powerful God could think of thousands of ways it could convince me to the point of believing).

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  Posted by S Fri Sep 11, 2009 10:45am PDT

  You know what, since you'll probably ignore my questions (and the entire point of this blog) until I answer you, I can offer a few of the thousands, if not millions of examples.

  Jesus could have:

  - Created a perfect diamond pyramid, with no impurities, measuring 100 feet high. On the side he could have written a message to us all.

  - Literally moved a mountain. Where the mountain was, a perfectly smooth surface (on the molecular level), with a message as to where the mountain went. When scientists drill into the mountain, they see that the bottom of it is perfectly smooth, and matches, fits exactly with the spot where the message is.

  - Created a 1000 ton iron ball to be suspended in air over his birthplace for all eternity - with a message on it of course.

  - Created a burning bush which would never go out, no matter what people tried to do - that would occasionally play back a recording of Jesus's message.

  - told his followers that whenever a particular prayer was said, that person would instantly be healed of all illness and disease. Today when anyone says the prayer, the person would be healed.

  - Left behind clearly miraculous artifacts all bearing the 'made by Jesus' seal of approval. A jug that never would run out of wine. A basket that would never run out of bread. And so on.

  I mean the list is endless. There are SO MANY things that Jesus could have done to be more convincing to more people.

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  Posted by Rebekah Fri Sep 11, 2009 10:47am PDT

  I'm not changing the subject. There's no point in debating why God hasn't created a miracle to convince you if nothing can convince you. I can't assume that God could think of a way to convince you, because you don't want to be convinced. So you won't be. Why did God and Jesus perform miracles? I don't know. I don't think they were trying to prove anything, particularly Jesus. He lived as a human (albeit with miraculous powers), and reacted to situations with human feelings. He healed people out of compassion, not as a show. If you're asking why god doesn't perform miracles now--the Catholic church investigates and records miracles every year. You just may not hear about them. Or, if you do, you don't believe they are true miracles.

  Why don't you answer my question? Because I can't think of a single thing that would convince you--but then, I don't know you very well. Maybe there is something. But, if not, then there is no way to answer your question.

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  Posted by S Fri Sep 11, 2009 11:11am PDT

  "I can't assume that God could think of a way to convince you, because you don't want to be convinced."

  Such sad failure of the imagination. Well I offered a small handful of ways. What do you think now?

  "Why did God and Jesus perform miracles? I don't know. I don't think they were trying to prove anything, particularly Jesus."

  If Jesus did not perform any miracles (including the resurrection), then why would people believe in him? He'd just be a philosopher right? You're stuck in a circular logic trap. The magic was needed to show Jesus was special, but Jesus showing us he is special takes away our faith or free will. You are trying to have it both ways.

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  Posted by Rebekah Fri Sep 11, 2009 1:07pm PDT

  Jesus is special without the miracles, at least to me. They may have been flashy--but his message was much more important.

  As for your examples, let me take on a few.

  In several of your examples, you apparently want a messaged finished 'signed, Jesus'. But anyone could write such a message. After all, the Bible was supposed to be inspired by God, but you think it's hogwash. Why would you (or any other skeptic) find a signature any more convincing?

  Diamonds as large as a mountain--well, I don't know of any, but I suppose one could naturally form, perhaps over an extinct volcano. And if the ancients could build pyramids out of huge bricks made of clay, then they could certainly rub down that diamond to a pyramid shape. So, again, a skeptic could easily claim such a "miracle" was man-made, not divine. (And I'd bet my bottom dollar that at least one person would cry aliens)

  There are places in this world where, due to the presence of unstable chemicals in the air and soil, fires might never go out--generally very inhospitable places, but places that could be explained by science. And the sound of Jesus's teaching, recorded, could be explained by a skeptic as unusual sound waves produced by the chemicals interacting (I don't really know enough about chemistry to give a better, more technical explanation, but I'm sure a chemist could).

  The point is that "believing is seeing"; if someone doesn't want to believe, there will never be evidence convincing enough to make them. Case in point--I believe that there is ample evidence to support the theory of evolution. But many people out there still don't believe in it. You could take those people, show them the evidence, walk through the explanation of evolution, and they still wouldn't believe.

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  Posted by S Fri Sep 11, 2009 1:20pm PDT

  ROFLOL. Bound, are you purposefully acting dense? Or joking with me? Those things I described are IMPOSSIBLE for any man to do. Most if not all are IMPOSSIBLE from what we know of the universe. You suppose one giant diamond could naturally form? Are you MAD!? A perfect, pure (only carbon), 100 foot tall diamond shaped exactly like a pyramid? Naturally forming. That is NONSENSE TO THE EXTREME.

  Your rebuttal doesn't pass the laugh test! You have to be joking with me here! How exactly could a giant ball of iron float in the air without any support? How could a jug never run out of wine? How could a BUSH made of WOOD burn forever? ROFLOL. Yours was the most hilariously bad rebuttal I have ever seen!

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