Published by Most of the people who have answered this question for me say that they would believe if God would show up in person, maybe do a miracle or two. I am sorry if this sounds disrespectful or rude, but I don’t think that witnessing a miracle would have much effect on the belief system of most humans.
What?!? I can hear you thinking “Witnessing a miracle would not get us to believe in God? Then why have you been annoying us with your endless proselytizing if you don’t think we will ever believe, even if we saw a miracle?”
I say this because there is a deep seated proclivity in human nature to explain away anything that does not fit inside our personal box of opinions and presuppositions. There are miracles and divine interventions happening around us all the time, but most people don’t see them or acknowledge them as miracles.
If you say that seeing a miracle would make you change your belief system that would be great. The disciple Thomas had witnessed a gazillion miracles in the three years he spent following Jesus, including three incidents of raising the dead, but even he said that he would not believe in the resurrection unless he could see Jesus himself and stick his finger in the nail holes and thrust his hand into the wound from the sword piercing in Jesus’ side. A week later, Jesus showed up again and invited Thomas to put his hand and fingers into His wounds. Then Jesus told him to stop doubting and believe. Then He said: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
During the three or four years that Jesus was walking on our planet as one of us, there were many who witnessed at least a few of those gazillion miracles and it caused them to believe. But there were many others who saw the same miracles and did not believe.
Reading through the book of Exodus in the Old Testament has always made me wonder at the lack of faith in the generation that saw the most dramatic miracles in the Bible.
You know the story. Ten horrific plagues inflicted on the Egyptians while the Hebrews were spared. Then God led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. This was the generation that saw the Red Sea parted for them to walk through on dry ground.
You would think that this generation would be the most devoted and faith filled people in history. They ate manna – bread that fell from heaven. They drank water that came out of a stone. But what was the phrase that echoed through the book of Exodus? It wasn’t “thank you!” It was: ”Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
My point is that seeing miracles doesn’t necessarily lead people to belief. There is also a difference between belief and faith. Satan and his demons all believe that God exists. Faith is a trust that God will take care of us.
I think you are right there Karen – I think miracles need to be personal thing, and a transforming personal experience otherwise it is just dismissed, and probably rightly so.
I have often thought that if Jesus were wandering around today and then walked on water – people would be like WOW – AWESOME – DO IT AGAIN. Then if he obliged and did it a few more times people would get bored of that and then say COME ON WHAT NEXT
There is no indication in Egyptian history that the children of Israel were ever there….it is only the story telling done by Israel nomads that leads your “willing” mind into their trap.
In every area of life you demand proof before you proceed to advance any significant deed, it is only in matters of (superstitious) religion that you have been trained from a child to over-ride your objective mind and substitue illusions. When you become stronger, teach your mind a system of ethics based on fairness and Justice and all other things will take care of themselves.
To say the truth I admire your courage to stand for the lord no matter what circumstances prevail. Its the happenings around us that make many despair and turn their backs to the creator. If I were in Haiti, I wouldn’t mind blaming him again and again for the latest tragedy.
no miracles or personal appearances for me to believe.. I’ve felt His love eversince I was born..
In the health care field I and my co-workers have witnessed many amazing miracles, yet many of them still won’t believe in an awesome God who can overcome all our adversities for us. Even the recipients of the miracles try to find rationalization that will help them to keep refusing to believe in God. Yes human nature is in it’s self one of the biggest obstacles between man and God.
Interesting post. Miracles witnessed every day would eventually become mundane, so miracles of themselves wouldn’t necessarily seem as proof to the skeptical.
good write
You have expressed some good points of view.