Why doesn't God cure amputees?

[TerranIV]

A Mormon missionary, huh? That's two Mormon missionaries turned atheist we have on the forum. So when did you decide there wasn't really a God, Terran -- before your mission, during your mission, or after your mission? Whenever... It doesn't matter. I'm just curious. By the way, "fundy" isn't really a new phrase and I'm definitely not a kid! Anyway, welcome to RF!

Not sure how my question is just for "fundy" christians or how I'm a "fundy" atheist but good to know. (Maybe because I have a question someone else asked already?)

I was a Christian apologist for most of my teenage years and through my mission. I felt that there was an answer for every theological "hole" in the bible. I could find logical or spiritual answers for any question thrown at me. Then after I got home I started to realize the people at church who "knew" the church was true really didn't know much about the bible at all or the history of religion in general. They just came to church, listened to the lessons, and nodded their heads in agreement.

I came to realize all the answers I had come up with for "problems" in Christianity and the Bible were really only my answers. The church and Christianity in general really had no understanding of the problems and didn't have answers either - even for easy ones like "Why is the book of Genesis nothing like what we now know to be true about how planets form?" The obvious answer COULD be "Well, if you look at Genisis from the perspective of someone standing on the earth and witnessing the creation in fast motion then it would look exactly like what we know about how planets form." Instead they would be like, "Well, just take it on faith."

I guess I kind of got sick and tired of finding excuses for God. I came to the point where I was like, "You know, if there really is a God, and religion knows all about him, then I shouldn't have to come up with all these excuses for stupid things religion says about the universe and people in general."

I said one final prayer letting "god" know I couldn't continue to make up excuses and bet my whole life on a devotion to religion and idea of god with so little proof or promise. I had been a very devoted christian and I was still very depressed and my family had gone through some very hard times. None of the promises about listening to my prayers had been fullfilled and I couldn't continue to sacrifice my time and energy and love to a god who obviously wasn't there. I let him know I was opened to any real signs he would like to send my way, but that if he really is as merciful and all knowing as he is advertized to be he would understand how I felt and why I couldn't go on believing in bible based religions and promise-breaking gods.

If there is a god and he/she/it really is all powerful and all knowing they will know I tried by best. If there is no god, then much of my religious life (not all) was a waste of time. If the god of the bible is true, then I expect to see some sort of sign or evidence of his powers and promises before I will ever entertain the idea of believing in him. If the deists are right, I don't see a reason why such a god would need me or anyone else to believe in him/her/it when it doesn't have any interaction with our world. If there is another sort of god out there I have a similar requirement of a reason to belive. Science has provided ample reasons to believe in a universe which operates perfectly fine with no god at all.

If someday god decides to stop hidding itself from us, I will be first in line to kiss his feet.

Sorry for getting so personal here. I guess that is the beauty of online anonymity.

 

[Storm]

Not sure how my question is just for "fundy" christians or how I'm a "fundy" atheist but good to know. (Maybe because I have a question someone else asked already?)

I don't think you're a fundy atheist, and while I haven't reviewed the thread, I'd be surprised if Kat meant to call you one.

 

[Storm]

BTW, I posted this in another theodicy thread, but I think you'd get a kick out of it, too. It's even on topic.

Mr. Deity & The Evil

 

[TerranIV]

If your head was cut off or you are cut in half, you dont need healing you need to be reconstructed and then raised from the dead. I think its simpler to be re-incarnated. Heneni

Don't "need" my head to grow back? What about a finger or an arm?

Hm...Really? Simpler to start over than to repair?

What is something else which get's cut off all the time and just grows back? HAIR! Why does our hair grow back after we cut it off but our finger can't? Too complicated for God? I thought he/she/it was all-powerful.

Why don't we just get our hair back when we are resurrected? Why do bald men not get their hair back but non-bald people do? Why can't god cure bald people? The human body obviously has the ability to grow hair on our head.

Why do bald people suddenly become ineligible for what they had most of their life until they went bald? Do bald people "not need" hair on the top of their head all of a sudden?

(I swear I'm not bald!)

 

[TerranIV]

Friend TerranIV,

Kindly let us not forget that Jesus was a human being and christian god is not as all gods of all religions are only that *imagination*. or mere *thoughts*.

Love & rgds

Yes you are correct. I was just saying there is one god who DID say he could heal people. There are also other gods who do not promise any healing and those gods have no obligation to answer this. Santa, the god of children's toys, for example, does not promise any healing - only toys.

 

[TerranIV]

BTW, I posted this in another theodicy thread, but I think you'd get a kick out of it, too. It's even on topic.

Mr. Deity & The Evil

Ha ha ha! That was great! Thanks, Storm!

 

[Storm]

You're welcome!

 

[Freelancer7]

I thought God did, but then again you have to believe in reincarnation for that one ; |

 

[painted wolf]

With a culture full of healers and medicine workers... what point is there in having God do it?
It makes god seem rather mundane.

Perhaps a healer god is only needed in a place where medical care is appalling?

wa:do

 

[Spiritone]

I just heard this question posed the other day:

"If god can miraculously cure people who are suffering from disease, why doesn't god cure amputees?"

I heard this from the guys over at whywontgodhealamputees.com and I was amazed at why I never thought of that before. If god has special powers and can do "miracles" why does he/she/it NEVER cure amputees? What is it about people with disease which makes them candidates for god's mercy but not amputees? Are starfish more loved by god than humans?

I'm curious for theists' and deists' answers to this question.

To me that is an absurd question for a non-believer or believer to ask. You could ask a thousand questions about why God does not do things you think God should do--why let people burn to death or drown or get cancer or be born crippled?
There is no definite answer that anyone and I mean anyone can give. We can guess or search in scripture for answers but the obvious is that that is the way of the world for whatever reason.
You can say there is no God because you can see no other explanation but for believers the are reasons. What are they? That is up to each person to find out by observing everything and realizing what our situation is at this time and place. And what we can do to make the necessary changes. Just my two cents.

 

[zenzero]

Friend TerranIV,

Yes you are correct. I was just saying there is one god who DID say he could heal people. There are also other gods who do not promise any healing and those gods have no obligation to answer this. Santa, the god of children's toys, for example, does not promise any healing - only toys.

So, when you understand, where is the problem?

Love & rgds

 

[jacobweymouth]

I have no idea. I've heard of miraculous cures, but...

Perhaps because it wouldn't require much faith if a limb grows back.

 

[Spiritone]

Friend TerranIV,



So, when you understand, where is the problem?

Love & rgds

Where is there an understanding about promises not kept---or were there conditions attached? If so why were they not stated or explained? Or were they? I'm talking Christianity of course. Sorry if i came in to this not having read the whole thread.

 

[TerranIV]

Friend TerranIV,
So, when you understand, where is the problem?
Love & rgds

The problem is the god who lied.

 

[TerranIV]

I have no idea. I've heard of miraculous cures, but...
Perhaps because it wouldn't require much faith if a limb grows back.

True, but that begs the question - "What is different about curing a blind man, than curing an amputee?" Why would it require less faith for Jesus to cure an amputee than to cure a blind man?

And while we're at it, why aren't blind people being cured with spit and mud anymore these days?

 

[TerranIV]

With a culture full of healers and medicine workers... what point is there in having God do it?
It makes god seem rather mundane.

Ah, but if god would cure an amputee wouldn't that bring the spotlight back on god again? It's been awhile since god has done anything interesting.

Perhaps a healer god is only needed in a place where medical care is appalling?
wa:do

Do amputees in third-world countries get healed by god?

 

[TerranIV]

To me that is an absurd question for a non-believer or believer to ask. You could ask a thousand questions about why God does not do things you think God should do--why let people burn to death or drown or get cancer or be born crippled?
There is no definite answer that anyone and I mean anyone can give. We can guess or search in scripture for answers but the obvious is that that is the way of the world for whatever reason.
You can say there is no God because you can see no other explanation but for believers the are reasons. What are they? That is up to each person to find out by observing everything and realizing what our situation is at this time and place. And what we can do to make the necessary changes. Just my two cents.

Actually it has a very simple and easy answer - there is no god. It is all a myth.

The reason the question is important is so many people claim their god heals them when they are just being healed by doctors or their bodies natural healing ability. If god could actually heal people with his magic powers he would not be restricted to things which can be cured just as easily with no prayer as with prayer. Where is the miracle in that? Why does god answer the prayer of someone with a curable disease and not the prayer of someone who has lost a limb or is dying from dismemberment or some other mortal wound. Maybe the rain does fall on the good and the wicked, but what about "Ask and ye shall receive."? What kind of hypocritical god promises to answer the prayers of the faithful and doesn't? Is a god who is a liar worthy of our worship? If your god has not made these promises then you have no problem, but the Christian god did, and he's not following through.

It's a not an absurd question unless you don't want to hear the answer - there is no god.

 

[jacobweymouth]

True, but that begs the question - "What is different about curing a blind man, than curing an amputee?" Why would it require less faith for Jesus to cure an amputee than to cure a blind man?

I thought you were talking about nowadays. He did make the lame walk.

And while we're at it, why aren't blind people being cured with spit and mud anymore these days?

Jesus is as the right hand of God, and He's the only one that's ever done that.

 

[zenzero]

Friend TerranIV,

The problem is the god who lied.

Can you quote that god that lied?
Please do so and shall explain.

Love & rgds

 

[danny vee]

The more I learn, the less I know.

The two parts of your sentence strictly contradict each other. Learning is gaining knowledge. Do explain yourself.