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Just because God can do something doesn't mean that He will. I choose to believe in spite of illness/injury/famine/heartache, etc, not because of miracles.
How about the people with cancer? How about the blind? How about the deaf?
I call this suffering. How can God allow suffering?
We are not in a good position to assess the probability of whether God has morally sufficient reasons for the evils that occur.
I also think that the chief purpose of life is not happiness, but the knowledge of God. One reason that the problem of evil seems so puzzling is that we tend to think that if God exists, then his goal for human life is happiness in this world. God’s role is to provide comfortable environment for his human "pets", for lack of a better word. But on the Christian view this is false. We are not God’s pets, and man’s end is not happiness in this world (just watch the local news), but the knowledge of God, which will ultimately bring true and everlasting human fulfillment. Many evils occur in life which maybe utterly pointless with respect to the goal of producing human happiness in this world, but they may not be unjustified with respect to producing the knowledge of God. Innocent human suffering provides an occasion for deeper dependency and trust in God, either on the part of the sufferer or those around him. Those of you that have read the Bible can remember a verse where this is exactly laid out in view. A blindman came to Jesus and asked to be healed. Jesus said that the you were blind so you can SEE the works of God.
I can attest for this because I was born with a handicap and I know how it had affected my parents. Of course, whether God's purpose is achieved through our suffering will depend on our response. Do we respond with anger and bitterness toward God, or do we turn to Him in faith for strength to endure?
Btw, there's a new book about a man who has been blind his whole life. He was given the opportunity to see again via a very dangerous procedure that had a high probability of killing him. He was hesitant of doing the operation, not because it had a good chance of killing him, but because he was scared of things not being as perfect as he had envisioned while he was blind. He chose to see again, but he had a heck of a time finding it worthwhile. Statistics are showing that similar patients had become depressed, their lives ruined because, while it might seem strange to sighted people, these patients found that the idea of vision was better than the reality.
A handicap makes one a stronger person not a weaker person. When we come to know the Lord and the love that He has for us, it makes us just that much stronger,because without Him we have a bigger handicap.
That's ridiculous. What "statistics" are you talking about? Can you post those studies please?
What it sounds like is that for some people, wishing they could see (or whatever) consumes them for year after year. If somehow it happens, they realize they have spent so much time and focus on this one issue that they are at a loss for what comes next. That doesn't mean seeing is less than anticipated. It doesn't mean it's "too bad" they can see again. It simply means they might need some support in the community to help refocus their lives.
You can't have it both ways. You can't say when things go well that it was god answering your prayers but when things go bad and prayers aren't answered that oh well, suffering makes me stronger or we can't know god's will or who needs vision anyway or any other such nonsense.
No wait, I take that back. Keep saying it. Say it again and again because it's silly.
It is interesting how many have certain beliefs about God answering prayer, but when the prayers are not answered then this God just said NO. I say that God just said NO to those who are suffering. It wouldn't matter how much that person really believed; it is still NO. This is one reason why I don't believe that there is an almighty God out there answering prayers or even caring what happens to us on earth.
You can't have it both ways. You can't say when things go well that it was god answering your prayers but when things go bad and prayers aren't answered that oh well, suffering makes me stronger or we can't know god's will or who needs vision anyway or any other such nonsense.
God is not my personal genie. I am His servant. Who am I to think that He would feel obligated to answer my prayers exactly how I think they should be answered? However, He has promised to be with us thru whatever happens to us in this life, and His promises are true.
That's ridiculous. What "statistics" are you talking about? Can you post those studies please?
What it sounds like is that for some people, wishing they could see (or whatever) consumes them for year after year. If somehow it happens, they realize they have spent so much time and focus on this one issue that they are at a loss for what comes next. That doesn't mean seeing is less than anticipated. It doesn't mean it's "too bad" they can see again. It simply means they might need some support in the community to help refocus their lives.
God is not my personal genie. I am His servant. Who am I to think that He would feel obligated to answer my prayers exactly how I think they should be answered?
Ok, well I can understand there may not be a grand reason why he won't cure ALL cancer patients, but how come not one AIDS victim? Forget the lost body parts or birth defects, how about one AIDS patient? Just one. There's absolutely no room in the plan to cure anyone with anything that there's no human treatment for. This doesn't raise the least bit of suspicion?
The Lord Jesus invitation is the all who seek healing and he never turned away anyone...
Book of Mormon 3 Nephi 17:7.. Have ye any that are asick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or bleprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will cheal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.
Holy Bible Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
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