Why were people of the Bible given the ability to do miracles and people today do not?
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M$2 Answers
This book "Like a Might Wind" - http://www.amazon.com/Like-Mighty-Wind-Mel-Tari/dp/0892211237 talks about miracles that occurred in Indonesia.
There are other books as well that speaks of miracles you just need to look under the "Charismatic" section of a Christian book store. Miracles happen today, you just have to know where to look for them.
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M$
I don't intend to be belligerent or hostile, I call them as I see them. With regard to this particular question, you have asked something relatively testable. But it is really too much to try to summarize all the science which shows that natural processes were the same a couple of thousand years ago as they are today. Also, I don't see how you can disagree that people are pretty gullible today, think of all the people who firmly believe in religions that you regard as completely false if nothing else. So, it should be pretty easy to see that the same was likely in the past, if not more so.
I am not presenting unfounded beliefs and always refer to things you can look up easily even if I don't always give a citation.
The problem with your claimed attempt to get an honest discussion going is that you don't want one at all. You seem to just want to hear from people who agree with you.
Religious people get away with a lot in most discussions most of the time. They "preach to the choir" and most people who do not believe as they do just stay quiet. I think the ideas behind questions such as yours should be challenged and fought, because they will never be ended if people keep silent.
Since you have answered, I will say this I did not say the miracles of the bible were claimed, I said people today claim to do them. I also believe they were done back then as well. The reason that I think they are not done today, is because there is a lack of faith among the people of today, to many nay-sayers and evil speakers in the midst. I really dont believe in magic either so, I did not say that either. But I am sure that you will twist that too.
However, I asked for it, again, being a Christian is my life, the purpose of asking these questions is to get an honest and worthwhile discussion going, whether someone agrees with me or not, not to look for another Albanian fight. I would truly enjoy having a debate with you if you would stop telling me your unfounded beliefs, and when I dont agree with you, you become beligerent and hostile, again something I don't need.
Please understand when I say, you don't have to answer every question I put up.
Here I disagree, because I have been debating Christian principles with people for the better part of a year, I have been the winner and the loser of several very real debates.
However those people hear my claims and respect my reasons for believing as I do, even here, I understand when someone disagrees, while I don't always agree with them, I certainly will defer to their opinion if it answers the question I asked in detail with proof. So I would do so with you.
I look forward to great debate, it is interesting and I learn more about my religion. In another debate with a man who was clearly a atheist, I learned about 3 new religions I never even knew existed and I learned about some very strange things people have said.
I look forward to hearing why you think things are however telling me my bible cant be trusted is hardly the way to go. Saying I disagree because the bible said or because something I read clearly points out this principle is wrong is, because now I have to look it up and come back with an intelligent commentary.
You asked me why this doesnt give me pause, it doesnt because I believe that Christians are not as strong in their beliefs as they were in a time when people walked around preaching to each other daily, when people actually walked the streets with Jesus, there was all kinds of reasons for people to no longer have the ability to perform miracles.
I have very little knowledge of Catholics and am learning about them now in my History of Christianity class, but I am learning that while they are indeed Christian they are quite different from who and what I am.
You say this shows people can believe stuff without evidence, but you have no clue how much evidence a person has when you say that. I have not always been a Christian and I spent quite a while studying before becoming one. One of the things that the bible tells you is, that there will be false prophets, so you have to be discerning, you should question everything and learn for yourself.
In another point, I did not say that miracles are not real because even now some very miraculous things do happen, like a gentleman I wrote about who had an entire building fall down around him in that earthquake in Haiti and through faith he managed to keep him and another man alert enough to make it through a terrible ordeal. Or on September 11, when the nurses where I worked left their homes to help out those people who were help, those are miracles.
The miracles I have not personally seen is raising the dead or healing the person who cant walk or cant see without modern scientific devices as tools, or that may be the miracle in itself. I also dont believe in magic so by calling what I mean that it is disrespectful when you know that most Christians think that is wrong.
So while, I look forward to arguing the facts with you, I am a very outspoken person and I do not being disrespected by anyone simply because they dont agree with me.
I am well informed many of those are not real miracles. I mean I enjoy those stories but I have yet to see any of those. I am glad you believe those stories and since you have answered my question though I dont agree with them.