By Michael Runyan ~
No one argues the fact that Christian prayers have consistently failed to result in the grow-back of amputated limbs. There is no reputable report of this ever happening. Given this universal agreement, the challenge is to explain why.
For an atheist, the explanation is simple- the human body is not capable to regenerate limbs, other than a few minor items like fingertips. This ability was lost long ago in our evolutionary past. Our distant cousins, starfish and salamanders, have retained this capability.
For the Christian, the explanation becomes more problematic, especially in the wake of scriptures like this:
John 14:13
The stock apologetic answer is that God does not want to perform acts that would not leave doubters a way to remain in their doubt, or remove the need for believers to have faith. So the only prayers he will answer are those that appear to be the result of natural processes. Therefore, the scripture above should be corrected to say:
This is the god of Christianity- an invisible, inaudible entity that doesn’t do anything that can’t otherwise be explained by assuming his non-existence. This hardly seems like a limitless god, and until he heals his first amputee, a person of sound mind should remain unflinchingly skeptical. <
For an atheist, the explanation is simple- the human body is not capable to regenerate limbs, other than a few minor items like fingertips. This ability was lost long ago in our evolutionary past. Our distant cousins, starfish and salamanders, have retained this capability.
For the Christian, the explanation becomes more problematic, especially in the wake of scriptures like this:
John 14:13
“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
The stock apologetic answer is that God does not want to perform acts that would not leave doubters a way to remain in their doubt, or remove the need for believers to have faith. So the only prayers he will answer are those that appear to be the result of natural processes. Therefore, the scripture above should be corrected to say:
“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so long as it appears that it might have happened anyway without my help.”
This is the god of Christianity- an invisible, inaudible entity that doesn’t do anything that can’t otherwise be explained by assuming his non-existence. This hardly seems like a limitless god, and until he heals his first amputee, a person of sound mind should remain unflinchingly skeptical. <
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