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Author Topic:   Can god heal the sick?
jar
Member (Idle past 424 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 3 of 64 (103099)
04-27-2004 2:30 PM


IMHO, God can heal the sick.
For many, although we do not yet understand why, faith seems to aid in healing.
Does that imply that the Faith Healers are anything more than Charlatans? Nope.

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Replies to this message:
 Message 4 by Parasomnium, posted 04-28-2004 4:38 AM jar has replied

  
jar
Member (Idle past 424 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 9 of 64 (104469)
05-01-2004 12:26 AM
Reply to: Message 4 by Parasomnium
04-28-2004 4:38 AM


Well, maybe I can explain my beliefs a little better.
First I happen to believe that there is a GOD.
But the topic also begins with the assumption that GOD exists, so for me, the answer is clear and simple.
Can God Heal the sick?
Answer, Yes!
But I think you were asking me to expand on the issue of Faith Healers.
Well, here goes.
I have a very low opinion of most Preachers and Evangelists and consider most to be only slightly higher on the evolutionary ladder than Slugs but leaving far bigger trail of slime.
For me, religion is a deeply person experience between GOD and the individual. And in teh Bible, whether they are true incidents or simply stories to convey a message, cures were usually chance encounters between GOD and the sufferer. In addition, in most cases the command to the cured individual was basically don't bother going around telling folk about this, just get on with your life.
The idea of Evangelists hold healing sessions where cures become a production assembly line runs counter to all that I believe. If GOD exists, if GOD can cure illness, then all that is needed is to ask.
No TV lights, no national broadcasts, no sitting around afterwards saying "Did you see how he cured that child? Did you see that man dance on the way out?" That's bullshit.
Were Christ to return tomorrow, IMHO his first acts would be to boot about 75% of the ministers out of their churches and 100% of the Tele-Evangelists.

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

This message is a reply to:
 Message 4 by Parasomnium, posted 04-28-2004 4:38 AM Parasomnium has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 10 by Parasomnium, posted 05-03-2004 5:22 AM jar has replied

  
jar
Member (Idle past 424 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 11 of 64 (104924)
05-03-2004 11:05 AM
Reply to: Message 10 by Parasomnium
05-03-2004 5:22 AM


Very good question.
I guess the best possible answer is that I also believe in Evil.
But there is a little bit more.
If you look at evolution, we are learning more daily about How it worked. As we learn more we are able to understand the wonder of it all.
But it is not just the world, species and Universe that are evolving.
We, as individuals are also evolving. We learn more daily about how sickness works and what we can do to prevent or cure it.
Slowly, we are learning more about how the mind works. We are learning how to heal even thought but far slower (it's much more complex a problem) then our understanding of the physical universe.
Gradually we are learning more about weather and we have been able to reduce the pain and suffering there as well.
We are learning more about how societies work and striving to find some reasonable substitute for warfare as a way of settling disputes.
We are evolving, just as everything else is evolving.
And could that not be GOD's purpose? Is it not possible (and for some of us perhaps even a reasonable expectation), that one of the species that will follow humans, post-human, evolved human, might not one day grow into something that might even be a suitable companion, perhaps even friend, of GOD?

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

This message is a reply to:
 Message 10 by Parasomnium, posted 05-03-2004 5:22 AM Parasomnium has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 12 by Parasomnium, posted 05-03-2004 5:29 PM jar has replied

  
jar
Member (Idle past 424 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 13 of 64 (105028)
05-03-2004 5:48 PM
Reply to: Message 12 by Parasomnium
05-03-2004 5:29 PM


All valid points and I would not dispute any of them.
But we are dealing with FAITH in this thread. And specifically, "Can GOD heal the sick".
Basically, I believe that there really is good and evil. You say that is not good enough for you.
I say I don't yet understand the WHY for most of what is seen. I am searching for that answer but honestly, doubt that the WHY will become known during my lifetime.
The rest of what you are dealing with is the HOW. There, I agree. Let's take GOD out of the explanation. I have no problem with that. I have already said I happen to find Evolution to be the best explanation of what is observed.
But if you want to know why GOD allows there to be sickness, all I can say is, "I don't know".

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

This message is a reply to:
 Message 12 by Parasomnium, posted 05-03-2004 5:29 PM Parasomnium has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 15 by Parasomnium, posted 05-04-2004 3:47 AM jar has replied

  
jar
Member (Idle past 424 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 17 of 64 (105176)
05-04-2004 9:58 AM
Reply to: Message 15 by Parasomnium
05-04-2004 3:47 AM


Re: Good and evil
Getting way off Topic. But if you start a thread I'll be gald to respond. The situation you describe though is not related to good and evil, IMHO.

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

This message is a reply to:
 Message 15 by Parasomnium, posted 05-04-2004 3:47 AM Parasomnium has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 19 by Parasomnium, posted 05-04-2004 10:35 AM jar has replied

  
jar
Member (Idle past 424 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 20 of 64 (105192)
05-04-2004 10:45 AM
Reply to: Message 19 by Parasomnium
05-04-2004 10:35 AM


Re: Good and evil
Okay
Well, IMHO, the examplle that you gave is not really good and evil. One of the problems is the lack of precision in so many English word (also one of the strengths of English as well but that is yet another topic).
For me, Hilter's Holocaust was EVIL. The Killing Fields of Cambodia was EVIL.
What you described was good and bad, and as you rightly stated, whether it was good or bad depends on your perspective.

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

This message is a reply to:
 Message 19 by Parasomnium, posted 05-04-2004 10:35 AM Parasomnium has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 23 by Parasomnium, posted 05-04-2004 7:28 PM jar has not replied

  
jar
Member (Idle past 424 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 32 of 64 (105505)
05-05-2004 10:10 AM
Reply to: Message 31 by Parasomnium
05-05-2004 10:04 AM


What does...
a dyslexic insomniac agnostic do?
He sits up all night and wonders if there really is a DOG.

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

This message is a reply to:
 Message 31 by Parasomnium, posted 05-05-2004 10:04 AM Parasomnium has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 33 by Parasomnium, posted 05-05-2004 10:37 AM jar has not replied

  
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