Aren't "miracles" a ridiculous idea?

Question

I'm a 20 year old Christian male who doesn't believe in miracles. For instance, people believe that if they're sick with a terminal illness and they pray to God, they can be saved.
What does that say about the people who pray to God but aren't cured of their cancer? What did they do that God wouldn't help them? Are they not worthy? How does God choose who to save and who not to? Why are murderers, atheists, and rapists cured of a disease while a young child isn't? Why didn't God help the child?
I know I'm just rambling but I want to hear people's opinions. And please don't give me any of that "God has a plan" or "God knows what's best" B.S., because hopefully everyone, including God, can agree that a young, innocent child dying of brain cancer is not a plan of God.
So basically the question is: Do you believe in miracles or not? and why, based on the questions I've provided.
Thanks.

To Kenyai:
Atheists are included because it is largely assumed that people who believe in God are helped by God, while those who don't, aren't. no?

To Shneb:
I've been a Christian all my life. My belief in miracles doesn't interfere with my belief that Jesus is the savior of the world. And honestly I find it offensive that you would assume anything about me, considering you've never met me. Ever heard "Judge not, lest ye be judged"?

To Lazy:
I do believe that Jesus was capable of miracles, but no I don't believe that he walked on water or anything like that. Those are ways of the disciples of Jesus to communicate his Godliness to us. Jesus didn't HAVE to create miracles to prove that he was God. He was able to make God undeniably known to his followers. However how do you communicate a feeling like that in writing? You can't, which is why you turn them into "miracles". The early readers of the Bible would have understood this better than we do.

To Don:
Thank you for your intelligent and non-judgmental post. I don't fear death, nor do I see it as a negative experience. However I do take issue with a four year old boy suffering with a terminal illness or a 12 year old girl who is raped and murdered.

Thanks to everyone who has posted, even some of my Christian brothers and sisters who have been harsh and refused to understand my point of view.

To Brett:
ummm... what? Why am I a bigot?

Answer 1

I believe in miracles, but I have a different definition of what a miracle is. I think you really want to know why bad things happen if the man upstairs is so good. Think on this for a moment: If god is everywhere, would that not mean that he is everything? If god is everything, who is sick, raped, or murdered but god? All of these things God does to itself. It reminds me of an old saying I forgot who said it, "If the murderer thinks he kills and the victom thinks he is killed, neither understand."

Answer 2

Its not a ridiculous idea..its a fact..Miracles happened throughout the bible days and are still happening today..Just the other day on the news, a man was diagnosed with some sort of cancer in his heart, then unexplained was cured..they came back with x rays that were clean...couldn't explain it...I believe that was a miracle...Ive heard of others..I do believe it is part of a plan too..Doesn't it say that all things work for the good for all those who believe? We don't know all things, only god does and he has it all under-control...whether someone dies, or not. A friend of mine had a child that had a brain tumor and died. That father, through her death realized that he needed God, so was saved through that circumstance. He will again see her someday....I don't believe in the word atheist..I think everyone knows there is a God, its whether they truly believe or choose not to..And if you think its B.S then you might have a problem with being a christian. We could all die at any given moment..I guess we have to be ready.

Answer 3

Obviously you've never experienced a miracle or you wouldn't think they were such a ridiculous idea. Why do I believe in miracles, because my life is a miracle? I was recently very sick (for 3 years), yet I am back up and training for marathons. My parents were told by doctors as a child, that I would never be able to excel at any type of sport due to damaged kidneys. Today, I am a personal trainer and aerobics instructor as well as an avid runner..None of this happened over night for me. It was all progressive and a process but still a miracle. God is NO RESPECTOR of persons (see Acts 10:34) but he is a respector of faith. Whatever happens to a child, depends on the faith of parents for they are that child's hedge. (See Deut. 30:19) that is why parents should make Godly decisions on behalf of their children. I am sad to see that you are a believer yet don't believe...Salvation, the changing of a human heart is the biggest miracle of all. God bless you.

Faith is usually based on what the individual believes about God. If you don't believe in miracles, you will not see one. I believed, therefore I received one.

Answer 4

Obviously the point of war is to be bigger than the other guys. They just can't believe or take seriously that the Arabs Muslim groups are really fighters. It's actually a bit of biogtry at Arabs that they don't take them seriously. =============== Additional: Since when is war a mathematical equation? The basic objective of any warring party is to inflict maximal damage on the enemy while minimizing its own casualties. Was there anything proportional about the FIRST US war in Iraq ? Or about Iraq 's invasion of Kuwait for that matter? Or about Russia 's recent war against Georgia ? Israel is doing exactly what any other country has done in the past. This is how war works. Would a British citizen complain that "too few" British soldiers are being killed in Iraq ? Probably not. And on a more elementary note: Palestinian military inferiority is not an indication of moral superiority. Palestinian insistence on resorting to violence despite this military weakness is an indication of poor judgment perhaps - yet it is by no means an indication of moral virtue. Resorting to violence directed at civilians just to terrorize them, makes thems morally skirting war to create gang violence.

Answer 5

Miracles do happen every day. As to your question about why some and not others. Who are we to know the mind of God? I know this is not the answer you want to hear, but we do not know what God has in store for us. Yes, it is not God's will for anyone to die, but it happens. Can God prevent it? If he wants to. Then why doesn't he? I have no idea. God knows what he is doing, even though we do not.

Humans tend to think about earthly things. So we say 'Why did God not help this child?' because the child did not survive. There are other ways that God helps people. He brings them comfort when it is needed and never leaves them. God's ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts. We do not know what will happen because this child died and the rapist survived. The only thing that we can do is put it in the hands of God.

Answer 6

Basically, you've said you don't want people to tell you why they believe in miracles by excluding opinions peole might strongly believe. I believe in miracles because I just do. Sometimes I've asked for miracles and i have been disappointed, i won't lie. But for the one time i did experience a miracle, all my believing was worthwhile. Sometimes being a skeptic reduces ur chances of recieving.

Answer 7

pay attention God might be talking to you.


Miracles do exist.

first of all a miracle will not save you (only God will), but it will liberate you from sickness, bad spirits and the world. Hear what God has to say about this:

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." John 15:7

In his Word God says ask whatever your Wish weither it is sick ness, wealth, family, love - anything. But it also states that His Word should remain in you. This is way some people get what they pray for and others don't because not everyone follows God's word the way they should

here is what God has to say about those who don't receive:

"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." James 4:3

this is another reason people don't receive because they only ask for what they want and don't want to change there ways, don't want to follow God and yet they want God to bless them.

for instance

If a man gets sick and through his sickness he gets to know and except Jusus in his heart, but God knows that after he gets well we will go back to the world and get lost and go to hell then he will take him in his sickness.

This happened to a friend of mine he got real sick and got to know and excepted Jusus ( we prayed for him and God took the sickness away), but once he got well he went back to his old ways. So he got real sick again and he ask for forgiveness and he past away.

there are othere times that God uses situations like this to give prepare us and give us strength.

How you might ask?

well it's real simple
lets say a young, innocent child is dying of brain cancer and we pray for him and yet he dies. the famly and parents are hurt, but these parents trust in God and they know God did what was right. So now from this expirience they (the Kids parents) can help out other people that are in such or even worser situations. for who will you lisen too some one that has never gone through what you are going through or some one that has been there and knows how it feels?

you see God works in mistiries ways and only he knows why things happen.

I know that Miracles are real because I have Biblical proof and because I have lived them.

one last thing murderes, atheists, and rapists are cured of a disease because God give them another chance to repent from there sins.

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:8

Answer 8

A "CHRISTIAN" who doesn't believe in miracles?...that's a good one! What would you call it when a wretched sinner gets saved and his life is miraculously changed? If you don't believe in miracles, I doubt you've met God; because He's a miracle performing God who transforms lives!

Answer 9

So you're a Christian who doesn't believe in miracles.

So you don't believe Jesus walked on water, made water into wine, feed 5,000 people with a few fish and loaves of bread, raised the dead, cured the sick, and was himself raised from the dead. You don't believe in any of those miracles?

Answer 10

Sorry - but miracles are real.

Listen - God is running the whole universe - He is in control of everything - He sees the big picture - you only see in part.

He is God - He made us - He has the right to let us live or let us die - It is His call. He doesn't need our help.

But He is still in the miracle business - He loves us. He sometimes lets us have our way - but dear one His Will is best. Sorry - those are the facts.