If catholics are so horrible, and God hates what we do- what about the miracles?

Question

Why would God allow things as such to happen to us if what we are doing is so horrible? I'm interested in the reason.

Examples: How some people (almost always gets canonized i believe) will be praying and the palms of their hands begin to bleed.

How some saints' bodies never decayed? Saint Bernadette for example, she died a LONG time ago. Even after being buried in the dirt her body remains as if she just died.

What about smaller, less important things.

I use to have horrible nightmares, two or more times a week, about things chasing me. Houses haunted by evil things. I began sleeping with a Rosary, and have no had a nightmare since- its been 5 months.

No, she wasnt embalmed. She was burried the old fashion way for years. When they dug her up her body was perfect.

http://www.catholicpilgrims.com/lourdes/bb_bernadette_body.htm

Answer 1

Exodus 7:10-12 So Moses and Aaron went on in to Phar′aoh and did exactly as Jehovah had commanded. Accordingly Aaron threw his rod down before Phar′aoh and his servants and it became a big snake. However, Phar′aoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers; and the magic-practicing priests of Egypt themselves also proceeded to do the same thing with their magic arts. So they threw down each one his rod, and they became big snakes; but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

2 Corinthians 11:14,15- And no wonder, for Satan himself keeps transforming himself into an angel of light. It is therefore nothing great if his ministers also keep transforming themselves into ministers of righteousness. But their end shall be according to their works.

Answer 2

Notice firstly that all your quotes are pulled from the Old Testament, the religious and political authority of Ancient Israel. The Israelite religion was both spiritual and extremely nationalistic. In praying for the Messiah, they awaited the arrival of a military leader that would destroy all of Israel's enemies, erect YHWH's Temple in the Promised Land, and thus restore the natural order of the world. Part of the reason the Jews did not believe Jesus was the Messiah was because he did not fit this nationalistic, militaristic profile. However, viewed through the Israelite world-view, the passages make complete sense. They revered a God who favored Israel at the expense of her enemies, who would brutally strike down Egyptian infants and slaughter Babylon just so that the Jews could have the Promised Land. This is the disparity between the Old and New Testaments. The Christians have redefined what it means to be a Messiah because they believe in Jesus, the humble, gentle, loving Son of God. In this view, the Crusades, the KKK, and Hitler were all VERY MUCH in the wrong to commit their crimes in the name of God. It is deceptive that the Jews and Christians share ancestry and Scripture, but their mindsets are so different that they might as well worship different Gods.

Answer 3

Because they really don't understand the Church. You can only understand if you've studied the Catechism. I don't practice Catholicism anymore but I do know where you're coming from. No matter what you tell some people, they will just refuse to believe it because they don't want to really know.
I have seen bodies of saints in the great Churches and I can tell you that they were not embalmed. I don't practice for reasons that I don't feel right stating but there is certainly nothing evil about being a Catholic. I don't understand bashing for any reason. Me: Buddhist

Answer 4

You sound like such a sweet girl, but your innocence is scary. Sounds like my niece and others saying they saw the mother Mary in a overpass in Chicago. It was the water running down and produced a stain. Now why would a saint appear in a pee stain cement overpass on the north side of Chicago? These guys went on and on about this "miracle." And I have a large bridge in Brooklyn that I will let you have cheap.

Satan is laughing all the way to the abyss.

Answer 5

Your god "allows" horrible things to happen to everyone, even christians, every day. Once again, here's an example of someone using random information as some sort of "proof" that their ideas are better than someone elses.

Most people who have studied stigmata (bleeding wounds of the crucifixion) will attribute them to the unfathomable power of the mind, resulting from the very strong beliefs of the afflicted. "Stigmata have been, on many occasions, the result of unconscious suggestions being accepted while in a trance like state"

And according to your link, she was slightly decayed, and started to decay further after being out of her vacuum-tight coffin. Sounds more like science than miracle to me.

Of course, there are unexplained miracles. They are not, however, proven to be provided by a christian god.

Answer 6

It is only horrible in the eyes of those who see it as different, and anything different from themselves must be horrible. Miracles are real, don't let anyone talk you out of that, but how special they are all depends in the eye of the beholder. Atheists love to poke fun at Catholics and other Christians because it is way different then what they see as right, and Christians seem to present themselves as hypocrites, not that they are, but to many people it seems that way. Many people who call themselves Christians just use the title, they don't practice the faith, therefor giving all practicing Christians a bad name.

Answer 7

I'm really not trying to be disrespectful at all, and I hope you believe me.
The Catholic Church represents itself and it's doctrines as something very "mysterious" and mystical and inexplicable. And it always has, I believe, in order to accomplish two things: It sets them apart and, (in their mind) elevates their status as a glorious and lofty religion AND they get to make the claim that they are the so-called "true" religion simply because they incorporated teachings and belief systems that came from original pagan belief systems?
The Bible also mentions an apostasy, (or falling away from the true religion) but Catholics think they can have it both ways. Holding onto "traditions of men" and trying to serve God at the same time! Jesus said "you have made the word of God "INVALID" because of your "TRADITIONS". What religion comes to mind for you? For me, it is the Catholic religion. It seems that you would rather be known for being a Catholic than just a plain ole "Christian".
As for the miracles you mentioned, people SEE what they WANT to SEE, and sometimes it is just that.

Answer 8

Your apologetics are lost one those without an open mind. Catholics are the largest single religious body on the planet and the most misunderstood. Others, influenced by the Accuser, must defend their hollow and torn faiths by attacking the truth. The Church will out last them all. Remain faithful.

By the by, all of the miracles are independently tested. We use non-believers for a purpose (ex: the tamilla of Our Lady of Guadalupe)

Answer 9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernadette_Soubirous#Bernadette.27s_body_exhumed
Donna they didnt embalm people in 1879 formaldehyde was discovered in 1867 and the practise of embalming much later... im not a catholic but facts are facts

Answer 10

Nobody can know what God likes, loves, or hates. If they could know, there would be no such thing as faith. It would just be fact and fiction. Are you claiming that there's no need for or such thing as faith?

Also, the mere idea that hate is something God can do contradicts what most claim God is.