What do you think about this quote?

Question

The thing about miracles is if you have faith you don't need them, and if you are a doubter, well then no miracle is ever enough.

Answer 1

There is a lot of truth in the quote...

As Jesus said, "If you would believe you would see..." (John 11:40)
Also, "If you can believe, all things are possible..." (Mark 9:23)

You can see that the "believing" comes before the "seeing"...at least in the normal order of things...

This is the catch-22 I point out with the doubters that always say, "Prove it".

In a sense, they are saying, "If I see, then I will beleive."
But Jesus says, "If you believe, then you will see."

Here is the catch-22.

Not only this, people often "demand" signs and "miracles" and "proof"...

But Jesus responds to this:
"An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." -Matthew 12:39-40

What really shocked me the first time I read the Bible to prove it wrong (as an atheist), was the fact that Jesus would do these amazing miracles in the sight of all these people...and yet, immediately after the miracle, they would go up to Him and demand a sign. I'm like...hello? Did you just see whay He did?

This gives credence to "if you are a doubter, well then no miracle is ever enough".

For, there were many people who beheld the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ...evident by all His miracles...and yet, still did not believe. In these cases, no miracle would ever be enough.

This is true, today...as well.

If Jesus were to appear to some atheists...some atheists would dismiss it as a hallucination, an illusion, or a delusion.

However, there would be some that would believe. Even as there was in the time of Jesus, some did believe and worship Him. You could say that they "doubted" at first, but then were convinced by the miracles...or the resurrection.

The "doubting Thomas" is worth noting...

He said, "Unless I see...I will not believe" (John 20:24)

How amazing the grace of our Lord...who did show Himself even to the doubting Thomas, and said:
"Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29)

I am much like Thomas...and am amazed at His grace in revealing Himself to me. And truth-be-told...all of us who believe should be stunned by such grace!

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Lastly, another powerful example of an exception to this rule is Saul of Tarsus (later, Paul). He definitely did not believe...until after he saw - when Jesus appeared to him and blinded him.
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So, there are exceptions to the rule, but the general rule holds:
Faith comes before the proof.

I personally testify to this truth, as well.
After having faith, I have seen things that would have been sufficent and definitive "proof" to my doubting mind in order to have faith in Jesus Christ. However, when these things happened, although they did strengthen my faith...they certainly did not take me from doubting to having faith. I already had the faith.

Again...an amazing catch-22 atheists are in.

And when they hear these truths, they can only say (in their doubting), "How convenient".

Its sad...and as Jesus solemnly declared:
"Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." -John 4:48

But, blessed are they who believe who have not seen!
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Grace and peace in Christ be with you!

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Answer 2

I think its pretty true. If you have faith, you don't need to see miracles all the time to know God is real, because you ALREADY know He is. If you don't have faith, you will find a way to explain away any miracle.

An example, someone I know who wasn't a believer agreed to let us pray for her to be healed from cancer. She went back to the doctor a few days later and her tumor was gone. Rather than thank God for her miracle, she reasoned that the 4 seperate tests she had before must have been false.

Answer 3

Everybody needs miracles sometimes.
If the doubter experienced the miracle, The miracle often will cause switches beliefs..

Possibley , the solution at the time, not the solution now.

Answer 4

Faith is a constantly growing thing...a miracle grows one's faith.

And yes, miracles do exist today. All over the place.

The quote is a little judgmental.

Answer 5

I agree with the first part, but not sure about the second part...the apostles constantly doubted Jesus, but as He showed them more and more miracles their faith grew. (It always seems like Jesus is happier though when He doesn't have to resort to miracles for us to believe...)

Answer 6

A miracle is something that you can't explain. They probably fall within the realm of nature. I guess the quote is accurate.

Answer 7

Eh, its usually the people of faith claiming things are miracles.

Answer 8

I don't think it was written by a skeptic. A belief in miracles is implicit in the quote.

I think that people who believe in miracles can see them in many places where more skeptical people see rational, albeit unlikely, coincidences.

Answer 9

Funny... hospitals are filled with amputees who have both faith, and a need for a miracle. But they never seem to get one. Odd :-/

Answer 10

Wrong: Corrected: There is no such thing as a miracle; the laws of physics prevail throughout all time and space.