A Simple Straight to the Fact Answer Will Do.

the_power_of_prayer4I don’t know…maybe it’s a good way to escape dilemmas. We call it here in the Philippines as “pa-pogi points”. Obviously, majority of their cult followers are either dumb or stupid to figure it out. But try reading Christian apologist reactions here in the Internet and you will notice that they are not answering questions. They are just …well …it sounded more like senseless, pretentious babbles (“ngak-ngak!”) to me.

One good example can be found on how a certain Eliseo Soriano tried to answer one of atheism simple inquiry, “Why won’t God heal amputees”?

First Mr. Soriano called the question as “stupid”. Hmmmm…so since you can’t answer the question, it becomes stupid huh? But I don’t blame Mr. Soriano, it’s a common Christian apologist tactic. Norman Giesler called the Paradox of the Stone as a meaningless question.

Now let us tackle the question “Why won’t God heal amputees?”
Bible idolaters believe that a pious Christian can ask God anything. Nothing is impossible to God (if it exist). Jesus Christ is even too generous to provide us his explanation. According to Jesus, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24)
Now in this scenario, a Christian prayed hard to God to make his severe limb grow back again…something like a lizard’s tail or a crab’s claw.
Christians agree that God works in a mysterious, supernatural way. Now, when we talk about supernatural, we’re talking about events not considered to be normal…hmmmm just like a miracle. Something is said to be supernatural if it’s beyond any scientific explanation. If a person’s severe limb grows back, well…we can consider it a supernatural event.

The Bible is full of these alleged supernatural acts of God. Talking donkeys, sticks that turned into living snakes, dead people rising from the grave, iron ax head that floats on water and people walking on water… Sure sounded like things from that T.V. show The X-Files, right? Anyway, a severed arm growing back may be considered a supernatural miracle. Any person who doubts the existence of a god will sure buy the whole shebang if he will see some feat like that.

Now how many times an atheist will tell these Christian charlatans, “justifying God’s existence just by reading Bible chapter and verses will not achieved anything.” If a guy rationalize the existence of a god base on Biblical fairy-tales…well that will automatically make the reality of Spider-Man and The Batman possible. So an event such as a growing arm replacing a lost one will surely be a hit! Not only does a god proved his powers to his devouted, delusional followers but also proved his existence beyond reasonable doubt.

Bear in mind the Bible claim that 1.) Nothing is impossible to God, 2.) That faith can move mountains and 3.) Prayer works.

Yet until now, there is no such event. Even sites said to be phenomenal such as Fatima and Lourdes, there is not a single case of an amputee miraculously been restored a new leg or arm. Not even a detached finger! Even in the pages of the Bible, you will by no means find a story of an amputee growing back any lost limbs (yet dead guys walking out of the grave like zombies are too numerous). Christian evangelists and apologists would love to tell non-believers about the power of their god by telling stories of how supernaturally the Red Sea parted and how the Sun stops moving, yet you won’t find a single case of God regenerating a severed arm or leg of his favorite people. So is that such an impossible act for an all-powerful, omnipotent God?

So sorry to dissapoint you Mr. Soriano but the question is still not answered. Your long and dull explanation and biblical canting haven’t satisfies the inquiry. Oh and by the way, the question is not stupid as you have indicted. The reply needs a good explanation…and giving a very lengthy Bible apology is a very shoddy way of dodging the issue.

24 comments

  1. According to AFFILEPHIRL: Jesus Christ is even too generous to provide us his explanation. According to Jesus , “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer , believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24) …

    Your long and dull explanation and biblical canting haven't satisfies the inquiry

    John the Atheist: Really? I still said that facts are better than fictions.

  2. Um, I think there are numerous ways Christians can answer the question "why won't God heal blah blah" without undermining the power of "God". How about "maybe God has better plans for you" or "God is testing you" or "you are being punished" or how about just "maybe you don't deserve it".

    • So a child born with missing limbs or a permanent disability somehow "deserves" it? And if it were a "test" for the parents, why not take it out on them then? Why go through the trouble of involving an innocent child just to make a point? More than ridiculous, that is just sick.

      And please don't even start with the "cancer is a test from God" – It is a disease, plain and simple, and no amount of theological reasoning is going to change the fact that it is slow, agonizing condition that afflicts countless people around the world, whether they "deserve" some sort of punishment or not.

      I had an uncle who died of cancer last Xmas, much to the grief of his family, to whom ours was very close to. What sort of crime did we commit, or did his family commit, that they would need to lose the life of a good father and loving husband?

      So please, unless your God can justify his actions for being such a dick, can I kindly ask you to read up a bit more:
      http://www.whydoesgodhateamputees.com/

      I'm not normally this hostile, but when religion tries to weasel its way out of a real tragedy using this sort of reasoning, I firmly believe that said religion should be beaten into nonexistence with cold, hard facts.

      • I'm not Christian, and I'm just stating that there are numerous ways they can answer the question without undermining the power of their god. The article was talking about not having an upfront answer, but I think there ARE upfront answers the Christians can give such as "God doesn't want to" for the reasons that I stated above, and more. They may not be answers good enough according to the standards of cynical freethinkers, but they're not stupid answers to a believer.

        Personally, I believe that people who have disabilities have every chance to grow from those misfortunes and have access to learning experiences and perspectives that normal people would not have. They could be inspiration to others, and remind others they should take good care of their limbs and not take it for granted. People with disabilities should accept it, learn from it, and move on. Not go demand God to give them what they want and then claim God does not exist if he doesn't. Some atheists may be born this way, but I believe these reasons to be shallow to become atheists, and this kind of thinking is really pathetic.

        As an agnostic, I believe in the possibility that God does not exist. My answer to the question "Why won't our severed arm or leg grow back?" is simply "Because we're not lizards." But if I would go back to believing in a God, he would not have anything to do with severed limbs. Besides, if he would allow them to grow back just because it was asked of him, then everyone would not bother taking good care of their precious limbs because they'll grow back anyway. That would not be very wise of him, now, would it? What kind of God do you think Christians believe in, anyway? I used to be a devout Christian but I never believed God to be a miracle-worker who does my every bidding just because I pray.

        My condolences to the loss of your uncle.

        (I have nothing against you, I'm just giving a response.)

        • My apologies too. I shouldn't have flared up like that. It's just I find the Christian way of explaining death and pain to be incredibly naive. Sickness should be treated as it is – a sickness, minus the candy-coating.

  3. interesting question,but over the years i've given up asking these kind of questions to the followers of commercialized religion. i realized that they are incorrigible and ludicrously inflexible in their belief. but, im curious if i asked you that question. Why wont our severed arm or leg grow back?how would you answer that?;-)

  4. so what does Mark 11:24 mean @ GabbyD? should we take it literally or not? should one be a bible scholar to understand it (or any verse at all?)?

    some people claim that the word of God (bible) is very clear yet that book have many versions and is being constantly debated by believers.

    • oh, in this case its pretty easy. just read the whole section to know what it means.

      in general, it can be very hard, and shouldnt be taken literally.

    • Oh, you're saying that God heals amputees using science… Then why have faith, whose only purpose is to believe that God will be there in any situation, and why prayer, that claims that God, the all powerful, can hear what the sufferers are asking.
      It was never written in the Bible on how to conduct Science. And if you think most of the scientists are doing the researches they do for god, then you are mistaken.

  5. pinoyatheist bashes dumb pa-pogi snake-oil salesmen (AKA Christian televangelists) for name calling … by calling them names!

    Go for it, pinoyatheist!

    • But I didn't make any name calls @ Hala! I just stated facts. Why @ Hala!, don't you know the difference between name-calling and straight to the fact answers?

      • All due respect John the Atheist, it's in the lead to the post on the main page:

        "Do (sic) these snake-oil salesmen (AKA Christian televangelists) can’t (sic) even give a straight to the face answer without resorting to biblical roller coaster rides and name-calling?"

        It's also in the first paragraph of your post:

        "I don’t know…maybe it’s a good way to escape dilemmas. We call it here in the Philippines as “pa-pogi points”. Obviously, majority of their cult followers are either dumb or stupid to figure it out. But try reading Christian apologist reactions here in the Internet and you will notice that they are not answering questions. They are just …well …it sounded more like senseless, pretentious babbles (“ngak-ngak!”) to me."

        Ok, so "dumb" and "stupid" pertain to Mr. Soriano's followers and you call his religion a "cult" and “ngak-ngak!” does sound pretentious and senseless when applied to answers to questions. These still don't speak to the argument and lend a tinge of immaturity to your succeeding ideas, no matter how good they may be. These also tend to show a desperation to win a debate on the opening salvo which makes one cannon fodder in a debate.

        • So what is a stupid fellow anyway? I always rely on Webster when defining something…hmmm..

          1 a : slow of mind : obtuse b : given to unintelligent decisions or acts : acting in an unintelligent or careless manner c : lacking intelligence or reason : brutish
          2 : dulled in feeling or sensation : torpid
          3 : marked by or resulting from unreasoned thinking or acting : senseless <a>
          4 a : lacking interest or point <a> b : vexatious, exasperating

          DUMB
          6 a : lacking intelligence : stupid b : showing a lack of intelligence c : requiring no intelligence

          Try picking the right definition if you want to. As I have told you before, I'm just stating a fact.

          Now another thing…do you define my article as a debate?

          Hohum…

          As they say…"sa bunganga nahuhuli ang isda". I see I have a nice catch here @ Hala.

          • …”sa bunganga nahuhuli ang isda”

            My point exactly. Keep on using that Bible to disprove itself, and keep on writing ironic leads to your intellectually stimulating posts, John the Atheist! Please give my regards to Mr. Webster too! Mr. Webster seems a nice helpful person, and verbose too!

    • If you're going to criticize fundamentalists, do so in a civil, straightfoward manner. It does not help you assertion any, as credible as it may be, if your phrasing sounds like a childish rant.

  6. Why God won't heal amputees.

    Interesting site, even if it does pose some very depressing facts. I'm still reading through it 😀

Leave a reply

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here