What About the "Experience" of a Miracle?
I received an email that asked me what I thought about experiences of miracles. Can I explain them away? What do I think about these claims? Here's the email and my response:
I'm not an answer man. There are mysteries to life, true, and precisely because they exist there will always be room for faith. So I usually tell them that if I had the same experience they had then I would probably believe too. The question is why I don't? I do know that people count the hits and discount the misses, and that people of faith want to see a miracle, which might incline them to see one. I also tell people that even as a Pentecostal in my former years I never saw a miracle and that's all I can say about my personal experiences, for if God didn't supply one then, why should I expect him to now?
I also ask them why God does these miracles for some people and not for others who die miserable deaths. And then I ask why people of other faiths also report these kinds of things.
On religious experiences read this.
On faith healers you must see this documentary!
On the power of brain manipulation you must see this from Derren Brown (I recommend episodes 2-4 especially).
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I hope this helps, and I hope others who are troubled by these kinds of unexplained phenomena look through each of the links provided above to decide for themselves.
Many people say they have experienced the supernatural - receiving a miracle, hearing God speak to them, etc. Pastors such as Mark Driscoll write about their experience with prophetic dreams, seeing demonic attacks, etc. (His book "Confessions of a Reformission Rev detail these things). I have a friend who goes to a Christian school, and tells of the time they prayed for a girl with a broken foot - the next day, it was healed. She didn't have to wear her cast anymore, she was walking fine, etc.In part here is my response:
It would be easiest to say that they are lying, making these stories up - but I know my friend, and have no reason to think he would make up a story like that (He's not charismatic, and has never claimed to have seen any other "miracles"). Additionally, I have verified this story of the "healed foot" - everyone claims it really happened. Still, it's tough for me to fully trust this, as I have never personally seen this kind of supernatural event take place.
Obviously, people from other religions claim to experience this too - it doesn't seem to be limited to Christianity, although the large majority of miraculous stories/healings are found in the Christian faith. Would you tend to believe that most/all of these experiences are fictional?
Honestly, at this point in my journey, I just want to know the truth - which is what drew me to you, as I know you are after truth as well. I'm sure you have thought about the claims of supernatural experience, so if you could offer any insight into this area, I would greatly appreciate it.
I'm not an answer man. There are mysteries to life, true, and precisely because they exist there will always be room for faith. So I usually tell them that if I had the same experience they had then I would probably believe too. The question is why I don't? I do know that people count the hits and discount the misses, and that people of faith want to see a miracle, which might incline them to see one. I also tell people that even as a Pentecostal in my former years I never saw a miracle and that's all I can say about my personal experiences, for if God didn't supply one then, why should I expect him to now?
I also ask them why God does these miracles for some people and not for others who die miserable deaths. And then I ask why people of other faiths also report these kinds of things.
On religious experiences read this.
On faith healers you must see this documentary!
On the power of brain manipulation you must see this from Derren Brown (I recommend episodes 2-4 especially).
--------------
I hope this helps, and I hope others who are troubled by these kinds of unexplained phenomena look through each of the links provided above to decide for themselves.