Thanks to the mods for this section.
I will start off by apologising for my over-reaction previously. Although I think Rachel had to right to say what she did, I think that every claim of healing should be questioned and I see that some aspects of her healing, particularly her seeming reluctance to discuss it further, bring forth doubts. I have no problem with that, nor with the thought that harm can come about through spurious claims of healing. A case in question are the so called healing crusades that can be seen on Christian tv channels. I noticed that most of the healings are about back problems, pains here and there and things that cannot be substantiated - and I feel they should be. There should be a doctor around.
I was at one meeting where there were children in wheelchairs with anxious hopeful parents, but all of the healings were centered on adults with the problems I mentioned and none of the children were healed. I do not believe that these healings are necessarily from God. Studies have shown a lot of the results have disappeared after a few weeks showing I think that they have been the result of adrenaline filled expectations and the performace of showmen. I have seen the genuine thing though occasionally like a 70 year old man with bad arthritis of the fingers and unable to bend them, open out his hands in amazement after prayers with all pain gone. I believe that he continued to be healed. I also met a woman who had had ME badly for a length of time and was now working full time and having children, looking a picture of health. She had nothing to gain from her claims of an instant recovery.
I over-reacted, not because such healing was being questioned, I am the first to do so, but where there is derision for those who do believe in God and who say that believers are unintelligent or lacking somehow or even insane, a claim which is preposterous when you look at famous believers like
Copernicus
Francis Bacon
Kepler
Galilei
Descartes
Isaac Newton
Robert boyle
Faraady
Einstein
to name but a few. My own natural healing has surprising results and I was shocked at myself in becoming so heated as it is not my character to do so so again apologies.
I welcome questioning as I have had many questions myself, not being brought up in a Christian environment. A lot of doubt however, is because of what is in the heart not the mind. If someone does not want to accept there is a God then no evidence at all will convince them even if it is right before their eyes they will find a way to deny it. Camerons questions were valid but there was a hint of scorn in his voice which does not help a discussion.
So how can we have useful discusion? I think that one helpful thing is to agree that there is an awful lot wrong with the church and its teachings and I am thinking of the RC churches teaching on contraception here - I think it is irresponsible to disuade people from using condoms but I can see the rational behind it and agree with it in a way, that the conception of children should be up to God and that is okay I think if the parents are Christian people who have a stable homelife and committed marriage but this is not a reality for most of the world. You have to see how things really are not how you would like them to be.
On healing - there is healing on a smaller scale for all of those who have faith, in that they have hope and something to cling to when dark moments come though sometimes their faith is a source of despair, at times when they lose their sense of the presence of God or trust in His plans for them to have a meaningful life.
But I wonder if we all deep down want this to be true - that there is a God and that He can heal instantly but do not want to have hope raised in case it is false and looking at the world, the evidence seems to point to there not being a God or at least a God who cares.
B
