Message Boards
Replies to '12/20 Christmas Miracle'
|
December 20, 2005, 2:35 pm PST
 Quote From: polarburg You ask many questions, so I thought I'd like to answer at lest one. You wondered where the Earth's water came from. Well, it turns out that water is one of the most common substances in our Solar System. In fact, there are two, perhaps three moons of Jupiter alone (Ganymede, Europa and Callisto), each with more water than on our planet. Many astronomers believe that if our planet didn't have much water when it was formed in the first place, a collision with just one Ganymede-type object, or many smaller comet-type objects (comets are made of mostly water ice and rock) could have easily provided the Earth with its water. And, as for you and I drinking the same water molecules that once flowed down the Nile, the Congo or even the Amazon, this all has to do with the water cycle. Water evaporates at one place, travels some distance as water vapor -- thanks to wind and weather patterns -- and condenses and falls as rain or snow in another. No miracles there.My point is this. Before immediately ascribing things to God, or His miracles, go to the library look it up in an encyclopedia. Belief in the supernatural can easly get out of hand and become a dangerous thing. In the Dark Ages, millions (yes, millions) of women were put to death because they were accused of being witches. The same thing happened, as you know, in Colonial America, on a smaller scale. Can science explain everything? No, of course not. It never will. But just because there are things we can't explain, doesn't mean they're caused by supernatural forces. At one time, thunder and lightning were attributed to the gods; now we have a rational explanation for these phenomena (trust me on this). Just wanted to chime in... Every scientific explantion you provided is correct as we understand it. BUT what is it that makes you draw a line and abandon the idea that God is the one who set all those process and reactions in place? As a person who seems to depend on logic, maybe you can appreciate this idea: It is more logical to think there is a Creator, rather than, to think everything just came together on it's own. Consider this, If you take a watch apart and place all the small pieces in a jar- put the lid on and shake it. Is it more likely the pieces eventually come together and form a watch or that someone will open the jar , take the pieces and put them together? It's okay for there to be water on the moons of Jupiter and for God to have put it there. Science doesn't diprove the idea of a creator but supports it. As we learn more details of the way it all happens it only helps me see what an amazing creator we have. As for the "witches"... we are sinful creatures. We as individuals and as a whole, throughout hstory and still today, make terribe choices. God does not control us because he has given us freedom to choose. If he took our free will away we'd be robot slaves and that is not what He wants. He created us out of Love. Free will alllows us to choose wether or not to love him back. He Loves You. That's all that is important. Now, as for the miracles...a wealthy influental man with a large percentage of the consumers in America as his audience watching as he lavishes people with money and gifts because they have undergone a hard time in one way or another is not a miracle. It's great that he helped them but it's not a miracle. It's purpose was not to bring glory to God. It used a term our culture associated with the intervention of God in a hopeless situation to bring attention to companies trading product for advertisment associated with positive feelings because they did something good. A girl on the brink of death receiving the lungs that allow her to live seems like it falls more in the miracle cataegory to me. But, what is a miracle? - An act of God that allows the impossible to become possible in order to bring Glory to God: Water to wine, dead to alive, blind to sight, lame to walk etc. Our culture today has accepted the labeling of things going our way as a miracle. Not to say God doesn't have His hand in it when things do go our way. I don't believe in coinciednces (thus, am not sure how to spell it ha ha) or luck. I believe in God... There is a lot we don't or can't understand about Him. I think miracles are one of those things. You are right when you say, " But just because there are things we can't explain, doesn't mean they're caused by supernatural forces." It is silly to automatically ascribe everthing to God because we can't explain it. But just because we can explain it doesn't mean it's not caused by God. All I have said is from a heart of love. I am hopeful you can accept it this way and think on it befor you react. Step out of the comfortable things you know and into the wonderful world of the unknown. |
|
|
December 22, 2005, 5:54 am PST
Quote From: polarburg You ask many questions, so I thought I'd like to answer at lest one. You wondered where the Earth's water came from. Well, it turns out that water is one of the most common substances in our Solar System. In fact, there are two, perhaps three moons of Jupiter alone (Ganymede, Europa and Callisto), each with more water than on our planet. Many astronomers believe that if our planet didn't have much water when it was formed in the first place, a collision with just one Ganymede-type object, or many smaller comet-type objects (comets are made of mostly water ice and rock) could have easily provided the Earth with its water. And, as for you and I drinking the same water molecules that once flowed down the Nile, the Congo or even the Amazon, this all has to do with the water cycle. Water evaporates at one place, travels some distance as water vapor -- thanks to wind and weather patterns -- and condenses and falls as rain or snow in another. No miracles there.My point is this. Before immediately ascribing things to God, or His miracles, go to the library look it up in an encyclopedia. Belief in the supernatural can easly get out of hand and become a dangerous thing. In the Dark Ages, millions (yes, millions) of women were put to death because they were accused of being witches. The same thing happened, as you know, in Colonial America, on a smaller scale. Can science explain everything? No, of course not. It never will. But just because there are things we can't explain, doesn't mean they're caused by supernatural forces. At one time, thunder and lightning were attributed to the gods; now we have a rational explanation for these phenomena (trust me on this). I don't have to TRUST you on that...I, too, have an education. And if I were just to TRUST you on that, well, that would be an act of faith, now wouldn't it....contridicting yourself there.
Faith and belief in miracles is not just attributing it to God or the Supernatural. It is just simply believing that there is a higher power out there....it is an act of humility.
To believe that there are no miracles is demonstration of arrogance...that we are the almighty. That arrogance is what gets us in trouble. It is what gets religion in trouble as well. Those women were put to death because HUMAN BEINGS arrogantly believed they KNEW what was right....it was not because of religion or the love of God....or whatever you want to call that Higher Power. It was human beings making their own arrogant interpretation and subjecting or even FORCING others to believe the way they did.
The bottom line is, we, as humans, simply have no control over this world. The healthy birth of a child is called a miracle because we have no control over it. We can do all of the right things that we know may contribute to a healthy birth...but in the end, we really have no control. We just have to believe it will happen and adjust if it does not.
When you sit down in a chair, do you stop before doing it and wonder whether that chair will hold you up? Probably not. It is an act of faith. You do not think about it. You just do it. In essence, that chair has become a higher power for YOU...because you completely surrender yourself to its care. That is not religion. That is not a belief in God. It is faith.
Now, you can explain all you want on why that chair will hold you up.....but you don't KNOW if one of the legs are broken and will collapse under you. You just sit down...without wasting time worrying about it.
I am reminded of a commercial for the lottery. If you don't play, then there is no possible way you can win. It is the same with miracles. If you do not believe, then there is no way they can ever happen to you. So why sell yourself short? Why NOT believe in miracles? What has anyone got to lose by doing so? Are we so wrapped up in the fear of disappointment that we would give up the faith of believing?
I can tell you what you are losing by NOT believing....peace, joy, happiness....that wonderful, magical feeling you had as a child on Christmas morning that maybe, just maybe...something magical happened during the night and Santa really did come down the chimney and leave presents under the tree....
When you trade that happiness and joy for disappointment and reason, you are not making a good trade at all. You are being short changed! You are giving your own power up to something that is really not worth it.
So why do it? Why not believe? Why not live with childlike wonder and joy?
Sometimes, it is not the "miracles" that are the true gift anyway...it is the simple joy, faith and happiness of just BELIEVING.... |
|
|
December 22, 2005, 6:08 am PST
Quote From: polarburg You ask many questions, so I thought I'd like to answer at lest one. You wondered where the Earth's water came from. Well, it turns out that water is one of the most common substances in our Solar System. In fact, there are two, perhaps three moons of Jupiter alone (Ganymede, Europa and Callisto), each with more water than on our planet. Many astronomers believe that if our planet didn't have much water when it was formed in the first place, a collision with just one Ganymede-type object, or many smaller comet-type objects (comets are made of mostly water ice and rock) could have easily provided the Earth with its water. And, as for you and I drinking the same water molecules that once flowed down the Nile, the Congo or even the Amazon, this all has to do with the water cycle. Water evaporates at one place, travels some distance as water vapor -- thanks to wind and weather patterns -- and condenses and falls as rain or snow in another. No miracles there.My point is this. Before immediately ascribing things to God, or His miracles, go to the library look it up in an encyclopedia. Belief in the supernatural can easly get out of hand and become a dangerous thing. In the Dark Ages, millions (yes, millions) of women were put to death because they were accused of being witches. The same thing happened, as you know, in Colonial America, on a smaller scale. Can science explain everything? No, of course not. It never will. But just because there are things we can't explain, doesn't mean they're caused by supernatural forces. At one time, thunder and lightning were attributed to the gods; now we have a rational explanation for these phenomena (trust me on this). I don't have to TRUST you on that...I, too, have an education. And if I were just to TRUST you on that, well, that would be an act of faith, now wouldn't it....contridicting yourself there.
Faith and belief in miracles is not just attributing it to God or the Supernatural. It is just simply believing that there is a higher power out there....it is an act of humility.
To believe that there are no miracles is demonstration of arrogance...that we are the almighty. That arrogance is what gets us in trouble. It is what gets religion in trouble as well. Those women were put to death because HUMAN BEINGS arrogantly believed they KNEW what was right....it was not because of religion or the love of God....or whatever you want to call that Higher Power. It was human beings making their own arrogant interpretation and subjecting or even FORCING others to believe the way they did.
The bottom line is, we, as humans, simply have no control over this world. The healthy birth of a child is called a miracle because we have no control over it. We can do all of the right things that we know may contribute to a healthy birth...but in the end, we really have no control. We just have to believe it will happen and adjust if it does not.
When you sit down in a chair, do you stop before doing it and wonder whether that chair will hold you up? Probably not. It is an act of faith. You do not think about it. You just do it. In essence, that chair has become a higher power for YOU...because you completely surrender yourself to its care. That is not religion. That is not a belief in God. It is faith.
Now, you can explain all you want on why that chair will hold you up.....but you don't KNOW if one of the legs are broken and will collapse under you. You just sit down...without wasting time worrying about it.
I am reminded of a commercial for the lottery. If you don't play, then there is no possible way you can win. It is the same with miracles. If you do not believe, then there is no way they can ever happen to you. So why sell yourself short? Why NOT believe in miracles? What has anyone got to lose by doing so? Are we so wrapped up in the fear of disappointment that we would give up the faith of believing?
I can tell you what you are losing by NOT believing....peace, joy, happiness....that wonderful, magical feeling you had as a child on Christmas morning that maybe, just maybe...something magical happened during the night and Santa really did come down the chimney and leave presents under the tree....
When you trade that happiness and joy for disappointment and reason, you are not making a good trade at all. You are being short changed! You are giving your own power up to something that is really not worth it.
So why do it? Why not believe? Why not live with childlike wonder and joy?
Sometimes, it is not the "miracles" that are the true gift anyway...it is the simple joy, faith and happiness of just BELIEVING.... |
|
Return to the Message Board
