Ever experienced/witnessed a miracle?

[sohackedoff]

Have you ever experienced or witnessed a miracle? If so, please share.

My mum, a committed Christian, had ulcerative colitis. She'd had it for years and was on the verge of having a colostomy bag fitted. She received prayer and was healed.

Well, no. Those would probably not be miracles.

BertrandRussell my mum was told in March her cancer was terminal and she had a year or so left. They then offered radical (and I do mean radical, it was life or death on the table stuff) surgery which she came through and is now, hopefully, cancer free. I know full well that the medics and surgery saved her life, but our faith as a family offered us so much comfort during the dark days. It felt like hope where there didn't seem to be any. I know it probably sounds ridiculous, but I don't care.

As someone who has worked for 19 years looking after the elderly, I can say that categorically, the deeply religious, church going people I've met over the years have been the meanest and ugly on the inside people I've ever come across. One gentleman, when I posed the question as to why people die from cancer, why there's starving nations and abused children all over the world and what kind of God allows that to happen, his response was that they must have all been sinners! That was the day I knew I was and always would be Atheist.

CrabbyJo what a vile attitude that man had. Horrible horrible thing to say.

It's wonderful that your faith supported you during what must have been a dreadful time.

"Well, no. Those would probably not be miracles."

That means that there have never been any healing miracles then............

My dad got trampled on my a horse,then had a stroke,then heart attack (then triple heart bypass surgery) all within 6 months. The doctor said he shouldn't be here and believed it to be a miracle. We think it was a miracle too.

BertrandRussell thank you for reading my post. I'm an odd kind of Christian, I have my beliefs (DP is a committed atheist) and I'm not shy about sharing them, but I'm well aware that they are my beliefs and shouldn't be shoved down other people's throats. Everyone has the right to beliefs or no beliefs as long as it isn't foisted upon people or used as a stick to beat others with. When I hear comments like the one above about anyone suffering being a sinner it makes me want to be sick, those attitudes are NOT Christian at all!

ayeokthen he said it repeatedly over several months. Was such a shame as when he wasn't on a religious rant he could be quite nice. Apart from if I was wearing nail varnish and earrings, on those days he'd call me a decorated slut

I have nothing against Christians. I feel it's nice if it helps people. I don't air my Atheist views unless asked. I just don't want their Christian views pushed on me either.

My family are deeply christian.

They are homophobic, sexist, misogynistic narrow minded who support capital punishment.

CrabbyJo what a disgusting thing to say to someone! Vile old man I hate when people spout cruel, hateful bullshit and hide behind faith, because no religion I've ever come across advocates hatred and cruelty. I completely understand what you mean, I can't bear having views forced on me either. DP is a committed atheist, I listen to his beliefs and he listens to mine. They're never going to be the same, but we respect each other's right to our own beliefs or lack of.

No, because they don't exist.

"That means that there have never been any healing miracles then............"

I think tumours or aneurysms etc are not time limited, prone to spontaneous remission or have a strong psychosomatic element?

Yes. At a Christian conference, a few years ago.

I witnessed a young man who had had surgery on his legs, surgery which had left him with metal plates and scar tissue, stand up and move in ways which he had not been able to do before his surgery. I saw his skin which was free from the scars.

I did not see the x Rays, but I know some were made.

I saw that man, later that night, pray for others in power, filled with knowledge about the people he was praying for, stuff they hadn't told him. And not wishy washy vague stuff; things like - you have a sharp pain down the back of your leg, God is saying this about it and I am praying for it to be fixed.

I've spoken in tongues myself, and I've heard others too. I have been told what one particular sentence I tend to repeat means (as in, it is actually a sentence in a different language, not "just" a supernatural interpretation). I have also whilst praying been given specific information about strangers which I have used in order to pray for them.

I have witnessed people throw away hearing aids after God has healed their hearing.

And, I have witnessed people pray repeatedly for healing which hasn't been received. I've seen close family members die (no, not as result of seeking supernatural healing rather than modern medicine. More when "only a miracle would save them" and it hasn't.

In our church, we had two young adults both have brain aneurysms within a few weeks of each other. One made a full recovery, and has just a bald patch to show for it. The other died. Both had faith, both were surrounded by family, friends, and church members praying.

I have no idea why God doesn't heal everyone who asks for healing, and I have even less idea why he doesn't simply heal everyone, whether they ask or not.

And it probably sounds like a cop out to say that I don't need to. I don't want to go too much into the specifics of my own life, although I'll happily chat via pm if people want to. But i do know that I am content, wether God heals or He doesn't, it is enough for me to know that he is the author of my life.

ayeokthen can I ask how your relationship works then? I only ask because for several months I've been toying with the idea of trying to have a relationship with someone who is a committed Christian. He goes to church several times a week, holds prayer meetings at his house occasionally yet because he knows I'm Atheist he never mentions his beliefs to me unless I ask. I really believe we'd be truly happy together but I'm concerned our different beliefs would make it impossible.

NattyTiles. So what did it feel like when you were speaking in tongues? How did you get to that point?

Which language was it and what did you say?

Sorry for the Qs - don't answer if you don't want to!

CrabbyJo I don't go to prayer meetings or anything, but honestly our relationship is just like any other. Mostly because even though we don't agree on what the other believes being true, we love each other more than being right if that makes sense. I sound really twatty, I don't mean to, I think it helps that we're both really laid back people. My mum is really militant in her faith and I find it really off putting and offensive sometimes, so I swore I'd never be one of "those" Christians who somehow think their faith is a badge declaring that they are better than everyone else. For me (I'm only telling you this to explain, not to say that you have to accept it as fact), my faith offers me comfort in times of hardship, I find strength in not feeling alone, even in the darkest times, it tells me to try and be kind, to see other people's point of view, to offer help where I can, and not to judge. I find comfort in believing that there is life after death, and in feeling that for all my flaws, fuck up and faults, that I am forgiven as long as I repent and that perfection is not expected, but grace and kindness is. Do you mind me asking if you've spoken to him about it?

I believe in God & His miracles.
The one I know of is -
7 yo local boy with very rare & advanced cancer on spine that was expected to end in disability at best & death as most likely. He was healed by prayer & through treatment by phenomenal oncologists - even they are amazed at him now being in remission. I attended some of the Church prayer sessions held for him & could honestly feel the presence of God in the room.
You can think what you want, but I know what I - & many others - were privileged to witness.

He was not healed by prayer. He was healed by the phenomenal oncologists.

His family will have gained strength through prayer. It will have helped them through an incredibly difficult time.

And I presume the people with aneurysms had medical treatment too? sometimes treatment works and sometimes it doesn't.

What was the conference where the miracle happened?

When people dismiss a miracle because of medical help, I'm always reminded of the old joke:

Man's standing on the roof of his house, as the flood waters rise. A man in a canoe goes by, and offers a lift. 'No thanks,' says the man, 'I have faith in the Lord and he will save me.'

The waters continue to rise, and a life boat goes by, and offers a lift. 'No thanks,' says the man, 'I have faith in the Lord and he will save me.'

The waters still rise, and a helicopter flies overhead. It offers a lift. 'No thanks,' says the man, 'I have faith in the Lord and he will save me.'

Unfortunately the waters continue to rise, and the man drowns. He goes to heaven, and straightaway asks God why he drowned when he had faith. God answers: 'I sent you two boats and a helicopter. What more did you want?'

As a very wishy-washy church attending agnostic I think a miracle can be the result of amazing medical advances. My sister (who gained a lot of strength from her faith) received two livers, and gained an extra 8 years of life. She got to know my children. She got a place on the paralympic squad for Beijing. That was her miracle. And yes, it was given by phenomenal medical treatment. But I still think of it as a different kind of miracle.

ayeokthen yes we've spoken and it sounds like he has similar views to you, that it's mostly about comfort and strength for him. He respects my views as I do his. His only concern is that if we were to marry, I may become resentful of the church activities but I don't believe this would be a problem for me. My two concerns which could potentially be huge are if we married he'd want a church service. That would be pretty hypocritical of me to agree to surely. I have two children, both not christened because of my beliefs but what if we had a child together? He doesn't have children and would like one although I'm nearly 38 so unlikely it would happen given my age by the time we'd marry etc. Plus surely his church wouldn't marry us with me being a divorcee. I feel sad that I could miss out on a happy life with him because of our differing views. Though we're both laid back so maybe it wouldn't be an issue. Love concours all and all that haha.

I speak in tongues regularly. It feels like talking! I open my mouth and words come out, words I don't understand, but words which bring me closer to God.

Usually when I'm praying, and don't know what to pray.

The phrase which I know means something in another language means "The Lord is Gracious" but I'm sorry, I don't know which language it is in. I think Hebrew. Which I don't speak!

How did I get to that point? Growing up, our church was evangelical Anglican but not particularly charismatic. As a student, I met other Christians who talked lots about having been baptised in the Holy Spirit, and who believed that speaking in tongues, alongside other spiritual gifts, were still relevant and happening today just as they had in Acts times.

Some of them believed you weren't a Christian unless you spoke in tongues. I don't believe that; nor did Paul and that's good enough for me. But still, it's something I wanted. I prayed. Lots. I had other people pray, lots. I sat in a lot of meetings where other people were talking and singing in tongues and I wasn't, and that was a bit of a challenge.

And then one day, I opened my mouth, and these words came out, and now they gone as easily as English. It's just another way of praying. I look at this country, this beautiful country, and I honestly don't know what to pray for; the future looks so bleak. So I pray in tongues instead; my spirit to the Holy Spirit, and I am connected to God just that little bit more deeply.

It was weird st first and I didn't know if I was just making it up, speaking nonsense. But I don't think I am; you are of course welcome to disagree! I just know that it brings me closer to God, and that's a place I always like to be.

I think some people are redefining miracle......