A Bible In Georgia Is Dripping Healing Oil

[Abby Normal]

I often wonder why, instead of simply curing people or (better still) preventing illness in the first place, the Creator of the Universe only seems to manifest his power in the form of party tricks like weeping statues and sheets of paper oozing oil.

God works in mysterious ways

[Sam Flynn]

God works in mysterious ways

Maybe, but sweaty paper is a bit of a comedown compared to the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea.

[c.d.]

Here is a little gem of critical thinking that I came across recently:

"I have something interesting you might want to look into there was a jet taking off in Mexico and then it crashed and someone yelled out in Jesus name and it's saved everyone on board no one died that is the awesomeness of Our Lord amen and amen!!!"

That would seem to bring up the obvious question. What about planes that crash killing everyone on board including children? Are we to simply assume that not one single person on board prayed?

c.d.

[c.d.]

Maybe, but sweaty paper is a bit of a comedown compared to the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea.

Hello Sam,

It is interesting that archeologists can find no evidence of Jews ever being in Egypt and that Egyption records make no mention of the plagues.

As Hitchens has pointed out, it is ludicrous to think that the Israelites managed to exist all those years prior to arriving at Mt. Sinai somehow under the impression that killing, lying, stealing and adultery were somehow kosher. Also, God appears to have forgotten slavery in the Ten Commandments.

c.d.

[Limehouse]

The thing that I think is most curious regarding religious 'miracles', particularly 'visions' is why the Virgin Mary, or even the blessed Lord himself, so often choose to 'appear' on a cream cracker, or a bit of toast or in the dribbles left in a mug of hot chocolate. I mean, if you really wanted to make a visitation, wouldn't you appear to the whole world behind the reader of the Ten O'Clock News or make an appearance somewhere really holy?

[Robert]

But on the other hand, Julie, we're dealing with a religion whose leader supposedly chose to appear on a donkey in a far-flung corner of the Roman Empire instead of in Rome, so go figure.

[Magpie]

The thing that I think is most curious regarding religious 'miracles', particularly 'visions' is why the Virgin Mary, or even the blessed Lord himself, so often choose to 'appear' on a cream cracker, or a bit of toast or in the dribbles left in a mug of hot chocolate. I mean, if you really wanted to make a visitation, wouldn't you appear to the whole world behind the reader of the Ten O'Clock News or make an appearance somewhere really holy?

Tell me that's not a miracle:

[Sam Flynn]

Tell me that's not a miracle:

It's the Ghostly Hole!

[Herlock Sholmes]

That’s a bit weird.

It reminds me of the scene in The League Of Gentleman where a bloke buys a dodgy looking magazine called ‘Dog’s Arses’ from a vendor.

By the way, that’s not the 1960 movie with Jack Hawkins

[Abby Normal]

Tell me that's not a miracle:

Hahahaha. Dont look! Dont look!

[Bridewell]

Your prayer is important to us.

Preferably accompanied by money.

[Bridewell]

Maybe, but sweaty paper is a bit of a comedown compared to the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea.

The plagues and the parting of the Red Sea are (allowing for an element of hyperbole) capable of logical explanation - volcanic eruption and the after-effects thereof.

[Bridewell]

Hello Sam,

It is interesting that archeologists can find no evidence of Jews ever being in Egypt and that Egyption records make no mention of the plagues.

As Hitchens has pointed out, it is ludicrous to think that the Israelites managed to exist all those years prior to arriving at Mt. Sinai somehow under the impression that killing, lying, stealing and adultery were somehow kosher. Also, God appears to have forgotten slavery in the Ten Commandments.

c.d.

Context is everything. As I understand it, the Mosaic Law applied only within the Camp of Israel, so the Ten Commandments etc prohibited Jews from doing these things to each other - but not to Gentiles.

[Bridewell]

Why are these miraculous manifestations always assumed to be of the Virgin Mary or of Jesus? And why, if that's what they are, are they only manifestations of these people as they appear in mediaeval paintings? Jesus is always fair-skinned with light brown or blond hair, an unlikely scenario for a Galilean of Jewish descent who spent his entire life in the Palestine area.

[Bridewell]

Why are these miraculous manifestations always assumed to be of the Virgin Mary or of Jesus? Any why, if that's what they are, are they only manifestations of these people as they appear in mediaeval paintings? Jesus is always fair-skinned with light brown or blond hair, an unlikely scenario for a Galilean of Jewish descent who spent his entire life in the Palestine area.