The Last Word
Well, the conversation with a radio preacher has drawn to a peaceful close. Although my friends list is unlikely to want to read it, I'm including his final letter in an lj-cut below because this Live Journal is my own record of memories. Mr. Thomas has some charitable things to say in parting about his opponent. Then he concludes by relating miracles, never suspecting that Mormons and JWs and Muslims and new age healers and readers of horoscopes and paranoid schizophrenics experience identical events in plentiful supply to validate their claims that oppose his. It's astonishing that the standard of what will pass for a "miracle" these days is so lenient as to be an insult to miracles as described in scriptural narratives. Biblical miracles, had they truly happened, were mostly of a character that would have been impossible to even contemplate as coincidences. You'd think his concept of God would be a big enough God that Mr. Thomas would expect him to do the impossible, at least occasionally. Oh well.
Matt,
I guess that about covers it. Heckuva point regarding Paul's admonition. I've never read Pascal, but I have read Paul many times and had forgotten that. One metaphor too many, I suppose.
Some of the disagreement is semantics. We ascribe different values or definitions to words like faith and belief. But, mostly the disagreement is substantive and, Pascal and Paul aside, we will find out who's right sooner or later (more sooner than later, I think).
I will pray that you, like the ardent atheist arguers Lewis and Strobel, will ultimately find THE truth. But, it's pretty clear I will not be the catalyst that causes it to happen.
You present and defend your position well, not compellingly, but consistently.
In parting, let me share some "evidence" of God. 13 years ago, I lay in a hospital bed with pneumonia resulting from my lowered immune system as a result of chemo therapy. On a daily basis, I would check, by feel, the tumors in my lymph nodes to see if they were shrinking. On this day, after confirming they were still there, I prayed for healing. I checked them again, and they were gone. After convincing my skeptical oncologist (head of Oncology for Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago) to run the diagnostic staging tests to confirm my claim, he agreed that the evidence showed that the tumors had disappeared. His words, "In my experience with this disease, this has never happened before."
Two years ago, after watching a business I built fail, I didn't know what to do with my life. I had a family to provide for, debt was piling up, I hadn't interviewed, or even looked, for a job in 18 years. Quite honestly, I had very little idea of what to do. So, I prayed. I said, "Lord, I don't have a clue. Whatever you want me to do, wherever you want me to go, I'll do it. It's in your hands." A half hour later, the phone rang. It was the general manager of a radio station in Chicago asking if I'd consider coming back to radio after nearly 20 years. It is the job I have now. Last year, my teenage daughter was scheduled to go into surgery Monday to remove an ovarian cyst that was causing her tremendous pain. Sunday night I prayed that she would be healed without having surgery. Monday morning's ultra sound showed the cyst had disappeared.
I have personally experienced these, and many other, miracles. They are not phony Benny Hind boppin' some shill on the head to raise a bunch of money kind of miracles. They happen in private, by faith, as a result of a personal relationship with an all loving God. I came to faith without evidence...but my faith has been confirmed hundreds of times (no hyperbole...I meant hundreds) with evidence.
I do not follow blindly. I have not been deceived. I am not a fool to be suffered. I am simply who God created me to be. That's my story...and I'm stickin' to it.
God's blessings.
ST
Comments
twoofdtm on (None)
twoofdtm on Dec. 9, 2004 2:57 PM
Errr... let me try that again. I'm going to go clean house with my mom, while thinking about my response to Mr. Thomas' letter. After having thought about it for a few hours I will tell you how moronic I truly think this letter makes him sound.
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