The miracle described in class tells the story of Bob and Maureen Digan, and the miracle of healing. When she was just a sophomore in high school, Maureen was diagnosed with the incurable disease lymphedema; a condition characterized by the intense swelling of appendages due to faulty lymph nodes. Soon after being diagnosed with this disease one of her legs would have to be amputated. From that point, Maureen’s life would continue to be laced with tragedy as her and Bob’s first child died soon after birth, and their second child Bobby, would be born with severe brain damage. Though Maureen justifiably lost faith in God, Bob’s was unshaken and his faith soon led him to Saint Faustina, the saint of divine mercy. Faustina called Bob to her tomb in Poland where she told Bob that she would heal is wife and son. Taking no hesitation, Bob packed his families bags and brought them to Faustina’s tomb. Once there, Bob and Maureen prayed to Faustina, and in answer to that prayer, Faustina asked Maureen to ask to be healed, she did, and from that moment on Maureen …show more content…
and her son were healed. Her lymphedema, and her son’s handicaps were lifted and they would go on to live healthy lives. While to most people this story and other stories of miracles prove the existence of God, to Baruch Spinoza they would do just the opposite. Spinoza did not believe in miracles; he said by their very definition they are absurd and not only don’t prove God’s existence, but dismantle it.
He made this claim based off of three points: first, he said that everything that happens in nature and in the course of time is the result of divine decree, and that miracles/events that contradict nature, would also contradict the nature of God. Second, he said that miracles do not help us gain a greater understanding of God, but instead order and eternalness in his natural laws are what give us understanding of his nature. Lastly, third, he pointed out that in scripture it calls for the killing of those that claim to be able to perform, or have had miracles performed on them, for it leads them away from God and to false prophets. The miracle described above has components that fall under each of these claims, and likewise are what I will use to criticize this
miracle. First, Spinoza argued that God and nature are one in the same. The laws of nature and the actions taken by it, are in synchronization of the actions and nature of God. So as a miracle is defined by God taking action against some action committed by nature, he is actually taking action against himself, which would infer that he makes mistakes in his plan, which would destroy his divinity. So, God acting on Maureen to rid her of her disease would likewise be Him intervening against himself. Second, Spinoza argued that God’s existence is best proved by things that we can understand. Because if we can understand his actions, we can understand Him, and can have no doubts or misinterpretations of His working. Miracles, by definition, are things that we cannot understand and likewise keep us from understanding God and cause us to have doubts of what is his action, and what is natures. In our given miracle, it is impossible to know whether or not Maureen’s illness was cured by God or not. There could very well exist a natural explanation for why she got better, such as her lymphedema going into recession, or a misdiagnosis. If miracles were not the explanation, we would not need to have this discussion, so God’s actions would not be called into question, and he would remain constant. Third, Spinoza redefines miracles to be events caused by nature (and thus by God) that are out of current human understanding. With that he adds that scripture indirectly states that God cannot be known from miracles, and it is those who perform miracles that pull you away from God in the form of false prophecy. In our example, Faustina is the false prophet. Maureen and Bob often describe praying to Faustina, and thanking Faustina for the healing, likewise they are not praying and thanking God for that miracle where he should get the credit. While redefining miracles under Spinoza’s definition would take away the mysticism and wonder of divine intervention, it would in turn bring us closer to God in that we could have a greater understanding of his nature.
Finding a way in life can be difficult. Following that way can be even more difficult, especially when it goes against someone's origin. In Acts of Faith, Eboo Patel tells his story of what it was like to struggle through finding himself. Patel asks the question of "How can I create a society of religious pluralism?" throughout the book, and raises implications about what our children are being taught in different societies throughout the world.
In the story My Left Foot, Christy Brown was diagnosed at the age of three with cerebral palsy. Many people began to give up on him, but his mother did not. She told everyone that they were all wrong and that he was a normal child. She worked with Christy every chance she could get and tried to teach him how to write and read. One day his mother’s perseverance finally paid off. Christy was playing with his sister and saw her playing with the chalkboard. He wanted to play with it also so he picked up the piece of chalk with his foot and tried to write on the board. He could not get it at first but on th...
The relationship of science and spirituality can be a debate that many people have conceptualized. Jacalyn Duffin’s uses her historian and physician background to lead her to an important exploration of medical saints who spark miracles in the postmodern world that contribute to her three main observations. Duffin studies why physicians ignore miracles and prayer, why are miracles mostly about illness, and Comas and Damian in Toronto. Her personal scholarly experiences along with her first-hand observation with miraculous cure influence her work and accomplishments with “Medical Saints: Cosmas and Damian in a Postmodern World”. The book leaves the reader with a idea and understanding of the concepts Duffin studies to further develop the authority so more contributions can be made for this field. This book will give the reader an idea of these medical saints and how it is significant in the postmodern world today.
In one portion of Gilman’s story, the narrator describes an act of treatment that her husband and physician had implemented.
A time comes in everybody's life where they need to be "saved." When this happens a spiritual bond is formed with in that individual. In Langston Hughes' essay, "Salvation," that bond is broken because Langston wasn't saved. It is because Langston turned to Jesus, and in his eyes Jesus wasn't there. This creating a conflict within himself and the members of the church, with the end result being Langston's faith being destroyed.
Ed accepted recognition for his works, Ed told Sophie he was “another stupid human”, but afterward when Father O'Reilly mentions he is a saint, he allows himself to hear it. Ed’s self-improvement has been communicated through
The question of suffering comes up much when talking about, or practicing any religion. Many ask why people suffer, and what causes suffering? The various religions try to answer these questions in their own way. Pico Iyer’s editorial, “The Value of Suffering” addresses the questions of suffering and how it is handled. This article could be compared to the Bhagavad-Gita which also addresses and explains suffering through different stories of the interactions of humans and different Gods. One can specifically look at “The Second Teaching” in the Bhagavad-Gita, which explains the interaction between a man named Arjuna and the god Krishna. In it Arjuna is suffering because he does not want to fight in a war and with people whom he should be worshiping. Krishna says to fight because the souls of the people will forever live on, and because he needs to fulfill his Dharma. With what is known about the Bhagavad-Gita and how Iyer thinks about the subject, Iyer would agree with how the Bhagavad-Gita address suffering.
1 Peter 3:13-17 begins the third main section of 1 Peter with the theme being: God’s grace in suffering. In a world that is hostile to Christianity and to Christ Peter is admonishing his readers that the fear of the Lord conquers every other fear. In the course of life these readers faced crises, and could be tempted to give into fears and make wrong decisions but Peter is instructing to “sanctify Christ as Lord” in their hearts and they never need to fear men or circumstances. “The enemies of believers can hurt us, but never harm us. Only we can harm ourselves if we fail to trust God” (Wiersbe. 413). Peter is stating that, in a general sense, people are less likely to be persecuted when they are doing good, however, even if a believer is persecuted
I hid my face as I sat desperately alone in the back of the crowded church and stared through blurry eyes at the stained glass windows. Tears of fear and anguish soaked my red cheeks. Attempting to listen to the hollow words spoken with heartfelt emotion, I glanced at his picture, and my eyes became fixed on his beloved dog. Sudden flashes of sacred memories overcame me. Memories of soccer, his unforgettable smile, and our frequent exchange of playful insults, set my mind spinning. I longed only to hear his delighted voice once more. I sat for what seemed like hours in that lonely yet overcrowded church; my tears still flowed, and I still remembered.
In conclusion, Even though we will never experience the sight of an angel or have a miracle to appreciate, we often forget to accept the common and normal things that we have until it is too late. We may search most of our whole lives for something, only to have it later pass us right by. At the end, just as in the beginning, a normal person is confronted with a series of unbelievable events, and fails to see this amazing moment happening in their life. In the end, the family probably goes back to their everyday lives, never truly understanding and appreciating the miracle that they had just witnessed.
People can’t even be bothered to give up one hour a week and go to
The concept of suffering plays an important role in Christianity, regarding such matters as moral conduct, spiritual advancement and ultimate destiny. Indeed an emphasis on suffering pervades the Gospel of Mark where, it can be argued, we are shown how to "journey through suffering" (Ditzel 2001) in the image of the "Suffering Son of Man" (Mark 8:32), Jesus Christ. Although theologians have suggested that Mark was written to strengthen the resolve of the early Christian community (Halpern 2002, Mayerfeld 2005), the underlying moral is not lost on a modern reader grappling with multifarious challenges regarding faith in the face of suffering. In his article "A Christian Response to Suffering", William Marravee (1987) describes suffering as an "experience over which we men and women continue to stumble and fall". The way we view God is crucial to the way we view suffering according to Marravee, who delineates the disparity between a view of God as an ‘outsider’ and the biblical image of God – where God is an ‘insider’ who suffers with us in our struggle. This essay seeks to explain the Christian view of suffering and the purpose suffering can have in our lives.
Pope John Paul II once said, “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth – in a word, to know himself – so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves.” (Fallible Blogma) Based on this significant and powerful quote, one can infer that faith and reason are directly associated and related. It can also be implied that the combination of faith and reason allows one to seek information and knowledge about truth and God; based on various class discussions and past academic teachings, it is understood that both faith and reason are the instruments that diverse parties are supposed to use on this search for truth and God. There are many stances and viewpoints on the issues of faith and reason. Some believe that both of these ideas cannot and should not be combined; these parties deem that faith and reason must be taken as merely separate entities. However, this writer does not understand why both entities cannot be combined; both terms are so closely compatible that it would make sense to combine the two for a common task. Based on various class discussions and readings, there are many philosophers and theologians who have certain opinions regarding faith, reason and their compatibility; these philosophers include Hildegard of Bingen, Ibn Rushd, Moses Maimonides, and St. Thomas Aquinas. The following essay will examine each of the previously stated philosopher’s viewpoints on faith and reason, and will essentially try to determine whether or not faith and reason are ultimately one in the same.
Let me ask you a question, do you believe in miracles? Or, more appropriately, do you consider, that in today’s scientific era, it is illogical to relate a fact out of common sense, to one that would establish a witness for the intervention of a supernatural being? Here’s a moment to think a about it. Let me guess, you’re sitting there trying to make up your mind. Don’t worry; you’re not the first person that does not believe in miracles. In the past, some two centuries ago, Scottish philosopher David Hume did not believe either. And probably you have good reason not to either. But, let’s not diverse.
...narrative conventions in this short story help to illustrate this situation, and in the process, give the reader cause to question whether or not this unbelievable event could actually occur. Sawai presents her readers with this challenge to their perception of reality through the story’s title, in the way that she trivializes a miracle by placing it in an ordinary setting, and also through the possibility that the story is semi-autobiographical, thus making it true. The author is playing a game with the reader, never revealing whether or not her story is based on reality or not. Of course, one would most likely assume that Jesus did not in fact appear in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan on September 11th, 1972. Nevertheless, Sawai intices her audience to play with the idea for a moment, challenging the socially accepted standards of what is reality and what is not.