https://www.smitingshepherds.com/index.php?title=Argument_from_Miracles&feed=atom&action=historyArgument from Miracles - Revision history2024-03-29T13:17:01ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.27.1https://www.smitingshepherds.com/index.php?title=Argument_from_Miracles&diff=2537&oldid=prevSysop at 02:55, 24 January 20192019-01-24T02:55:00Z<p></p>
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<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Much of the miraculous healing which occurs after praying to saints is attributable to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_remission spontaneous regression/remission]. A small percentage of cancer sufferers are able to “just walk it off,” without anyone’s help.  </div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Much of the miraculous healing which occurs after praying to saints is attributable to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_remission spontaneous regression/remission]. A small percentage of cancer sufferers are able to “just walk it off,” without anyone’s help.  </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Millions of pilgrims have visited Lourdes, only 65 have ever been “miraculously” cured (as of 1997). Of these, only 3 were cured of cancer -- if anything, their pilgrimage made them ''less'' likely to be spontaneously cured.<ref name="Sagan">C. Sagan, ''The Demon-Haunted World:  Science as a Candle in the Dark'' (Ballantine Books, 1997)</ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Millions of pilgrims have visited Lourdes, only 65 have ever been “miraculously” cured (as of 1997). Of these, only 3 were cured of cancer -- if anything, their pilgrimage made them ''less'' likely to be spontaneously cured.<ref name="Sagan">C. Sagan, ''The Demon-Haunted World:  Science as a Candle in the Dark'' (Ballantine Books, 1997)</ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Spontaneous regression/remission is a credible explanation because only miracles only address certain diseases and conditions, while ignoring the rest (e.g., Amputees never fully regenerate their limbs; <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Down’s Syndrome </del>has never been cured by god or man).<ref name="Randi"> J. Randi, ''The Faith Healers'' (Prometheus Books, 1987).</ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Spontaneous regression/remission is a credible explanation because only miracles only address certain diseases and conditions, while ignoring the rest (e.g., Amputees never fully regenerate their limbs; <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Down syndrome </ins>has never been cured by god or man).<ref name="Randi"> J. Randi, ''The Faith Healers'' (Prometheus Books, 1987).</ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Pat Robertson’s faith-healing is statistical, not mystical; he just lists combinations of names, places, and ailments, then declares people cured. Getting a combination that matches to a home viewer in the US market is entirely analogous to playing 370,000,000 slot machines at once; he could hit that jackpot without divine intervention.<ref name="Randi"></ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Pat Robertson’s faith-healing is statistical, not mystical; he just lists combinations of names, places, and ailments, <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">and </ins>then declares people cured. Getting a combination that matches to a home viewer in the US market is entirely analogous to playing 370,000,000 slot machines at once; he could hit that jackpot without divine intervention.<ref name="Randi"></ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Praying for healing is unnecessary, since an all-knowing God already knows who is sick and suffering.<ref name="Sagan"></ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Praying for healing is unnecessary, since an all-knowing God already knows who is sick and suffering.<ref name="Sagan"></ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Stories of demonic possession can be attributed to migraines, epilepsy, and/or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourette_syndrome <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Tourette’s Syndrome</del>]. Any of these diseases can trigger [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUtKRQdYdwk mystical visions], transcendent feelings (i.e., the [https://youtu.be/kkVcsMZkP2k?t=39s sensation of leaving the body]) and the sensation of being controlled by otherworldly forces. Epileptic seizures and Tourette’s can make their sufferers appear possessed (with uncontrollable seizures and unintelligible shouts), and closely match the symptoms of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V-Ui69hDpA demonic possession] as described in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malleus_Maleficarum ''Malleus Maleficarum''] (1487).<ref name="Kick4"> B. Radford, in ''Everything You Know About God is Wrong:  The Disinformation Guide to Religion'' edited by R. Kick (Disinformation Books, 2007)</ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Stories of demonic possession can be attributed to migraines, epilepsy, and/or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourette_syndrome <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Tourette syndrome</ins>]. Any of these diseases can trigger [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUtKRQdYdwk mystical visions], transcendent feelings (i.e., the [https://youtu.be/kkVcsMZkP2k?t=39s sensation of leaving the body]) and the sensation of being controlled by otherworldly forces. Epileptic seizures and Tourette’s can make their sufferers appear possessed (with uncontrollable seizures and unintelligible shouts), and closely match the symptoms of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V-Ui69hDpA demonic possession] as described in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malleus_Maleficarum ''Malleus Maleficarum''] (1487).<ref name="Kick4"> B. Radford, in ''Everything You Know About God is Wrong:  The Disinformation Guide to Religion'' edited by R. Kick (Disinformation Books, 2007)</ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*The gift of prophecy is just people ad-libbing. Upon hearing recordings of people (or even themselves) speaking in tongues, those with the gift of prophesy fail to produce the same “translation” twice. <ref name="Kick4"></ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*The gift of prophecy is just people ad-libbing. Upon hearing recordings of people (or even themselves) speaking in tongues, those with the gift of prophesy fail to produce the same “translation” twice. <ref name="Kick4"></ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>* Much of God’s wrath (e.g., the destruction of Jericho; stopping the River Jordan) is [http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/22/world/believers-score-in-battle-over-the-battle-of-jericho.html attributable to earthquakes], especially since the entire region rests on a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea_Transform fault line].</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>* Much of God’s wrath (e.g., the destruction of Jericho; stopping the River Jordan) is [http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/22/world/believers-score-in-battle-over-the-battle-of-jericho.html attributable to earthquakes], especially since the entire region rests on a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea_Transform fault line].</div></td></tr>
</table>Sysophttps://www.smitingshepherds.com/index.php?title=Argument_from_Miracles&diff=2536&oldid=prevSysop at 02:49, 24 January 20192019-01-24T02:49:08Z<p></p>
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<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*[[The Bible is not Credible|Christian tradition is mostly usurped pagan stories, beliefs, and practices.]]  </div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*[[The Bible is not Credible|Christian tradition is mostly usurped pagan stories, beliefs, and practices.]]  </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Thomas Paine argued that scripture cannot be a revelation <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">-- while it </del>may have been revealed to the author, their copied manuscripts are second-hand accounts, told by those authors and translators.<ref name="Paine"> T. Paine, ''The Age of Reason'' (Cosimo Classics, 2007).</ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Thomas Paine argued that scripture cannot be a revelation<ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">. While they </ins>may have been revealed to the author, their copied manuscripts are second-hand accounts, told by those authors and translators.<ref name="Paine"> T. Paine, ''The Age of Reason'' (Cosimo Classics, 2007).</ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>The most powerful arguments against divine miracles ironically comes from the Bible itself, which warns that miracles, signs, and other wonders are the hallmarks of false prophets, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3rLof2cnzg who are trying to make themselves look credible]. These Satanic people (LUK 11:19; 2THE 2:9) will only deceive you (REV 13:13-14) and turn you away from God (DEU 13:1-3). Likewise, anyone who performs miracles and claims to be the Christ is just one of the many false Christs who will appear from time to time (MAT 24:24). Jesus coined the expression “wolves in sheep’s clothing” to describe these people (MAT 7:15).</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>The most powerful arguments against divine miracles ironically comes from the Bible itself, which warns that miracles, signs, and other wonders are the hallmarks of false prophets, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3rLof2cnzg who are trying to make themselves look credible]. These Satanic people (LUK 11:19; 2THE 2:9) will only deceive you (REV 13:13-14) and turn you away from God (DEU 13:1-3). Likewise, anyone who performs miracles and claims to be the Christ is just one of the many false Christs who will appear from time to time (MAT 24:24). Jesus coined the expression “wolves in sheep’s clothing” to describe these people (MAT 7:15).</div></td></tr>
</table>Sysophttps://www.smitingshepherds.com/index.php?title=Argument_from_Miracles&diff=2484&oldid=prevSysop at 22:58, 21 January 20192019-01-21T22:58:24Z<p></p>
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<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>All of the miraculous claims made by Christianity and other world religions share one commonality -- they are all bound by the law of cause-and-effect. '''Miracles may defy physics, they never violate causality.''' Since effects <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">can not </del>be more than the sum total of their causes, miracles thus require supernatural causes to render its supernatural effects.<ref name="Kreeft">P. Kreeft, ''Faith and Reason:  The Philosophy of Religion'' (Recorded Books, 2005).</ref> Miracles are necessary for religious belief, because people need to be reminded that the process works.  </div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>All of the miraculous claims made by Christianity and other world religions share one commonality -- they are all bound by the law of cause-and-effect. '''Miracles may defy physics, they never violate causality.''' Since effects <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">cannot </ins>be more than the sum total of their causes, miracles thus require supernatural causes to render its supernatural effects.<ref name="Kreeft">P. Kreeft, ''Faith and Reason:  The Philosophy of Religion'' (Recorded Books, 2005).</ref> Miracles are necessary for religious belief, because people need to be reminded that the process works.  </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*The Israelites feared and believed in both God, and his servant, Moses, simply because of the wondrous feats they performed to defeat the Egyptians (EXO 7:10-12; 8:7; 14:31).  </div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*The Israelites feared and believed in both God, and his servant, Moses, simply because of the wondrous feats they performed to defeat the Egyptians (EXO 7:10-12; 8:7; 14:31).  </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Jesus only performed miracles to convince others of his divinity (MAT 11:2-5; JOH 4:48, 5:36, 20:30-31; ACT 2:22; HEB 2:4), because that was the only way to attract followers (JOH 3:2).</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Jesus only performed miracles to convince others of his divinity (MAT 11:2-5; JOH 4:48, 5:36, 20:30-31; ACT 2:22; HEB 2:4), because that was the only way to attract followers (JOH 3:2).</div></td></tr>
</table>Sysophttps://www.smitingshepherds.com/index.php?title=Argument_from_Miracles&diff=2467&oldid=prevSysop at 19:04, 31 December 20182018-12-31T19:04:56Z<p></p>
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<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Jesus only performed miracles to convince others of his divinity (MAT 11:2-5; JOH 4:48, 5:36, 20:30-31; ACT 2:22; HEB 2:4), because that was the only way to attract followers (JOH 3:2).</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Jesus only performed miracles to convince others of his divinity (MAT 11:2-5; JOH 4:48, 5:36, 20:30-31; ACT 2:22; HEB 2:4), because that was the only way to attract followers (JOH 3:2).</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Christians ''need'' miracles so they can have [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5uamDMoW4o something to believe in], since Christianity doesn’t have much else to offer:</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Christians ''need'' miracles so they can have [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5uamDMoW4o something to believe in], since Christianity doesn’t have much else to offer:</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*[[Creationism_is_False|The biblical creation story conflicts with most, if not all, of <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">the sciences</del>]].</div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*[[Creationism_is_False|The biblical creation story conflicts with most, if not all, <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">fields </ins>of <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">study</ins>]].</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*[[Points_of_Contention_with_the_Life_of_Christ|The gospels contradict themselves]].</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*[[Points_of_Contention_with_the_Life_of_Christ|The gospels contradict themselves]].</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*[[The Bible is not Credible|Christian tradition is mostly usurped pagan stories, beliefs, and practices.]]  </div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*[[The Bible is not Credible|Christian tradition is mostly usurped pagan stories, beliefs, and practices.]]  </div></td></tr>
</table>Sysophttps://www.smitingshepherds.com/index.php?title=Argument_from_Miracles&diff=2405&oldid=prevSysop at 01:37, 28 May 20182018-05-28T01:37:36Z<p></p>
<table class="diff diff-contentalign-left" data-mw="interface">
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<td colspan='2' style="background-color: white; color:black; text-align: center;">Revision as of 01:37, 28 May 2018</td>
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<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Pat Robertson’s faith-healing is statistical, not mystical; he just lists combinations of names, places, and ailments, then declares people cured. Getting a combination that matches to a home viewer in the US market is entirely analogous to playing 370,000,000 slot machines at once; he could hit that jackpot without divine intervention.<ref name="Randi"></ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Pat Robertson’s faith-healing is statistical, not mystical; he just lists combinations of names, places, and ailments, then declares people cured. Getting a combination that matches to a home viewer in the US market is entirely analogous to playing 370,000,000 slot machines at once; he could hit that jackpot without divine intervention.<ref name="Randi"></ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Praying for healing is unnecessary, since an all-knowing God already knows who is sick and suffering.<ref name="Sagan"></ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Praying for healing is unnecessary, since an all-knowing God already knows who is sick and suffering.<ref name="Sagan"></ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Stories of demonic possession can be attributed to migraines, epilepsy, and/or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourette_syndrome Tourette’s Syndrome]. Any of these diseases can trigger [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUtKRQdYdwk mystical visions], transcendent feelings (i.e., the [https://youtu.be/kkVcsMZkP2k?t=39s sensation of leaving the body]) and the sensation of being controlled by otherworldly forces. Epileptic seizures and Tourette’s can make their sufferers appear possessed (with uncontrollable seizures and unintelligible shouts), and closely match the symptoms of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V-Ui69hDpA demonic possession] as described in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malleus_Maleficarum ''Malleus Maleficarum''] (1487).<ref name="Kick4"> B. Radford, in ''Everything You Know About God <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Is </del>Wrong:  The Disinformation Guide to Religion'' edited by R. Kick (Disinformation Books, 2007)</ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Stories of demonic possession can be attributed to migraines, epilepsy, and/or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourette_syndrome Tourette’s Syndrome]. Any of these diseases can trigger [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUtKRQdYdwk mystical visions], transcendent feelings (i.e., the [https://youtu.be/kkVcsMZkP2k?t=39s sensation of leaving the body]) and the sensation of being controlled by otherworldly forces. Epileptic seizures and Tourette’s can make their sufferers appear possessed (with uncontrollable seizures and unintelligible shouts), and closely match the symptoms of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V-Ui69hDpA demonic possession] as described in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malleus_Maleficarum ''Malleus Maleficarum''] (1487).<ref name="Kick4"> B. Radford, in ''Everything You Know About God <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">is </ins>Wrong:  The Disinformation Guide to Religion'' edited by R. Kick (Disinformation Books, 2007)</ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*The gift of prophecy is just people ad-libbing. Upon hearing recordings of people (or even themselves) speaking in tongues, those with the gift of prophesy fail to produce the same “translation” twice. <ref name="Kick4"></ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*The gift of prophecy is just people ad-libbing. Upon hearing recordings of people (or even themselves) speaking in tongues, those with the gift of prophesy fail to produce the same “translation” twice. <ref name="Kick4"></ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>* Much of God’s wrath (e.g., the destruction of Jericho; stopping the River Jordan) is [http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/22/world/believers-score-in-battle-over-the-battle-of-jericho.html attributable to earthquakes], especially since the entire region rests on a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea_Transform fault line].</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>* Much of God’s wrath (e.g., the destruction of Jericho; stopping the River Jordan) is [http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/22/world/believers-score-in-battle-over-the-battle-of-jericho.html attributable to earthquakes], especially since the entire region rests on a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea_Transform fault line].</div></td></tr>
</table>Sysophttps://www.smitingshepherds.com/index.php?title=Argument_from_Miracles&diff=2404&oldid=prevSysop at 01:35, 28 May 20182018-05-28T01:35:40Z<p></p>
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<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Many miracle stories are exaggerations or hoaxes meant to attract followers. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_of_Bethlehem Star of Bethlehem] was likely a white lie (or “pious fiction”), written by the author of Matthew, or penciled in by a forgotten monk-copyist, to make his Gospel coincide with the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Prophecy Star Prophecy], which the other Gospels overlooked. The Gospel of John freely admits to being propaganda (JOH 20:31).</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Many miracle stories are exaggerations or hoaxes meant to attract followers. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_of_Bethlehem Star of Bethlehem] was likely a white lie (or “pious fiction”), written by the author of Matthew, or penciled in by a forgotten monk-copyist, to make his Gospel coincide with the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Prophecy Star Prophecy], which the other Gospels overlooked. The Gospel of John freely admits to being propaganda (JOH 20:31).</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Additionally, many “miracles” have rational explanations. While it seems incredulous for all these unusual events to occur by chance to a specific ethnic group, in a small corner of the world, recall that the Biblical genealogies demonstrate that these events took place over a 4000-5500 year period. Each “miracle” is spaced apart by several generations of un-noteworthy dirt-farming, which credits the idea of miracles as freak occurrences. This is one reason why the Bible actively discourages its own readers from paying attention to the genealogies (1TIM 1:4; TIT 3:9). Examples of explainable miracles include, but are not limited <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">too</del>:  </div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Additionally, many “miracles” have rational explanations. While it seems incredulous for all these unusual events to occur by chance to a specific ethnic group, in a small corner of the world, recall that the Biblical genealogies demonstrate that these events took place over a 4000-5500 year period. Each “miracle” is spaced apart by several generations of un-noteworthy dirt-farming, which credits the idea of miracles as freak occurrences. This is one reason why the Bible actively discourages its own readers from paying attention to the genealogies (1TIM 1:4; TIT 3:9). Examples of explainable miracles include, but are not limited <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">to</ins>:  </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Much of the miraculous healing which occurs after praying to saints is attributable to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_remission spontaneous regression/remission]. A small percentage of cancer sufferers are able to “just walk it off,” without anyone’s help.  </div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Much of the miraculous healing which occurs after praying to saints is attributable to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_remission spontaneous regression/remission]. A small percentage of cancer sufferers are able to “just walk it off,” without anyone’s help.  </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Millions of pilgrims have visited Lourdes, only 65 have ever been “miraculously” cured (as of 1997). Of these, only 3 were cured of cancer -- if anything, their pilgrimage made them ''less'' likely to be spontaneously cured.<ref name="Sagan">C. Sagan, ''The Demon-Haunted World:  Science as a Candle in the Dark'' (Ballantine Books, 1997)</ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Millions of pilgrims have visited Lourdes, only 65 have ever been “miraculously” cured (as of 1997). Of these, only 3 were cured of cancer -- if anything, their pilgrimage made them ''less'' likely to be spontaneously cured.<ref name="Sagan">C. Sagan, ''The Demon-Haunted World:  Science as a Candle in the Dark'' (Ballantine Books, 1997)</ref></div></td></tr>
</table>Sysophttps://www.smitingshepherds.com/index.php?title=Argument_from_Miracles&diff=2312&oldid=prevSysop at 03:12, 11 May 20182018-05-11T03:12:48Z<p></p>
<table class="diff diff-contentalign-left" data-mw="interface">
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<td colspan='2' style="background-color: white; color:black; text-align: center;">Revision as of 03:12, 11 May 2018</td>
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<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Spontaneous regression/remission is a credible explanation because only miracles only address certain diseases and conditions, while ignoring the rest (e.g., Amputees never fully regenerate their limbs; Down’s Syndrome has never been cured by god or man).<ref name="Randi"> J. Randi, ''The Faith Healers'' (Prometheus Books, 1987).</ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Spontaneous regression/remission is a credible explanation because only miracles only address certain diseases and conditions, while ignoring the rest (e.g., Amputees never fully regenerate their limbs; Down’s Syndrome has never been cured by god or man).<ref name="Randi"> J. Randi, ''The Faith Healers'' (Prometheus Books, 1987).</ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Pat Robertson’s faith-healing is statistical, not mystical; he just lists combinations of names, places, and ailments, then declares people cured. Getting a combination that matches to a home viewer in the US market is entirely analogous to playing 370,000,000 slot machines at once; he could hit that jackpot without divine intervention.<ref name="Randi"></ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Pat Robertson’s faith-healing is statistical, not mystical; he just lists combinations of names, places, and ailments, then declares people cured. Getting a combination that matches to a home viewer in the US market is entirely analogous to playing 370,000,000 slot machines at once; he could hit that jackpot without divine intervention.<ref name="Randi"></ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Praying for healing is unnecessary, since an all-knowing God <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">will know </del>who is sick and suffering.<ref name="Sagan"></ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Praying for healing is unnecessary, since an all-knowing God <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">already knows </ins>who is sick and suffering.<ref name="Sagan"></ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Stories of demonic possession can be attributed to migraines, epilepsy, and/or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourette_syndrome Tourette’s Syndrome]. Any of these diseases can trigger [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">G1RSS42GLIw </del>mystical visions], transcendent feelings (i.e., the [https://youtu.be/kkVcsMZkP2k?t=39s sensation of leaving the body]) and the sensation of being controlled by otherworldly forces. Epileptic seizures and Tourette’s can make their sufferers appear possessed (with uncontrollable seizures and unintelligible shouts), and closely match the symptoms of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V-Ui69hDpA demonic possession] as described in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malleus_Maleficarum Malleus Maleficarum].<ref name="Kick4"> B. Radford, in ''Everything You Know About God Is Wrong:  The Disinformation Guide to Religion'' edited by R. Kick (Disinformation Books, 2007)</ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Stories of demonic possession can be attributed to migraines, epilepsy, and/or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourette_syndrome Tourette’s Syndrome]. Any of these diseases can trigger [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">XUtKRQdYdwk </ins>mystical visions], transcendent feelings (i.e., the [https://youtu.be/kkVcsMZkP2k?t=39s sensation of leaving the body]) and the sensation of being controlled by otherworldly forces. Epileptic seizures and Tourette’s can make their sufferers appear possessed (with uncontrollable seizures and unintelligible shouts), and closely match the symptoms of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V-Ui69hDpA demonic possession] as described in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malleus_Maleficarum <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">''</ins>Malleus Maleficarum<ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">''</ins>] <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">(1487)</ins>.<ref name="Kick4"> B. Radford, in ''Everything You Know About God Is Wrong:  The Disinformation Guide to Religion'' edited by R. Kick (Disinformation Books, 2007)</ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*The gift of prophecy is just people ad-libbing. Upon hearing recordings of people (or even themselves) speaking in tongues, those with the gift of prophesy fail to produce the same “translation” twice. <ref name="Kick4"></ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*The gift of prophecy is just people ad-libbing. Upon hearing recordings of people (or even themselves) speaking in tongues, those with the gift of prophesy fail to produce the same “translation” twice. <ref name="Kick4"></ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>* Much of God’s wrath (e.g., the destruction of Jericho; stopping the River Jordan) is [http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/22/world/believers-score-in-battle-over-the-battle-of-jericho.html attributable to earthquakes]<del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">. These are a common occurrence</del>, since the entire region rests on a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea_Transform <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline"> </del>fault line].</div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>* Much of God’s wrath (e.g., the destruction of Jericho; stopping the River Jordan) is [http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/22/world/believers-score-in-battle-over-the-battle-of-jericho.html attributable to earthquakes], <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">especially </ins>since the entire region rests on a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea_Transform fault line].</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Isaiah’s miracle of briefly reversing a sundial was due to a passing cloud which refracted the sunlight.</div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Isaiah’s miracle of briefly reversing a sundial was due to a passing cloud<ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">, </ins>which refracted the sunlight.</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Sodom and Gomorrah were likely destroyed by the comet <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">or </del>asteroid impact which created [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umm_al_Binni_lake Umm al Binni Lake]. While this accurately describes God’s power and wrath against the residents of those cities, it was also inadvertently extended to countless innocent people the world over. Even conservative estimates <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">place </del>this impact <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">at an order of magnitude </del>greater than the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunguska_event Tunguska Event]. This impact likely triggered the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4.2_kiloyear_event 4.2 Kiloyear Event], which disrupted or destroyed most civilizations; [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Kingdom_of_Egypt Old Kingdom Egypt], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/<del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Sumer Sumer</del>], and the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_Valley_Civilisation Indus Valley Civilization] <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">all </del>simultaneously <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">fell </del>due to this event. <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Many surviving </del>cultures <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">responded by developing </del>a sudden interest in astronomy, and with building large stone structures.</div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Sodom and Gomorrah were likely destroyed by the comet<ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">/</ins>asteroid impact which created [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umm_al_Binni_lake Umm al Binni Lake]. While this accurately describes God’s power and wrath against the residents of those cities, it was also inadvertently extended to countless innocent people the world over. Even <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">by </ins>conservative estimates<ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">, </ins>this impact <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">was 10 times </ins>greater than the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunguska_event Tunguska Event]. This impact likely triggered the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4.2_kiloyear_event 4.2 Kiloyear Event], which disrupted or destroyed most <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">of the world's </ins>civilizations; [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Kingdom_of_Egypt Old Kingdom Egypt], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/<ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Akkadian_Empire the Akkadian Empire</ins>], and the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_Valley_Civilisation Indus Valley Civilization] <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">fell </ins>simultaneously due to this event. <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Surviving </ins>cultures <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">developed </ins>a sudden interest in astronomy, and with building large stone structures.</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Manna was the discarded cocoons of the trehala manna mealybug (''Trabutina mannipara''):<ref>J. Emsley, ''The beetle cocoon that was manna for Moses'', [Online]. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/the-beetle-cocoon-that-was-manna-for-moses-1306263.html. [Accessed 6 MAY 2017].</ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Manna was the discarded cocoons of the trehala manna mealybug (''Trabutina mannipara''):<ref>J. Emsley, ''The beetle cocoon that was manna for Moses'', [Online]. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/the-beetle-cocoon-that-was-manna-for-moses-1306263.html. [Accessed 6 MAY 2017].</ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**The cocoons themselves are golden or brown colored, and are a nutrient-rich protein source.</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**The cocoons themselves are golden or brown colored, and are a nutrient-rich protein source.</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**The beetles secrete [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trehalose trehalose], a white crystalline carbohydrate, which is still used as sweetener in fine Turkish cuisine.</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**The beetles secrete [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trehalose trehalose], a white crystalline carbohydrate, which is still used as sweetener in fine Turkish cuisine.</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**An insect-based origin explains why Moses was so adamant against hoarding manna -- because eventually “it bred worms, and stank” (EXO 16:19-24).</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**An insect-based origin explains why Moses was so adamant against hoarding manna -- because eventually “it bred worms, and stank” (EXO 16:19-24).</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*The resurrections of Lazarus and Jesus were cases of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premature_burial premature burial]<del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">. This </del>was more common in the past, since pre-1900’s medical science was basically voodoo.  </div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*The resurrections of Lazarus and Jesus were cases of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premature_burial premature burial]<ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">, which </ins>was more common in the past, since pre-1900’s medical science was basically voodoo.  </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*The Plagues of Egypt were brought on by <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">the environmental catastrophe following </del>the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minoan_eruption Minoan (Thera) Eruption], a volcanic eruption so powerful it destroyed the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minoan_civilization Minoan Civilization] and inspired the myth of Atlantis. This event introduced colossal amounts of dust and particulate ejecta into the stratosphere -- 4 times as much as the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1883_eruption_of_Krakatoa 1883 Krakatoa Eruption], and 100 times that of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_eruption_of_Mount_St._Helens 1980 Mt. St. Helens Eruption]. The resulting weather pattern disruptions stopped the rains, causing the Nile to slow and stagnate, leading to insect swarms and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_tide algae blooms]<del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">, which in turn, </del>spread disease and <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">caused a population boom for </del>insect-eating <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">frogs</del>. <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Global weather patterns were disrupted, and airborne </del>particulates served as nucleation sites for hail. The environmental impacts of the later “plagues” were equally inflicted on all Bronze Age civilizations; even the Chinese reported summer frosts and famines at this time. Simulations of these disrupted weather patterns have shown their winds were sufficient to part the seas.<ref>BBC, ''Computers show how wind could have parted Red Sea'', [Online]. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-11383620. [Accessed 6 MAY 2017].</ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*The Plagues of Egypt were brought on by the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minoan_eruption Minoan (Thera) Eruption], a volcanic eruption so powerful <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">that </ins>it destroyed the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minoan_civilization Minoan Civilization] and inspired the myth of Atlantis. This event introduced colossal amounts of dust and particulate ejecta into the stratosphere -- 4 times as much as the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1883_eruption_of_Krakatoa 1883 Krakatoa Eruption], and 100 times that of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_eruption_of_Mount_St._Helens 1980 Mt. St. Helens Eruption]. The resulting <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">global </ins>weather pattern disruptions stopped <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTQbiNvZqaY </ins>the rains<ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">]</ins>, causing the Nile to slow and stagnate, leading to insect swarms and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_tide algae blooms]<ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">. The swarms and blooms </ins>spread disease <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">to humans </ins>and <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">spiked the </ins>insect-eating <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">frog population</ins>. <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Airborne </ins>particulates served as nucleation sites for hail <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">in the new disrupted weather patterns</ins>. The environmental impacts of the later “plagues” were equally inflicted on all Bronze Age civilizations; even the Chinese reported summer frosts and famines at this time. Simulations of these disrupted weather patterns have shown their winds were sufficient to part the seas.<ref>BBC, ''Computers show how wind could have parted Red Sea'', [Online]. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-11383620. [Accessed 6 MAY 2017].</ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"> </td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>==References==</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>==References==</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><references/></div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><references/></div></td></tr>
</table>Sysophttps://www.smitingshepherds.com/index.php?title=Argument_from_Miracles&diff=2311&oldid=prevSysop at 02:44, 11 May 20182018-05-11T02:44:19Z<p></p>
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<td colspan='2' style="background-color: white; color:black; text-align: center;">Revision as of 02:44, 11 May 2018</td>
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<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Thomas Paine argued that scripture cannot be a revelation -- while it may have been revealed to the author, their copied manuscripts are second-hand accounts, told by those authors and translators.<ref name="Paine"> T. Paine, ''The Age of Reason'' (Cosimo Classics, 2007).</ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Thomas Paine argued that scripture cannot be a revelation -- while it may have been revealed to the author, their copied manuscripts are second-hand accounts, told by those authors and translators.<ref name="Paine"> T. Paine, ''The Age of Reason'' (Cosimo Classics, 2007).</ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>The most powerful arguments against divine miracles ironically comes from the Bible itself, which warns that miracles, signs, and other wonders are the hallmarks of false prophets, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3rLof2cnzg who are trying to make themselves look credible]. These Satanic people (LUK 11:19; 2THE 2:9) will only deceive you (REV 13:13-14) and turn you away from God (DEU 13:1-3). Likewise, anyone who performs miracles and claims to be the Christ is just one of the many false Christs who will appear from time to time (MAT 24:24). Jesus coined the <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">idiom </del>“wolves in sheep’s clothing” to describe these people (MAT 7:15).</div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>The most powerful arguments against divine miracles ironically comes from the Bible itself, which warns that miracles, signs, and other wonders are the hallmarks of false prophets, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3rLof2cnzg who are trying to make themselves look credible]. These Satanic people (LUK 11:19; 2THE 2:9) will only deceive you (REV 13:13-14) and turn you away from God (DEU 13:1-3). Likewise, anyone who performs miracles and claims to be the Christ is just one of the many false Christs who will appear from time to time (MAT 24:24). Jesus coined the <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">expression </ins>“wolves in sheep’s clothing” to describe these people (MAT 7:15).</div></td></tr>
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<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Many miracle stories are exaggerations or hoaxes meant to attract followers. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_of_Bethlehem Star of Bethlehem] was likely a white lie (or “pious fiction”), written by the author of Matthew, or penciled in by a forgotten monk-copyist, to make <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">the </del>Gospel coincide with the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Prophecy Star Prophecy], which the other Gospels overlooked. John freely admits <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">that his Gospel was </del>propaganda (JOH 20:31).</div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Many miracle stories are exaggerations or hoaxes meant to attract followers. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_of_Bethlehem Star of Bethlehem] was likely a white lie (or “pious fiction”), written by the author of Matthew, or penciled in by a forgotten monk-copyist, to make <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">his </ins>Gospel coincide with the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Prophecy Star Prophecy], which the other Gospels overlooked. <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">The Gospel of </ins>John freely admits <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">to being </ins>propaganda (JOH 20:31).</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Additionally, many “miracles” have rational explanations. While it seems <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">unlikely that </del>all <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">of </del>these unusual events <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">occurred </del>by chance to <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">members of </del>a specific ethnic group, in <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">relatively </del>small <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">part </del>of the world <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">-- but biblical </del>genealogies demonstrate that these events took place over a 4000-5500 year period. Each “miracle” is spaced apart by several generations of un-noteworthy dirt-farming, which credits the idea of <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">their being </del>freak occurrences. This is one reason why the Bible actively discourages its own readers from paying attention to the genealogies (1TIM 1:4; TIT 3:9). <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">For example</del>:  </div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Much of the miraculous healing which occurs after praying to saints <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">are </del>attributable to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_remission spontaneous regression/remission]. A small percentage of cancer sufferers are able to “just walk it off,” without anyone’s help.  </div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Additionally, many “miracles” have rational explanations. While it seems <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">incredulous for </ins>all these unusual events <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">to occur </ins>by chance to a specific ethnic group, in <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">a </ins>small <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">corner </ins>of the world<ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">, recall that the Biblical </ins>genealogies demonstrate that these events took place over a 4000-5500 year period. Each “miracle” is spaced apart by several generations of un-noteworthy dirt-farming, which credits the idea of <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">miracles as </ins>freak occurrences. This is one reason why the Bible actively discourages its own readers from paying attention to the genealogies (1TIM 1:4; TIT 3:9). <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Examples of explainable miracles include, but are not limited too</ins>:  </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**<del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Of the millions </del>of pilgrims <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">who </del>have visited Lourdes, only 65 have ever been “miraculously” cured (as of 1997). Of these, only 3 were cured of cancer -- if anything, their pilgrimage made them ''less'' likely to be spontaneously cured.<ref name="Sagan">C. Sagan, ''The Demon-Haunted World:  Science as a Candle in the Dark'' (Ballantine Books, 1997)</ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Much of the miraculous healing which occurs after praying to saints <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">is </ins>attributable to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_remission spontaneous regression/remission]. A small percentage of cancer sufferers are able to “just walk it off,” without anyone’s help.  </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Spontaneous regression/remission <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">makes sense </del>because only miracles only address certain diseases and conditions, while ignoring the rest (e.g., Amputees never fully regenerate their limbs; Down’s Syndrome has never been cured <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">-- ever -- </del>by <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">anything from </del>god or man.<del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">)</del><ref name="Randi"> J. Randi, ''The Faith Healers'' (Prometheus Books, 1987).</ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**<ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Millions </ins>of pilgrims have visited Lourdes, only 65 have ever been “miraculously” cured (as of 1997). Of these, only 3 were cured of cancer -- if anything, their pilgrimage made them ''less'' likely to be spontaneously cured.<ref name="Sagan">C. Sagan, ''The Demon-Haunted World:  Science as a Candle in the Dark'' (Ballantine Books, 1997)</ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Pat Robertson’s <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">style of </del>healing is statistical, not mystical; he just lists combinations of names, places, and ailments, then declares people cured. Getting <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">such </del>a combination to <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">line up </del>in the US market is entirely analogous to playing 370,000,000 slot machines at once; he <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">needs no divine intervention to </del>hit that jackpot.<ref name="Randi"></ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Spontaneous regression/remission <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">is a credible explanation </ins>because only miracles only address certain diseases and conditions, while ignoring the rest (e.g., Amputees never fully regenerate their limbs; Down’s Syndrome has never been cured by god or man<ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">)</ins>.<ref name="Randi"> J. Randi, ''The Faith Healers'' (Prometheus Books, 1987).</ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"> </td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Pat Robertson’s <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">faith-</ins>healing is statistical, not mystical; he just lists combinations of names, places, and ailments, then declares people cured. Getting a combination <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">that matches </ins>to <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">a home viewer </ins>in the US market is entirely analogous to playing 370,000,000 slot machines at once; he <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">could </ins>hit that jackpot <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">without divine intervention</ins>.<ref name="Randi"></ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Praying for healing is unnecessary, since an all-knowing God will know who is sick and suffering.<ref name="Sagan"></ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>**Praying for healing is unnecessary, since an all-knowing God will know who is sick and suffering.<ref name="Sagan"></ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Stories of demonic possession can be attributed to migraines, epilepsy, and/or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourette_syndrome Tourette’s Syndrome]. Any of these diseases can trigger [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1RSS42GLIw mystical visions], transcendent feelings (i.e., the [https://youtu.be/kkVcsMZkP2k?t=39s sensation of leaving the body]) and the sensation of being controlled by otherworldly forces. Epileptic seizures and Tourette’s can make their sufferers appear possessed (with uncontrollable seizures and unintelligible shouts), and closely match the symptoms of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V-Ui69hDpA demonic possession] as described in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malleus_Maleficarum Malleus Maleficarum].<ref name="Kick4"> B. Radford, in ''Everything You Know About God Is Wrong:  The Disinformation Guide to Religion'' edited by R. Kick (Disinformation Books, 2007)</ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Stories of demonic possession can be attributed to migraines, epilepsy, and/or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourette_syndrome Tourette’s Syndrome]. Any of these diseases can trigger [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1RSS42GLIw mystical visions], transcendent feelings (i.e., the [https://youtu.be/kkVcsMZkP2k?t=39s sensation of leaving the body]) and the sensation of being controlled by otherworldly forces. Epileptic seizures and Tourette’s can make their sufferers appear possessed (with uncontrollable seizures and unintelligible shouts), and closely match the symptoms of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V-Ui69hDpA demonic possession] as described in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malleus_Maleficarum Malleus Maleficarum].<ref name="Kick4"> B. Radford, in ''Everything You Know About God Is Wrong:  The Disinformation Guide to Religion'' edited by R. Kick (Disinformation Books, 2007)</ref></div></td></tr>
</table>Sysophttps://www.smitingshepherds.com/index.php?title=Argument_from_Miracles&diff=2310&oldid=prevSysop at 00:09, 11 May 20182018-05-11T00:09:32Z<p></p>
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<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>[[File:Hippocrates.png|center]]</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>[[File:Hippocrates.png|center]]</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">While there have been </del>miraculous claims made by Christianity and <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">all of the world’s </del>religions<del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">, they all </del>share one commonality -- they are all bound by the law of cause-and-effect. <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">While miracles </del>may defy physics, they never violate causality. Since effects <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">can’t </del>be more than the sum total of <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">its </del>causes, miracles thus require <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">a </del>supernatural <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">cause </del>to render its supernatural effects.<ref name="Kreeft">P. Kreeft, ''Faith and Reason:  The Philosophy of Religion'' (Recorded Books, 2005).</ref> Miracles are necessary for religious belief, because people need to be reminded that the process works.  </div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">All of the </ins>miraculous claims made by Christianity and <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">other world </ins>religions share one commonality -- they are all bound by the law of cause-and-effect. <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">'''Miracles </ins>may defy physics, they never violate causality.<ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">''' </ins>Since effects <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">can not </ins>be more than the sum total of <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">their </ins>causes, miracles thus require supernatural <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">causes </ins>to render its supernatural effects.<ref name="Kreeft">P. Kreeft, ''Faith and Reason:  The Philosophy of Religion'' (Recorded Books, 2005).</ref> Miracles are necessary for religious belief, because people need to be reminded that the process works.  </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*The Israelites feared and believed in both God, and his servant, Moses, simply because of the wondrous feats they performed to defeat the Egyptians (EXO 7:10-12; 8:7; 14:31).  </div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*The Israelites feared and believed in both God, and his servant, Moses, simply because of the wondrous feats they performed to defeat the Egyptians (EXO 7:10-12; 8:7; 14:31).  </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Jesus only performed miracles to convince others of his divinity (MAT 11:2-5; JOH 4:48, 5:36, 20:30-31; ACT 2:22; HEB 2:4), because that was the only way to attract followers (JOH 3:2).</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Jesus only performed miracles to convince others of his divinity (MAT 11:2-5; JOH 4:48, 5:36, 20:30-31; ACT 2:22; HEB 2:4), because that was the only way to attract followers (JOH 3:2).</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Christians ''need'' <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">to believe in </del>miracles <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">because </del>they <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">need </del>something to believe in, since Christianity doesn’t have much else to offer:</div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Christians ''need'' miracles <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">so </ins>they <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">can have [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5uamDMoW4o </ins>something to believe in<ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">]</ins>, since Christianity doesn’t have much else to offer:</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*[[Creationism_is_False|The biblical creation story conflicts with most, if not all, of the sciences]].</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*[[Creationism_is_False|The biblical creation story conflicts with most, if not all, of the sciences]].</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*[[Points_of_Contention_with_the_Life_of_Christ|The gospels contradict themselves]].</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*[[Points_of_Contention_with_the_Life_of_Christ|The gospels contradict themselves]].</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*[[The Bible is not Credible|Christian tradition is mostly usurped pagan stories, beliefs, and practices.]]  </div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*[[The Bible is not Credible|Christian tradition is mostly usurped pagan stories, beliefs, and practices.]]  </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Thomas Paine <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">argues </del>that scripture cannot be a revelation -- while it may have been <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">a revelation </del>to the author, <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">the act of writing it makes it into a </del>second-hand <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">account</del>.<ref name="Paine"> T. Paine, ''The Age of Reason'' (Cosimo Classics, 2007).</ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Thomas Paine <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">argued </ins>that scripture cannot be a revelation -- while it may have been <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">revealed </ins>to the author, <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">their copied manuscripts are </ins>second-hand <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">accounts, told by those authors and translators</ins>.<ref name="Paine"> T. Paine, ''The Age of Reason'' (Cosimo Classics, 2007).</ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">However, the </del>most powerful <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">argument </del>against divine miracles comes<del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">, ironically, </del>from the Bible itself, which warns that miracles, signs, and other wonders are the hallmarks of false prophets, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3rLof2cnzg who are trying to make themselves look credible]. These Satanic people (LUK 11:19; 2THE 2:9) will only deceive you (REV 13:13-14) and turn you away from God (DEU 13:1-3). Likewise, anyone who performs miracles and claims to be the Christ is just one of the many false Christs who will appear from time to time (MAT 24:24). <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">The </del>idiom <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">of </del>“wolves in sheep’s clothing” <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">was originally coined by Jesus, </del>to <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">explain the behavior of </del>these people (MAT 7:15).</div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">The </ins>most powerful <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">arguments </ins>against divine miracles <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">ironically </ins>comes from the Bible itself, which warns that miracles, signs, and other wonders are the hallmarks of false prophets, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3rLof2cnzg who are trying to make themselves look credible]. These Satanic people (LUK 11:19; 2THE 2:9) will only deceive you (REV 13:13-14) and turn you away from God (DEU 13:1-3). Likewise, anyone who performs miracles and claims to be the Christ is just one of the many false Christs who will appear from time to time (MAT 24:24). <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">Jesus coined the </ins>idiom “wolves in sheep’s clothing” to <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">describe </ins>these people (MAT 7:15).</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>{{Quotebox|</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>{{Quotebox|</div></td></tr>
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<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>|}}</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>|}}</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Many miracle stories are exaggerations or hoaxes meant to attract followers. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_of_Bethlehem Star of Bethlehem] was likely a white lie (“pious fiction”), written by the author of Matthew, or penciled in by a forgotten monk-copyist, to make the Gospel coincide with the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Prophecy Star Prophecy] which the other Gospels overlooked. John freely admits that his Gospel was propaganda (JOH 20:31).</div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Many miracle stories are exaggerations or hoaxes meant to attract followers. The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_of_Bethlehem Star of Bethlehem] was likely a white lie (<ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">or </ins>“pious fiction”), written by the author of Matthew, or penciled in by a forgotten monk-copyist, to make the Gospel coincide with the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Prophecy Star Prophecy]<ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">, </ins>which the other Gospels overlooked. John freely admits that his Gospel was propaganda (JOH 20:31).</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Additionally, many “miracles” have rational explanations. While it seems unlikely that all of these unusual events occurred by chance to members of a specific ethnic group, in relatively small part of the world -- but biblical genealogies demonstrate that these events took place over a 4000-5500 year period. Each “miracle” is spaced apart by several generations of un-noteworthy dirt-farming, which credits the idea of their being freak occurrences. This is one reason why the Bible actively discourages its own readers from paying attention to the genealogies (1TIM 1:4; TIT 3:9). For example:  </div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Additionally, many “miracles” have rational explanations. While it seems unlikely that all of these unusual events occurred by chance to members of a specific ethnic group, in relatively small part of the world -- but biblical genealogies demonstrate that these events took place over a 4000-5500 year period. Each “miracle” is spaced apart by several generations of un-noteworthy dirt-farming, which credits the idea of their being freak occurrences. This is one reason why the Bible actively discourages its own readers from paying attention to the genealogies (1TIM 1:4; TIT 3:9). For example:  </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Much of the miraculous healing which occurs after praying to saints are attributable to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_remission spontaneous regression/remission]. A small percentage of cancer sufferers are able to “just walk it off,” without anyone’s help.  </div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Much of the miraculous healing which occurs after praying to saints are attributable to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_remission spontaneous regression/remission]. A small percentage of cancer sufferers are able to “just walk it off,” without anyone’s help.  </div></td></tr>
</table>Sysophttps://www.smitingshepherds.com/index.php?title=Argument_from_Miracles&diff=1613&oldid=prevSysop at 23:06, 27 September 20172017-09-27T23:06:30Z<p></p>
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<td colspan='2' style="background-color: white; color:black; text-align: center;">Revision as of 23:06, 27 September 2017</td>
</tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="diff-lineno" id="mw-diff-left-l29" >Line 29:</td>
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<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*The gift of prophecy is just people ad-libbing. Upon hearing recordings of people (or even themselves) speaking in tongues, those with the gift of prophesy fail to produce the same “translation” twice. <ref name="Kick4"></ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*The gift of prophecy is just people ad-libbing. Upon hearing recordings of people (or even themselves) speaking in tongues, those with the gift of prophesy fail to produce the same “translation” twice. <ref name="Kick4"></ref></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>* Much of God’s wrath (e.g., the destruction of Jericho; stopping the River Jordan) is [http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/22/world/believers-score-in-battle-over-the-battle-of-jericho.html attributable to earthquakes]. These are a common occurrence, since the entire region rests on a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea_Transform  fault line].</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>* Much of God’s wrath (e.g., the destruction of Jericho; stopping the River Jordan) is [http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/22/world/believers-score-in-battle-over-the-battle-of-jericho.html attributable to earthquakes]. These are a common occurrence, since the entire region rests on a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea_Transform  fault line].</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Isaiah’s miracle of briefly reversing a sundial <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">is possible by </del>a passing cloud <del class="diffchange diffchange-inline">refracting </del>the sunlight.</div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Isaiah’s miracle of briefly reversing a sundial <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">was due to </ins>a passing cloud <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">which refracted </ins>the sunlight.</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Sodom and Gomorrah were likely destroyed by the comet or asteroid impact which created [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umm_al_Binni_lake Umm al Binni Lake]. While this accurately describes God’s power and wrath against the residents of those cities, it was also inadvertently extended to countless innocent people the world over. Even conservative estimates place this impact at an order of magnitude greater than the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunguska_event Tunguska Event]. This impact likely triggered the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4.2_kiloyear_event 4.2 Kiloyear Event], which disrupted or destroyed most civilizations; [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Kingdom_of_Egypt Old Kingdom Egypt], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumer Sumer], and the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_Valley_Civilisation Indus Valley Civilization] all simultaneously fell due to this event. Many surviving cultures responded by developing a sudden interest in astronomy, and with building large stone structures.</div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Sodom and Gomorrah were likely destroyed by the comet or asteroid impact which created [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umm_al_Binni_lake Umm al Binni Lake]. While this accurately describes God’s power and wrath against the residents of those cities, it was also inadvertently extended to countless innocent people the world over. Even conservative estimates place this impact at an order of magnitude greater than the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunguska_event Tunguska Event]. This impact likely triggered the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4.2_kiloyear_event 4.2 Kiloyear Event], which disrupted or destroyed most civilizations; [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Kingdom_of_Egypt Old Kingdom Egypt], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumer Sumer], and the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_Valley_Civilisation Indus Valley Civilization] all simultaneously fell due to this event. Many surviving cultures responded by developing a sudden interest in astronomy, and with building large stone structures.</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Manna was the discarded cocoons of the trehala manna mealybug (''Trabutina mannipara''):<ref>J. Emsley, ''The beetle cocoon that was manna for Moses'', [Online]. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/the-beetle-cocoon-that-was-manna-for-moses-1306263.html. [Accessed 6 MAY 2017].</ref></div></td><td class='diff-marker'> </td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*Manna was the discarded cocoons of the trehala manna mealybug (''Trabutina mannipara''):<ref>J. Emsley, ''The beetle cocoon that was manna for Moses'', [Online]. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/the-beetle-cocoon-that-was-manna-for-moses-1306263.html. [Accessed 6 MAY 2017].</ref></div></td></tr>
</table>Sysop