| Timmah! said: My posts never said "I know a guy that knows a guy who claimed this happened" I stated things I witnessed personally, as well as things that reputable people I know directly stated with the corroboration of several witnesses. Eyewitness accounts are some of the most important arguments in a court of law, especially when verified by multiple witnesses, why are they not viable here? |
Heresay is not acceptable in court because it is unreliable. Stories from people you know are often unreliable because it is subject to bias, memory lapse, and desired outcome. People always exagerate stories and misrepresent stories, surely you've heard a rumor that has been blown out of proportion. I had somebody swear to me that a UFO flew over their house and that UFOs were using their electricity to power their space craft (resulting in high electricity bills). I dont believe this actually happened, it makes more sense to say that a jet or airplane flew over their hosue and a hot summer caused an increase in their electric bill. However, I'm sure they are still telling this story, and regardless of wether they believe it or not, they get some value out of telling it.
Medical studies have proven that prayer does not have an affect on health. It use to be that doctors were encouraged to be religious with the patient because it was thought that good moral could lead to better health, however medical evidence shows that this has no effect on health and it is actually determental to a patient's treatment (specifically a family's ability to make decisions) to keep hope alive in the face of unlikely chances. Yeah, every once in a while a patient with a 95% chance of death survives and goes on to believe that god saved him, but somebody has to win the lottery, and the other 95% of people aren't here to give their testimony. Thats not to mention the many people who die from easily treatable diseases because they opt for religious healing instead.
Another aspect to consider is doctor error. A lot of times doctors give the wrong, serious diagnosis and they turn out to be wrong, it looks a lot better to write this off as an unlikely event (or even a miracle) than to say they screwed up and about killed you or caused you unnecessary pain and anguish.
Scientifically speaking, God healing people would violate the conservation of mass and energy. If you believe God created those laws to govern the universe, why would he violate them? Also, why would God prove of Himself to a select few but not to everyone, but instead rely on a few to give what society would consider highly unlikely testimonies to everyone else? The only thing we've proven is that if God exists he has one hell of a sense of humor.
