A Reply Needed for a Famous Atheist Quip

[HappyChristian]

Yah, he's nuttier than last year's Christmas pecan pie.

Methinks he doesn't know what an amputee is....

[DennisD]

Methinks he doesn't know what an amputee is....

Of course he does, "it's a heathen!"

[ThomasCooper]

Of course he does, "it's a heathen!"

Correct!

Psalm 91:10

[DennisD]

Correct!

Psalm 91:10

So, an amputee has a plague?

[John81]

The reason that some atheists latch onto this thing with healing amputees is that, according to them, the healing of an amputated limb is unable to be faked; it would be a "non-ambiguous" miracle, unlike other reported miraculous healings that could be attributed to modern medicine. To quote from the Why Won't God Heal Amputees website,

"How can we determine whether it is God or coincidence that worked the cure? One way is to eliminate the ambiguity. In a non-ambiguous situation, there is no potential for coincidence. Because there is no ambiguity, we can actually know whether God is answering the prayer or not. That is what we are doing when we look at amputees."

So when they ask why God won't heal amputees, what they really mean is, why won't God reveal Himself in the way I want Him to? Why won't He conform to my expectations of Him? Why doesn't He do what I want Him to do? They don't like God's requirement that we seek Him through faith.

The atheist asserts that he would believe in God if only there was absolute "proof" in the form of a non-ambiguous miracle, but this is a smokescreen and a lie. If they won't hear the Word of God, they won't be persuaded by miracles (Luke 16:31). Without faith it is impossible to come to God, and with faith, the testimony of the living Word of God (i.e. the Bible) is sufficient proof.

BTW, God can absolutely heal an amputated limb -- He created newts and crabs with the ability to regenerate lost limbs. But atheists attribute this to blind natural forces. I guarantee you that if human limbs started regenerating they'd do the same.

Good post! We touched upon this in Bible study last night. Scripture declares that "proof" of God is all about us and is witnessed in our hearts yet many refuse to see it and reject it outright.

As was told to the rich man in hell who said if a dead person went and told his brothers they would be saved, such is not the case. If they won't pay heed to what is already before them, they won't pay heed even if one comes back from the dead. Jesus proved this with His own resurrection.

Those who don't want to believe in God will always find an excuse for their unbelief.

[John81]

Even if one doesn't agree with Thomas, the comments regarding his positions or himself would be better served if they were biblical rather than personal.

It's not only us who view these posts.

[amblivion]

Been there, and I have done that. There is a point where I won't answer someones comments anymore nor debate them. I only wrote what I wrote merely to warn about Thomas Cooper and his ideas. I didn't see it fitting to go into great detail as to why most everything he says should be taken with a grain of salt.

[John81]

Been there, and I have done that. There is a point where I won't answer someones comments anymore nor debate them. I only wrote what I wrote merely to warn about Thomas Cooper and his ideas. I didn't see it fitting to go into great detail as to why most everything he says should be taken with a grain of salt.

If someone is in it just for the debate, there is no point in debating them...unless there is an audience which might benefit from your points. Otherwise, those who only seek endless debate are not open to the truth, they are simply seeking debate for the sake of debate. Scripture tells us to move on from such.

[Alimantado]

Hello Crispy

Welcome to the forums! You are a young Christian, you say. I'm younger, less than a year even! So please feel free to correct/reprove me as I'm sure I'll say lots of stupid things.

I realize that many atheists should not be addressed at all. Unless they are seeking God, it's often just wasted words...

But what sort of questions do you think atheists ask when they are seeking God? After all, it's not as if someone who does not already know God will wake up one morning and ask completely out of the blue:

"I wonder if there is a God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible, and a Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds...etc, etc. I'll ask that fellow over there with the book if he knows anything about that."

I know my journey to the truth began with many questions even more seemingly foolish and half-baked than the one you cite. Where else do we start?

I take the point that you and several have made, which is that some people just like to mock and get into fights and if they think such a question will 'push your buttons' then that's what they'll ask. That's certainly true. But on the other hand, if they ask you that question (about God healing amputees) does it not mean that on some level they are thinking about God? They could have chosen to mock your clothes, your jOB, the football team you support or something else that has nothing to do with the subject of God.

And consider also that the hypothetical atheist's question is based on some acknowledgement of what Christians claim. He knows that Christians claim knowledge of a god who is involved with his creation, else the atheist wouldn't think a question about intervention relevant. So shouldn't a Christian be prepared to explain why they have the hope that they do? (1 Peter 3:15) Why do we believe in the God of the Bible and not some deist god? Is that an unreasonable question from an unbeliever?

And from an evangelism perspective, compare the 'quip' with what else the atheist could ask:

"It's Sunday and I'm going to play golf all day. Do you know of a good course?"

Or

"I'm sure I don't know or care about that book in your hand but I am interesting in talking about politics."

Anyway, that's what occurred to me when I read your post. It's not actually an answer to your original question so sorry about that!