Conference lgp30::christian-perspective

    If by a miracle you mean a suspension of the laws of nature, then no, I
    don't believe in miracles.  On the other hand, if you mean that
    occasionally fortuitous sets of circumstances inexplicably come
    together to effect desirable, but unlikely, outcomes, then yes, I
    believe they happen.

    In the event, I have never witnessed anything that I would consider a
    "miracle".
    
    Mike

    
    Hi Mike,
    
    I think many miracles occur "through" the laws of nature....it's the
    timing...the synchronicity that makes it a miracle.  imho, of course.
    :^)
    
    Carole

C.S. Lewis' definition of a miracle is something that
is outside of our understanding of the "laws of nature".

Of course, the "laws of nature" are not truly laws of
nature, but only humankind's current understanding of
what happens and why.  When a power or force supercedes
these, we call it a miracle (although it may be well
explainable on a different level - even if that is a
level that we currently have no understanding of).

Personally, I can not claim to have experienced a
verifiable "miracle", although I have had lots of
answered prayer (most recently on Tuesday when I took
a vacation day with the family at Water Country, it
was in the sixties and the sun was stuck behind clouds,
God graciously took the clouds away and let the sun
shine the rest of the afternoon we were there.  Praise
God!)

Collis

    I believe in miracles.  I use Scott Peck's denition as stated in The
    Road less Traveled.  A miracle is both ordinary and extraordinary. 
    Ordinary in that it is an everyday occurence.  Extraordinary in that
    their is no logical reason it should occur.
    
    I can cite many miracles that have occured in my life over the last
    three years.  A miracle can be a person, an idea, a poem, a book, an
    image that offers a particular inspiration at an important junction in
    life.
    
    A remember an incident that a friend made a surprise visit from
    California.  I had not seen this friend in seven years.  At that exact
    moment I was going through some difficulties that only she could help
    me with.
    
    There was no reason that she should arrive at that particular junction
    in my life, but there she was.
    
    Miracles work when we are open to them.
    
    Patricia
    
    

It's a funny thing, Bubba.  I was thinking about introducing this topic
today, myself!

I believe in miracles.

You know, the word "miracle" comes from the Latin "mira," which means
'strange' and 'wonderful.'  And so does "mirage."

I believe there are occurances which are beyond our ability to explain or
understand.  I believe that the Spirit is like the wind and "bloweth where
it will."  There seems to be no rhyme or reason why some people experience
miraculous healing and others do not.

I remember reading in the Gospels how the people would flock to Jesus and
that many of them were healed.  I've always wondered why not *all* were healed.

Peace,
Richard

    Selected quotes from "A Course In Miracles," supplied by a reader of
    this file:

    1. There is no order of difficulty in miracles.  One is not "harder" or
    "bigger" than another.  They are all the same.  All expressions of love are
    maximal.

    2. Miracles as such do not matter.  The only thing that matters is
    their Source, Which is far beyond evaluation. 

    3. Miracles occur naturally as expressions of love.  The real miracle is the
    love that inspires them.  In this sense everything that comes from love is a
    miracle. 

    6. Miracles are natural.  When they do not occur something has gone wrong. 

    8. Miracles are healing because they supply a lack; they are performed by
    those who temporarily have more for those who temporarily have less. 

    10. The use of miracles as spectacles to induce belief is a
    misunderstanding of their purpose. 

    14. Miracles bear witness to truth.  They are convincing because
    they arise from conviction.  Without conviction they deteriorate into magic,
    which is mindless and therefore destructive; or rather, the uncreative use
    of mind.

    15. A miracle is a service.  It is the maximal service you can render to
    another.  It is a way of loving your neighbor as yourself.  You recognize
    your neighbor's worth and your own simultaneously.

    29. Miracles praise God through you.  They praise Him by honoring His
    creations, affirming their perfection.  They heal because they deny
    body-identification and affirm spirit-identification.

    35. Miracles are expressions of love, but they may not always have
    observable effects.

    36. Miracles are examples of right thinking, aligning your perception with
    truth as God created it.

    43. Miracles arise from a miraculous state of mind, or a state of
    miracle-readiness.

    45. A miracle is never lost.  It may touch many people you have not even
    met, and produce undreamed of changes in situations of which you are not
    even aware.

    46. The Holy Spirit is the highest communication medium.  Miracles do not
    involve this type of communication, because they are temporary
    communication devices.  When you return to your original form of
    communication with God by direct revelation, the need for miracles is over.

    Much of what is presented in the bible (Jesus rising from the dead for
    example) would certainly, by today's standards, be considered a
    miracle. Would not believing in miracles then constitute a non-belief
    in god and the bible and it's preachings? I would think so.
    
    Gene.

Not believing in Christ's Resurrection is a denial of Christianity.

/john

<    Much of what is presented in the bible (Jesus rising from the dead for
<    example) would certainly, by today's standards, be considered a
<    miracle. Would not believing in miracles then constitute a non-belief
<    in god and the bible and it's preachings? I would think so.
	^           ^               ^
   	^           ^               +- yes
   	^           +- yes
   	+- no
    
   Gene,

   Every day I wake up, every step I take, the food I eat all constitute 
   a miracle in my life.  God made it so not the Bible or Preachings.

   Peace,
   Allison

My .8 was a reply to both .7 and .9 (which was .8 when I wrote .8).

Although one can believe in God without believing in Jesus's Resurrection,
that is not a Christian Perspective.  Such people are either Jews, who
consider the Resurrection a fable, or Moslems, who believe that Jesus did
not die, but was miraculously saved from death on the cross.

/john

    RE:  .10
    
    Are you saying that only Christians, Jews, and Moslems believe in God? 
    
    L
    

Those are the three historic world religions involving the God of Abraham,
the one and only God.

    RE:  .12
    
    So, if a person is not a Christian, Moslem, or Jew, and this person
    professes to believe in God, do you think that they are wrong  or
    insincere?  Please clarify.
    
    L
    

    Something we might all keep in mind is that what survives of history is
    usually whatever was the most in vogue, most popular view of whatever 
    of the time.  For example, although further historical research has
    proven otherwise most people still think of Richard III of England as 
    being a horribly deformed child-murderer.  However, most people still
    believe what they read in the histories written by Richard's enemies.
    
    What I'm trying to say is that historical accounts and history itself
    are not necessarily accurate but almost always represent the popular
    viewpoint of the day.
    
    And now...back to your regularly scheduled topic.
    
    Nanci 

Yesterday evening, after viewing slides from our recent trip to Egypt
and Israel, one of the guests handed me a card with the caption:

        A Possible Explanation of God's Miracle in the Lion's Den.
                              Daniel 6:13-23

The picture shows sleeping lions all around Daniel and a slide projector;
Daniel is saying "...Here I am at my Bar Mitzvah...  Hey, have I already
shown you the slides of my trip to the Red Sea?"

/john

    
    -1
    
     Cute :-)
    
    David

    -2
    
    :-D
    
    Nanci

    I was party to a miracle this evening ... I talked to Jill for nearly
    30 minutes .. and she didn't try to convert me or save me!  :-) :-)

    Actually - she's got one heck of a great personality!  I thoroughly
    enjoyed the conversation!!

    Bubba

    
    
    You're quite welcomed Bubba.  I enjoyed our conversation immensely.
    And laughs aside (for a sec)...thanks.
    
    Jill