The Divine Intervention!

[warpus]

There are several times where I was close to death, but did not die. I was really lucky, and a couple times almost attributed it to a higher power, but not quite.. So I'm not sure if this fits in this thread.. but it kind of does.

One of the times we were hiking near/on a cliff at night (yeah, bad idea, I know). There were 3 of us, and the leader saw what he thought was a clay head of some sort a couple metres down the cliff. We started climbing down to take a closer look. I slipped and started sliding down the cliff. I ended up sliding down all the way to the "clay head", kicking it off the cliff - it was on a small platform, which broke my fall.. and saved my life (or at least prevented a broken leg or two).

We thought the whole thing was kind of freaky, so we went down to the beach the next morning to look for the clay head, which we figured must have made its way down to the beach. We found it, and.. when we looked up at the cliff, we saw dozens of clay heads, all over the cliff, sitting on different platforms, looking at us.

It was kind of freaky. There have been other similar instances, that were just weird and freaky and somehow I didn't die, and while I refuse to believe that a higher power was involved, it sure makes you think sometimes..

CivGeneral, what does "not believe in him" mean? To me that means that you don't believe he exists... Just curious.

 

[Ekolite]

I'm sorry, but misfortunes on me are NOT my fault. Is it my fault that the economy is sucky that caused my former employer to lay me and others off? NO!!!. Don't Ever, EVER assume that things gone bad are my fault. Hense forth, I still blame God for my misfortunes and continue to turn my back against him and not believe in him.

Go take psychology if you dont understand and continue to preach "It's your fault".

I do study psychology, which is the main reason I'm telling you that this is faulty blame atribution. Obviously there are other factors which will also influence things to some degree, but ultimately successful people are successful in life because of the decisions they make. If you make the wrong decisions on how to act in society, life style choices etc etc then you will be unsuccessful in relationships, employment, and life in general.

You cannot blame all bad things that happen to you purely on things beyond your control, ie. Genetics, Sadistic God. Nothing in life is purely deterministic in my opinion, and to believe so is an extremely negative and apathetic stance when transfered into your own personal life.

 

[Maaximillus]

As a personal experience the only thing which has seemed miraculous to me was when I was 6 year old I fell 2 meters straight into marble floor with my head taking the blow.
Albeit I was too young back then to think it as an act of god (atheist parents in an atheist country), now I actually consider it an act of god, because I survived it without any damage.
And just so you know I do not consider myself a Christian, I merely recognize a superior unnatural influence which I can and will call "god".

Hense forth, I still blame God for my misfortunes and continue to turn my back against him and not believe in him.

Wait what? You refuse to believe in the cause of your misfortunes? If there is little sadistic guy named god playing with the world would it not be better for you to befriend him?

 

[Ulyaoth]

Why is God always given praise for people not dieing, but if he was really so good wouldn't he just keep you from getting in trouble in the first place?

 

[Yared]

I'm sorry, but misfortunes on me are NOT my fault. Is it my fault that the economy is sucky that caused my former employer to lay me and others off? NO!!!. Don't Ever, EVER assume that things gone bad are my fault. Hense forth, I still blame God for my misfortunes and continue to turn my back against him and not believe in him.

Go take psychology if you dont understand and continue to preach "It's your fault".

Not believing in him as in not wanting to worship him, then.

One of the times we were hiking near/on a cliff at night (yeah, bad idea, I know). There were 3 of us, and the leader saw what he thought was a clay head of some sort a couple metres down the cliff. We started climbing down to take a closer look. I slipped and started sliding down the cliff. I ended up sliding down all the way to the "clay head", kicking it off the cliff - it was on a small platform, which broke my fall.. and saved my life (or at least prevented a broken leg or two).

If it weren't for that clay head, you wouldn't be going down there in the first place. And if the platform itself was big, it wouldn't be dangerous in the first place (ie more "flat" area to slow down yourself) and you wouldn't be posting it here since you wouldn't consider it a divine intervention.

As a personal experience the only thing which has seemed miraculous to me was when I was 6 year old I fell 2 meters straight into marble floor with my head taking the blow.
Albeit I was too young back then to think it as an act of god (atheist parents in an atheist country), now I actually consider it an act of god, because I survived it without any damage.
And just so you know I do not consider myself a Christian, I merely recognize a superior unnatural influence which I can and will call "god".

I've heard that it's harder for kids to break their bones.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

One day, I woke up and saw that the sun had risen. I didn't sit in bed and think about my day, as usual, for some reason. I got up, and started going about my day and taking it as it came. Everything seemed to go better that day, and I think part of it was because I didn't chew over everything that happened. I don't necessarily thank a divinity for it, but only because I don't really know what caused that day. Either way, it shaped my outlook of the world for the better, and it's had a similar effect on me that I assume the more ritualistic spiritualists feel when they go to their respective temples.

 

[Heretic_Cata]

One day, I woke up and saw that the sun had risen. I didn't sit in bed and think about my day, as usual, for some reason. I got up, and started going about my day and taking it as it came. Everything seemed to go better that day, and I think part of it was because I didn't chew over everything that happened. I don't necessarily thank a divinity for it, but only because I don't really know what caused that day. Either way, it shaped my outlook of the world for the better, and it's had a similar effect on me that I assume the more ritualistic spiritualists feel when they go to their respective temples.

That happened to me too. It started happening when i realised i was genuinely happy and at peace with myself. And i do attribute these events to a god - well, actually, to several gods.

 

[_random_]

Spoiler :

On a slight side-note: do you believe that there's a point in praying?

Spoiler :

Yes. Even if our supplications were completely ineffective, it would bring us closer to God on a personal level. "Scientific" studies on the matter are pretty much pointless, as it's impossible to control how much prayer any individual receives.

 

[CivCube]

My life has been a series of interesting coincidences, divine or no. I'm thankful when they happen.

 

[Yared]

Spoiler :

Yes. Even if our supplications were completely ineffective, it would bring us closer to God on a personal level. "Scientific" studies on the matter are pretty much pointless, as it's impossible to control how much prayer any individual receives.

Spoiler :

Okay.

 

[Arakhor]

Having been brought up as a Christian Scientist, I am well used to accounts of miraculous healings which seem to defy accepted medical knowledge (broken bones healing in days rather than weeks, for instance). Having had 20 years of those experiences, I can say with certainty that a lot of what we humans find miraculous is down to knowing precisely what to do in any given situation, no matter how hopeless, and maintaining a positive spiritual outlook on life.

If you want documented evidence of how something similar can work, check on the displays that the Tibetan monks put on, lying on beds of nails and so on. They long ago told their bodies to stop worrying about merely mortal sensations and you can see the benefits that that has brought them.

 

[warpus]

What's a Christian scientist?

 

[Arakhor]

Here we are (not to be confused with Scientology!)

 

[Yared]

Having been brought up as a Christian Scientist, I am well used to accounts of miraculous healings which seem to defy accepted medical knowledge (broken bones healing in days rather than weeks, for instance). Having had 20 years of those experiences, I can say with certainty that a lot of what we humans find miraculous is down to knowing precisely what to do in any given situation, no matter how hopeless, and maintaining a positive spiritual outlook on life.

If you want documented evidence of how something similar can work, check on the displays that the Tibetan monks put on, lying on beds of nails and so on. They long ago told their bodies to stop worrying about merely mortal sensations and you can see the benefits that that has brought the.

I'm pretty sure that lying on a bed of nails and not being hurt has a lot to do with putting yourself in such a position where your body's weight is spread out over the maximum amount of surface - ie, the technique itself.

That sounds very different from, say, making cancer go away.

While we're at it, I don't think mind over matter is something that's limited to spiritual people.

 

[Arakhor]

I don't think it is either, but Jesus' final instructions to his disciples were to go out and do in his name as he would - spreading love, tolerance and forgiveness, healing the sick cleansing the lepers and so on. He certainly didn't seem to believe that it was an exclusive activity that he alone could do.

 

[Camikaze]

I myself cannot think of any instance I've considered divine intervention, but I certainly don't doubt that others have had experiences that they feel are best attributed to divine intervention. Other less religious people may put it down to coincidence or circumstance, but even if it is really so, it does not preclude the fact that to some people, the creation of coincidence or specific fortuitous circumstances is exactly what divine intervention. I doubt Santa Claus like scenarios are what most religious people have in mind when they think of signs of God in their life.

 

[Yared]

I don't think it is either, but Jesus' final instructions to his disciples were to go out and do in his name as he would - spreading love, tolerance and forgiveness, healing the sick cleansing the lepers and so on. He certainly didn't seem to believe that it was an exclusive activity that he alone could do.

Sorry, but I'm missing your point.

 

[Arakhor]

You said that mind over matter isn't limited to spiritual people and I was pointing out that healing through knowledge of Jesus' divine message (as he expected his disciples to do after he had gone) is one of the purest expressions of mind over matter.

 

[Yared]

What's with the "but"?

"I don't think it is either, but Jesus' final instructions to his disciples were to go out and do in his name as he would - spreading love, tolerance and forgiveness, healing the sick cleansing the lepers and so on. He certainly didn't seem to believe that it was an exclusive activity that he alone could do."

Is Jesus' final instructions incompatible with mind over matter non-spiritual edition?

 

[Arakhor]

I tend to write how I talk Change the 'but' for an 'as'.