Miracles

[Faith1960]

I know it’s an ages old question but why doesn’t God regrow limbs on those who’d suffered amputations or make a dwarf taller? Why are all the miracles that happen interventions that can have other explanations, like remission?

Are there any documented miracles where a limb has regrown or other healing has happened that is truly impossible to have happened on its own?

 

[Della]

I know it’s an ages old question but why doesn’t God regrow limbs on those who’d suffered amputations or make a dwarf taller? Why are all the miracles that happen interventions that can have other explanations, like remission?

Are there any documented miracles where a limb has regrown or other healing has happened that is truly impossible to have happened on its own?

Yes, there are documented cases of people having been healed of all sorts of “impossible” ailments/injuries.

Having said that, the Church has a rigorous criteria for miracles, so many, that are casually reported, are not verified by the Church. Those that are verified must pass several tests before being declared miraculous.

 

[Faith1960]

Yes, there are documented cases of people having been healed of all sorts of “impossible” ailments/injuries.

Having said that, the Church has a rigorous criteria for miracles, so many, that are casually reported, are not verified by the Church. Those that are verified must pass several tests before being declared miraculous.

Can you please list some, not counting a cure for Parkinson’s Disease that IIRC is attributed to Blessed John Paul II, since PD can go into remission without Divine intervention?

 

[Della]

Can you please list some, not counting a cure for Parkinson’s Disease that IIRC is attributed to Blessed John Paul II, since PD can go into remission without Divine intervention?

You may want to Google it. Try Lourdes, Fatima, etc. Or just look under Church approved miracles. I don’t have examples at hand, but I have read about them from reliable sources.

 

[GEddie]

Just in passing… Since 1858, literally thousands of putatively miraculous intercessions have been associated with the apparitions at Lourdes, however, only 65 are attested by the Church as miracles.

The Church has a full-time investigative office in Lourdes. By far, the greater part of “miraculous” occurrences there, as elsewhere , are determined to have “natural causes.”

ICXC NIKA

 

[Faith1960]

Just in passing… Since 1858, literally thousands of putatively miraculous intercessions have been associated with the apparitions at Lourdes, however, only 65 are attested by the Church as miracles.

The Church has a full-time investigative office in Lourdes. By far, the greater part of “miraculous” occurrences there, as elsewhere , are determined to have “natural causes.”

ICXC NIKA

Why are there so few?

 

[boomerang]

My feeling on the restoration of limbs is that it would be so obvious a case of divine intervention, that God would not wish it. You’ll notice that all miracles are ambiguous. There are always two explanations. Those who have faith, will instantly recognize it for the miracle that it is. Those without faith will dismiss it as mere coincidence. This is part of the plan. Our whole lives are part of a sorting process. Sheep on the right, goats on the left. The wheat goes here, the chaff goes there. The narrow road, and the wide road. We choose what we will believe, and we are given clues to help us. Those with eyes to see, will see. Those with ears to hear, will hear. Those who are (spiritually) blind and deaf, will not see or hear. Definitive, unambiguous miracles are not part of this sorting process.

God wishes all of us to come to him on faith, not proof. There is no proof offered for the existence of God. If there were definite proof, that would interfere with our free will to believe or not believe.

 

[GEddie]

Why are there so few?

Because the Church will not declare a miracle unless natural explanations for an event are ruled out.

A type II error (failing to recognize a real miracle) might not matter too much in the lifetime of the Church, however, the type I error (affirming a miracle that is later disproven) would be catastrophic, so saying the Church is “conservative” would be an understatement.

ICXC NIKA

 

[edwest2]

The Church, of course, recognizes miracles after rigorous investigation, but unlike the secular media, makes a mention or two and that’s it. If you look, you can find them.

miraclesofthechurch.com/

Peace,
Ed

 

[Faith1960]

The Church, of course, recognizes miracles after rigorous investigation, but unlike the secular media, makes a mention or two and that’s it. If you look, you can find them.

miraclesofthechurch.com/

Peace,
Ed

Has a limb, finger or toe ever grown back as a result of prayers?
I’m looking at some miracles but haven’t found anything as solid as the regenerating of a limb.

I thought I’d read somewhere that it has happened, just not recently. Thoughts?

 

[The_Serpent]

My suspicion is there are many unreported miracles. The reason being the harassment such people would receive from people after the healing. People would rationalize anything they see as miraculous. For example, that missing hand was always there, or it wasn’t a serious sickness. Many people would avoid some one that regrew a limb, too much to accept! Other people would have negative attitudes towards the healed, like… Why him and not me? Also you may not see miracles if someone doesn’t know how to obtain a healing. The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, Novenas, and pilgrimages to Holy Sites; may all be ways to obtain such miracles.

 

[NeedsMercy]

The only case of a restoration of an amputated limb that I have read about was the “Miracle of Calanda”. It took place in the 17th century. But since the time that I had first read about it (four or five years ago), the story just cannot be backed up with enough medical or scientific documentation. For example, there is no record of the miracle recipient ever having had an amputation at the hospital mentioned by him in his testimony.

skeptoid.com/episodes/4247

Maybe God thinks that the miracles of Jesus during His lifetime should be enough for us to believe…

 

[Steveabrous]

Digging way back I remember a story about a nun who died and was beatified after one of her sisters was on her death bed. the other sister prayed to the dead nun and some internal part of her body grew back saving her life.

But let’s look at this from another perspective. The obvious inference of this argument is that if we could have documented cases of limbs growing back after prayer it would prove to the sceptics that God exists. Right? WRONG! The sceptics all believe in evolution, there are species who can grow back limbs. If there were cases of people growing back limbs they would just say it’s evolution. So what’s the point

 

[Faith1960]

I guess what I’m asking is why does it seem as if God fails to intervene in things that go against nature? Not just the healing of amputees or the growth of a dwarf, but there are countless examples of things that God won’t intervene in. Are there any Biblical answers for why the only (or usually) miraculous things we see happening are things that don’t go against nature?
For example, when I was a kid I desperately wanted blue eyes instead of my brown eyes.
Why can’t (or won’t) God answer a child’s prayers to have a different eye color, which can’t happen naturally, but He cures cancers? The curing of cancer doesn’t go against the laws of nature, like changing ones eye color, as sometimes cancer can go into remission on it’s own.

 

[cornbread_r2]

Because the Church will not declare a miracle unless natural explanations for an event are ruled out.

A type II error (failing to recognize a real miracle) might not matter too much in the lifetime of the Church, however, the type I error (affirming a miracle that is later disproven) would be catastrophic, so saying the Church is “conservative” would be an understatement.

ICXC NIKA

Does the church assert?: This event can never be explained by natural processes. Or does it assert?: This event cannot be explained by natural processes at this time. The first seems to imply that the church knows all about all possible natural processes.

 

[Steveabrous]

I guess what I’m asking is why does it seem as if God fails to intervene in things that go against nature? Not just the healing of amputees or the growth of a dwarf, but there are countless examples of things that God won’t intervene in. Are there any Biblical answers for why the only (or usually) miraculous things we see happening are things that don’t go against nature?
For example, when I was a kid I desperately wanted blue eyes instead of my brown eyes.
Why can’t (or won’t) God answer a child’s prayers to have a different eye color, which can’t happen naturally, but He cures cancers? The curing of cancer doesn’t go against the laws of nature, like changing ones eye color, as sometimes cancer can go into remission on it’s own.

The changing of eye color is a want, not a need. In fact I would say it is a slap in the face to ask God for different eye color or skin color, or to be taller, etc. these are superficial things and not something a righteous person wants and it is the prayers of the righteous the avail much.

Are there any Biblical answers for why the only (or usually) miraculous things we see happening are things that don’t go against nature?.

what about blindness, leprosy, the deaf and mute Jesus cured all these. We live in a fallen world, things are not going to be perfect.

God does go against nature but that’s very rare. Usually he uses the system he created to answer prayers, Yes. He created the system and gave us free will, we fell and it ruptured our relationship with him. Before that happened I would say, yes ,you could go to God and say I want a different eye color.

 

[Faith1960]

Yes, there are documented cases of people having been healed of all sorts of “impossible” ailments/injuries.

Having said that, the Church has a rigorous criteria for miracles, so many, that are casually reported, are not verified by the Church. Those that are verified must pass several tests before being declared miraculous.

Could you give a few examples of cases of healing of impossible illness or injuries? I’m driving myself crazy researching all this.

 

[StrawberryJam]

I guess what I’m asking is why does it seem as if God fails to intervene in things that go against nature? Not just the healing of amputees or the growth of a dwarf, but there are countless examples of things that God won’t intervene in. Are there any Biblical answers for why the only (or usually) miraculous things we see happening are things that don’t go against nature?
For example, when I was a kid I desperately wanted blue eyes instead of my brown eyes.
Why can’t (or won’t) God answer a child’s prayers to have a different eye color, which can’t happen naturally, but He cures cancers? The curing of cancer doesn’t go against the laws of nature, like changing ones eye color, as sometimes cancer can go into remission on it’s own.

A child’s prayer to have a different eye color is not healing anything. There is nothing “broken” to “Heal” with a change of eye color.

I hope you are not equating Cancer with the child’s wish for blue eyes instead of brown.

 

[Faith1960]

A child’s prayer to have a different eye color is not healing anything. There is nothing “broken” to “Heal” with a change of eye color.

I hope you are not equating Cancer with the child’s wish for blue eyes instead of brown.

No, not at all. Perhaps I used a poor analogy. I was trying to show how there are some things that can occur in nature and some things can’t. When healings take place it always seems to be a cure for something that’s already possible.

I’m looking for cures that have been impossible and yet, they occurred anyway, by a miracle.

 

[StrawberryJam]

No, not at all. Perhaps I used a poor analogy. I was trying to show how there are some things that can occur in nature and some things can’t. When healings take place it always seems to be a cure for something that’s already possible.

I’m looking for cures that have been impossible and yet, they occurred anyway, by a miracle.

I understand.

There really hasn’t been one I could point to you that would give you what you are looking for. This is the part where I remind Catholic friends that the entire Miracle enterprise is optional for them to accept.