No amputee's?

[survive]

There are well-investigated cases of regrown limbs, and not only from the Middle Ages, but also from recent centuries. No, most lost limbs do not regrow. That’s probably because a lost limb isn’t the loss it used to be anymore. Amputees lead normal lives now, with simple accommodations and pain control. But I have met someone whoe fingers regrew.
I used to be Pentecostal. Yes, we often considered possibly natural events miraculous, but sometimes things happened that were miraculous, too. And before I started going to a Pentecostal church, I asked God for some miracles, and they occurred right away. One was the healing of a large tumor sticking out of my cat’s ear. It vanished in 24 hours without a trace – no scar, no blood, no fluid at all. Unlike similar tumors removed surgically, my cat’s tumor never regrew. Was this psychosomatic? My mind has no power over my cat’s body. He had no way to know what I was talking about.

 

[Lainey63]

I have heard stories of Catholic people who have been arrested by Communists (right after WWII) and during the course of interrogation the interrogators used to say pray to your God to give you food right now…He won’t. But I will give you food-not your God. So it’s just a different version of the same old stuff atheists have been using for years

 

[06convert]

Sites like this are pretty funny. They are really a test of our faith. Which calls us to be humble servants of the Lord.

Sites like this are works of the evil one trying to get us worked up, and confused. To creat doubt and to challenge our faith.

When someone asks, “Why doesn’t God heal amputees?” I have to ask, “Why would he?” He has the power, but doesn’t for some reason, reasons we never know. Maybe that person simply hasn’t asked him for help, maybe there is a lesson they need to learn, or a lesson that others can learn from them.

Also what is their situation? Did they loose an arm in an accident? Isn’t it just as possible that if God wasn’t with him he would have lost both arms? Would he have been killed?

A similar thing I remember reading from a similar site said that x% of people die from Cancer and no matter how hard people pray that will not change. Again, I say, "There are always people praying for the sick, using this same theory, couldn’t the number be much higher if people weren’t praying at all?.

It’s all speculation. Testing God isn’t going to create any miracles.

 

[VociMike]

Note that if there were more occasions of limbs regrowing, some people would just chalk those up to unexplained biological rarities. Very few atheists who reject other possible healing miracles would change their minds based on a few regrown limbs.

 

[Soutane]

Note that if there were more occasions of limbs regrowing, some people would just chalk those up to unexplained biological rarities. Very few atheists who reject other possible healing miracles would change their minds based on a few regrown limbs.

One secularist French philosopher(can’t remember his name)stated that he would believe in God if he could witness one miracle.A priest friend took him to Lourdes where they witnessed a young woman whose face was decaying and suffering from lesions caused by Lupus enter the water and then emerge healed the new skin on her face still reddened.The priest exclaimed "here is your miracle !"The athiest replied “take her away she is still ugly”(because of the new skin which was reddened)He then stated "I would not believe if thousands were cured !"Athiesm is quite dogmatic and NO miracle will suffice.I am sure there will be athiests present at the 2nd coming who will STILL not believe.

 

[Soutane]

Note that if there were more occasions of limbs regrowing, some people would just chalk those up to unexplained biological rarities. Very few atheists who reject other possible healing miracles would change their minds based on a few regrown limbs.

They would simply characterise it as simply a phenomenon that is YET UNEXPLAINED.

ANYTHING but God.Dogma gone mad.

 

[e61iuser]

One secularist French philosopher(can’t remember his name)stated that he would believe in God if he could witness one miracle.A priest friend took him to Lourdes where they witnessed a young woman whose face was decaying and suffering from lesions caused by Lupus enter the water and then emerge healed the new skin on her face still reddened.The priest exclaimed "here is your miracle !"The athiest replied “take her away she is still ugly”(because of the new skin which was reddened)He then stated "I would not believe if thousands were cured !"Athiesm is quite dogmatic and NO miracle will suffice.I am sure there will be athiests present at the 2nd coming who will STILL not believe.

Yes I remember this story, but for the life of me can’t remember where I’d read it. It could have been “By What Authority” but I can’t be sure. If someone could remember the name of the secularist and the book it’s from it would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[VociMike]

Yes I remember this story, but for the life of me can’t remember where I’d read it. It could have been “By What Authority” but I can’t be sure. If someone could remember the name of the secularist and the book it’s from it would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

That story is told of Emile Zola.

 

[Soutane]

Emile Zola-Patron Saint of Atheism.

 

[santodomingo]

So far nobody has mentioned the Miracle of Calanda. This ocurred in the XVIII century in Spain, and is very well documented. There is a fantastic book all about it called “The Miracle of Calanda”. It´s by the Italian journalist, Vittorio Messori. I know it exists in Italian and Spanish. However, I´m not sure it´s in English.

To sum it up, a Spanish peasant had an accident in the fields and as a result of his terrible injury, he had his leg amputated just below the knee. He buried the leg near his house. He made a pilgrimage to Zaragoza, where the Virgen had appeared in the first century on a pilar to the Apostle Saint James (hence the devotion to “La Virgen del Pilar”), and prayed for a recovery. He even remained in Zaragoza for a year, begging outside the Cathedral.

Some time later, back at home, during the night he had a dream of the Virgin Mary and when he woke up his leg was in its former place, with a scar where it had been severed! There were hundreds, if not thousands, of witnesses who testified that he had had his leg amputated. The local bishop quickly realized this was a miracle, and the news spread throughout the entire Empire.

The king of Spain (I think he was Carlos III) even summoned the peasant in question to see with his own eyes the scar on the man´s leg. There is a famous painting depicting the King of Spain kneeling down to kiss the scar.

Now that´s what I call a miracle!!!

 

[AveSantaMaria]

God Does Heal Amputees!

We know only that he has been a fantastic intercessor – stories of his miracles, both during and subsequent to his death, are absolutely legion – and after his canonization, that intercession will grow. Of all Padre Pio’s healings, one of the most remarkable may have been a blind girl from the Palermo area named Gemma DiGiorgio. “I had no pupils in my eyes,” said Gemma in 1971, several years after Padre Pio’s death. “I had no sight at all. When I was three months old, my mother took me to a very famous eye doctor in Palermo. He told her that, without pupils, I would never be able to see.”

Some claimed that she may have had pupils, but that her birth defect was so severe they were not recognized as such. Whatever the case, in 1946, when the girl was seven, a nun took it upon herself to write Padre Pio on her behalf and received a note saying that the girl should be brought to Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotundo. That’s exactly what Gemma’s grandmother did: brought the girl to see the famous monk, who heard the child’s first Confession and gave her first Communion – then made the sign of the Cross on her eyes.

After the blessing, Gemma was able to see. It’s a fact that is beyond question, confirmed by amazed doctors. Did she really lack pupils? Or was her entire eye one large pupil (making it seem that way)? We know only that there was a severe defect and that although the physical defect remained unchanged, afterward Gemma was able to see normally.

More astounding still may be the thoroughly-documented cure of a construction worker named Giovanni Savino, who was severely injured on February 15, 1949, in a dynamie mishap. When Dr. Guglielmo Sanguinetti, a physician, and Padre Raffaele, another Capuchin, and Father Dominic Meyer rushed to the injured man’s side, "all three men noted that among Savino’s numerous injuries, his right eye was gone entirely. They agreed that “the socket was empty” reports biographer Bernard Ruffin in Padre Pio: The True Story.

Other doctors confirmed that they eye was completely annihilated and the other one badly damaged.

It looked like Savino was also going to be totally blind.

For three days the worker lay on a hospital bed with his head and face bandaged. When a surgeon entered the room three days later, Savino reported that Padre Pio had visited him – something Savino recognized because he had detected the beautiful aroma so often reported around the priest.

A week later, at about one a.m. on February 25, 1949, Savino feld a slap on the right side of his face – the side where the eye was completely gone.

“I asked, 'Who touched me?” testified Savino. “There was nobody. Again I smelled the aroma of Padre Pio. It was beautiful.”

When later the opthalmologist – an atheist – came to examine the remaining eye, there was shock. “To their amazement,” writes Ruffin, “the doctors found that his shattered face was fully healed and covered with new skin. Savino, however, was most delighted at the fact that he could see. ‘I can see you!’ he said excitedly to the eye specialist.”

As indeed, as is medically documented, the doctor saw to his ‘utter astonishment’ that Savino had his right eye back. Somehow the eye had materialized. (“Now I believe too,” exclaimed the doctor, “because of what my own hands have touched!”)

As Ruffin notes, it’s one thing when diseases disappear, this is exciting. It’s tremendous to hear of diabetes or arthritis or even cancer leaving a person. “For a missing part of the body to be restored; however, is another matter,” noted the expert biographer.

spiritdaily.net/AmazingPio_cures.htm

St. Padre Pio, who said, “The Rosary is The WEAPON”, said as many as 90 rosaries a day in a special form for which he received ecclesiastical permission. Father Thomas Euteneur, President of Human Life International, cites this in The Rosary Batters the Gates of Hell hli.org/sl_2008-10-03.html
St. Padre Pio had Stigmata, the wounds of Christ on his hands, feet, and side did not sleep, almost did not eat, and was beaten daily by the devil. Perhaps God doesn’t heal more amputees in this world because of our lack of faith. We aren’t willing to give up our lives for the sake of the kingdom of Heaven to the extent that people such as St. Padre Pio did.
mostholyfamilymonastery.com/padre_pio.php

 

[AveSantaMaria]

Information on devoting oneself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary:
Online Adoration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament louisville-catholic.net/WebCameras/AdorationChapel/tabid/825/Default.aspx
True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin fisheaters.com/totalconsecrationmontfort.html
**Secret of the Rosary ** montfort.org.uk/Writings/Rosary.html
Reflections on True Devotion to Mary by His Holiness Pope John Paul II http://www.michaeljournal.org/montfort.htm
**The Glories of Mary, ** by St. Alphonsus de Liguori, one of the 33 Doctors of the Catholic Church, explains Hail Holy Queen http://www.catholictradition.org/Mary/glories.htm
On the Dolors of Mary by St. Alphonsus de Liguori, one of the 33 Doctors of the Catholic Church, explains the sufferings of Our Lady http://writer.zoho.com/public/immaculate/Seven-dolors
Marialis Cultus (Apostolic Exhortation for the Right Ordering and Development of Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary of His Holiness, February 2, 1974 by His Holiness Pope Paul VI ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/P6MARIAL.HTM
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus en.wikisource.org/wiki/Devotion_to_the_Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus#FIRST_POINT._.E2.80.94_The_ardent_desire_Jesus_Christ_feels_to_be_with_us.
Divine Mercy Chaplet ewtn.com/Devotionals/mercy/dmmap.htm
Rosary Confraternity Enrollment rosary-center.org/nconform.htm (As Pope Leo XIII said in his encyclical on the Confraternity, *“Whenever a person fulfills his obligation of reciting the Rosary according to the rule of the Confraternity, he includes in his intentions all its members and they render him the same service many times over.” * Each member includes deceased fellow members as well; and thus he knows that in turn he will be included in the prayers of hundreds of thousands both now and hereafter.
Cathechism of the Catholic Church vatican.va/archive/catechism/ccc_toc.htm
Litany of Humility ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/humility.htm
**Litany of the Blessed Virgin ** intermirifica.org/Mary/marylitany.htm
**Cathechis of the Popes on Mary, Mother of God, ** catechesisofthepopes.wikispaces.com/Mary
Mystical City of God themostholyrosary.com/mystical-city.htm
In Defense of The City of God Mystica Civitate Dei: dailycatholic.org/issue/05Jun/jun10tim.htm - to summarize the research of three priests on the official decision of the Holy Roman Catholic Church regarding The Mystical City of God by Venerable Mary of Jesus of Agreda and to ascertain thereby whether it is permitted for anyone of any authority whatsoever to forbid the reading of this extraordinary book.
The Way of the Cross by St. Josemaria Escriva escrivaworks.org/book/the_way_of_the_cross-point-4.htm
**Rosarium Virginis Mariae ** by His Holiness Pope John Paul II: To the Bishops, Clergy, and Faithful on the Most Holy Rosary vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20021016_rosarium-virginis-mariae_en.html
The Violence of Love by Archbishop Oscar Romero plough.com/ebooks/ViolenceOfLove.html

 

[inveni0]

Hello. I know this is an old thread, but I stumbled across it today via Google, and I wanted to make sure that none of you confuse real atheism with what you have found at WWGHA.

First, let me say that I like what one of you said earlier:

The question is whether Catholic miracles are only slightly more sophisticated versions of the psychsomatic effects seized on by Pentecostal type people. So the atheist has actually a real argument - if Catholic healings are miracles, we wouldn’t necessarily expect that physically possible healings would be favoured. However they are. Regeneration of amputated limbs is rare or unheard of, relief of cancer or paralysis fairly common.

That is a very solid way of approaching this argument: acknowledging that many “healings” aren’t healings at all. They are simply coincidental or the effect of placebo that is triggered by prayer, group hypnosis, etc. So thank you for that.

Defining “miracle” is a great way to approach this question, because it undermines it to begin with. If we declassify the “media” version of miracles, then it invalidates this question because amputees are no longer singled out. Suddenly, millions of people are praying for an answer to their problems, and those problems work themselves out naturally…not because of miraculous intervention.

So, if the Christian god does not help with every day problems…if he doesn’t answer prayers…then why do people believe? I think you’ll find that people don’t believe in a god because there’s evidence of a god. They believe because it feels nice. They like being able to attribute things to a cause without having to spend too much time thinking about it. Most importantly, they like being able to shirk their responsibilities to humanity.

One of my most hated phrases is, “I’ll keep you in my prayers.” I’m sorry, but how does that help anyone? If you told me that you had cancer, how would you feel if I answered with, “I’ll close my eyes and make a wish that you’ll be okay.” You’d probably get angry. Why don’t I offer instead to drive you to/from your chemo treatments? Bring your spouse and children dinner when you aren’t feeling up to cooking? Start a donation drive to help cover your medical bills so that you might be able to stave off bankruptcy for a few more weeks? Of all the things I could do, prayer (wishing) is the least helpful. But I see this all the time, and it drives me crazy.

I come from a Christian family. My sister owns an organization that operates an orphanage in Sierra Leone, West Africa. I’m often told, “Pray for little XXXX…he/she doesn’t have long to live…” But I actually have skills that can help that child survive, and I’m not allowed to help because I’m not a theist. (But they still ask me to wish for them.)

And that’s the problem with prayer. God doesn’t heal people (anyone…not just amputees) because he doesn’t answer wishes. It’s recorded that he will do “whatever we ask for in his name”. And that statement, though obvious in intent, gets rationalized down to “you stay sick or handicapped because it’s part of God’s plan.” But the truth is that wishes aren’t answered because there’s no one there to answer.

There is no god.

Some people find this to be difficult to accept, but it is actually a liberating concept. Instead of following the command of your imaginary friend, you can be compassionate to everyone. Help anyone. You don’t have to harm or condemn. No one is in danger of Hell. You do what’s right because YOU choose to. Because that’s who you are, and not because that’s who you’re told to be.

Being godless is about taking responsibility for our lives and the lives of others. Everyone should step up to atheism. And that’s the purpose of the WWGHA site. It delivers the message in a radical (and sometimes ridiculous) way, but the message is clear.

Thank you for allowing me to share.