Why did Jesus after His resurrection appear to some and not to all?'

[ynotzap]

Only hundreds saw it? There were as many as 40,000 people to witness this event, and only hundreds reported seeing it. Why didn’t everybody see it?

The general belief was that the Blessed Mother promised a sign. Many people attended to witness the sign. Some out of curiosity, some disbelieving, some more or less believing, and others believing. ( this is my assumption- but also some insight about matters of faith)
These different mental approaches to the event which centered on Faith ( it was a faith event) would condition the response. Jesus Himself did not do many miracles in one town because of their disbelief. The reward of faith is seeing what you believe. When it comes to the spiritiual world things happen that are beyond imagination, eg. The Blessed Mother appeared to six visionaries and held 6 different conversation with them at the same time. Physical laws are suspended , the same thing could have happened at Fatima. The Apostles could speak different languages without previous knowledge to make the message of the Good News known. This is the work of the Holy Spirit

 

[Thorns]

I would.

Just saying…

I second this answer.

 

[Thorns]

At first maybe?

Without Faith you would may look back on it as lack of sleep, hallucination, not enough to eat, a dream, flu etc.

If you have Faith then you don’t need Him to appear before you.

The children of Fatima were so convinced by the appearance of the Virgin that they all took up holy orders.

The blind man who Jesus healed was so convinced that He believed in Jesus.

The appearance of Jesus to.doubting St Thomas changed him instantly.

St Paul was so convinced at his encounter with the Risen Lord that he turned away from persecuting the Faith to being persecuted and killed for it.

And the list goes on and on…

Jesus appearing in risen form would have changed many hearts.

 

[ngill09]

The general belief was that the Blessed Mother promised a sign. Many people attended to witness the sign. Some out of curiosity, some disbelieving, some more or less believing, and others believing. ( this is my assumption- but also some insight about matters of faith)
These different mental approaches to the event which centered on Faith ( it was a faith event) would condition the response. Jesus Himself did not do many miracles in one town because of their disbelief. The reward of faith is seeing what you believe. When it comes to the spiritiual world things happen that are beyond imagination, eg. The Blessed Mother appeared to six visionaries and held 6 different conversation with them at the same time. Physical laws are suspended , the same thing could have happened at Fatima. The Apostles could speak different languages without previous knowledge to make the message of the Good News known. This is the work of the Holy Spirit

This is an excellent explanation of confirmation bias - “seeing what you believe”.

 

[ynotzap]

This is an excellent explanation of confirmation bias - “seeing what you believe”.

The rest of the quotation is "Faith is believing what you don’t see. The reward of Faith is seeing what you believe
Explain what you mean by confirmation bias. If I see something that is not there, I’m delusional. If I believe something and then see it how is that being bias? Especially if others see it too. They confirm your own experience, so you know it’s not a product of your mind. After all objective certainty is reliant first and foremost on the senses, eg: seeing

 

[John_Martin]

This is an excellent explanation of confirmation bias - “seeing what you believe”.
ynotzap;11956157:

The general belief was that the Blessed Mother promised a sign. Many people attended to witness the sign. Some out of curiosity, some disbelieving, some more or less believing, and others believing. ( this is my assumption- but also some insight about matters of faith)
These different mental approaches to the event which centered on Faith ( it was a faith event) would condition the response. Jesus Himself did not do many miracles in one town because of their disbelief. The reward of faith is seeing what you believe. When it comes to the spiritiual world things happen that are beyond imagination, eg. The Blessed Mother appeared to six visionaries and held 6 different conversation with them at the same time. Physical laws are suspended , the same thing could have happened at Fatima. The Apostles could speak different languages without previous knowledge to make the message of the Good News known. This is the work of the Holy Spirit

Faith is not “seeing what you believe”, but it is consenting to the explanation of what you see (or hear). People saw “something”. The assertion was that it was from God. And faith consents to that assertion.
The disciples saw Jesus alive three days after they saw him die. They assert he is alive to others who did not see. These others, because they trust the witnesses then consent to the resurrection as really happening as a truth of reality.

A person is baptized; the Church asserts that when baptizing the person they gave to that person the Holy Spirit and Sanctifying Grace, which infused that person with the Virtues. To an outsider, all that happened was water on the head with some ritual speeches. That did happen. But this newly baptized person, now an insider, actually makes use of the Virtues just given, when with faith he consents to the truth of being born of God, and with hope he regards he will see God face to face, and with Charity he finds himself united as a friend with this God and with this God’s people.

What was seen was seen by many. Some, like Mary, held these thoughts in their hearts. Others asserted loudly the action of God. Others without faith will give opinions of what was seen, but will not embrace any of the opinions as true. Faith embraces as true what it knows comes from God (which means “delivered by God’s messenger”).

There is no “event” that any will see in this world that is self-evidently God acting. To see God acting in the event is a matter of believing the messenger who defines the event for you. As the disciples said to Jesus, “To whom shall we go, you have the words of eternal life. (we trust you defining reality for us)”.

John Martin

 

[nmgauss]

The apparition at Fatima, Portugal, in 1917, has the following comments in Wikipedia:

No movement or other phenomenon of the sun was recorded by scientists at the time.[3] Not all witnesses reported seeing the sun “dance”. Some people only saw the radiant colors, and others, including some believers, saw nothing at all.[11][12]
Various explanations have been advanced. Auguste Meessen, a professor at the Institute of Physics, Catholic University of Leuven, points out that looking directly at the Sun is known to cause phosphene visual artifacts and temporary partial blindness. Meessen contends that retinal after-images produced after brief periods of sun gazing are a likely cause of the “dancing” effects, and the colour changes were caused by the bleaching of photosensitive retinal cells.[13] Meessen observes that solar miracles have been witnessed in many places where people have been encouraged to stare at the sun. He cites the apparitions at Heroldsbach, Bavaria, Germany (1949) as an example where exactly the same optical effects as at Fátima were witnessed by more than 10,000 people.[13] Another theory is a mass hallucination stimulated by the religious fervor of the crowd.

 

[CrossofChrist]

Why did Jesus after His resurrection appear to some, and not to all.

It would seem that He would have put an end to all argument about His divinity once for all. It would have confounded His enemies. Instead He commissioned His Apostles to spred the Good News. Was there a divine plan? If there was, what was it. What do you think?

But God works through love, not overpowering force. Notice how those who he appeared to in each Gospel didn’t recognize him at first. Rather, it’s only when he gives us the grace to believe in him that we can see him. Same goes for the disciples who only could recognize his risen and glorious body when they accepted God’s sanctifying grace.

 

[nmgauss]

But God works through love, not overpowering force. Notice how those who he appeared to in each Gospel didn’t recognize him at first. Rather, it’s only when he gives us the grace to believe in him that we can see him. Same goes for the disciples who only could recognize his risen and glorious body when they accepted God’s sanctifying grace.

The same sort of state of emotions has been cited by analysts of the Miracle at Fatima. It has been stated that those people most expectant of seeing the miracle would be the most likely to have seen it. Some writers have alleged that staring in the direction of the Sun, especially if done for an extended period of time, is more likely to have stimulated altered states of visual assessments.

In other words, being expectant of a miracle is more likely to lead to appreciation of it than if one is skeptical.

 

[CrossofChrist]

The same sort of state of emotions has been cited by analysts of the Miracle at Fatima. It has been stated that those people most expectant of seeing the miracle would be the most likely to have seen it. Some writers have alleged that staring in the direction of the Sun, especially if done for an extended period of time, is more likely to have stimulated altered states of visual assessments.

In other words, being expectant of a miracle is more likely to lead to appreciation of it than if one is skeptical.

I see where you are trying to bring this but its irrelevant to this particular thread. Just sayin’.

 

[ynotzap]

It would appear that to expect a miracle, and see it would result in a confirmation of the person or power that caused it and the message the person is conveying. Christ sufferings are an absurdity to non-believers, but to believers salvation. I t all depends on what perspective and individual has. A secular humanist doesn’t have the perspective of a believer so how could he understand. One can always find some human reason to explain things, but scientist don’t even have an answer to things super-natural. We are speaking of the supernatural aren’t we. The supernatural is not contrary to reason, it is beyond it

 

[nmgauss]

It would appear that to expect a miracle, and see it would result in a confirmation of the person or power that caused it and the message the person is conveying. Christ sufferings are an absurdity to non-believers, but to believers salvation. I t all depends on what perspective and individual has. A secular humanist doesn’t have the perspective of a believer so how could he understand. One can always find some human reason to explain things, but scientist don’t even have an answer to things super-natural. We are speaking of the supernatural aren’t we. The supernatural is not contrary to reason, it is beyond it

I am a perennial skeptic. Someone with this mindset, is not likely to be receptive to alleged supernatural events. Most scientists and engineers are skeptics. I was trained as an engineer and a scientist. In order for me to believe in the existence of phenomena, the scientific method has to have been applied. Otherwise it is only alleged.

 

[ynotzap]

Even in science you are dealing with realities intangible to the senses, and only known to the mind, laws of physics, moral laws, math formulae. these things are spiritual in nature, they exist, but only known to the mind, real but intangible to the senses. We are always dealing with abstractions, ideas, mental reflections. The fact that I know that I know is a phenomenon that lacks scientific explanation based on emperical science. Do scientist ever transcend to the spiritual. When examining the human brain all they see is the blip on the oscilloscope, have they ever found an idea, or love, or even knowledge, or law, or math? Do they know what is spiritual? Emperical scientist deal with what can be demonstrated materially or physically. If it isn’t physical it isn’t real This is a very false mindset, they are always dealing with spiritual realities, but not aware of it. They haven’t transcended to that reality, and are earth bound. Even Einstien in his essays :" In my later years "came to the realization that there were three degrees of abstraction. The idea gotten from contact with the physical world, the mathematical, and the metaphysical. When we talk about abstraction we are dealing with the spiritual, and because our intelligence is a spiritual faculty we come to a phenomenon called “understanding”
A real skeptic to me is a person who states that you can’t be sure about anything, and I answer “Are you sure” He is self-contradictory I don’t believe you are that person.

 

[nmgauss]

Even in science you are dealing with realities intangible to the senses, and only known to the mind, laws of physics, moral laws, math formulae. these things are spiritual in nature, they exist, but only known to the mind, real but intangible to the senses. We are always dealing with abstractions, ideas, mental reflections.

What evidence do you provide for asserting that your “spiritual in nature” examples are really supernatural? For a phenomenon to leave evidence worthy of in-depth study, it must either leave concrete residue which can be examined my multiple people or be replicated by numerous people in the laboratory. Otherwise it is just anecdotal. And that is the nature of phenomena reported in the Bible. Abstractions and ideas are mental constructs formulated in an attempt to make sense of what some people might regard as random. The theory of evolution comes to mind.

When examining the human brain all they see is the blip on the oscilloscope, have they ever found an idea, or love, or even knowledge, or law, or math? Do they know what is spiritual? Emperical scientist deal with what can be demonstrated materially or physically. If it isn’t physical it isn’t real This is a very false mindset, they are always dealing with spiritual realities, but not aware of it. They haven’t transcended to that reality, and are earth bound. When we talk about abstraction we are dealing with the spiritual, and because our intelligence is a spiritual faculty we come to a phenomenon called “understanding”

Brain scans are revealing brain activity that were only speculated about in years past. Whether it is spirit acting on the brain, or the brain doing its thing independent of the spirit is hard to say. Plato regarded the mind as supreme without needing to refer to the spirit.

A real skeptic to me is a person who states that you can’t be sure about anything, and I answer “Are you sure” He is self-contradictory I don’t believe you are that person.

Thinking in terms of probabilities rather than absolutes is a more useful approach. Newton’s Law of Gravity was accepted as probably true to a level of 99.9999999% confidence until Einstein came along. That extra 00.0000001% is what threw everybody off, but the law worked so well, that it was essentially accepted as being true. Setting one’s level of confidence high enough but never 100% is a safe way to view what we have concluded about the world.

Spiritual phenomena can never be approached in the same way as scientific phenomena because the scientific method has never been applied successfully to so called spiritual entities.

 

[ynotzap]

Their is a distinction between natural and supernatural. I am speakiing of the spiritual in the natural sense, not supernatural, (that which is above and beyond nature.) The spiritual in the nature sense is that which is intrinsic to man’s nature because he is a rational creature, he is composed of body and soul. This is something many people, especially imperical scientists are not in agreement with. (unfortunately) . The theory of evolution is another subject in itself and there are true logical answers that discredit it eg. you can’t give what you don’t have, and you can’t create something from nothing, and many others.

There are miracles happening every year at the Shrine at Lourds, France. The body of St. Bernadette Soubirous lies , not mumified, but uncorrupted for 122 years, science can not explain it. The Catholic archives are filled with such examples. The recent St. Padre Pio was instrumental in the curing of a little girl born blind, without pupils and now can see. I saw an exray illustrated that showed a bone to exist, that wasn.t there before. Just recently a miracle was attributed to one or both Popes being cannonized, check it out. There is plenty of evidence if one seeks it.

Brain activity is an indication or an effect produced by a cause. WE (Catholics) know it is the soul causing it. The soul,is the source of immanent activity in the human body and it is spiritual, and through metaphysics it can be proved. Not all catholics can prove it but the Church through it Philosopher/Theologians can. There is a union between body and soul it is called “homo sapien”, knowing man. And when they are separated it is call “physical death” corruption of the physical body. The soul is in incorruptable

Dealing with math (It is called the second degree of abstraction (spiritual activity of intelligence- even Einstein agreed with this concept in his essays "In my later years) science applies a spiritual truth called math principles. Math because it is a spiritual concept can deal with infinity, possibility of infinite math combinations.empirical reality bcause it deals with finitiness, and indefinitness can’t deal with infinity. Empirical science is limited. This is why they can never get it 100% right, but close, but not perfectl. When we talk about perfection we are dealing with the spiritual, the infinite, not the finite.

Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle states that it impossible to determine simultaneously the position and the momentum of an elimentary particle. So if we know the location of the particle, we can’t determine its velocity and if we know its velocity we can’t can’t determine it’s location. Did they ever consider that our universe is undergoing a constant change, it is dynamic, not static, a constant movement from a potential to act. That we are constantly being created, and that movement is change. These and such concepts are beyond empirical science. They can’ t see the forest for the trees. I can share personal experiences that are beyond the understanding of scientists, but that may be for another time.

 

[nmgauss]

The existence of a soul has never been proven scientifically. The best we can do is hypothesize. Indeed it even can amount to wishful thinking. The same is true of causation of miracles. We see the phenomena but cannot explain with a high degree of certainty what caused them to happen or even if they really happened. We cannot even replicate them.

Constructing hypotheses to try to explain humanity is about all we can do. Since religion is human focused, that is where most of the unproven hypotheses have arisen. And wishful thinking enters the discussion. It is pleasant to imagine beautiful scenarios to explain what is happening around us. Religion enables us to have a foundation for our emotional needs and believing in unproven hypotheses is an effective tool to accomplish this goal. Until proven otherwise, belief in spirituality has great benefits.

To try to extrapolate phenomena of the non-human world to humanity is what anthropologists and biologists have been doing for almost 200 years. If rattlesnakes and crocodiles are not supposed to have souls, why are humans supposed to have them? It is a stretch to imagine that crocodiles have souls. So why claim that humans have them?

 

[MacQ]

The existence of a soul has never been proven scientifically. The best we can do is hypothesize. Indeed it even can amount to wishful thinking. The same is true of causation of miracles. We see the phenomena but cannot explain with a high degree of certainty what caused them to happen or even if they really happened. We cannot even replicate them.

Constructing hypotheses to try to explain humanity is about all we can do. Since religion is human focused, that is where most of the unproven hypotheses have arisen. And wishful thinking enters the discussion. It is pleasant to imagine beautiful scenarios to explain what is happening around us. Religion enables us to have a foundation for our emotional needs and believing in unproven hypotheses is an effective tool to accomplish this goal. Until proven otherwise, belief in spirituality has great benefits.

To try to extrapolate phenomena of the non-human world to humanity is what anthropologists and biologists have been doing for almost 200 years. If rattlesnakes and crocodiles are not supposed to have souls, why are humans supposed to have them? It is a stretch to imagine that crocodiles have souls. So why claim that humans have them?

I wouldn’t say crocodiles don’t have souls. Maybe they do!

 

[ynotzap]

Animal do have souls but not rational souls,( spiritual souls.) Their souls are material souls composed of matter. By soul is meant the source of life, and immanent activity ( coming from within) plants have souls too, material souls, that cause, growth, healing reproduction. Their activity is passed on from seed and external forces eg. the sun. Animals have the same properties but also sensation, 5 senses, mankind has the same properties but rationality. Rationality is not a product of anything material, but immaterial, a spiritual soul with the power of intelligence and will. Can you explain how a person can know that he knows? this phenommenon is beyond science. Can you explain the autonomy of a human to act as an individual, to make his own choices? They are working with artificial intelligence but they will never make a robot who can think for its self, to rationalize. A clever and intelligent programer may make it appear that it can, but in reality he will never make it think for itself and act autonomously.

Faith is reasonable, but reason will never give you supernatural faith. It can bring you to the door of the supernatural but it won’t open the door. For one simple reason, God is not subject to reason or man, man is subject with his reason to God. All creation is dependent and subject to it’s Creator. Humanity needs humility to live in the truth, since it was pride that was the down-fall of man, and it still is. When we are humbled, and it doesn’t take much to humble man then we are disposed to receiving the truth. We are presently experiencing some humbling events in the weather, and in world events, I wonder how much humbling it will take to bring people to their senses?